The Lost Pines chapter serves primarily Bastrop and Caldwell counties of Central Texas (click here to find a statewide list of chapters). These counties are predominantly in the Post Oak Savannah and Blackland Prairie Ecoregions. In addition, our area includes the unique “island forest” of the Lost Pines, the westernmost extent of the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), separated by about 100 miles from the pine forests of East Texas. Species in the Lost Pines are particularly adapted to the drier conditions here, and provide unique habitat for varied flora and fauna that can be seen in Bastrop and Buescher state parks and other nearby natural areas. You can learn more about what makes these parks so special and see pictures of them by visiting our “State Parks & Natural Areas” page; you can also find many links to information about the native plants, animals and ecology of the Lost Pines region on our resources page.

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  The Fault is in Our StarsJanuary 15, 2022
  It had been a full day.  After returning to our RV and finishing supper, I retired to a comfortable chair outdoors with my whiskey and coke. Thunderheads were building in the distance.  It was sundown and a bank of clouds to the west flared red.  As daylight faded, the sky fluttered with lightening; far off,… Read More →
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  Squatter’s ParadiseDecember 15, 2021
  A child sits amused by the activity of an ant colony. Fireflies, too, are an innocent childhood amazement—wonders of nature.  Tiny worlds, big questions. Could it be, in the big picture, we are no more special than the ants or fireflies?  Are we not, ourselves, the product of evolution and natural selection?  Since Darwin exposed… Read More →
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  We still have a few openings left for 2022 basic trainingDecember 8, 2021
  Classes begin January 15th, 2022 and the class is limited to 25 students. More information is available on our training page. Applications are due by December 15, 2021.
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  Back Roads Nature–Lake Whitney State ParkNovember 15, 2021
  Nature doesn’t need people; people need nature.  A winter outing can be just as refreshing as a fair-weather escape.  We arrived at the Horseshoe Camping Loop as a bright December afternoon slowly faded to dusk.  The sun was spreading out long across the water and the birds had just begun to make their way home… Read More →
• Register Now for 2022 Basic TrainingOctober 30, 2021
  Registration for our 2022 Basic Training class opens on November 1st! More information is available on our training page. Applications are due by December 15, 2021. We can’t wait to meet you!
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  Haunted Houses & Other Dark PlacesOctober 15, 2021
  Halloween gives rise to strange happenings.  Take, for example, a building that grows its own fur. October in Alaska gets pretty chilly but who would’ve expected a structure to grow its own winter coat? Shortly before Halloween in 2018, an administrative building in Glacier Bay National Park began to cultivate a beard. That’s right, long… Read More →