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.
- Canyon Lake Spillway Tour
All aboard! The first of us load up and head out in the tour bus. As we round a corner all you can see is a monstrous earthen wall. Takes one by surprise if you haven’t been there before. We unload on a calm and quiet morning. Wandering over to the fence overlooking the lake… Read More → - Flying Tiger
A young skunk shuffles from the foliage to sip from a rivulet—cool, refreshing. There’s a pleasant breeze along the water, damp and soft like spring. Late March breaks the buds on the trees. Stars flicker overhead in an immense firmament; a silver curve of the moon hovers in the western sky. The bank is bare… Read More → - Canyon Lake Gorge Field TripOften I’ve wondered how boulders were deposited where they are. Did they just crack and fall off of a bigger rock? Or did a giant force of nature move them across a longer distance? Many of the boulders at Canyon Lake Gorge, it turns out, were tossed around from the flood of 2002. There… Read More →
- Field Trip Impressions II
When I drove to the site, I was thinking, “Ok, the Hill Country, so what”. I love the Hill Country but why is this spot so special to all the other places I have explored through out the years. When I started the tour and stopped at the pile of rocks, again, I was thinking,… Read More → - Field Trip ImpressionsI wasn’t sure what to expect at the Gault Archeological site on Saturday February 18th, 2023. Our Lost Pines Chapter Texas Master Naturalist training class got a personalized guided tour as our first field trip and I have to say it was incredible! Sergio Ayala, our guide, did a great job in every… Read More →
- Back Roads Nature–Daingerfield State Park
One of my favorite parts of Texas is the northeastern piney woods. Of all 254 counties in the state, Morris County is perhaps the most beautiful. It’s tall forest sanctuary and offers the full expression of four distinct seasons. It’s like finding a little piece of Vermont in Texas—that’s because it’s a geographical cross-section. Were… Read More →