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.
- Become a Master NaturalistTo learn how to become a certified Master Naturalist please contact us at https://txmn.org/lostpines/ Scholarships available. Contact training@lostpinesmasternaturalist.org
- Back Roads Nature–Meridian State Park
Situated along the 98th meridian on the transition between sweeping prairieland and the top edge of the Texas Hill Country is the embodiment of a legend. In the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton, the author describes a mythical land of Shangri-La. It was a fictional account of a lost Tibetan paradise, a valley… Read More → - Winners at Master Texas Naturalists Annual MeetingThe Lost Pines Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists won three awards at the recent annual meeting of the Texas Master Naturalists in Houston. Allen Guisinger gave a presentation about the Bridge maniacs bird blind project, which was covered in a recent blog post on this site, and won $300 prize for third place in… Read More →
- Registration for 2023 Basic Training Class Open
The Lost Pines Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists will hold its next Basic Training class starting in January 2023. Registration is now open and space is limited! Click here for more information or you can click here to download the application packet. - A Thimble Full of Fearlessness
Fearsome news, dear readers, from this forlorn rural outpost—my tiny cabin on the outskirts of Bastrop, Texas. It’s a sweltering October evening, the pigeon-colored sky silent as death. On my porch a desperate combat is taking place. The battlefield is a blur of ruby-throated hummingbirds bombarding and strafing each other. They should all be in… Read More → - Time Flies
American playwright David Ives penned a play (Time Flies) about the brevity of life, using mayflies as his allegory. We join the action as two lonely mayflies meet at a pond and really hit it off. As their romance develops, they watch a David Attenborough nature show on TV, and realize they only have a… Read More →