by Shaila Palamand, PWLTMN Member For many centuries, salamanders were regarded as mystical and mysterious creatures. Greek philosopher Aristotle described the salamander as having a “mastery of fire”, believing it to be impervious to fire and even able to extinguish flames, while his successor Theophrastus called the salamander “a lizard whose emergence is a sign…
Invasive Species and Their Impact
by Bee Harris, PWLTMN Member As master naturalists, it’s important to understand the term invasive species and what it encompasses. While researching the term, I came across The National Invasive Species Information Center (NISIC) (USDA, 2006 – present) definition: Invasive species can be plants, animals, and other living organisms (e.g., microbes). 1) non-native (or alien)…
Winters Bayou Wildlife Sanctuary
This article was written by Leigh Allen, PWLCTMN. All photos were taken by Tina Crichfield, PWLCTMN The Winters Bayou Wildlife Sanctuary is a 165-acre sanctuary located in San Jacinto County, Texas. Situated next to the Sam Houston National Forest, the sanctuary sits in a transition zone between the Gulf Coastal Prairie, the Piney Woods, and…
Piney Wood Lakes Urban Small Parks Project
This article was written by Leigh Allen, PWLTMN Photo by Krišjānis Kazaks on Unsplash Texas is transforming – it’s becoming a landscape where concrete and nature come together in a delicate balance. Did you know that over 86% of Texans now call urban areas home? The state’s six major metropolitan areas – including Houston, San…
East Texas Rabbits
by Shaila Palamand, PWLTMN Member One of the great benefits of the temperate climate of East Texas is our ability to enjoy nature and observe wildlife even during the winter months. Although some species migrate south to spend the season in warmer temperatures, many stay in the Pineywoods region throughout the year, adapting to colder…
The Time To Restore Project
Article by Leigh Allen, PWLTMN, Project Coordinator Blue Mistflower – photo by author Are you looking for a project that you can do at your home or in a close area? One that doesn’t involve a lot of time, but provides much needed data on our native pollinator plants? The Time to Restore Project may…
Reports from the 2024 Texas Master Naturalist Annual Conference
The 2024 Texas Master Naturalist Annual Conference was full of informative classes and hands on learning opportunities. Participants that attended for our chapter felt that the information was both useful and provided more opportunities for our chapter to get involved. There are several new opportunities that will be presented to our 2025 training class, as…
Texas Master Naturalists Annual Conference – Leigh Allen reports
Time to Restore Program Presenter: David Gwin- State Coordinator for Time to Restore program.David is available to talk to chapters about the program. This program looks at the disparity between pollinator migration and the plants they are using. Plants are more adaptable to changes in weather and climate, but the pollinator insects are not. The…
Texas Master Naturalists Annual Conference – Tina Crichfield reports
Prescribed Fire Workshop This is a question I get frequently, and the leaders of the workshop said they would be more than happy to come to east Texas, or those who would put us in touch with the right people over here – to present a prescribed fire workshop for landowners. Texas Wildlife Association –…
White-tailed Deer of Texas
by Bee Harris, PWL Member White-tailed deer live in diverse environments, from the deep woods to river bottoms, and are often seen foraging for food in overgrown fields. Due to good habitat management (providing supplemental plots for foraging) and conservation practices (control of population) they grow to healthy numbers. Their diet includes six hundred different…