Article by: Marsha Stephens
The Backstory
June and July of 2023 marked a new activity for our chapter and a special adventure for the three of us who undertook our chapter’s first-ever swap of Advanced Training programs with another chapter. Program members included Marsha Stephens (MS), Jan Rogers (JR), and Bill Hopkins (BH). The project was envisioned as an experiment in developing alliances with a neighboring chapter for sharing learning, AND maybe even undertaking joint projects in the future. This first effort involved the Big Country chapter, our neighbor to the west, with whom we share many similar natural resources via the intergradation of ecological regions, as well as many widespread challenges such as droughts, impacts of invasive species, and conservation of our few natural areas.
This project began way back in June of 2022 with an email by MS to the Big Country chapter to determine if there was any interest within their group in participating in such an undertaking. After a response in the affirmative, both chapters ran the idea by their boards and all approved. The project leader for the Big Country chapter, Randy Deming, spent many hours emailing with MS hashing out details of the plan while coordinating planning within his chapter. Next, the Prairie Oaks project leader (MS) authored an article for the Winter 2022 Side Oats Notes describing the project and soliciting volunteers. JR and BH stepped up to the plate and we were off and running in the spring. After the project team finalized the topic outline, MS developed a PowerPoint to support the presentation, and the team met one last time for final review on June 7.
Presentation for Big Country
On June 15, the Big Country chapter hosted us to present a program that we called “Greetings from Prairie Oaks: The Other Side of the Dry Line”. The Big Country chapter meets at the AgriLife Extension Office in Abilene, and there were over 30 of their members present for the program. The chapter rescheduled their normal business meeting and organized the evening to begin with 30 minutes for a tasty and hearty potluck meal prior to our presentation. Then our team took the floor for 90 minutes of non-stop show and tell. The presentation consisted of the following topics:
- Chapter history, growth, status and routine activities
- Structure, successes and challenges of our joint training class/Tarleton credit class
- Public lands where we serve within our region and adjacent areas
- Bosque River Nature Center, Nature Fest, Christmas Bird Count, and Rural School Enrichment Program as major chapter volunteer service activities
- Selected volunteer service activities by small groups and individual members (a Thurber brick was given away by JR during this discussion)
- Geology, ecoregions, and vegetative communities of our service area
- Selected rare species occurring in our service area
- Selected major conservation challenges in our region, including loss of natural areas, use of non-native plants by landscapers & landowners, management of limited groundwater resources, and impacts of dairy industry on surface water quality in the Bosque River drainage
- Challenges facing our chapter, including reaching populations in all counties of our service area, declines in number of community participants in training classes and declining chapter size
- Ideas to expand service in our chapter area and enhance our training and service efforts
- Possible joint projects with Big Country chapter, including jointly hosting a “Mountain Fest” at Palo Pinto Mountains State Park and assisting Big Country to host a state TMN meeting in Abilene
Our team was rewarded with accolades and good questions from the host members. In particular, there were compliments on the diversity and volume of our volunteer efforts and accomplishments for such a young chapter. There was definite interest among the Big Country members in a joint project at Palo Pinto Mountains State Park. We were also surprised by the gift of a potted Mexican heather plant for each of us. Definitely, a good time was had by all!
Photo by Bill Hopkins
Photo by Bill Hopkins
Hosting Big Country
On July 15, it was our turn to serve as hosts for the Big Country contingent consisting of six of their members who traveled to Stephenville. Thanks to all of those who rose to the occasion and provided an eclectic feast beyond compare. Our chapter also rescheduled the normal business meeting to the last part of the night, to allow the Big Country team to depart earlier in the evening. We were pleased to be able to begin the session with a big congratulations to the Big Country chapter on completion of their 20th year in the TMN program. Their presentation included many of the same general topics as those covered in our program, including their chapter history, sponsors, partners, and training class structure. The presenters acknowledged their own challenges in recruiting members from, and providing service for, the far corners of their service region, some of which are over 100 miles away from Abilene. Discussions of natural resources revealed that their 13-county service area includes portions of the rolling plains, oak woods and prairies, and Edwards plateau ecoregions. In addition, two major river basins (Brazos and Colorado) are present in their service area. Many of the Big Country chapter activities occur at Abilene State Park, including monthly hikes, star parties, bioblitzes, trail maintenance and outreach events. Notably, in association with conducting a City Nature Challenge, one of their chapter members discovered a rare flower (Penstemon grandiflora, large flower beardtongue) on his property that has since been visited by several researchers for documentation and seed collection as the last known extant population of the species. This has to be the experience of a lifetime for any Texas Master Naturalist. The chapter also provides extensive educational activities in conjunction with Abilene ISD and Abilene Public Library. Finally, the Big Country delegates proposed that we join them in a joint chapter campout at Palo Pinto Mountains State Park when the park opens in 2024. So get your camping gear dusted off, and get ready for a new adventure and new Texas Master Naturalist partners in service and learning!
Chapter Challenge
As a final note, we hereby issue a challenge to our fellow Prairie Oaks chapter members to replicate our effort with one of our other neighboring chapters. We feel that the development of the presentation was a rewarding learning experience both in content and in working as a team. The program provided an educational service to others, and our chapter enjoyed the benefit of an interesting and informative Advanced Training presentation. We will be happy to help anyone who is interested, and our PowerPoint program is available for use and adaptation as needed (contact MS for access to the PowerPoint). Come on, be brave, you can do this!