Coordinators: Michael Weiss and John Kennedy.
Upcoming AT opportunities for the month of DECEMBER 2025:
| Local / In-Person Blank Places on the Map of Trans-Pecos Botany SRSU Science Seminar Free public seminar on Trans-Pecos plant ecology and exploration. Dr. Clifton Albrecht (Asst. Professor of Botany, SRSU) will present “Blank Places on the Map of Trans-Pecos Botany: Selected Knowledge Gaps in Taxa and Localities,” highlighting unexplored or understudied plant species and areas in the Big Bend region. This talk is part of Sul Ross’s Fall Science Seminar Series, which is open to students, faculty, and the community. Date & Time: Wednesday, December 3, 3:30–4:30 PM Location: Sul Ross State University, Warnock Science Bldg, Room 201, SRSU Alpine campus (with an informal mixer afterward). Sponsor: SRSU Dept. of Natural Sciences. Cost: Free Cold Moon Hike (DMSP) Enjoy the “Cold Moon” on its fullest night during a short evening hike along Skyline Drive. Watch the moon rise over the Davis Mountains and talk about winter night skies and local geology. Date & Time: Thursday, December 4, 8:30 – 9:30 PM Speaker: Charlie Ewing Location: Davis Mountains State Park. Meet at the CCC Rock Lookout (far end of Skyline Drive). Cost: Free for campers, Indian Lodge guests, or day users w/permit – daily entrance fee is $6.00/adult, or free for the carload with Texas State Park Pass. West Texas Springs Preserve Tour Join The Nature Conservancy in Texas for a series of guided tours at Diamond Y Spring Preserve and Sandia Springs Preserve. Learn about desert springs, endemic species, and the conservation work protecting these rare water sources. Space is limited to 12 guests per tour. Dates & Times: Friday, December 5, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM & Saturday, December 6, 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM Locations: Diamond Y Spring Preserve, Fort Stockton, Texas 79735 & Sandia Springs Preserve, Balmorhea, Texas 79718 Cost: Free Registration: December 5 | December 6 Friends of Seminole Canyon State Park Guided Hikes Learn about the park’s railroad and military history and visit remote rock art sites in the upper portions of Seminole Canyon. Excellent opportunity to connect cultural history with the surrounding desert ecosystem. Dates & Times: Sunday, December 7, 8:30 AM & December 14th, 8:30 AM. This is a 4 hour hike. Location: Seminole Canyon State Park Cost: $30 Registration: https://friendsofscsp.org/eventbrite/ Davis Mountains Preserve Day Tour The Nature Conservancy DMP is pleased to offer a Guided Day Tour of the Davis Mountains Preserve, which includes a presentation on the TNC’s work in West Texas, a driving tour of the preserve, and an interpretive hike. The DMP is not open to the public on these tour dates. Hiking difficulty: easy to hard, tailored to each group. Maximum 12 participants. Please bring a sack lunch to enjoy on the preserve. Other supplies you will need: good hiking shoes, hiking poles, water, snacks, binoculars (if you have them). Date & Time: Friday, December 12, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/AJ9AAfjtbvX9nxEA8 Registration: https://preserve.nature.org/page/180982/event/1 “Cosmic Christmas” – Meteor Shower Viewing (BSP) Witness the peak of the Geminid meteor shower on a backdrop of stars we don’t get to see during our summer night sky programs! Bring A blanket or chair to lay back on, a red light flashlight (if possible), and plenty of warm clothing Date & Time: Saturday, December 13, 9:00 – 10:00 PM Speaker: Emily Dickerson Location: Balmorhea State Park pool area. [Please park with headlights facing away from the pool and follow the red lights to the telescope.]Cost: Free Otto Struve Telescope: Special Guided Tour Travel back in time to see the first large telescope built at McDonald Observatory! This 75-minute tour visits the dome floor of the 82″ Otto Struve Telescope and covers its history, instrumentation, and role in Texas astronomy. Date & Time: Saturday, December 13, 12:30 PM Location: McDonald Observatory Registration: https://mcdonaldobservatory.org/82-inch-telescope-tours Friends of Seminole Canyon State Park Guided Hikes: Presa Canyon A very strenuous, all-day hike through canyon bottoms that includes navigating thick brush and boulder fields. A typical Presa Canyon hike may visit rock art sites such as VV75, Red Linear, and Black Cave, though specific sites and time spent at each depend on canyon conditions and guide discretion. Date & Time: Saturday, December 13, 8:30 AM. This is an 8.5 hour hike. Location: Seminole Canyon State Park Cost: $30 Registration: https://friendsofscsp.org/eventbrite/ Desert Sketches – Cochineal Dye Workshop (Ft. Leaton) A hands-on nature journaling and art workshop at Fort Leaton SHS focusing on the cochineal insect – a historically important natural dye source in the desert. Participants will learn about the biology and cultural history of cochineal (an insect that yields red dye) and create “leave-no-trace” memory sketches using natural cochineal pigment as watercolor. Date & Time: Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 10:00 AM –12:00 PM Location: Fort Leaton State Historic Site, Presidio, TX Cost: Free (materials provided). Registration: Not required (open to all ages). Star Party in the Borderlands (BBRSP) Explore the far outreaches of the universe and share stories behind your favorite constellation. Park Rangers will take you on a guided tour of our night sky and look at some of your favorite planets and stars through a telescope. Bring Red lights (to preserve night vision), Weather-appropriate clothing, Water and snacks, A telescope (if you have one!), Your own chair (for a comfortable viewing experience). Date & Time: Saturday, December 20, 6:30 – 8:00 PM Speaker: Omar Udave Location: West Contrabando Trailhead. Located on FM 170 (River Road), approximately 7 miles from the Barton Warnock Visitor Center and 40 miles east of Fort Leaton SHS. Cost: Free with park admission, $5 per person 13 and older. Registration: Reservations are required due to limited space. Make your reservations here. Winter Solstice Hike (DMSP) Celebrate the official start of winter on this evening hike. Join Ranger Charlie on a hike up Skyline Drive Trail to the Keesey Canyon Overlook. At the top, we’ll take in the sunset views and talk about the historic significance of the winter solstice. This is a strenuous hike with a 30 minute uphill stretch. Bring trekking poles (if needed), a flashlight/headlamp, and water. Date & Time: Saturday, December 20, 4:30 – 6:00 PM Speaker: Charlie Ewing Location: Davis Mountains State Park. Meet at Interpretive Center. Cost: Free with park admission, $5 per person 13 and older. Winter Solstice Stargazing (BSP) Special stargazing night to celebrate the winter solstice. Rangers will help participants “brighten the longest night” by observing winter constellations, discussing solstice lore, and viewing celestial highlights of the season. Date & Time: Saturday, December 27, 2025, 6:00–7:30 PM Location: Balmorhea State Park pool area. [Please park with headlights facing away from the pool and follow the red lights to the telescope.]Cost: Free with entry. Virtual / Online TMN Tuesdays Webinar (monthly state webinar series) December’s webinar will feature TMN program staff presenting “State Program Document Updates: A Look at the Brand Guide, CMOP, and More,” an overview of new guidelines and updates to TMN statewide documents. This session helps volunteers understand recent program changes (e.g. branding, chapter management procedures). Date & Time: Tuesday, December 9, 2025, 12:00–1:00 PM CST, online via WebEx Speakers: Michelle Haggerty, Mary Pearl Meuth, and Hannah Ferguson On the second Tuesday of each month the Texas Master Naturalist Program offers a 1-hour advanced training webinar. Registration & Calendar: https://txmn.tamu.edu/tmntuesdays/#december |