Author: NPSOT-Wilco

— by Cindy Chrisler

Eight NPSOT members assembled at 8 a.m. to conduct a plant survey at Godwin Ranch Preserve in Georgetown on Sunday, August 24, 2025. This was the third of four surveys we will conduct to establish a plant list for the preserve.  Nearly two inches of rain in the past week along with even more rain over the past month made for lush grass growth, although few forbs were blooming.  The early start and low humidity made for a pleasant walk through the customary loop used for this survey.  

In the two hours spent on the survey, we observed about 60 species of plants. Most were native species, but we also found invasives such as chinaberry, common hedge parsley, King Ranch Bluestem and Johnson grass. Recent moisture allowed nostoc (witches’ butter) and mosses to thrive on rocks and bare soil along the trail. We identified a number of grasses, including Little Bluestem, Silver Bluestem, Sideoats Gramma, Texas Gramma, and Heller’s Rosette Grass. Pasture Heliotrope was blooming, and we identified seed heads for Firewheel, Upright Prairie Coneflower, Greenthreads, and Beebalm. Doveweed was abundant, and a few Drummond’s rain lilies were spotted. Perhaps the highlight of the survey was finding a Rio Grande Copperlily, an unexpected find. Milkweed vines were prominent, but we so far have been unable to definitively identify the species. Native oaks, Ashe Juniper, Cedar Elm, and Eve’s Necklacepod are interspersed around the preserve, and are decorated with several species of lichens.

Late summer is not the optimal time to observe birds, but we were able to identify the songs of White-eyed Vireos and Lesser Goldfinches and spotted a black-chinned hummingbird. We found tracks for feral hogs and raccoons in the muddy trail, and scat of jackrabbits and coyotes. We also discovered a shed antler from a white-tailed deer and the skull of a feral hog. 

The fourth and final survey will be held in November.