Author: NPSOT-Wilco

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Field Trip: Godwin Ranch Preserve Plant Survey, Sunday, August 24, 2025

— by Cindy Chrisler

image of group hiking
Exploring Godwin Ranch, May 2025. Photo credit Greg Donica.
  • What:    Plant survey and tour of the Godwin Ranch Preserve
  • When:  8:00 AM to 10:00 AM on Sunday, August 24, 2025
  • Where:  Near the corner of DB Wood Road and Williams Drive in Georgetown. 
  • Members and non-members are welcome! No RSVP is required.

Join NPSOT members on the third of four scheduled plant surveys at the Godwin Ranch Preserve in Georgetown.  We will begin at 8 a.m. to beat the late summer heat. This preserve is not open to the public and this is your opportunity to explore it.

All levels of plant identification expertise are welcome. Even if you don’t know plants, each participant is an observer and may notice and draw attention to something others do not.

Park at the CVS Pharmacy and walk east along Williams Drive to the gated entrance (a quarter mile or less).  There will be a NPSOT sign at the gate.  If walking that distance is a problem, you may be dropped off at the gate but there is no parking along Williams Drive or in the preserve. 

There are no restrooms or water, so please plan accordingly. Bring your own water and snacks.  Wear long pants, closed toed shoes, use bug spray and sunscreen, and wear a hat.

We will walk around a mostly flat mowed path for about a mile and a half. There are some rocks and stumps that may pose a trip hazard, and walking sticks are recommended. In addition to plants, we should see several species of insects and birds.

You may put observations on iNaturalist but please obscure any rare plants. All surveys will be combined into a single plant list for the preserve and shared with the preserve manager.

If you have questions, please contact the Field Trip Committee (contact form here).

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See photos from some of our previous field trips in our Field Trip Album.

Field Trip Album

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Meeting Reminder, August 14:  “Native Plant Seeding: Selecting, Purchasing and Planting” with Megan Clayton

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, August 14, 2025, when our featured topic will be Native Plant Seeding: Selecting, Purchasing and Planting with Dr. Megan Clayton.  Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM.  The guest presentation begins after a short business meeting.

==> This month’s in-person location is the Georgetown Public Library, 2nd floor, 402 West 8th St, Georgetown, TX 78626. Come early (6:30 PM) for expert advice, to check out the seed swap board, or just to visit.

==> To attend via Zoom, register at https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/MUR1d0LiSNicrtGaKIm5SQ#/registration

See the original meeting announcement at this link for speaker and topic details.

At every meeting, we give away a book — about native plants or the meeting topic — to one randomly chosen in-person attendee!

* If we have permission from our guest speaker, we record the presentation for our YouTube channel. (See a list of past topics at this link.)

Have an idea for a speaker?  Let Program Leader Susie Hickman know via  email to wilco-chapter@npsot.org.

NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public. We hope you attend!  Meetings may be in person, virtual, or both, so be sure to check details in the meeting announcement. Meetings are announced on our website, our calendar and Facebook. See upcoming topics on our Home page or on the Calendar.

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Video and Photos from July 10’s Annual Chapter Meeting

During the business portion of the chapter meeting on July 10, out-going president Nancy Copperman announced the officers who will hold elected positions for 2025-2026 for the term that will start on September 1, 2025.

image of speaker at podium
Out-going President Nancy Copperman
group of people
Incoming Board of Directors: (left to right) Kim Jones (Director), Nathaniel Woodward (Director), Erin Buhl (Vice President), Tyson Bartlett (Treasurer), Mark Stoetzer (President), Becky Sloan (Secretary)
group of people
Celebrating anniversaries! (left to right) Erin Buhl, Mark Stoetzer, Nancy Pumphrey

NPSOT member anniversary milestone pins were presented to folks celebrating 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 years of membership in the Society.

Nancy also announced that NPSOT has awarded chapter member Ashley Landry (founder of The Native Plant Rescue Project) a Lifetime Membership in NPSOT for her native plant conservation work.

The chapter meeting’s business slides are here.

Lastly, the evening’s featured presentation by Randy Pensabene and Gary Bowers was an overview and demonstration of “WilcoScape,” the chapter’s new native Texas plants database which focuses on Williamson County. See the new menu item [WilcoScape] at the top of this page!

NPSOT-Williamson County meetings are free and open to the public. We hope you attend!  Meetings may be in person, virtual, or both, so be sure to check details in the meeting announcement. Meetings are announced on our website, our calendar and Facebook. See upcoming topics on Home or on our Calendar.