Sideoats Grama, Bouteloua curtipendula. Godwin Ranch Preserve, November 2025. Photo by Cindy Chrisler.
Three NPSOT-Wilco members conducted the fourth and final plant survey at the Godwin Ranch Preserve in Georgetown on Sunday afternoon, November 16. The survey was scheduled for the afternoon in anticipation of cooler weather by mid-November, but a heat wave kept temperatures in the mid 80s. Dry conditions over the past month led to a reduction of flowering plants, but nearly 60 species were observed either as green plants or as seed heads on dry vegetation.
Crowpoison was the flower of the day, followed by Texas Snakeweed. Grasses were abundant, but the meadows are largely KR Bluestem. Other grasses observed were Sideoats Grama, Little Bluestem, Silver Bluestem, Heller’s Rosette Grass, Purple Threeawn, and Plains Lovegrass. Some trees and shrubs looked water stressed, especially the Eve’s Necklacepods and Cedar Elms. Oaks and Texas Persimmons seem to be faring better during the dry spell. Several Texas Lantana bushes were poised to bloom in the next few days. Leaves of multiple stands of Drummond’s Rain Lily were noted, and rain later this week should trigger a massive bloom.
This survey concludes the study for the Godwin Preserve. Observations from the four surveys conducted across the last twelve months will be compiled and presented to the Godwin Ranch Preserve Manager, Eléonore le Corvaisier. The NPSOT surveys and observations in iNaturalist will provide a baseline for species at the preserve for future reference.
Cindy Chrisler Field Trip Committee
————– See photos from this trip and others in our album =>
If you were on the fence about joining the chapter meeting on Thursday, November 13, this update will pique your interest! Our featured topic is Intro to Pocket Prairies with John Hart Asher.Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM. The guest presentation begins after a short business meeting.
About our topic: It’s time to up the biodiversity in your life and grasslands are a great way to do so!
About our speaker: John Hart Asher has over 15 years of experience designing and building functional ecosystems within urban conditions. He has conducted basic research in ecological engineering, ecological restoration, and land management, offered workshops to professionals and the general public, and provided fee-supported ecological consulting expertise to clients across Texas. As part of the consulting team at Blackland Collaborative, John Hart works with integrated design teams composed of engineers, architects, landscape architects, and developers to integrate sustainable design, practices, and philosophies into projects. He specializes in translating sustainable design into successful projects that provide varying layers of ecosystem services. His main interest is the application of ecological design, resulting in functional sustainable landscapes within urban ecologies. A few of his current projects include: Tall grass prairie restoration in an urban riparian corridor, native prairie green roof design, residential pocket prairies, sustainable roadsides, and green infrastructure.
John Hart worked on the green roof design and implementation for Bercy Chen Studio’s Edgeland House, which was featured in Dwell and Texas Architect magazines and has won several awards, including Architizer’s A+ Jury and Popular Choice Awards, the 2016 Design Award of Excellence from Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and the Texas Society of Architects 2016 Design Award. Edgeland House was also featured in Phaidon’s “Elemental Living: Contemporary Houses in Nature,” and most recently was documented in AppleTV’s HOME series that explores exemplary and innovative designs. He holds a bachelor’s in history from the University of Mississippi and a master’s in landscape architecture from The University of Texas at Austin, which awarded him a President’s Outstanding Staff Award in April 2018. He’s a dedicated environmental professional who specializes in bridging design concepts and ecological function and demonstrates strong project management skills with the proven ability to design, assess, and investigate landscape restoration installations, performance, and measures. He has carried out research and development of green roof technology with the aim of improving performance and application within semi-arid, sub-tropical climates, and has helped design and build numerous native prairie green roofs all over the state of Texas. In 2019 he also stepped in to serve as host of the nationally syndicated PBS show, Central Texas Gardener. You can bet he’s got a pocket prairie in his yard!
[Updated Nov 12] The presentation will be recorded for YouTube.
==> 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.
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.
Join us for our annual Sunday after Thanksgiving field trip! We have chosen an easy hike on a 1.84 mile mulched trail loop named after Jim Rodgers, Williamson County’s first parks director. Along the trail we will use multiple interpretive signs for native plants sponsored by our chapter.
Meet at the trailhead parking lot at 1:30pm, on your left just past the first traffic circle. We will head out by 1:45pm. Rain or shine!
Restrooms are provided in multiple locations throughout the park. Bring water, bug spray if desired, and dress for the weather.
Open to all, including non-members, visitors, and all ages. Well-behaved pets are also welcome!
About Jim Rodgers, from a Williamson County Parks Department 15th anniversary news article, March 2018:
Williamson County’s first parks director, Jim Rodgers, wanted to “distinguish the (newly created) Williamson County Parks Department by focusing on larger, regional parks that provided children with an opportunity to be out in nature, even if they were just a few blocks or miles from their home. Rodgers’ vision was for county parks to model state parks with large open spaces and natural settings. City parks already provided structured recreational parks and sports fields. The desire was to complement and not overlap.”
Questions about the trip? Please contact the Field Trip Committee (contact form here).
