Landfill Pollinator Garden Workday, Sunday, Nov 19, 2023

Come help during a workday at the Landfill Pollinator Garden on Sunday, November 19, 2023 from 9:30am to noon. Bring boots, tools, hat, bug spray and water.

Signup at this link https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AADAC28A5F58-45176394-pollinator#/

About the garden: The Pollinator Garden is a collaboration of the NPSOT-Wilco chapter, Good Water Master Naturalists, and Williamson County Waste Management, located at the entrance to the Williamson County Landfill, at the corner of FM 1660 and Landfill Road in Hutto, TX, across from the Recycling Center. The garden includes a Monarch Waystation and is a Certified Texas Wildscape. Volunteers help maintain the garden when the collaborating organizations announce a maintenance work day.  Anyone interested is invited to help!

image of large native plant garden

Meeting Reminder: Oct 12, “Williamson County’s Native Plant Rescue Project” with Ashley Landry

Please note: our in-person location this month is the Georgetown Parks & Rec Administration Building, not the Georgetown Public Library.

This month’s presentation will NOT be recorded for YouTube.

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, October 12, 2023, when our featured topic will be Williamson County’s Native Plant Rescue Project with Ashley Landry.  Free and open to the public. We begin at 7:00 PM with a short business meeting followed by our guest speaker’s presentation. Read more about this month’s topic in our previous meeting announcement.

==> If you attend in person, we’re at the Georgetown Parks & Rec Administration Building, 1101 N College St, Georgetown, Texas 78626.  Come early (6:30 PM) for expert advice, to check out the seed swap board, or just to visit.

==> To attend via Zoom instead of in person, register at https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvde6trDosGtK42HFP3HYU7BZUtHyu8KBa#/registration

image of construction site, wildflowers in foreground
Rescue site photo by Hillary Xu,

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


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 info about upcoming topics on our page Wilco Home.

Field Trip: Hidden Springs Preserve Plant Survey #8, Sunday, October 22, 2023

image of a sign

  • What:   Hidden Springs Preserve Field Trip, Plant Survey 8 of 12
  • When:  2:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Sunday, October 22, 2023
    • Please plan on arriving by 2:00 PM. There is a padlock on the front gate and it will be locked shortly after 2:15 PM.
  • Where:  978 CR 224, Florence, TX.
  • Our field trip is free and open to the public…
    • But the preserve is not open to the general public.  See important details later in this post.

We’re continuing our plant survey work with plant survey #8.

Be prepared for extensive walking on uneven, open terrain. Wear sturdy walking shoes, a hat, and sunscreen, and bring water, field guides, and something to take notes on and with. Members at all plant knowledge levels can help on survey field trips. Beginners are welcome.

Please plan on arriving by 2:00 PM – there is a padlock on the front gate, and it will be locked shortly after 2:15 PM. Reservations are not required. Please feel free to contact the Field Trip Committee (contact form here) beforehand if you have any questions.

Directions:

  • Take IH-35 north to Exit 266 (Florence/Killeen/195).
  • Turn left and follow SH 195 toward Florence.
  • Go through Florence, take the TX 138 exit (you will be near the City of Florence’s water tower with the bison on it), and then turn left onto TX 138.
  • After a little over two miles, turn right onto CR 224.
  • After about half a mile, at the fork in the road, bear to the left and stay on CR 224. Note that a car GPS system may indicate that you should bear to the right – this is incorrect.
  • After another half a mile, look for a green metal gate on your right (north side of street). There is a large wooden sign “Hidden Springs” sign between two flagpoles behind the fence. The address is 978 County Road 224, Florence, TX, but there is no number on the gate. (The gate is across the street from 981 CR 224.)
  • When you arrive, directions will be given as to where to park.

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See photos from our earlier survey trips to Hidden Springs Preserve.