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Oct 14’s Program: Nancy Lawson’s “The Humane Gardener: Nurturing Habitat for Wildlife”

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— by Randy Pensabene

Our speaker presentation from October 14, The Humane Gardener: Nurturing Habitat for Wildlife by Nancy Lawson, will not be posted on our YouTube channel, but there’s a wealth of related information available from Nancy.

For anyone who absolutely loved Nancy’s presentation like I did, or if you missed the presentation, and would like to know more about Nancy’s work, I highly recommend her blog and her book. I have been a long-time blog subscriber and her message resonates wherever you are located.

Nancy is in high demand and we are very grateful she spoke to our group!
Blog: www.humanegardener.com
Book: www.humanegardener.com/the-book

About our guest speaker Nancy Lawson:

Nancy Lawson is the author of The Humane Gardener: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife, a habitat consultant, and a national speaker on garden ecology. She founded Humane Gardener to pioneer creative planting strategies and other animal-friendly landscaping methods. Lawson’s presentations at diverse venues—from national wildlife refuges to local wildflower preserves—have inspired even seasoned horticulturists and wildlife experts to look at their landscapes in a new way. Certified as a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional and master naturalist, she partners with Howard County Bee City, the Audubon Society of Central Maryland, the urban wildlife department of the Humane Society of the United States, and other conservation and animal advocacy organizations. Her book and garden have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other media outlets.

image of speaker photo

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In Person AND Virtual Chapter Meeting November 11: Restoring Habitat in Texas to Protect Our Native Pollinators, with Sean Griffin

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Join NPSOT-Wilco on Thursday, November 11, 2021, at 7:00 pm,  when Sean Griffin will present Restoring Habitat in Texas to Protect Our Native Pollinators.  This meeting will be held both in person and online via Zoom.

About our topic:   Bees, butterflies, and other pollinators are declining worldwide, due in large part to the loss of their native habitat. In his presentation, Dr. Griffin will talk about his research into how ecological restoration can be used to protect these important pollinators in Texas, and discuss ways that you can encourage diverse communities of beneficial insects on your own land.

About our guest speaker:  Dr. Sean Griffin is a restoration ecologist broadly interested in wild bee conservation, fire ecology, and the recovery of degraded grasslands. He earned his PhD in 2019 from Michigan State University, where he used experimentally restored habitats to study bee movement across fragmented landscapes. In the Jha Lab at UT Austin he is now examining how prescribed burning and other forms of restoration management affect plant and pollinator communities in Texas prairies. Sean is also very interested in community engagement, and is actively involved in environmental education, citizen science, and pollinator-focused outreach. You can learn more about Sean’s work at his website srgriffin.com.

image of Skipper and bee on Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata
Skipper and bee on Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata

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

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.

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Self-Guided Field Trip: See Monarch Butterflies in Taylor, TX

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— by Kathy Galloway

The Native Plant Society of Texas – Williamson County Chapter’s Field Trip Committee has found a terrific location for you to observe the migrating monarch butterflies before they all pass through Texas in early November. Murphy Park in Taylor has two garden areas with native plants and lots of butterflies.

Liberty Garden is located right inside the entrance of the park. It consists of a small, fenced formal garden that contains several native plant species. The butterflies seem especially interested in the Fall Aster and the Gregg’s Mistflower, but you can also find Turk’s Cap, Pavonia, Inland Sea Oats, and Yaupon Holly Trees, to name few. Don’t miss the two large planting beds flanking the entrance drive which also have lots of native plants.

Murphy Park Butterfly Garden is a small, certified Monarch Waystation located in a round planted area in the parking lot between the swimming pool and the lake. This garden is dedicated to Ms. Betty Jackson, a former member of our chapter, who was a life-long educator and supporter of ecology who inspired the garden. The garden is a little bit overgrown but the butterflies don’t mind and there are several different species of native plants here. See if you can spot the milkweed in this garden.

On the afternoon we visited, there were at least 20 butterflies, monarchs and queens, flitting around on the Gregg’s Mistflower. There was also a duck sitting on her eggs in her nest which she located within the butterfly garden, so be careful not to disturb her. We noticed the butterflies seem to like the Murphy Park Butterfly Garden location much more than the same plants in Liberty Garden.

This field trip involves minimal walking, but there are trails in the park if you wish to explore and enjoy the fresh fall air. Bring water, sunscreen, and insect spray and let us know if you have luck spotting the monarchs. Post your photos and videos on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #NPSOTMurphyPark and we can all share in the fun.

Directions from I-35:
• Head east for about 15 miles on Highway 79 in Round Rock
• Stay on 79 through Hutto and into Taylor
• Turn left onto Sloan St and travel .6 miles
• Turn right onto W Lake Drive for .9 miles
• Turn right into the park and the Liberty Garden will be right in front of you. The Butterfly Garden is in the parking lot to the left by the lake.

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