Trip Report: Palmetto State Park, Oct 19, 2024

— by Cindy Chrisler

image of group of hikers
Palmetto State Park, October 19, 2024. Photo by Cindy Chrisler.

Palmetto State Park was the destination for this month’s field trip.  Most attendees drove down that morning, but some stayed over the weekend in the shady campground. 

We assembled at 10:00 am at the Refectory Building, an historic CCC building that now serves as a picnic destination and overlook.  The park superintendent and a TPWD interpreter led us on two easy trails and discussed the local plants and animals in and around the park. 

Most notable was the anacua, a tree found in northern Mexico and southern Texas.  In the spring it is covered with small white flowers that provide abundant nectar for pollinators. In summer the flowers develop into berries that are relished by birds and other wildlife and can be used to make jam. Other interesting plants included supplejack, cottonwoods, pecans, and bur oaks, and of course, the dwarf palmetto, which lends its name to the park.  It was a pleasure to tour the riparian habitat with a flowing river during this dry period.


See photos from this field trip and others in our album=>

See field trip plans on our Home page.


November 14 Chapter Meeting: “Plant Conservation Programs at San Antonio Botanical Garden” with Michael Eason

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, November 14, 2024, when our featured topic will be “Plant Conservation Programs at San Antonio Botanical Garden” with Michael Eason.  Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM.  The guest presentation begins after a short business meeting.

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

==> This month, we meet 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 register at https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclfuChqTorGtCOtgnLm8-3vn4wELTvX1iK#/registration

About our topic:  Michael will discuss various plant conservation programs currently underway at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. Most of these programs are new to the garden and have been initiated in the last several years with the Garden’s new commitment to conservation.

About our speaker: As a conservation botanist and voice for native plants Michael has devoted his career to the conservation of native plants and habitats in Texas and beyond. He currently is the Vice President of Conservation and Collections at San Antonio Botanical Gardens. During his time at the garden, he has established working partnerships with other like-minded organizations throughout Texas and the nation, instituted new conservation projects, and continued to solidify the Gardens commitment to plant conservation in Texas.

Previously, working as a free-lance botanist and consultant, he has designed and installed native plant gardens, and performed a variety of plant surveys on both public and private lands, including rare plant surveys, plant inventories, wetland delineation, and ecological assessments. During his decade long stint at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, he managed projects such as Millennium Seed Bank project, Floristic Survey of Big Bend National Park, Ferns of the Trans-Pecos, and a Review of the Aquatic Invasives of Texas.

In 2018 he published the field guide, Wildflowers of Texas, and is currently working on several other book projects including Wildflowers and other Plants of Western Texas – a field guide, Naturalized and Invasive Species of Texas, and The Native and Naturalized Fabaceae of Texas.

Michael has served on the Executive Board of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT), is currently the State Botanist for the organization, has served as co-president of the Big Bend Chapter of NPSOT and is currently heavily involved with the International Oak Society.

Photos by Michael Eason. Upper right: Proboscidea sabulosa. Lower right: Asclepias sperryi.


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 upcoming topics on our page Wilco Home or on our Calendar.

Leave No Trace training – Williamson County Preserves

News from the Williamson County Conservation Foundation:

The Williamson County Conservation Foundation is offering a “Leave No Trace for Williamson County Preserves” training for people who want to access county preserve areas. The class will be held Wednesday, Oct. 16, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Georgetown Annex, 100 WilCo Way, in Georgetown.

“Leave No Trace” is a program by the Center for Outdoor Ethics and covers seven principles emphasizing mindfulness while hiking at Williamson County Preserves.

The class is free to attend but space is limited and advance registration is required. Participants must first complete the free Leave No Trace 101 course online here, and email your certificate to the Williamson County Conservation Foundation at wccf@wilco.org. To register, click here.