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Meeting Reminder, April 10: “Luminous Landscapes: Fireflies in the Heart of Texas” with Ben Pfeiffer

[Update published in a separate post on April 9=> Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Zoom portion of this meeting was cancelled and the meeting was not recorded.]

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, April 10, 2025, when our featured topic will be Luminous Landscapes: Fireflies in the Heart of Texas with Ben Pfeiffer.  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/lLoaYnV_Qe-23rxZ-8sVig#/registration

See the original meeting announcement for details about our guest speaker, the topic and links to resources.

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 page Wilco Home or on our Calendar.

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REMINDER: Volunteers Needed for Round Rock’s Earth Day Festival, Apr 12

We are still looking for a collection of enthusiastic native plant volunteers to staff a booth during Round Rock’s Earth day festival. If you are able to lend a hand, please fill out the volunteer form at the link below. Thank you!

Gary wonders, “What do you call a group of native plant volunteers? A Thicket of Volunteers, or a Bloom of Botanists, or a Canopy of Conservationists?”

Volunteer for the City of Round Rock’s Earth Day Festival, at Memorial Park, 600 N Lee St, Round Rock, TX 78664, on April 12, 2025. Promote Texas native plants at this free event which is geared towards all ages and with a wide variety of activities and services creating awareness regarding Earth Day. NPSOT-Wilco will have an educational tabling event and a plant giveaway.

The event is from 9am-12pm. NPSOT volunteers shifts run from 8:30am-12:30pm. You can volunteer for the whole day, or for any of the shifts. Details are in the sign up form.

Sign up to volunteer with NPSOT by completing the volunteer form at this link.

Read about the festival here: City of Round Rock’s Earth Day Festival.

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Field Trip: Tejas Park on April 12

— by Cindy Chrisler

  • What:  Tour meadows of early spring wildflowers at Tejas Park, Lake Georgetown
  • When:  Saturday, April 12, 2025, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Where: Tejas Park, 4560 Co Rd 258, Liberty Hill, TX 78642
  • Who:  NPSOT members and members of the public—all are welcome!

Join Cindy Chrisler and other NPSOT-Williamson County members for a walk in the meadows of Tejas Park, Lake Georgetown, in search of spring wildflowers.  We will assemble in the parking lot at 8:30 a.m. to beat the heat. 

While the pace will be leisurely, there may be some steep areas and a creek crossing, depending on the route determined a few days prior to the scheduled hike.  Recent rains will enhance the naturally occurring annuals, and trees and shrubs should be resplendent in their new foliage.  Participants should wear clothing appropriate for the weather, use bug spray and sunscreen, and bring water.  There is a pit toilet at the trail head.

Some meadows at Tejas Park have been seeded with mixes from Native American Seeds, and others have been recently subjected to prescribed burns.  This trip will be limited to three hours, but we hope it will encourage you to explore this hidden gem on your own as the seasons progress. Wildflowers vary over the seasons and in different microhabitats of the park, so you will see something different every time you hike at Tejas. No matter your expertise in wildflower identification, you will enjoy your hike!

Directions:  From I-35, take Williams Drive west, then turn south on Farm to Market Rd 3405. Turn east on County Rd 258 and continue across the North San Gabriel River. Turn left into Tejas Park.

image of American basket-flowers
American basket-flowers, Centaurea americana. Tejas Park, June 2023. Photo: Nancy Pumphrey.

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See photos from previous field trips in our album =>

Field Trip Photo Album