Blog

Posted on

Field Trip: Palmetto State Park, Saturday, October 19, 2024

— by Kathy Galloway

image of Dwarf palmetto, Sabal minor
Dwarf palmetto, Sabal minor. Photo by Greg Donica.
  • What:   Palmetto State Park
  • When:  10:00 AM – 12:PM on Saturday, October 19, 2024
    • Meet at the park.
    • Optional lunch after the field trip.
  • Where:  78 Park Road 11 S, Gonzales, TX (about 90 miles from Georgetown)
  • Our field trip is open to the public. The park’s entry fee is $3 per person.

Palmetto State Park is an unusual botanical area resembling the tropics more than Central Texas.  Most notably, a stand of dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor) plants is found in the park’s ephemeral swamp.  (The overview on the park’s website has a slide show with a short video.)

You will need to pay a $3.00 per person entrance fee at park headquarters (age 12 and under free).  From there you will proceed and take the second left to park at the Refectory Building (CCC Pavilion).   Ask for directions at park headquarters.

Dress appropriately for the weather.  Wear long pants and closed-toed shoes.  Bring water. Sun protection if needed.

Lunch is on your own.  Some of the attendees will be stopping in Luling for lunch at Blake’s Café, 621 E Davis St, Luling, Texas.          

=> Please register for the field trip by submitting the RSVP form at this link. Although there’s no limit on the number who can attend, we’re collecting RSVPs so we have an idea of how many and who in case we need to get in touch. If at the last minute you decide to come and you did not register, that’s okay. Come anyway!

Please feel free to contact the Field Trip Committee (contact form here) beforehand if you have any questions.

————–
See photos from some of our previous field trips in our Field Trip Album.

Field Trip Album

Posted on

Call for Volunteers!  NPSOT @ H-E-B on Oct 16 & 19

[Post updates: 9/15-form closed. 9/11- one store removed from list.]

News on Sept 15 – Thank you! We have enough volunteers to cover the two stores. The signup sheet is now closed. If you have any questions, contact Nancy Pumphrey via the contact form at this link. (Choose Projects/Community Gardens.)

For October’s Texas Native Plant Week, H-E-B will be selling NPSOT-recommended native plants, and at some stores across the state, NPSOT volunteers will be on-hand to distribute native plant seed mix packets. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s Pollinators and Prairies program is donating the seed packets containing NPSOT-recommended mixes from Native American Seed.

On October 16 and 19, the Williamson County Chapter will host tables at one to three up to two local H-E-B stores in Georgetown and Hutto, depending on the number of people who volunteer.  The stores were selected by H-E-B. Though the event is in mid-October, we need to line up our volunteers asap so State NPSOT can confirm all tabling activities across all the stores with H-E-B by the middle of September.

Details:

  • Wednesday, October 16, 11am–2pm, and Saturday, October 19, 11am–2pm.
    • For each day, we need 2 volunteers per shift.  Volunteers can sign up for 1 or more hours, whatever works for you.   Volunteers will give away the seed packets and answer questions.  
  • The Society will provide table signage to us with info about NPSOT, the native plants currently on sale at H-E-B (including QR codes) and TPWF Pollinators and Prairies program information.  

How to Signup:

Nancy Pumphrey will have a signup sheet at the chapter meeting on September 12, or you can fill out the volunteer form at this link.