What: Start the new year with a tree walk in the park! Led by Gary Bowers. Where:Old Settlers Park, 3017–3099 Whitlow Way, Round Rock When: 10:00am-Noon on January 1, 2024 Our field trip is free and open to the public.
We’ll meet in the parking area at the Virgil Rabb Pavilion off of Whitlow Way, in Old Settlers Park. From there we will walk around the pavilion to the nature trail. The walk will be around 2 miles and take 2 hours. We will focus on tree identification during dormancy, discuss different areas of the park (riparian, meadow), and overall enjoy being outside on the first day of the year.
Meeting point and parking. Rabb Pavilion, Old Settlers Park, Round Rock, TX.
Our field trip is open to the public. There is a park entry fee: ages 13-64 @ $4 per person; over 65 @ $2 per person.
Imagine it’s the Sunday afternoon following Thanksgiving. Are you stuffed from all the food? Tired of the relatives? Well, we have just the solution — a walk in River Ranch County Park on November 26, 2023, from 2-4:30 PM.
When you arrive at the park, proceed to the parking lot at the Interpretive Center. We’ll meet at the Trailhead to walk to the Bell Oak, one of the two large Heritage Live Oaks. It’s a gentle uphill hike there and downhill on the way back. The round trip is about a mile. Please wear long pants and closed toe shoes. A hat and sunscreen are recommended. Bring your water. After our hike, which is a loop, we will head to the Interpretive Center for a tour of the facilities.
If you are coming from the Georgetown area, due to construction in Liberty Hill, we recommend taking Ronald Reagan Blvd. Take a right onto Hero Way; and then head north on Bagdad Road (CR279) to arrive at the park on your left.
If you are coming from another direction, we recommend taking any east-west thoroughfare north of RR1431 to reach Bagdad Road (CR279).
We will have a sign at the Park Entrance and a sign at the turnoff in the park by the Interpretive Center.
We look forward to getting you off the couch and away from the house.
If you have a question, click on Contact Us to send it to the Field Trip Committee.
Escarpment Live Oak, Quercus fusiformis. River Ranch County Park, August 2020 (virtual) field trip.
Several dedicated NPSOT-Wilco members and a member of the public (perhaps a new member?) spent a pleasant afternoon at Hidden Springs Preserve on October 22, 2023. We visited three sites on the preserve (which is closed to the public), including the pond near the house, an oak motte, and a low hillside.
The group identified over 40 species of plants, including several grasses, asters, and milkweeds. Small Palafox, Snakeweed, Blackfoot Daisy and Dotted Gayfeather were dominant flowers.
This is the 8th survey taken at the preserve in a series of 12 that will be conducted in each of the months of the year, taken over four years. (Read more about our plant surveys at this link.)
Photos by Cindy Chrisler and Anne Adams
See more photos from this field trip and others in our album=>
