Category: Native Plants

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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.

image of photographer taking photo
image of Proboscidea sabulosa
image of Asclepias sperryi

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 [email protected].

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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Recording Available for October 10’s topic, “Building a Future With Flowers: Lewisville’s Sustainable Solution” with TJ Gilmore

The video recording from our chapter meeting on October 10, 2024 featuring “Building a Future With Flowers: Lewisville’s Sustainable Solution” with TJ Gilmore is now available on our YouTube channel. The presentation begins after a short chapter business meeting.

See more recorded topics on our YouTube channel. Like and Subscribe!

See our page Prior Guest Speakers for a list of past meeting topics by year.

Business slides for recent chapter meetings are here, listed by date. (If this particular meeting’s business slides were not added yet, they will be soon. Please check back later.)

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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Volunteer this Fall in Round Rock

News from the City of Round Rock, Texas:

Come join a new project with the City of Round Rock Public Works department.  The City building at 3400 Sunrise Road, Round Rock, is looking for help to clean up and prepare the property’s bed areas for new native plants.  Many of the original plants have died.  Weeds are spreading, and City staff want to turn the property into a demonstration site of native plantings.  This fall, we are looking for helpers to assist with weed pulling (there’s a lot), possible compost spreading, native seed dispersal, and some shrub pruning around the perimeter of the building, as well as  the parking lot islands.  New plants will be installed in the spring.

Work days will be scheduled for every Friday morning starting October 18 thru December 6 (weather permitting and if there’s still work to do), from 8-10am.  Please bring your own gloves, sharpshooter shovels, hand trowels, and other weed pulling devices.

Please note this building is occupied by employees, so there will be people around, as well as vehicles.  The good news is that means there’s plenty of parking, restrooms, and water fountains available! 

  • Location: City of Round Rock Utilities & Transportation office at 3400 Sunrise Road, Round Rock
  • Date/Time: Fridays from 8-10am starting October 18, 2024.
  • How to Volunteer: Reach out to Jessica Woods, City of Round Rock Water Conservation Coordinator, with questions or to volunteer. [email protected], 512-844-8514.