Category: Volunteers

Chapter Volunteer Activity

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The Best Volunteers and Customers Imaginable! THANK YOU!

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— by Randy Pensabene

Going into the Spring 2021 NPSOT-Wilco Native Plant Sale, we were a bit nervous. It was a new venue for us and so we were not sure how many people would show up. We were confident that we had a wonderful location at the beautiful Berry Springs Park and Preserve (BSPP) Tonkawa Pavilion and that people truly wanted Texas native plants. We were also confident that we had the best group of knowledgeable and hardworking volunteers that money couldn’t buy!

On Friday morning, it soon became apparent that the Tonkawa Pavilion was indeed the perfect location and we had nothing to worry about…, except whether we would have enough plants for Saturday. Such remarkable response and support from the plant community!

With much regret, we had to cancel the sale for Saturday because we sold out of virtually every native plant we brought. I deeply apologize to those who came late on Friday or had planned on coming Saturday. We acquired every native plant we could for the sale and we simply could not meet the demand. I thank all the customers for showing up.

I also thank each and every volunteer. It takes a sizable team of people, working together, to put on this worthwhile event. We get to have an amazing amount of fun, enjoy the camaraderie of fellow native plant supporters, and expand our knowledge and appreciation of native plants. Just as fun is interacting with and educating the public. We even had volunteers lead plant walks for small groups of people visiting our sale or visiting the park, something new this time.

It is important for everyone to know that our plant sale proceeds help fund nonprofit programs promoting the use of Texas native plants. Our primary focus is Williamson County where we spend sale proceeds on community-enriching native plant-related projects at places like BSPP, River Ranch Park, Champion Park, Brushy Creek Regional Trail, Spirit Reins, NEST-The Georgetown Project, and the Georgetown Public Library.

We are so pleased with the spring plant sale response that we are already planning our fall 2021 plant sale and I am pleased to say that we will return to the Berry Springs Park and Preserve Tonkawa Pavilion that overlooks this beautiful Williamson County asset and its trails. Our fall plant sale will be one day, Saturday, September 25, 2021, at the same location.  We’ll announce the sale hours closer to the date.

Thank you, everyone, for your generous support.
Randy

plant sale
image of plants for sale

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Landfill Pollinator Garden workday on Saturday, April 3 2021

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— by Marilyn Perz

We have a workday at the Landfill Pollinator Garden on Saturday, April 3, 2021 from 8am-noon.  Come help members of NPSOT and the Good Water Master Naturalists weed and cut back the plants on our Bluebonnet covered berm.

Please wear a mask, bring your own cutting and digging tools and dress for the weather. Water and snacks will be provided. We will distance ourselves as we work.

Park across the street from the garden in the Recycling Center lot at 101 Landfill Road, Hutto.

Pollinator Garden Workday

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Thanks for a Great Fall Plant Sale!

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— by Beth Erwin

Our Fall 2020 series of plant sales at the farmers markets in Georgetown was a huge success.  Big thanks go to the Georgetown, Sun City, and Wolf Ranch Farmers Markets for allowing us to be guests for a day.  Our hard-working, enthusiastic team of volunteers worked for months getting ready for the sale and followed through right to the end.  Believe or not, we are already working on the Spring 2021 sale!  We are extremely grateful for our plant producers for providing us great native plants to sell.  Between sales, check with Wright’s Nursery in Briggs if you are seeking more native plants.

Many of our customers were seeking native plants for shade, and plants with some level of deer resistance.  We are planning to have more shade tolerant plants in the next sale.  As for deer resistance, we will work on that, too.  There is an excellent article on dealing with deer in the landscape in the most recent issue of the NPSOT members newsletter, Native Plant Society of Texas News.  Check it out at this link.

Lots of customers downloaded and printed the plant availability list and brought it to the sale.  Several of you commented on how much you liked having it.  We will keep that going.

We appreciate the customer feedback and really enjoy talking and listening to you at the sales.

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