Tag: conservation

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Salado Creek, from Save Texas Streams & NPSOT

News from the NPSOT-Tonkawa Chapter (Bell County) and Save Texas Streams:

“The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is currently reviewing or has already approved permits for 12 facilities that could discharge 8 million gallons of treated wastewater (aka sewage) into Salado Creek, a pristine stream that flows over the Edward Aquifer Recharge Zone in Bell and Williamson Counties.” (Save Texas Streams website)

You can help!

Learn more at Save Texas Streams and on the NPSOT-Tonkawa Chapter website.

Attend the Salado Creek Community Meeting, on Wednesday, February 4, 7pm. See Save Texas Streams for the Zoom link and other meeting details.

Submit comments to TCEQ. Find links and supporting information about the permits at Save Texas Streams.

For more information and updates, see Save Texas Streams newsletters at https://www.savetexasstreams.org/newsletters/save-texas-streams-newsletter.

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TPWD Webinar, Dec 20, (endangered) Texas Trailing Phlox

Webinar news from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department:

  • Conservation genetics and taxonomic distinctiveness of a Texas-endemic wildflower
  • On Wednesday, December 20, 2023, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
  • with Christine Edwards
    Stephen and Camilla Brauer Conservation Geneticist
    Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development, Missouri Botanical Garden

Webinar description: In this presentation, I will give an overview of conservation genetics in general and the conservation genetics program at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I will then provide an overview of a study that focused on understanding patterns of genetic diversity and structure and the taxonomic distinctiveness of a federally endangered Texas-endemic plant, Texas Trailing Phlox. (Emphasis added by NPSOT-Wilco.) I will conclude with a discussion of how the results can be applied to facilitate conservation efforts for Texas Trailing Phlox.

Bio: Dr. Edwards received a BA in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Colorado, a PhD in Botany from the University of Florida, and completed a Postdoc in Botany at the University of Wyoming. She has led the Conservation Genetics program at the Missouri Botanical Garden for the last 10 years. Her research focuses on using genetic tools to understand the evolutionary and ecological causes and consequences of rarity in threatened species.

Register on the TPWD website at this registration link.

Find more info here about TPWD’s Wildlife Diversity Webinar Series.

[This is not a NPSOT event.]

[Post updated 12/12, 7:16am, new link for registration.]

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Program Summary: March 14’s Travis County Floodplain Reforestation Program:  A Natural Solution to Contemporary Problems

** ARCHIVED POST – LINKS AND IMAGES MAY NOT WORK**

— by Gary Bowers

Collin McMichael, Education Coordinator of TreeFolks,   presented our program entitled  Travis County Floodplain Reforestation Program:  A Natural Solution to Contemporary Problems.   Quite a mouthful and quite an amazing program.   In case you are not familiar with TreeFolks you can find out more at www.treefolks.org.

image of group at meeting

The mission statement of the organization is:

Our mission is to empower Central Texans to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees.

Aha!   It says “Central  Texans.”  Maybe it’s not limited to Travis County.  In fact, there was some discussion about expanding into Williamson County.  This group has been dedicated to urban forestry since 1989 and has helped reforest the Lost Pines area following the 2011 Bastrop County Complex Fire, and in Blanco County following the terrible flooding in 2015.   Collin’s program instilled hope in those of us concerned about insidious carbon in our environment.   See his presentation (available below) for a full understanding of the fabulous work that Tree Folks is doing.

Collin’s full presentation can be found here in PDF format.

You can see the March 14, 2019 business presentation slides here.

** ARCHIVED POST – LINKS AND IMAGES MAY NOT WORK**