Tag: field trips

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Native American Seed April 23 Field Trip Report

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— by Erin Buhl

On April 23rd we had our field trip to Native American Seed in Junction, Texas. The area was very dry and windy, and is part of a multi-county area of Central Texas currently experiencing drought level D4 – Exceptional, the most severe. The group included around 33 people from our chapter and the Austin Chapter, as well as some from the Master Naturalists group.

photo of group
Bill Neiman (top left) sharing a few words with the field trip participants. Photo by Vicky Husband.

The field trip started at the Hacienda House where Bill Neiman, the owner and founder of the company, spoke to us about his youth and how he got started in the business after initially doing a lot of landscaping work using exotics. Bill’s philosophy about the importance of native plants is summarized on the company’s website on their pages What We’re About, and Sensible People… Why Native Plants are the Right Choice, and I encourage you to read both articles.

Prairie Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)
Prairie Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida). Photo by Erin Buhl.

Next, we made our way down to see the fields. Despite the dry conditions and difficulty of irrigating the fields, the beauty of the native flowers in spring shone through as you can see in these photos. Our tour guides, George and Emily, freely shared of their knowledge and answered our many questions. Some of the plants we saw that were currently in bloom were Prairie Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida), Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea), Winecup (Callirhoe leiocarpa), and Huisache Daisy (Amblyolepis setigera). We were too early in the year to see the field of Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra) in bloom, but were told it is an amazing sight.

Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea) with Winecup interlopers (Callirhoe leiocarpa).
Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea) with Winecup “interlopers” (Callirhoe leiocarpa). Photo by Erin Buhl.
Huisache Daisy (Amblyolepis setigera).
Huisache Daisy (Amblyolepis setigera). Photo by Erin Buhl.

Eventually we made our way up to the equipment area and the seed collecting barn. The equipment and time needed to sort the seed from the chaff and ensure its purity and viability are surprising. The business has to take seed and farming equipment that is made for general use (corn, soybeans, etc.) and convert it to their purposes with so many different species of natives that they are growing. They are providing a unique and essential service to the entire state of Texas and I encourage everyone to support their business for your native seed needs.

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Field Trip on Saturday, June 11, 2022, Hidden Springs Preserve Plant Survey #5, 8:30am

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— by Kathy Galloway

  • What:   Hidden Springs Preserve Field Trip
  • When:  8:30am-11:00am, Saturday, June 11, 2022
  • Where:  978 CR 224, Florence, TX.
  • Our field trip is open to the public, but the preserve is not open to the general public.  See important details later in this post.

The Native Plant Society of Texas Williamson County chapter’s Field Trip Committee has been offered an opportunity to do a multi-year plant survey at the preserve. This visit will be Plant Survey #5 of 12.

Be prepared for extensive walking on uneven, open terrain.  Wear sturdy walking shoes, a hat, and sunscreen, and bring water, field guides, and something to take notes on and with. A restroom is available in the ranch house.

Please plan on arriving by 8:20am – there is a padlock on the front gate, and it will be locked shortly after 8:40am.  Reservations are not required.  Please feel free to contact Kathy Galloway (contact form here) beforehand if you have any questions.   We will follow the latest CDC instructions for Covid safety.

People at all levels of plant knowledge can help on survey field trips. The trips are a great way to see native plants in their habitats and learn with other members.  Beginners are welcome!  Read more about survey field trips at this link.

Directions:

  • Take IH-35 north to Exit 266 (Florence/Killeen/195).
  • Turn left and follow SH 195 toward Florence.
  • Go through Florence, take the TX 138 exit (you will be near the City of Florence’s water tower with the bison on it), and then turn left onto TX 138.
  • Continue straight through the four-way stop at the intersection with Business 195, and after a little over two miles, turn right onto CR 224.
  • After about half a mile, at the fork in the road, bear to the left and stay on CR 224. Note that a car GPS system may indicate that you should bear to the right – this is incorrect.
  • After another half a mile, look for a green metal gate on your right (north side of street). There is a large wooden sign “Hidden Springs” sign between two flagpoles behind the fence. The address is 978 County Road 224, Florence, TX, but there is no number on the gate. (The gate is across the street from 981 CR 224.)
  • When you arrive, directions will be given as to where to park.

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Field Trip: Jim Rodgers Hiking Trail, May 29, 2022 at 6:00PM

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Where: Jim Rodgers Hiking Trail in Southwest Williamson County Regional Park  in Leander.  (Google map)
When: Sunday, May 29, 2022 at 6:00PM

Join us for a leisurely walk along this relatively flat, mulched, 1.7-mile trail and see some of our chapter’s interpretive plant signs. (Read the related blog post here.) Habitat includes oak/cedar/mesquite woods and grass fields. Restrooms available.  All ages welcome!  Our field trips are free and open to the public.

Directions to the park and where to meet: From IH-35, take Exit 256 (RM 1431, University Blvd), go west on RM 1431 for about four miles, and then turn right and go north on CR 175 for about one mile. At the next traffic light, the park entrance will be on the right. Meet at the gravel parking lot on the left just past the traffic circle (next to the disc golf course).

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