Tag: field trips

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Field Trip: UT’s Billie L Turner Plant Resources Center (herbaria) on July 20, 2024

— by Kathy Galloway

Post updated July 11: Registration for this field trip is now closed.

This field trip is limited to 20 participants. Sign up with the form in this post.

We will meet no later than 9:45 am at the west side of the University of Texas Tower (Main Building) so that we can start the field trip as close as possible to 10:00 am. For those that register, we will provide a map with recommended parking (San Antonio Parking Garage (2420 San Antonio)) and the Tower marked.

Please allow enough time from your starting point for driving to Austin, parking, and walking to the Tower so you are sure to arrive by 9:45 am.

About registration:
– After you submit the registration form, you’ll be contacted by the Field Trip Committee with confirmation about your requested space(s). (If you do not hear back within a day or so, send an email to wilco-chapter@npsot.org.
– If you need to cancel your registration or update your info after you’ve submitted the form, please send an email as soon as possible to wilco-chapter@npsot.org.
– =>> Click here for the signup form <<=

If you have questions before the trip, contact the Field Trip Committee here.

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See photos from other field trips ==>

Field Trip Photo Album
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Field Trip: Tree Walk at Rivery Park on June 29

  • What: Tree Walk with Gary Bowers at Rivery Park, Georgetown.
    • (This trip was originally planned to be at Old Settlers Park, Round Rock.)
  • When: Saturday, June 29, 2024, 8:00 am to 10:00 am.
  • Where: Meet at the Rivery Park parking lot, Georgetown, Texas.  
    • Google GPS location is 30.648088822636854, -97.68497180641552 or see this link.
    • If navigating with the what3words app, use ///mixture.blog.drill.

NPSOT field trips are free and open to the public.

Learn about local trees and enjoy a lovely walk along the San Gabriel River.  Please remember that even though it’s early, it’s still going to be very warm!  Bring water, snacks, a hat and sunscreen to protect yourself.  We’ll walk until it gets too hot, no more than a couple hours of easy strolling.

An Extra Invitation for You:   On June 27 at 7pm, just a couple days before the tree walk, Gary Bowers will present The Trees of Williamson County at Good Water Master Naturalists’ monthly meeting. Gary gives this talk to a number of groups and is very knowledgeable about his trees!  GWMN is extending an invitation to join their meeting by Zoom to hear Gary’s talk.

Gary’s presentation follows the business section of GWMN’s meeting agenda. It’s suggested that you join that evening no later than 6:55pm in order to hear Gary’s talk starting at 7pm. Register ahead of the meeting using this GWMN link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tf-uprz0uE9Tp-98Lsb72PJiUsIbtLfR5#/registration

Live oak at Garey Park
Live oak


See photos from other NPSOT field trips in our album=>

Field Trip Photo Album
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Trip Report: Critchfield Conservation Preserve, May 18

— by Cindy Chrisler

Critchfield Conservation Preserve, May 18 2024. Photo by Cindy Chrisler.

Grant Critchfield hosted this field trip at the Critchfield Conservation Preserve outside of Jarrell, TX.  The preserve is very close to the Pecan Springs Karst Preserve managed by the Hill Country Conservancy and shares the same geologic structures and an arm of Pecan Creek. 

Recent rains at the Critchfield Preserve made for an interesting hike for the dozen members attending as we had to skirt puddles of mud and water.  The transition from spring to summer meant that there were fewer blooms, but didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the group.  We toured a pasture dotted with openings to small karst caves and Gaillardia, forded a swollen creek, and toured along the creek bed and an elevated meadow. 

Although identification was a bit difficult, we identified three species of milkweed vine:  pearl, anglepod, and plateau (a fourth, star milkweed vine, is present on the preserve as well).  Antelope horn milkweed are setting pods.  Prickly poppy and Texas thistle were still blooming to the delight of many pollinators.  Two mature bur oaks were encountered, one along the creek and the other providing a magnificent canopy.


See photos from this field trip and others in our album=>

Field Trip Photo Album

See field trip plans on our Home page.