January 9 Chapter Meeting: “Creating a Native Seed Library in your Community” with Craig Bruska

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, January 9, 2025, when our featured topic will be “Creating a Native Seed Library in your Community” with Craig Bruska.  Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM.  The guest presentation begins after a short business meeting.

==> This month, we meet at the Georgetown Public Library, 2nd floor, 402 West 8th St, Georgetown, TX 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/tZAocu6hqDwuGd3UhMwoJnbOlAAIzd0hm42C#/registration

About our topic:  Craig’s talk will discuss how to create a native seed library within your community. From building local buzz and getting your library to partner on the project to establishing scientific and common name indexes and creating needed documents, as well as the benefits and the challenges.

About our speaker: Craig has had a lifelong love of nature from visiting scores of National Parks across the country on family vacations. During his 40-year career in construction, engineering, and facilities he worked for eight years for the Lake County (IL) Forest Preserve District overseeing the maintenance and construction of over 100 miles of multi-use county wide trails in the 35,000 acre preserve system. He oversaw the restoration over 1,000 acres of wetlands by removing field tiles. His crews battled invasive species from European Buckthorn to Purple Loosestrife.

Since moving to Texas in 2019 and settling into New Braunfels in 2020 he has worked to learn the plants of the Blackland Prairie and Edwards Plateau. This includes attending various lectures and symposiums on Native Texas Plants. He has also completed the Native Plant Society of Texas – Native Landscaping Certification Program and is a Texas Master Naturalist. Craig has helped create native seed libraries in Comal, Hays, and Guadalupe counties and is working on adding two more. He is also the NPSOT State Chair of the Native Seed Committee.

Bluebonnet seeds, Lupinus texensis
Bluebonnet seeds, Lupinus texensis

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.

Meeting Reminder: Sept 14, “Seed Saving for Native Plants” with Colleen Dieter 

Please note: our in-person location this month is the Georgetown Parks & Rec Administration Building, not the Georgetown Public Library.

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, September 14, 2023, when our featured topic will be Seed Saving for Native Plants with Colleen Dieter from Central Texas Seed Savers.  Free and open to the public. We begin at 7:00 PM with a short business meeting that is followed by our guest speaker’s presentation. Read more about this month’s topic in our previous meeting announcement.

==> If you attend in person, we’re 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 instead of in person, register at https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAofu2qrzkuG93_Lb-b3ceHknfjIA6MJSVw#/registration

==> If our guest speaker has granted permission, we post the Zoom recording on our YouTube channel after the meeting date.

Datura seedpod, Datura wrightii
Datura seedpod, Datura wrightii. Photo by Gary Bowers.

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 info about upcoming topics on our page Wilco Home.

September 14 Chapter Meeting: “Seed Saving for Native Plants” with Colleen Dieter

Please note: our in-person location this month is the Georgetown Parks & Rec Administration Building, not the Georgetown Public Library.

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, September 14, 2023, when our featured topic will be Seed Saving for Native Plants with Colleen Dieter from Central Texas Seed Savers.  Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM.  Our guest speaker’s presentation begins after a short business meeting.

==> If you attend in person, we’re at the Georgetown Parks & Rec Administration Building, 1101 N College St, Georgetown, Texas 78626If you attend in person, you are giving consent to be videoed for Zoom and YouTube (if the meeting is to be posted on YouTube). Come early (6:30 PM) for expert advice, to check out the seed swap board, or just to visit.

==> To attend via Zoom instead of in person, register at https://npsot-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAofu2qrzkuG93_Lb-b3ceHknfjIA6MJSVw#/registration

About our topic: Who, what, when, where, why and HOW to save seeds from native plants. Central Texas Seed Savers is a growing network of people who love seeds. The mission? “Preventing the extinction of culturally, ecologically and culinarily important plants.”

About our speaker: Colleen Dieter is a landscape consultant at ATXGardens.com. As a top gardening educator, she is often asked to speak to audiences about native Texas planting. Her speaking appearances include Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, TreeFolks, Central Texas Seed Savers, Williamson County Master Gardeners and the Natural Gardener. She is an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist and earned a Certificate in Fruit Tree Care from OrchardPeople.com. She offers her expertise on The Horticulture Hangover call-in radio show every Saturday morning from 8-9 AM on KLBJ. Colleen co-hosts the Horticulturati podcast, available wherever you listen to podcasts, with her friend and landscape designer, Leah Churner. She is a founder of Central Texas Seed Savers, an organization dedicated to preventing extinction by sharing local seeds. She is also the creator of “Let’s Care for Texas Plants”, a guide to maintaining local landscapes.


At every meeting, we give away a book — about native plants or the meeting topic — to one randomly chosen in-person attendee!

Clematis-drummondii - Old-Mans-Beard
Seedpods. Old Man’s Beard, Clematis drummondii. Photo by Bob Kamper.

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 info about upcoming topics on our page Wilco Home.