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— By Agnes Plutino
See the full article from our July 11, 2022 post at this link in our Dropbox.
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NPSOT-Wilco Chapter’s Fall 2021 Native Plant Sale Wrap-up
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— by Beth Erwin
In the spring and fall of each year, we have the pleasure of holding our NPSOT-Williamson County Chapter’s Native Plant Sale. We get to be around so many people passionate about life, nature, and native plants; all our volunteers are cheerful and helpful, and all our customers are delightful.
Our NPSOT-Williamson County Chapter’s native plant sales are vital for introducing our chapter to a broader audience and raising funds to support our native plant projects. Our members make it a resounding success by donating their time and talents to support the sale from inception to completion, getting the word out, and purchasing “a few” plants at the sale. Our sales have become so successful that it takes two members to manage everything involved and quite a few chapter volunteers.
We were excited to engage Ricky Linex, retired USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services, and author of Range Plants of North Central Texas. In addition to answering questions and signing his books, Ricky led two walks on the Berry Springs Park and Preserve grounds. Ricky also spoke on the importance of native plants for livestock forage, native plants for all wildlife species, and how pollinators are crucial for the survival of flowering plants. It was great to get to know our new president-elect of the NPSOT state organization.
We enjoyed hosting Bebe Johnson, The N.E.S.T. Empowerment Center Coordinator, who accepted donations for a beautiful Chrysalis Dreamscape T-shirt designed by her students. The inspiration for the T-shirt was the Native Plant Pollinator Garden, designed and installed by the NPSOT-Williamson County Chapter at The N.E.S.T. facility. The N.E.S.T. Empowerment Center is a safe haven after the bell rings that offers basic needs, counseling, academic, and enrichment support for GISD high school students who are homeless, at-risk, or living in transition.
Round Rock High School’s Rock Plant Club, led by RRHS AP Physics instructor Mark Stoetzer, did a fantastic job of helping people carry their selections to the holding area, managing the holding area, and then getting numerous plants loaded into customers’ cars. Our customers were so impressed with this group of young people and their enthusiasm. Each student took home a native plant of their choosing, and NPSOT-Wilco is making a cash donation to their club.
We appreciate your contributions to a very successful sale, and we are already looking forward to the spring sale on March 26, 2022, at the always-beautiful Berry Springs Park and Preserve.
Thank you all so very much!
Randy Pensabene, Plant Sale Leader
Beth Erwin, Plant Sale Co-leader & President NPSOT-Williamson County
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Randy Pensabene receives Benny J. Simpson Fellows Award
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— by Beth Erwin
NPSOT has named Randy Pensabene as the recipient of the Benny J. Simpson Fellows Award for 2021. This award is presented by the Society to a member for work that enriches the Society at the state or chapter level. It recognizes service to the Society and embodies “grass roots” recognition of an awardee by their fellow NPSOT members.
Randy has been a NPSOT member since 2006. She works tirelessly behind the scenes, organizing and improving our chapter projects. She faithfully records our successes and failures, giving us invaluable information to plan better projects with more effective outreach. She has developed our semi-annual plant sales into high volume educational outreach ventures. Randy has developed a strong core of volunteers eager to help with chapter projects. Volunteers know when they show up, the project will be well organized, and they will come away with a sense of accomplishment. She constantly seeks more ways to promote the use of Texas native plants. Randy’s contributions to our chapter have greatly enriched many of the ways that NPSOT-Wilco engages with the public.
Chapter member Sue Wiseman summarized the nomination perfectly.
“Randy is not self-promoting. She is that member that stands in the wings and makes things go smoothly. Something that is very hard to quantify. However, without her we would not have been able to do all the work we have accomplished over the past fifteen years. We are blessed to have someone like her in our organization.”
Congratulations, Randy, from all of us!
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