Call for Volunteers!  NPSOT @ H-E-B on Oct 16 & 19

[Post updates: 9/15-form closed. 9/11- one store removed from list.]

News on Sept 15 – Thank you! We have enough volunteers to cover the two stores. The signup sheet is now closed. If you have any questions, contact Nancy Pumphrey via the contact form at this link. (Choose Projects/Community Gardens.)


For October’s Texas Native Plant Week, H-E-B will be selling NPSOT-recommended native plants, and at some stores across the state, NPSOT volunteers will be on-hand to distribute native plant seed mix packets. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation’s Pollinators and Prairies program is donating the seed packets containing NPSOT-recommended mixes from Native American Seed.

On October 16 and 19, the Williamson County Chapter will host tables at one to three up to two local H-E-B stores in Georgetown and Hutto, depending on the number of people who volunteer.  The stores were selected by H-E-B. Though the event is in mid-October, we need to line up our volunteers asap so State NPSOT can confirm all tabling activities across all the stores with H-E-B by the middle of September.

Details:

  • Wednesday, October 16, 11am–2pm, and Saturday, October 19, 11am–2pm.
    • For each day, we need 2 volunteers per shift.  Volunteers can sign up for 1 or more hours, whatever works for you.   Volunteers will give away the seed packets and answer questions.  
  • The Society will provide table signage to us with info about NPSOT, the native plants currently on sale at H-E-B (including QR codes) and TPWF Pollinators and Prairies program information.  

How to Signup:

Nancy Pumphrey will have a signup sheet at the chapter meeting on September 12, or you can fill out the volunteer form at this link.  

Volunteer: Running Brushy Middle School Wildflower Seed Stomp, Wednesday, December 6, 4:30 PM

— by Beth Erwin

Running Brushy Middle School’s Wildflower Seed Stomp is on Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 4:30 PM, at 2303 N. Lakeline Blvd., Cedar Park, TX.

Our NPSOT chapter is providing support for this Leander ISD student project.  We need some volunteers to show up at the school Wednesday afternoon to help monitor the wildflower seed dispersal and stomping.  This will take place in front of the school, between the main entrance parking lot and Lakeline Blvd.  Part of the area has recently been disturbed with utility work and is mostly bare ground.  Around the edges, there are some native species that do not need to be stomped.

There is a lot of enthusiasm among the student body for this event.  If you can come help, please join us.  You will be protecting bluebonnet seedlings, four-nerve daisies, Blackfoot daisies and some other native species that are present. 

Please wear your NPSOT name tag if you have one.  Because of school pick-up traffic, it would be better to arrive a few minutes after 4:30.

If you have questions, please send us an email at wilco-chapter@npsot.org.

Landfill Pollinator Garden Workday, Sunday, Dec 10, 2023

Join us for a workday at the landfill pollinator garden on Sunday, December 10, 2023, from 9:30am to 11:30am. Bring a hat, boots, gloves and water. We’ll be spreading mulch (hopefully) so if you have wheelbarrows, shovels, and maybe garden rakes to bring, it will help make things go more quickly.

Signup at this link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4AADAC28A5F58-46506728-pollinator#/

About the garden: The Pollinator Garden is a collaboration of the NPSOT-Wilco chapter, Good Water Master Naturalists, and Williamson County Waste Management, located at the entrance to the Williamson County Landfill, at the corner of FM 1660 and Landfill Road in Hutto, TX, across from the Recycling Center. The garden includes a Monarch Waystation and is a Certified Texas Wildscape. Volunteers help maintain the garden when the collaborating organizations announce a maintenance work day.  Anyone interested is invited to help!

image of large native plant garden