Tag: Williamson County

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July 14 Chapter Meeting (in-person and virtual): Annual Meeting, 25th Anniversary and “Landscaping with Native Plants Series: Session #2, Gary Bowers’ Yard”

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This year is NPSOT-Williamson County Chapter’s 25th anniversary! 

Fireworks on black background

Celebrate with us at the chapter meeting on Thursday, July 14, 2022, at 7:00 PM.  We’ll recognize this great milestone and briefly cover annual chapter business before proceeding with our featured topic, Landscaping with Native Plants Series: Session #2, Gary Bowers’ Yard, presented by…. Gary Bowers!

Whether you attend in-person or via Zoom, our meetings are free and open to the public. (Trying to decide how to attend in July?  This month we have native plants to give away to in-person attendees and refreshments to celebrate our 25th.)

About our topic:  This month’s topic is the second session in a series called Landscaping with Native Plants which the chapter will lead over the coming months. On July 14, learn how one chapter member has embarked on a multi-year project to, in his words, “have a nicer view from the kitchen window.” This home is in Round Rock, east of I-35, in Blackland Prairie soils. Other topics in the series will be announced at a future date.

About our speaker and homeowner:  Gary Bowers grew up in northeast Tennessee and has always had a keen interest in nature and the outdoors — though he harbors a special passion for trees. Since moving to Central Texas in 2012, he has discovered the wonderful variety of Texas native plants. Gary is a past president of the NPSOT-Williamson County Chapter and has also served the chapter as an instructor for the chapter’s Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP), a field trip leader, and more.  Gary works as a software developer in order to pay for new plants.

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

Bluebonnets, Lupinus texensis
Bluebonnets, Lupinus texensis

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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.

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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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