Prairie Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia) <http://texasprairie.org/>


Spring Prairie Field Trips Around Texas!

Come see spring prairie flowers, native grasses, grassland birds,
butterflies, and other prairie wildlife on a native prairie field trip
with the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT)
<http://www.texasprairie.org/> or other organizations!

1. *Falls County Prairies* - April 12th (Sat.), Marlin (Falls County
east of Waco)
2. *Meador Prairie* - April 19th (Sat.), Saint Jo (Cooke/Montague
County west of Fort Worth)
3. *Simpson Prairie* - May 3rd (Sat.), Crawford (McLennan County,
south of Waco)
4. *Maddin Prairie* - May 10th-11th (Sat.-Sun.), Colorado City
(Mitchell County, west of Abilene)
5. *Nash Prairie* - May 17th (Sat.), West Columbia (Brazoria County,
south of Houston)
6. *Clymer Meadow (TNC)* - May 17th (Sat.), Celeste (Hunt County, NE
of Dallas)

Tallgrass prairie is the most endangered large ecosystem in North
America, with less than 1% estimated to remain in Texas. In addition to
beautiful prairie flowers and lush native grasses, our prairies are
habitat for grassland birds, the most declining group of birds in North
America, butterflies and other pollinators, and other prairie wildlife.
We must protect these special places to save Texas' prairie heritage.

Tallgrass prairies also sequester large amounts of carbon, so tallgrass
prairie restorations could be used to help fight global warming.
Tallgrass prairie plantings on marginal cropland have been identified as
the best source of low-input cellulosic biofuel that would not impact
our food supply.

Check http://texaspraire.org/ for an up-to-date listing of events or
subscribe to the NPAT Email Announce list to receive current
announcements from NPAT. Contact Jason Spangler,
jason_spangler@... or 512-736-4199, for more information.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Falls County Prairies Field Trip*
April 12th (Sat.) at 9:30am
Marlin (Falls County east of Waco)

Visit three tallgrass prairie conservation easements (Lehmann Prairie
<http://texasprairie.org/Lands/LehmannPrairie/Lehmann_Prairie.shtml>,
Wieting Prairie
<http://texasprairie.org/Lands/NelsonLWietingPrairie/Nelson_L_Wieting_Prairie.sh\
tml>,
and Drews Prairie
<http://texasprairie.org/Lands/DrewsPrairie/Drews_Prairie.shtml>) held
by NPAT and Riesel Prairie
<http://texasprairie.org/Lands/RieselPrairie/Riesel_Prairie.shtml> which
is owned by NPAT.

Meet in Marlin at 9:30 AM at the Dairy Queen (1427 Live Oak St) which is
on the east side of Marlin close to the northwest corner of the
intersection of State Highways 6 and 7. Click here for directions from
Google Maps
<http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&dq=Dairy+Queen,+\
loc:+Marlin,+TX&daddr=1427+Live+Oak+St,+Marlin,+TX+76661&geocode=103680968714302\
2719,31.306348,-96.876717&ll=31.306348,-96.876717&iwstate1=dir:to&iwloc=A&f=d>.

RSVP appreciated but not required to kunda_lee_wicce@...
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NPAT-announce/post?postID=-qkiYo9ugAZQ1jntO54-v1B\
xhT71tmrAwQxy5Mk1J0Erp3SO1Qh_FxME7Y_kC20cU7eAFw7_KoUMOehCPNyYJA5KA_zAXR1GdQA>
. If you are coming and don't RSVP, consider keeping this number with
you: 512-669-6532 (mobile).

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Meador Prairie Field Trip*
April 19th (Sat.) at 9am
Saint Jo (Cooke/Montague County west of Fort Worth)

See one of the largest areas of tallgrass prairie remaining in Texas!
Bill Meador's prairies, totaling over 1500 acres, in the Fort Worth
Prairie/Grand Prairie are used as low-input native hay meadows. We hope
to see early spring prairie flowers such as Prairie Shooting Star
(/Dodecatheon meadia/), Wild Hyacinth, Nutall's Camas, and others, and
early native grass growth. Come see Bill Meador's terrific prairies on
this special trip!

We will meet at the Dairy Queen in Saint Jo (309 S Broad St) at 9am.
Click here for directions from Google Maps
<http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&dq=dairy+queen,+loc:+Saint+Jo,+TX&da\
ddr=309+S+Broad+St,+St+Jo,+TX+76265&geocode=4180650609012135667,33.693804,-97.52\
1813&ll=33.693804,-97.521813&iwstate1=dir:to&iwloc=A&f=d>.
Wear appropriate clothing, and bring water, sunscreen, and a snack.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Simpson Prairie Field Trip
*May 3rd (Sat.) at 9:30am
Crawford (McLennan County, south of Waco)

Come see spring prairie flowers at Simpson Prairie
<http://texasprairie.org/Lands/SimpsonPrairie/Simpson_Prairie.shtml>, a
terrific prairie remnant in the Grand Prairie near Crawford/Valley Mills
protected by owner Mike Williams and NPAT! Mike harvests seed from
Simpson Prairie and uses the seed when planting Laura Bush's prairie
restoration on the Bush ranch <http://www.wumple.com/?p=125&more=1>.

We will meet at 9:30am at the bank parking lot in the northeast corner
of the intersection (317 and 185) in Crawford. Click here for
directions from Google Maps
<http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF-8&dq=bank,+loc:+Crawf\
ord,+TX&daddr=6688+N+Lone+Star+Pkwy,+Crawford,+TX+76638&geocode=1385436275188056\
2705,31.534049,-97.443239&ll=31.534049,-97.443239&iwstate1=dir:to&iwloc=A&f=d>.
Contact Jason Spangler at jason_spangler@...
<mailto:jason_spangler@...> or 512-736-4199 for more
information. Wear appropriate clothing, and bring water, sunscreen, and
a snack.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Maddin Prairie Preserve Breeding Bird Survey
*May 10th-11th (Sat.-Sun.)
Colorado City (Mitchell County, west of Abilene)

See original and restored, mixed-grass prairie, grassland birds, Texas
horned-lizards, a prairie dog reintroduction, and butterflies/insects
while helping with surveys at Maddin Prairie Preserve
<http://texasprairie.org/Lands/MaddinPrairiePreserve/Maddin_Prairie_Preserve.sht\
ml>!

Contact kirsti_harms@... and/or
pat_merkord@.... for more information and to RSVP.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Nash Prairie Field Trip
*May 17th (Sat.) at 10am
West Columbia (Brazoria County, south of Houston)

Come visit Nash Prairie, over 300 acres of the best coastal prairie in
existence! The prairie is owned by the St. Mary's Episcopal Church and
the West Columbia Hospital District.

Rev. Peter Conaty, his wife Susan, and botanist Dr. David Rosen (who has
conducted studies of the prairie
<http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1641%2F0006-3568%28\
2006%29056%5B0008%3AJITRPP%5D2.0.CO%3B2&ct=1>)
will lead the tour and tell us about the history of the prairie, the
church's stewardship of this special piece of Texas, and the native
plants that call it home. Click here to learn more about Nash Prairie
<http://stories.thefacts.com/story.lasso?ewcd=28087f6be62e0d59>.

We will meet at Nash Prairie at 10am. From West Columbia, go on east
on State Highway 35. Turn left onto CR 25 and proceed north. Nash
Prairie is approximately 6.5 miles past front gate of Columbia Lakes on
the left. Park along CR 255 which is to the right of the prairie.
Click here for directions from Google Maps
<http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=1623526874139505873,29.253380,-95\
.596480&saddr=&daddr=29.252631,-95.598307&sll=29.267907,-95.59556&sspn=0.034217,\
0.055876&ie=UTF8&z=16>.

Contact Jason Spangler at jason_spangler@...
<mailto:jason_spangler@...> or 512-736-4199 for more
information. Wear appropriate clothing, and bring water, sunscreen, and
a snack.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Clymer Meadow Field Trip (Nature Conservancy)
*May 17th (Sat.)
Celeste (Hunt County, NE of Dallas)

The Nature Conservancy hosts a wildflower tour
<http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/texas/help/art9332.html>
and dedication of a new prairie remnant at Clymer Meadow
<http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/texas/preserves/art6387.h\
tml>,
the largest preserved Blackland Prairie remnant!

Contact Jim Eidson, jeidson@... or (903) 568-4139 for more
information and directions to the preserve.

<mailto:s-quaylei@...>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
<http://texasprairie.org/> <http://npsot.org/>Join the Native Prairies
Association of Texas (NPAT) <http://www.texasprairie.org/> and the
Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) <http://npsot.org/> to help
advocate and protect Texas' prairie heritage, native plants, and wildlife.


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