Volume''57,'April,'2015'!

In#this#issue:###Chapter#News#

Native#Plants#and#########Prairies#Day#

# Hike9a9Thon## Earth#Day## Best#Hiking#spots##Chapter#Projects## Big#Chapter#Project##Feature#Articles## Trout#Lily## ###Chapter#Information## ## ##

##293##4#5#6###7###8###9#

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Third&Annual&Native&Plants&and&Prairies&Day&

May&2,&2015&

Our&much=needed&rain&won’t&dampen&your&fun.&Find&ways&to&explore&the&outdoors&from&some&of&the&highlights&in&this&issue:&❀ Native&Plants&and&Prairies&Day&❀&Earth&Day&Texas&❀ A&Hike=a=Thon&❀ Best&Places&to&Hike&

Have&you&seen&the&Bluebonnets?&

They&are&beautiful&this&year!&

The&Dragonflyer&

2"

Chapter(News(

Volume&57,&April&2015&

NATIVE(PLANTS(&(PRAIRIES(DAY(May(2,(2015&

&Join%us%for%an%exciting%and%FREE%fun%day%on%the%lake!%

&The& North& Texas& Master& Naturalists& will& host& its& third& annual& Native& Plants& &&Prairies&Day&on&Saturday,&May&2,& 2015& from&10&AM& to&3&PM,& at& the&Bath&House&Cultural&Center&grounds&on&White&Rock&Lake.&&&This&event&has&been&enthusiastically&received&by&the&community& for& its& focus&on&Texas&flora&and&fauna,&and&the&use&of&native&plants&in&home&landscapes&as&disease&and& drought=resistant& alternatives& to& non=native& species.& Native& plants& and&grasses&have&been&an&important&part&of&Texas&history.&Birds,&animals&and&insects&all&depend&on&these&native&plants&to&survive.&&This& is&a&Free& family&event&with&activities& for&children,&along&with&birds,& snakes,&bugs,&plants,& and& storytellers.& &There&will& be&30& demonstration& and& information&outreach&booths,&30&minute&wildflower&and&prairie&walks&beginning&at&10:30&AM,&and& a& series& of& speakers& giving& short& talks/lectures& of& 25&minutes& each& on& the&hour&and&half&hour&starting&at&10:30&AM.&&&Major& sponsors& for& the& event& include:& Botanical& Research& Institute& of& Texas,&Balancing&Energy&Yoga,&Elliott’s&Hardware,&Gecko&Hardware,&Pariveda&Solutions,&Rain& Fresh& Water,& Texas& Discovery& Gardens,& Whole& Earth& Provision& Company,&and&Whole&Foods&Market&–&Park&Lane.&&Additionally,& there& will& be& a& raffle& with& gifts& provided& by& some& of& the& twelve&different& event& sponsors.& Others& sponsors& contributing& to& the& raffle& are:& & REI,&Rohdes& Nursery,& North& Haven& Gardens,& Nothing& Bundt& Cake,& Good2Go& Taco.&Tickets& for& the&raffle&are&$1&each&or&7& tickets& for&$5& =&could&win&you&an&exciting&gift!&&For& more& information,& updates& on& the& latest& event& developments,& and& detailed&listings&for&speakers,&walk&guides&and&exhibitors,&go&to&www.ntmn.org.&

The&Dragonflyer&

Chapter(News(

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Volume&57,&April&2015&

Images&from&Native&Plants&and&Prairies&

Day&2014&

Join(us(this(year(for(our(third(annual(Native(Plants(and(Prairies(Day(

&May&2,&2015&from&10:00AM=3:00PM&&at&the&Bath&House&&Cultural&Center&on&&White Rock&Lake&

Photos&courtesy&of&Carroll&Mayhew&and Jim&Bagley

The&Dragonflyer&

Chapter(News(

4"

Volume&57,&April&2015&

(((

(Come(out(and(Support(Cedar(Ridge(Preserve(During(our(

5th(Annual(Hike(on(The(Wild(Side(HikeNaNThon(Fundraiser!&

Saturday,(May(9,(2015&This&family&friendly&noncompetitive&event&aims&to&connect&people&with&nature&while&helping&raise&funds&to&improve&The&Preserve.&Registrants&are&eligible&for&the&raffle&drawing.&Each&hiker&will&

receive&one&raffle&ticket&for&every&trail&they&complete.&Hike&all&four&trails&and&increase&your&chances&of&winning.&Local&corporations&generously&donate&our&raffle&prizes.&

Last&year&our&raffle&included&tickets&to&local&sports&teams,&movie&tickets,&gift&cards&to&local&and&national&retailers&and&more.&

&Registration:(7:00(AM(N(10:30(AM&

11:00&AM&Prize&Drawing&(you&must&be&present&to&win)&&

Now(Just($10(per(person&$5&per&child&(6=12&years&old)&&&*&Children&5&and&under&are&free&

Cash&Only&=&Rain&or&Shine

Registrants&will&receive&an&event&T@Shirt&(while&supplies&last)&(

For(more(information(contact(Robert(Rinker(817.881.2736(or(info_crp@yahoo.com(

(((

(Audubon(Dallas(Connecting&People&with&Nature&

www.audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html

The&Dragonflyer&

Chapter(News(

5"

Volume&57,&April&2015&

Earth&Day&is&a&free,&three=day&festival&that&seeks&to&elevate&environmental&awareness&and&influence&the&way&&

North&Texans&think,&live&and&work.&April&24=26&at&Fair&Park&in&Dallas&

Below(is(a(quick(summary(of(just(a(few(of(the(volunteer(opportunities:(

Support(one(of(seven(stages(where(musicians(and(performers(will(entertain(and(national(and(state(recognized(speakers(will(inform(and(educate.(((&

Assist(at(Workshops/booths(where(attendees(will(experience(everything(from(composting,(vertical(gardening(to(make(and(take(crafts.(&

Help(attendees(enjoy(testing(electric(bikes,(trying(harnessed(tree(climbing(or(checking(out(a(semiNtruck(simulator.(&

Assist(attendees(to(enjoy(the(giant(OmniGlobe(with(over(180(animations,(including(realNtime(weather(patterns(or(the(Aardvark(Computer(

games(to(test(participants(environmental(savvy.((&

Booths(are(located(both(indoor(and(outdoors.(&

Speaker(topics(include(academic(information,(foodie(fun(in(our(Foodland,(farming,(sustainability(for(the(average(citizen(as(well(as(for small(to(large(businesses.&

Films(will(be(shown(on(a(variety(of(environmental(topics&

For%complete%details%and%other%volunteer%opportunities%please%visit%ntmn.org.%Or%Contact%Rose%Mercer,%your%outreach%Coordinator,%%rose_mercer@yahoo.com%

The&Dragonflyer&

Chapter(News(

6"

Volume&57,&April&2015&

Take&a&Hike!&…&In&North&Texas&

On&March&9,&2015,&KERA’s&program&THINK&hosted&a&panel&of&local&experts,&including&Dana&Wilson&(NTMN)&and&Ben&Sandifer&(nature&blogger)&and&Bill&Holston&who&shared&their&thoughts&on&the&best&places&to&explore&nature&and&hike&in&North&Texas.&&Their&suggestions&are&included&in&our&list:&&

! Spring&Creek&Preserve&in&Garland&! Tandy&Hills&in&Fort&Worth&! Great&Trinity&Forest&Trail&! Texas&Buckeye&Trail&! William&Blair&Park&Trails&! Joppa&Preserve&! McCommas&Bluff&Preserve&! Sante&Fe&Trestle&Trail&! Fort&Worth&Nature&Center&! Lewisville&Lake&Environmental&Learning&Area&! Dogwood&Canyon&! Cedar&Ridge&Preserve&! Trinity&River&Audubon&Center&! Pemberton&Big&Spring&(Private&property.&Scheduled&guided&tours&only.)&

&

Learn&more&about&these&locations&by&searching&the&web&for&directions&and&details.&Also&check&out&ntmn.org&for&events&and&activities&

scheduled&at&some&of&these&special&

places.&

&&

Sunshine,&friendship&and&hard&work.&&Fellow&Master&Naturalists&make&a&difference&in&the&health&and&vibrancy&of&this&natural&space.&

The&Dragonflyer&

Chapter(Projects(

Volume&57,&April&2015&

Big(Chapter(Project(at(Kiest(Park(March&28,&2015&

Chapter&projects&are&created&to&strengthen&our&&friendships&and&community&partnerships.&

This&year&we&worked&on&meadow&restoration,&with&adjacent&trails,&in&67&acres&of&abandoned&city&land,&across&from&Kiest&Park.&

Photos&courtesy&of&Linda&Cooke,&Jim&McIntosh&and&Carroll&Mayhew&

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The&Dragonflyer&

8"

Feature(Articles(

Volume&57,&April&2015&

Continuing%Discovery%of%Trout%Lilies%in%Northeast%Texas%&

Last&February&as&a&new&2014&NTMN&Trainee&I&reported&in&the&Dragonflyer&Newsletter&the&discovery&of&Trout&Lilies&on&my&multigenerational&family&acreage&in&Bowie&County&in&Northeast&Texas.&I&was&not&aware&of&the&Trout&Lily&prior&to&beginning&the&Master&Naturalist&program.&I&became&very&interested&in&them.&I&watched&the&whole&short&season&of&their&blooming&last&Spring.&&While&I&searched&near&the&existing&plants&and&across&our&land&last&Spring,&I&found&no&additional&Trout&Lilies&other&than&the&one&rather&sizable&patch.&&This&seemed&enough&to&satisfy&me&for&years&to&come!&This&February&I&could&hardly&wait&to&greet&the&emergence&of&this&early&harbinger&of&Spring!&&They&began&to&bloom&mid&February.&&I&can&tell&that&this&colony&is&growing&in&number&due&to&the&additional&plants&that&have&only&a&single&leaf.&&There&are&many&of&them.&&From&what&I&have&read,&these&single&leaf&plants&should&next&year&produce&two&leaves&and&a&bloom.&&Exciting!&This&March&of&2015&I&discovered&two&additional&colonies&of&Trout&Lilies&within&two&hundred&yards&of&the&first.&Of&the&new&discoveries&both&are&much&smaller&colonies&than&the&first&patch.&&One&is&near&the&bank&of&a&creek.&The&second&is&on&a&small&rise&twenty&yards&into&the&edge&of&the&woods,&also&near&the&creek.&&My&eyes&just&fell&on&this&third&spot&by&accident&or&I&would&have&missed&it.&The&group&of&plants&on&the&small&rise&appears&older.&&Their&leaves&are&larger,&their&blooms&larger&and&more&elongated&than&the&colony&I&discovered&in&2014.&I&learned&that&part&of&our&land&has&the&kind&of&soil&and&conditions&to&help&this&beauty&thrive.&&They&like&deep,&rich&humus=laden&soil,&which&covers&a&good&portion&of&our&acreage.&&We&have&plenty&of&ants&which&is&one&way&the&little&plant&seed&is&carried&deep&underground&where&it&stays&for&five&or&six&years&(some&resources&say&seven&years)&before&it&produces&its&first&leaf.&&I&find&this&plant&fascination&and&am&happy&to&have&found&it&growing&and&thriving&in&a&special&place&that&my&family,&friends&and&I&frequent&regularly.&&%Betty%Black%

The&Dragonflyer&

Master(Naturalist(Mission(To&develop&a&corps&of&well&informed&volunteers,&to&provide&education,&outreach,&and&service&dedicated&to&

the&beneficial&management&of&natural&resources&and&natural&areas&within&our&local&communities.&Primary&objective:&develop&a&Texas&Master&Naturalist&volunteer&network&that&can&be&self=sufficient.

North(Texas(Chapter(Administration(

*President(Judy&Parsons&president@ntmn.org&Programs(&(Special(Events(Richard&Grayson&&programs@ntmn.org&&

& Hospitality(Karla&Pollock&hospitality@ntmn.org&&& Goals(Jim&Folger&goals@ntmn.org&&& Speakers(Bureau&Janet&Smith&speakers@ntmn.org&& Audit(Committee(Stan&Altschuler audit@ntmn.org&&& Technology(Committee(Richard&Grayson&technology@ntmn.org&&& Policies(&(Procedure(Guidelines(Committee((( ( Jim&Varnum&policy@ntmn.org&&*Vice(President(Bruce&Stewart&vicepresident@ntmn.org&&*Secretary(Jo&Lynne&Merrill&secretary@ntmn.org&( Historian(Natha&Taylor&historian@ntmn.org&&*Treasurer(Louise&Smith&treasurer@ntmn.org&&*Public(Relations(Jim&Folger&publicity@ntmn.org&&& Website(Rick&Murphy&webmaster@ntmn.org&&& Newsletter(Editor(Nancy&Kraut&newsletter@ntmn.org&&& Chapter(Resource(Manager(Ellen&Guiling&resource@ntmn.org&&&*Special(Events/Outreach(Rose&Mercer&events@ntmn.org&&*Volunteer(Activities(Mary&Mamantov&activities@ntmn.org&&& Advanced(Training(Jim&Varnum&advtraining@ntmn.org&&*Membership(Nelda&Reid&membership@ntmn.org&&&*Education(Doug&&&Ellen&Guiling&education@ntmn.org&&&*State(Relations(Julie&Collins&representative@ntmn.org&&&Past(President(Stephanie&Timko&pastpresident@ntmn.org&

*&executive&board&member&(officer)&

Meeting&location&varies&by&month.&Please&visit&our&website,&ntmn.org&for&monthly&location.&

Chapter(Meetings:&&First&Wednesday&of&each&month&at&7:00PM,&fellowship&and&refreshments&at&6:30PM&

Board(Meetings:&&Monday&before&the&first&Wednesday&of&each&month&at&6:30PM&

Volume&57,&April&2015&

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