Nature Journaling
Nature journaling is all about documenting your observations of the natural world. No drawing skills are required although they will get better with practice. It is what you want it to be; citizen science, art, creative writing, or more. And it can be all of the above. It can be about travel, your garden, a weather log, bugs or birds, and many more possible topics.
Please come with your sketchbook and chosen art supplies. If you prefer, bring a camera or journal. We have one participant who brings a nature oriented coloring book! Check our calendar for the next scheduled session. Let’s discuss what your purpose for journaling is – recording words and/or pictures?
Facilitator: Nancy Huffman, an artist specializing in Hill Country landscape painting, is a member of the Kerrville NPSOT chapter, a Master Naturalist and a retired high school art teacher. See examples of her beautiful work on her website, NancyHuffman.com.
You can view a PDF summary of her Nature Journaling presentation.
In addition, you can view Nancy’s Nature Journaling PowerPoint Presentation, which places the concept of nature journals in history as well as showing pictures of examples of nature journaling going on right now.
You can also watch Nancy’s demonstration of working in a Nature Journal.
Demonstration Gardens
Carroll Abbott Garden
Carroll Abbott (1926-1984) was the founder of the Native Plant Society of Texas and one of the early promoters of preserving and gardening with native plants. You can read his
NICE! Native Plant Partners
The NICE Native Plant Partners program is a collaboration between the Native Plant Society of Texas and local nurseries around the state to offer natives that are right for the local environment. Texas is a large, diverse state and plants that work for one region may not always be the best choice in a different region. Native Plant Partners committees run by our local chapters create a list of Plant of the Month plants (in some areas a Plant of the Season) in cooperation with participating local nurseries and wholesalers in order to assure availability. The Native Plant Society chapter then helps promote the Plant of the Month through its website and newspaper articles, signs at the point of sale and other means. Often an information sheet on the plant is available at the nursery.
Friendly Natives
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Gardens at the Ridge
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Medina Garden Nursery
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Natives of Texas
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Plant Haus 2
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The Garden Haus
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Native Landscape Certification Program
Our Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP) is a series of day-long classes highlighting best practices for native plant landscaping, including wildlife habitat gardening.
Each class consists of an indoor training session and a plant identification session. We show you plants native to the local ecoregion and illustrate their use in the landscape.
In each level you are presented with 45 native Texas plants recommended for your area, and 5 non-native plants to avoid.
Goals of the NLCP classes are to (a) educate NPSOT members and the general public about the value of natives, (b) how to use native plants in home, public and commercial landscapes and habitat restorations, and to (c) provide native landscape education, CEUs, and credentials to landscape professionals, developers, and nature-oriented groups.
- Level 1: Introduction to Native Landscapes – Class & Plant Walk
- Level 2: Design and Development with Native Plants – Class & Plant Walk
- Level 3: Installing and Maintaining Native Landscapes – Class & Plant Walk
- Level 4: Stewardship of Native Plant Communities (under development) – Class & Plant Walk Visit Native Landscape Certification Program