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Pines and Prairies Chapter

Monarch Stewards Certification Program – Level 3

February 21, 2023 @ 8:30 am

Registration is now open!

To access a detailed description of the workshop and register

Click here

Cost: $50 (for the two-day workshop)

Amid COVID-19, this interactive two-day workshop will be hosted online (via Zoom*) on February 21st   (8:30 am – 3:30 pm), and February 23rd    (8:30 am – 3:30 pm), with plenty of breaks and time for Q & A.

Once you complete the registration form and cover the fee, you are registered to attend both days of the workshop.

This is the third level of training of the Monarch Stewards Certification Program.

If you have attended the first two levels already, once you attend this workshop, you will be certified as one of the National Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Stewards.

Anyone can participate in this workshop, whether they have attended the first two levels or not.

Details

This interactive two-day workshop will be hosted online (via Zoom) on February 21 (8:30 am-3:30 pm CDT), and February 23 (8:30 am-3:30 pm CDT), with plenty of breaks and time for Q & A. Registration page, indicates the workshop runs February 21-23; however, the workshop will only be held on the 21st & 23rd; there will be no meeting on the 22nd. We will send a link to the meeting 2 days beforehand, via email.

As part of the National Wildlife Federation’s Monarch Stewards Certification Program, the Federation, in collaboration with the Alamo Area Monarch Collaborative, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Native Plant Society of Texas, San Antonio River Authority, and Texas Master Naturalists Galveston Bay Area Chapter, is offering the Monarch Stewards’ third level of training, Gardening for Monarchs & Other Wildlife with Native Plants in your Ecoregion.

To bring back the monarchs and help protect all pollinators & other wildlife we need to create native gardens in our urban & suburban spaces. Through this workshop, participants will learn to design, install, and maintain their own monarch-friendly native gardens —that also benefit many kinds of wildlife—choosing the proper native plants for their ecoregion, site, and weather conditions. Workshop participants will also learn to use their new native gardens as an environmental educational tool.

Main Topics: How gardening for monarchs benefits many other wildlife species

The human benefits of native gardening

Importance of gardening with native plants

Components of a native garden

Creating native gardens, what to keep in mind

Providing themed native gardens

Growing your own native milkweed, the successful technique

Basics of Landscape Designing (includes exercises)

Installing and maintaining your new native garden

Other resources and tools that will help you with your native gardening projects

We will offer Lunch & Learn sessions specific to each state’s eco-regions, where you will learn about the plants you can use to create your own native gardens at home.

The Lunch & Learn sessions will complement the information you will learn in this workshop and registration will be free.

Registration Fee includes:

One copy of the second edition of the book: “Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife” by David Mizejewski, National Wildlife Federation’s Naturalist

Access to digital resources on native gardening

Copy (on notes format) of most of the workshop presentations

Lunch & Learn Sessions about native plants in your region

Further details: Please note that this is an 11-hour training course, divided into two days, with breaks between presentations and individual exercises.

The Trainers

Christine Anastas is a Texas Master Naturalist, Master Gardener and active member of the Native Plant Society of Texas. She has been involved with growing native milkweed plants and monarch citizen science projects since 2012. Her current citizen projects include MLMP, Journey North, Monarch Health, IMMP, Monarch Watch, and is part of the beta testing for the University of Michigan M3 Monarch Migration Project. She has developed and conducted workshops for MLMP training and community presentations on Monarch and Milkweed conservation.

Carol Clark is a Monarch Watch Conservation Specialist, Texas Master Naturalist, and long-time member of the Native Plant Society of Texas. She administers the Texas Native Bee Co-op Facebook page and chairs the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas committee. When she isn’t busy teaching others about pollinators or native plants, she enjoys looking after her own colossal Monarch Waystation and wildlife refuge in Cooke County.

Kim Conrow has lived in north Texas for over 50 years. She holds a BS in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Education and an MS in Science Education. Kim taught high school biology and environmental science for seven years, is a Texas Master Naturalist, member of the Native Prairie Association of Texas and has worked with the NWF through the Fort Worth Pollinator Ambassador group. She is past President of the Native Plant Society of Texas. She has been gardening with native plants for over twenty years.

Craig Hensley is a Texas Nature Trackers Biologist with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Craig is a lifelong naturalist and educator, now training community scientists across Texas about iNaturalist and helping document the flora and fauna of Texas. Craig has been educating children and adults about the natural world including monarchs for more than thirty years, as well as native plants and their use in gardens. Craig holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Arkansas Tech University and a Master’s in Zoology from the University of Arkansas.

Lee Marlowe is a restoration ecologist with over 20 years of professional experience working in the field of ecological restoration and natural resource management. Her expertise includes the use of native plants to provide wildlife habitat, water quality benefits, bank/site stabilization and aesthetic beauty in landscapes of all sizes. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from the University of Minnesota, and currently serves as the Sustainable Landscape Ecologist for the San Antonio River Authority and President of the San Antonio Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas.

Rebeca Quiñonez-Piñón is National Wildlife Federation’s Senior Manager of Climate-Resilient Habitats and Chief Monarch Strategist. Rebeca holds a PhD in Geomatics Engineering from the University of Calgary, and an MSc in Environmental Engineering. She has almost a decade of experience in monarch butterfly habitat restoration and conservation in the eastern U.S. flyway and Mexico overwintering grounds. As the new Chief Monarch Strategist, she will lead and facilitate the creation of a Federation-wide, science-based monarch conservation strategy, and will work with people at different levels and backgrounds to define the best strategies to implement monarch conservation programs. Rebeca also directs NWF’s Monarch Stewards Certification Program. With 2 recently awarded grants, she is leading the restoration of 150 acres of climate-resilient habitats in south, urban Texas, that will serve as ecological stepping-stones for migratory species, including the monarchs. Prior to joining NWF, Rebeca led or collaborated in 15 research projects, served as a member of the CONACYT physics and mathematics scientific evaluation committee, served as a peer reviewer for the Int. Journal of Remote Sensing, and has published peer-reviewed papers and book chapters.

Please email QuinonezPinonR@nwf.org if you have questions about this workshop.

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About the Region

New Braunfels, the location of our Fall 2024 Symposium, straddles both the Edwards Plateau Ecoregion and the Blackland Prairie ecoregion. Interstate 35 divides the city of New Braunfels; its path through the city closely parallels the boundary of these two ecoregions, with the Edwards Plateau on the west side and the Blackland Prairies region to the east. The Edwards Plateau area is also called the Hill Country; however, this general term covers a much larger area extending farther north. Spring-fed creeks are found throughout the region; deep limestone canyons, rivers, and lakes (reservoirs) are common. Ashe juniper is perhaps the most common woody species found throughout the region. Additional woody species include various species of oak, with live oak (Quercus fusiformis) being the most common. Sycamores (Platanus occidentalis) and bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) border waterways. This area is well known for its spring wildflower displays, though they may be viewed in spring, late summer, and fall, as well. According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, average annual rainfall in the Edwards Plateau ranges from 15 to 34 inches.

The Blackland Prairie extends from the Red River south to San Antonio, bordered on the west by the Edwards Plateau and the Cross Timbers, and on the east by the Post Oak Savannah. Annual rainfall averages 30 to 40 inches, with higher averages to the east. This region is dominated by prairie species. The most common grass species include little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans) in the uplands and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in the riparian areas and drainages. Common herbaceous flowering plants include salvias, penstemons, and silphiums. This area has suffered greatly from overgrazing and agricultural use. Few intact areas remain, though many of the plants can be found along county roadsides throughout the region.

Our four host chapters (New Braunfels, Lindheimer, Guadalupe, and the Hill Country chapters) are located in one or both of the ecoregions above. However, the eastern portion of Guadalupe County also falls within the Post Oak Savanna ecoregion. Annual rainfall averages 35 to 45 inches, with higher averages to the east. A wide variety of hardwood trees are found, including several species of oaks, elms, and in the Bastrop area, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). Grasses and forbs dominate in the open savannas, with most common grass being little bluestem. Ranching, agriculture, and fire suppression have allowed woody species to encroach on the once-open savannas.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason