Join / Renew / Gift Donate Shop Member Portal Language
Search
npsot_bluebonnet_full_color

Native Plant Society of Texas

« All Events

This event has passed.

Plant Conservation Programs at San Antonio Botanical Garden – Williamson County Chapter Meeting, November 14

November 14 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Join NPSOT-Williamson County on Thursday, November 14, 2024, when our featured topic will be “Plant Conservation Programs at San Antonio Botanical Garden” with Michael Eason. Free and open to the public. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM.  The guest presentation begins after a short business meeting.

NOTE: This month’s guest presentation will NOT be recorded for YouTube.

About our topic: Michael will discuss various plant conservation programs currently underway at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. Most of these programs are new to the garden and have been initiated in the last several years with the Garden’s new commitment to conservation.

About our speaker: As a conservation botanist and voice for native plants Michael has devoted his career to the conservation of native plants and habitats in Texas and beyond. He currently is the Vice President of Conservation and Collections at San Antonio Botanical Gardens. During his time at the garden, he has established working partnerships with other like-minded organizations throughout Texas and the nation, instituted new conservation projects, and continued to solidify the Gardens commitment to plant conservation in Texas.

Previously, working as a free-lance botanist and consultant, he has designed and installed native plant gardens, and performed a variety of plant surveys on both public and private lands, including rare plant surveys, plant inventories, wetland delineation, and ecological assessments. During his decade long stint at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, he managed projects such as Millennium Seed Bank project, Floristic Survey of Big Bend National Park, Ferns of the Trans-Pecos, and a Review of the Aquatic Invasives of Texas.

In 2018 he published the field guide, Wildflowers of Texas, and is currently working on several other book projects including Wildflowers and other Plants of Western Texas – a field guide, Naturalized and Invasive Species of Texas, and The Native and Naturalized Fabaceae of Texas.

Michael has served on the Executive Board of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT), is currently the State Botanist for the organization, has served as co-president of the Big Bend Chapter of NPSOT and is currently heavily involved with the International Oak Society.

NOTE: this month’s in-person location is the Georgetown Parks & Rec Administration Building, 1101 N College St, Georgetown, Texas 78626.  Come early (6:30 PM) for expert advice, to check out the seed swap board, or just to visit.

The link to register for Zoom is below.

The original meeting announcement is here on the Williamson County Chapter’s blog page.

Williamson County Chapter

View Organizer Website

Register for Zoom

Related Events

Receive the latest native plant news

Subscribe To Our News

Subscribe to emails from the Native Plant Society of Texas.

Receive emails when new posts are added 4-6 times per month, or receive an email once a month.

Subscribe

Or join us on social media

Facebook Youtube Instagram Camera

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