Finding Happiness Through Sharing Nature - Over time, I learned to find happiness alone through nature. A majority of the learning has been from behind the camera’s viewfinder, the eye piece on my binoculars; and through contributing to the chapter’s monthly newsletter, Shak txmn.org/bptmn/findin...

Lights out Dallas Fall 2025 Help local scientists and conservationists with a bird survey in downtown Dallas. The survey, which takes place from September 8 to November 28. Surveys are conducted on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. During the peak ... txmn.org/bptmn/lights...

Volunteers accomplished so much in just a few hours: mulching under the wax myrtles, clearing weeds from the decomposed granite paths and garden beds, creating native seed packets for distribution, and helping prep the site for our upcoming Make a Difference Day Planting in txmn.org/bptmn/mckinn...

Thanks to everyone who joined our recent program on native plants in home landscapes. Your enthusiasm for sustainable gardening and commitment to supporting local ecosystems is inspiring! We explored how native plants not only thrive in Texas conditions but also attract poll txmn.org/bptmn/august...

The Time To Restore project (TTR), led by the USA National Phenology Network and covering the states of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, is gathering long‐term data on the timing of flowering and fruiting of plants on their native plant priority species list. The p txmn.org/bptmn/time-t...

BPTMN Grant Program Update September 2025The Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalists (BPTMN) are dedicated to various conservation efforts. Their "Eco Explorers" program educates Girl Scouts, while their "Texas Bat Acoustics" project monitors bat populations. They assist txmn.org/bptmn/bptmn-...

Colmena Ranch Native Prairie Plants Rescue Over the past seven months, the group has salvaged approximately 550 plants from 59 different species, along with collecting seeds from several others. This crucial effort will help restore local habitats, preserve regional biodiver txmn.org/bptmn/colmen...

Texas Master Naturalists—help inspire girls K–12 to explore and love nature. Through nature walks, iNaturalist, and Girl Scout badge programs, we share our chapter’s deep knowledge of the natural world. Volunteers bring this learning to life. Your experience and enthusiasm m txmn.org/bptmn/%f0%9f...

Collin College Blackland Prairie Project needs your feet 👣on Saturday, September 20th at 8:30 AM for the Fall Seed Stomp🥾 👟👢👞!!On September 20th, we will be stomping this latest batch of seed into a different area at the Collin College Blackland Prairie that is located txmn.org/bptmn/collin...

Blackland Prairie Chapter Project Fall Grant Submission window starts September 1st and closes September 30th!Calling all projects! BPTMN's semi-annual grant program is accepting applications from September 1st to September 30th. Chapter members with projects or programs tha txmn.org/bptmn/blackl...

Thursday 9/18 - Plano Oak Point Park Plant Rescue - If you need plants for your own project, this is the perfect opportunity—join us on Thursday, September 18th at 8:00 – 11:00 AM! There’s an excellent supply of green milkweed. #Blacklandprairie txmn.org/bptmn/thursd...

Hey everyone! Get ready for a night of discovery at the 4th Annual Connemara Meadow Preserve Mothing Event on Saturday, September 13, from 7 PM to 9 PM. Join the Blackland Prairie Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists for this free and family-friendly event. txmn.org/bptmn/4th-an...

4th Annual Connemara Mothing Event on Saturday September 13, 7pm – 9pm Hey everyone! Get ready for a night of discovery at the 4th Annual Connemara Meadow Preserve Mothing Event with the MOTH SQUAD on Saturday, September 13, from 7 PM to 9 PM. Join the Blackland Prairie Ch txmn.org/bptmn/4th-an...

Deep Dive on Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalists Pollinator Gardens: 2025Join us on August 18th, at 7 PM CST for a Deep Dive, with Susan Abernathy presenting on Blackland Prairie Texas Master Naturalists Pollinator Gardens: 2025.#BlacklandPrairieChapter #PollinatorGar txmn.org/bptmn/deep-d...

The Multiplying Critters of DFW! What do you do when you find an invasive hammerhead worm? Sam Kieschnick gives us the scoop!# #HammerheadWorms #SamKieschnick #TPWD #CBSDFW txmn.org/bptmn/the-mu...

Rooted in Paulette: The First Books & Blooms Library Blooms at Green Gardens - Mary Abercrombie, Class of 2020 - Books & Blooms, a new passive engagement program that reimagines Little Free Libraries as vibrant community touchpoints for ecological literacy and neighborhood.. txmn.org/bptmn/rooted...

2025 August Chapter Meeting and Mini Potluck with Rick Travis | Riparian Rock Stars: Trees of North Texas Highly Prized by Wildlife. Get ready to branch out and grow your knowledge at our next chapter meeting! PLUS, a Mini Potluck! txmn.org/bptmn/2025-a...

McKinney Green Gardens Workday: A Community Success! The McKinney Green Gardens restoration project, a Blackland Prairie Master Naturalists (BPTMN)- approved project and a Chapter grant recipient, experienced a highly successful workday on July 5th. Leading the charge were t txmn.org/bptmn/mckinn...

My Favorite Things through the Four Seasons: Spring by John W. Garbutt- Class of 2019- It was near the end of February when my sister brought up the imminent arrival of Barn Swallows. Usually the first migrant, the avian harbinger of spring arrives in early March. A ... txmn.org/bptmn/my-fav...

The Heard Museum needs Pre-School Storytime Readers! The Heard Museum would like to expand its storytime to every Friday morning at ten.  This is for pre-schoolers.  At present it is only on the second and fourth Fridays.  If you would like to read to a group of little kids txmn.org/bptmn/the-he...

A vibrant native habitat is truly taking shape at Monarch View Park! This dream is becoming a reality thanks to the incredible collaboration of Blackland Prairie Chapter Project Lead, Laura Kuwayama, the City of Frisco Parks department, dedicated local volunteers... txmn.org/bptmn/monarc...

Plano Park - July Updates from Project Leader Jean Higgins - One primary focus has been the removal of privet (Ligustrum spp.), an aggressive non-native shrub that threatens native plant diversity and degrades habitat for wildlife. With support from Plano Parks and Recreatio txmn.org/bptmn/plano-...

Plano Park Updates from Project Leader Jean Higgins - Over the past several months, teams have cleared large volumes of this aggressive invader from the park’s natural areas. Privet creates dense thickets that crowd out native species, reduce biodiversity, and degrade wildli txmn.org/bptmn/plano-...

John W. Garbutt, Class of 2019- For me, in my youth, I always began thinking of autumn as something in relation to football and Thanksgiving. Now as an adult and birder, the season begins with migration in August. On the morning of the 16th a steady stream of Upland Sandpip txmn.org/bptmn/my-fav...

Visit our Community Engagement Booth at these upcoming events! Curious about local wildlife and conservation? Come say hello at the BPTMN Community Engagement Booth! Catch us at the Heard Museum, the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, and the Mothing event at Connemara. We can txmn.org/bptmn/visit-...

Summer hours for McKinney Green Gardens Last Saturday workday! Mary Abercrombie wants to share to good news! McKinney Green Gardens is updating its summer hours to help beat the heat. #BlacklandPrairieChapter #CityofMcKinneyOfficeofSustainability #MaryAbercrombie #McKinneyG txmn.org/bptmn/july-w...

It’s no secret that many children today don’t spend enough time outside — and for some public school students, field trips are a rare opportunity. That’s why the Friends of Hagerman offer free, nature-based field trips to connect kids with the great outdoors. We offer field txmn.org/bptmn/hagerm...

Magical Mothing Event at the Heard Museum, Celebrating National Moth Week! Get ready for a night of enchantment! Celebrate National Moth Week at the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary's Magical Mothing Event on Saturday, July 26, from 8:00 to 11:00 PM. Come di txmn.org/bptmn/magica...

Our Tribe's Fortune 250 Hours - Deanna Flanagan, Class of 2024Deanna Flanagan achieved her 250 service hour milestone as a Master Naturalist, inspired by her mother's dedication. She earned these hours by assisting the Class of 2025 and leading engaging field trips for first txmn.org/bptmn/our-tr...

Magical Mothing Event at the Heard Museum, Celebrating National Moth WeekGet ready for a night of enchantment! Celebrate National Moth Week at the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary's Magical Mothing Event on Saturday, July 26, from 8:00 to 11:00 PM. Come disc txmn.org/bptmn/magica...

Fellow BPTMN member and Plano resident Nancy Riggs, Class of 2021 recently became an unexpected wildlife rescuer when she found a soggy eastern screech owl owlet floundering in her backyard pool. Thanks to quick action and the help of the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center (BPR txmn.org/bptmn/member...

Say hello to Jen Jesseph (Class of 2021), our new Chapter Photographer, who's ready to organize and share your amazing activity photos to showcase all the great work we do! #JenJesseph txmn.org/bptmn/meet-j...

Join Sue Yost from the Elm Fork Chapter for Toddler Nature Time at LLELA! Every third Wednesday from Sept-May, we'll explore nature with stories, crafts, and a short hike, helping little ones (18 months-5 years) discover the outdoors and sharpen their observation skills. Reg txmn.org/bptmn/dive-i...

The Blackland Raptor Center extends a huge thank you to the Master Naturalists for a generous grant that will help keep everyone, including our feathered friends and their "mouse toys," cool this season! #BlacklandPraire #MarlaLayne txmn.org/bptmn/bprc-t...

Frisco, Texas’s Play Frisco won the 2025 Innovation in Environmental Resilience Award for their Blackland Prairie Restoration & Education program, a collaborative effort with partners like BPTMN, rebuilding native ecosystems and fostering environmental stewardship. #CityofFr txmn.org/bptmn/innova...

What began as a hopeful rescue of a discarded Evening Primrose plant twenty years ago blossomed into a cherished, enduring "pocket prairie" that returns to Barb's front yard year after year. #blacklandprairie #eveningprimrose #pocketprairie txmn.org/bptmn/barbar...

Get ready for a fascinating night at our Mothing BioBlitz on Saturday, June 21, 2025, from 8:00 – 11:00 PM! Join us to use UV lights to attract and record nocturnal insects, creating a "species snapshot" of the area using the free iNaturalist app. Come discover the hidden wo txmn.org/bptmn/heardb...

Get ready to grow wild! 🌿 Join the Blackland Prairie Chapter TONIGHT, Tuesday, June 10th at 7PM CST to dive into the delightful world of Pocket Prairies with the amazing Lorelei Stierlen! We'll be exploring how to pack a powerful punch of native plant beauty into even the.. txmn.org/bptmn/2025-j...

Discover the nocturnal world at our Mothing BioBlitz on Saturday, June 14, 8-11 PM, at Plano Oak Point Park! Use UV lights to record insects for a "species snapshot" via the iNaturalist app. Special guest: Sam Kieschnick, Urban Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Join u txmn.org/bptmn/city-o...

Don’t miss your chance to walk among the blooms at TNC's 1,050-acre Smiley Meadow Preserve, which contains one of the most significant remnants of Silveus' dropseed prairie—a rare type of tallgrass prairie that supports hundreds of species of grasses, wildflowers, and wildli txmn.org/bptmn/the-na...

Make a Difference North TX! on Friday, June 6th, 2025 from 9 am – 12 pm at the Fort Worth Nature Center Hardwicke Interpretive Visitor Center located on 9601 Fossil Ridge Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76135. This event is part of the Society for Ecological Restoration’s Global Make a txmn.org/bptmn/join-u...

Two fantastic opportunities! Join us for Patti Bonnin's talk at the Chapter Meeting on Wednesday, June 4th at Brookhaven College where she'll share her journey and advocacy for accessible nature, and her interactive workshop on Thursday, June 5th, 9 AM-12 PM, at the Trinit.. txmn.org/bptmn/north-...

On this Memorial Day, the Blackland Prairie Chapter Master Naturalists pause to honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Their dedication has helped preserve the freedoms that allow us to appreciate the natural beauty of Texas. txmn.org/bptmn/memori...

Immerse yourself in the sights, smells, and sounds of the forest. 🍂 Linda Barnes, Class of 2024, paints a vivid picture in her poem, describing gnarled roots, a mosaic of fallen leaves, the damp earth, and the sweet sound of birdsong – a true sensory experience that heals t txmn.org/bptmn/a-walk...

Don't let the details bug you! Join Wizzie and Molly with AgriLife for Master Volunteer Entomology Advanced Training and learn everything about our insect friends in this flexible virtual course! #Entomology #agrilife #blacklandprairiechapter #texasmasternaturalists txmn.org/bptmn/master...

Join us on May 19th, at 7 PM CST for a Deep Dive, with Zane Liston presenting on Vibrant Lichen Studies. LIchen- intricate symbiotic organisms blending fungi and algae—are far more than humble patches on rocks and trees. txmn.org/bptmn/deep-d...

It is amazing that we are celebrating the 60th edition of Shaking the Trees. As we found ourselves thrown into the glum alienation of COVID, I thought it was imperative that we celebrate accomplishments and become familiar with the uniqueness of every member. For some reason txmn.org/bptmn/from-i...

Join us for the next exciting step in transforming the hill at Monarch View Park into a thriving pollinator garden! Last year, we kicked off phase 1 by planting around 1,000 native perennials at the top of the hill. Over the next three years, we'll keep adding native plants txmn.org/bptmn/plant-...

A hearty congratulations to the Texas Master Naturalist Class of 2025 on your graduation! Your dedication and hard work are an inspiration, and we're so excited to welcome you to the community of stewards making a real difference for Texas' natural wonders. #blacklandprairie txmn.org/bptmn/congra...

Join us on May 19th, at 7 PM CST for a Deep Dive, with Zane Liston presenting on Vibrant Lichen Studies. LIchen- intricate symbiotic organisms blending fungi and algae—are far more than humble patches on rocks and trees. txmn.org/bptmn/deep-d...