Prairie Notes #186 - Diamond-Flowers Are Forever
Prairie Notes are monthly photo/journal observations from Tandy Hills Natural Area by Founder/Director, Don Young. They include field reports, flora and fauna sightings, and more, mixed with a scoop of dry humor and a bit of philosophy.
They are available free to all who get on the FOTHNA email list.
Diamond-Flowers Are Forever
Prairie Notes #186
June 1, 2022
01) Diamond-Flowers Are Forever
02) Field Report - May
03) New Species - May
04) Prairie Posse To the Rescue
05) PrairieSky / StarParty Report - June
06) City Nature Challenge a HUGE Success!
07) Open Space Initiative Passes
08) David L. Tandy Foundation Grant
09) Prairie Proverb - Sam Kieschnick
01) Diamond-Flowers Are Forever
As we learned in Prairie Notes #184, prairies are unpredictable. Most wildflower species were a month late in2022 and, while the bio-diversity is off the charts, the usual, carpets of wildflowers spilling across the prairies never really happened. It's a perplexing phenomena. But in every year there is always one exception, one particular species, that has a better year than others. In 2005 it was Greenthread. In 2016 it was Bishop's Weed, etc. etc.
The exception in 2022 is Diamond-Flowers (Stenaria nigricans). They are having an especially good year at Tandy Hills. The dry, limestone-rocky prairies are the perfect environment for these tiny flowers also known as, Prairie Bluets. The trumpet-shaped flowers range in color from white to pink to purple. They form patches and clumps that can cover large areas, which they did this year.
With a little rain and luck, they will bloom all summer and sometimes into the fall. They are currently dominating the Tandy Hills meadows, pairing elegantly with prairie grasses. In certain conditions, resemble and glitter like stars in the night sky. Come on in and get to know Diamond-Flower while they are still, um, twinkling.
DY
02) Field Report - May
The usual carpets of prairie wildflowers that people like to pose in did not materialize this year, as most species flamed out early. We did have a few rain events but the temps and ongoing drought must be having an effect with Diamond-Flowers being the exception this year.
However, the overall bio-diversity at Tandy Hills is amazing as ever. On a mid-May walk, I counted 31 wildflower species and several grasses in a lush, 20 foot square area. The sky was full of birds and flying insects and rabbits were seen on the trails. An early morning or late afternoon visit will show you just how enchanting the prairie is right now.
Herewith, in alpha order, are a few of the amazing species I observed in May.
DY
03) New Species Report - May
Thanks in part to the City Nature Challenge, Tandy Hills recorded a whopping, 34 new species in May bringing the new species total to 1709. There was also a nice variety of species recorded including, two new Sparrows, a new grass, various bugs and a rare gall wasp that is a new species to Texas. See a few highlights below and check out the Tandy Hills iNaturalist page for much more HERE: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/tandy-hills-natural-area-stratford-...
04) Prairie Posse to the Rescue
It's been too long since we had a volunteer work day, but on the hot and humid morning of May 28th, a small group of heroes cleared a bunch of Johnson grass, Hedge Parsley amd other troublesome weeds and woodies form the wildflower meadows before they go to seed. It was hard but rewarding work. Big thanks to Sarah Geer, Phil Hennen, Jim Duncan and Debora Young. We could really use YOUR help. Join us next time.
05) PrairieSky / StarParty Report
We are very fortunate to have this free event at Tandy Hills. I urge you to attend. The next one is June 4th. Come early to check out the wildflowers and new trails. All ages welcome. No dogs, please. Here's a note from Fort Worth Astronomical Society rep, John McCrea:
"For our June 4th FWAS/Tandy Hills star party, we will have a combination of spring and summer constellations. The most popular can be seen in the night sky from about late March to late June. As we progress thru the season some of the constellations added are Scorpius, Lyra, and Cygnus (in the northeast). The remaining are Ursa Major, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, and Hercules. The summer triangle (Vega, Deneb and Altair) will be visible later in the night."
06) City Nature Challenge a (HUGE Success!)
You did not read about it in the local media but, the 2022 City Nature Challenge (CNC) was BIG News or, as TP&WD urban biologist and iNat superstar, Sam Kieschnick, put it,
“The City Nature Challenge was a HUGE success! Dallas/Fort Worth was a global hotspot for naturalists.”
Did you catch the GLOBAL part of that quote? Not only did DFW rank #1 in Texas and the USA, DFW also ranked #3 in the world for number of observations, #5 in number of species and #8 in number of observers. That means #1 in the USA, as well. Why is this relevant? Here again is Sam Kieschnick:
Let's talk relevancy... Who cares about these numbers? Obviously, we do! But more than that, we can use these numbers to justify that not only is there biodiversity here in the metroplex, but there is also an active constituency of naturalists that seek out and need this biodiversity. I use these numbers to demonstrate the need for wild areas in parks. Engaging with nature is a recreational act just as playing soccer or having a picnic is. Public park managers need to realize this and manage areas for us, and for the biodiversity that seeks out parks as refuges. Nature is necessary, and we've got the data to show it!
And guess which Texas county was #1 in all categories??? Tarrant County/Fort Worth led the DFW Metroplex area. The big question is WHY Tarrant County/Fort Worth? (Why even, Texas!?!) Other counties have more open space, more people and probably more species. Yet, Tarrant/FW consistently ranks #1 during the annual CNC event. There is something special going on here on a global scale and it deserves more media attention. Check out some of these stats from the 2022 Challenge:
07) Open Space Initiative Passes
Mission accomplished in the May 10th bond election, Voters approved Prop. E to help fund open space acquisitions in Fort Worth. The $15,000,000 fund can go a long way in cleaning the air, control flooding and saving open land from development, forever. No tax increase either. Congrats to the Open Space team who did a good job in convincing City Council, Mayor and the voters that our natural environment matters. Friends of Tandy Hills are also proud to have played a big role in the acquisition the got the ball rolling: Broadcast Hill.
08) David L.Tandy Foundation Grant
Friends of Tandy Hills are proud to announce the receipt of a generous grant from the, David L. Tandy Foundation. David L. Tandy (1889 - 1966) was the father of Charles Tandy who turned his father's leather business into the Tandy Corporation. This particular branch of the Tandy family is not directly related to the namesake of the natural area, but nevertheless, their trustees took an interest in supporting our efforts. The grant is specified for removal of invasive species, one of our top initiatives. We are very grateful for their support.
09) Prairie Proverb - Sam Kieschnick
“Who cares about these numbers? Obviously, we do! But more than that, we can use these numbers to justify that not only is there biodiversity here in the metroplex, but there is also an active constituency of naturalists that seek out and need this biodiversity. I use these numbers to demonstrate the need for wild areas in parks. Engaging with nature is a recreational act just as playing soccer or having a picnic is. Public park managers need to realize this and manage areas for us, and for the biodiversity that seeks out parks as refuges. Nature is necessary, and we’ve got the data to show it!”
Prairie Notes© is the official newsletter of Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. All content by Don Young except where otherwise noted.
