Prairie Notes #192 - Rewinding_2022
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.
Rewinding_2022
Prairie Notes #192
December 1, 2022
1) Rewinding 2022
2) Field Report - November
3) New Species Report - November
4) BIG Breaking News!
5) Manly Men Wild Women Hike
6) Paper Birds
7) PrairieSky / StarParty Report
8) Prairie Proverb - Booker T. Washington
1) Rewinding_2022
As I look back on the year 2022, I am grateful. Despite drought, fire, flood and plague, it was another good year for Tandy Hills and the Friends of Tandy Hills. Perhaps the biggest news of the year happened in October but could not be announced until now. (See #4 below.) The City of Fort Worth continues to take a greater interest in Tandy Hills, starting with better protections for the natural area and that BIG news announcement in #4. I expect to see the city taking even more initiative in 2023. Another big accomplishment in 2022: After years of talking about it and doing the work, the new trail system is finally scheduled to be complete by the end of 2022, just in time for the 14th annual, Manly Men Wild Women Hike. There were many other milestones for which we are grateful. So, let us now reflect on our 2022 successes (and trials), both large and small.
The 13th annual Manly Men Wild Women Hike was well-attended on a frigid New Years Day
Two-plus miles of new and improved trails & two bridges were finally completed in late 2022
Friends of Tandy Hills received generous grants from the David L. Tandy Foundation, N. Central Chapter of Native Plant Society of Texas and the FASH Foundation
The 7th annual PrairieSky / StarParty, with experts from, FW Astronomical Society, drew big crowds of sky watchers
North Texas Giving Day donations from 45 generous donors totaled $3605
The 14th annual Trout Lily Walk w/Sam Kieschnick drew a live and virtual crowd of all ages
Suzanne Tuttle led a training hike for North Texas Master Naturalists at Tandy Hills
An important waterhole was reclaimed after years of illegal tresspass
Tandy Hills helped Tarrant County lead north Texas in the City Nature Challenge
12 issues of Prairie Notes were published
Improved signage was installed around the park
Hired crews cleared invasive species in key locations
Prairie Posse volunteers cleared invasive plants from View Street meadows
A new and improved website was unveiled in May 2022
Several independent volunteer groups picked up over a ton of trash form the natural area
More than 125 new species were recorded at Tandy Hills in 2022 (as of Dec. 1)
More than 1235 volunteer hours logged from January 1 to December 1
2) Field Report - November
We had lots of rain in November making the trails often too muddy for hiking. The weird weather of 2022 continued into late November with markedly fewer fall colors, than usual. The oak tree leaves have yet to turn but I expect they are just late. The Great Plains Ladies Tresses Orchids that normally bloom in October/November, have still not yet bloomed as of, November 30 and may not bloom this year. There were a few nice days when I was able to hike. Here are a few snapshots of what I saw.
3) New Species - November
The species count increased by four in November from 1761 to 1765. New species include, two new fungi and spider. See three of them below and see them all at the Tandy Hills iNat Project Page HERE.
4) BIG Breaking New$ !
I have been itching to share this news with you for over a month. In October, the City of Fort Worth’s Open Space Conservation Program (OSCP) applied for a $150,000 grant from Conservation and Environment Fund at North Texas Community Foundation to benefit Broadcast Hill and Tandy Hills. I am pleased to finally announce that the grant was awarded and accepted by Fort Worth City Council.
According to, Brandi Kelp, who organized the grant application for the OSCP, the grant will allow the following:
New, connecting trails between Broadcast Hill and Tandy Hills
Large-scale invasive species removal
Implement a Natural Resource Management intern project
Needless to say, this is HUGE news, a game-changer on par with the 2020 acquisition of Broadcast Hill and the new trail system. Of particular note is the funding for a Management team who will play a big role in addressing the invasive species issue. It is also notable that the City is recognizing the value of these lands and securing the badly needed funding they require. It also reinforces the value of volunteer efforts done by Friends of Tandy Hills since 2004. We applaud the City for this determined effort and look forward to helping manage the restoration and trail work.
See a video created by City of FW staff as part of their grant proposal HERE.
5) Manly Men Wild Women Hike
Has it been a year already? I recall the sub-freezing weather that sneaked up on us last year after a balmy start. But it’s a new year and a new you. Time to gear up for the 14th annual, Manly Men Wild Women New Years Day Hike.
This year, with Covid less of a threat, we will return to a group hike and an official start time of 10 AM on Sunday, January 1, 2023. The trail will be marked in PINK ribbons. The hike starts at the same place as always, just north of the playground off the main trail. Look for the MMWW sign on your left just past the trees.
Another important change for 2023: We will NOT include the Broadcast Hill section this year. Instead, we will take advantage of the new trail system whenever it follows close to the park perimeter.
Finally, be prepared with water, sturdy shoes/boots and dress for the weather. All ages welcome. Leashed dogs are welcome. Certificates of Completion will be awarded to all who complete the hike. <Rain and icy streets are the only things that will cancel the event.> Check this link for updates as we get closer to the day: https://www.tandyhills.org/manly-men-and-wild-women-hike-hills
6) Paper Birds
For the past several years, FOTHNA co-founder and artist, Debora Young, has been working on a project titled: The Birds of Tandy Hills. After conducting in-depth research, she began hand-cutting and painting the birds, to scale, on heavy paper. The project recently reached a milestone of 100 birds. There are a few more to come as they are observed and recorded on the iNaturalist website. Eventually, there will be an exhibition of the finished project. Here’s a photo of her progress as of, November, 2022. You can visit her website to see other works HERE: https://www.deborayoung.com
7) Prairie Sky / Star Party report
The last star party of the season was on November 5th. About 40 people gathered round the 11 scopes to see views of Saturn, Jupiter and Earth’s Moon and chat with members of the Fort Worth Astronomical Society (FWAS). Take a look below at some of the photos actually taken at Tandy Hills by members of FWAS. These are views you can see in their scopes at the star parties.
FWAS will be back next March for the 8th straight year at Tandy Hills. Until then, I will post sky-watching commentary every month from FWAS rep, John McCrea, for home use. (See below)
“For December our nights are getting longer and colder. The Milky Way stretches from east to west instead of arching overhead as it did in the summer. We will have our familiar winter constellations. Among the fall/winter constellations visible will be, Orion (the Hunter) and Gemini (the Twins) rising in the east. Cassiopeia (Queen of Ethiopia). Pegasus (the Winged Horse) and Andromeda (daughter of Cassiopeia and Cepheus) will be high in the sky. Perseus (Rescuer of Andromeda), Pisces (the Fish), Taurus (the Bull) and our friend the Pleiades (the seven sisters). The summer triangle (Vega (25 LY), Deneb (1,411 LY), and Altair (17 LY)) will still be visible, but low in the west. Our circumpolar friend Ursa Major (the Great Bear) will be low over the northern horizon.”
8) Prairie Proverb
“You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you have to overcome to reach your goals.”
American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several U.S. Presidents. Photo from 1895 by, Frances Benjamin Johnson
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.
