Prairie Notes #124: The Prairie that Keeps on Giving
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.
The Prairie that Keeps on Giving
Prairie Notes #124
April 1, 2017
01) The Prairie That Keeps On Giving
02) Field Report - March
03) Lone Star Legacy Park Report
04) City Nature Challenge - Texas: REMINDER
05) Lively Panel Discussion
06) 360 West Magazine Likes Tandy Hills
07) Prairie Posse Liberates 2 Iconic Hills
08) Don't Plant Those Seeds!
09) Don't Touch That Butterfly!
10) Prairie Proverb
01) The Prairie That Keeps On Giving
Spring is here and the miracle of prairie wildflowers is well underway. I've written countless words to try and describe how beautiful and meaningful Tandy Hills is this time of year. When the place needed attention to push back against various threats, I have coaxed, enticed and even begged you to, come on in. It may have worked. The trails and meadows are well trod nowadays, especially in the spring.
Looking back on past Prairie Notes I see titles comparing Tandy Hills in the spring of 2008 to, "Beethoven's Ninth". The boundless botanical varieties of 2012 inspired, "Everything On It". "Diversity is Thy Name", described 2007 pretty accurately and, "Mojo on the Meadow" in 2010 was my attempt to describe the amazing wildflower show that is often taken for granted.
Don't make that mistake this year. Bring yourself, your family or friends to Tandy Hills to witness the transformation from drab grey-brown to a full palette of spring color. The show is just beginning. Don't miss it.
02) Field Report - March
The march towards wildflower nirvana continued apace in March and will do so through May. Nearly every day a new species appears. The pollinators are working overtime to keep up. It's wild out here. Come on in and saunter around in honor of Henry David Thoreau's bicentennial birth year. Here's a sampling of my March observations.
03) Lone Star Legacy Park Report
Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area representatives, Don & Debora Young and Anne Alderfer, along with Fort Worth PARD, Asst. Superintendent, Jerry McDowell, attended the Lone Star Legacy Park awards ceremony in Las Colinas on March 1st. We were greeted at the door by a beautiful poster describing Tandy Hills. The chunky limestone award, itself, is on display at the PARD offices.
Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area (FOTHNA), represented by Don & Debora Young, was honored by the Fort Worth Park & Recreation Advisory Board on March 22nd, for recent volunteer efforts on behalf of Tandy Hills, including the Lone Star Legacy Park Award and the Great Texas Wildlife Trail designation.
From the founding days of FOTHNA in 2004, our main objective has been to increase public awareness of this amazing and rare green space. I believe we have succeeded, but the work is ongoing. We are humbled by this honor.
l-r: Jim Doherty, Jerry McDowell, Don & Debora Young, Richard Zavala
04) City Nature Challenge - Texas: REMINDER
Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. is sponsoring, City Nature Challenge Texas, (a kind of, mini-bioblitz), April 14 - 18. It's a friendly competition between Dallas/Fort Worth and other metro areas around the state and country to document as many species as possible over a 5 day period. It's citizen science in action. All ages encouraged.
> Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area is participating on Tuesday, April 17, from 4 - 7pm. TP&WD, Urban Biologist, Sam Kieschnick, will be on-site to assist your efforts in recording as many species as possible via iNaturalist. Join us!
RSVP: info@tandyhills.org
More info at these LINKS:
http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/wildlife_diversity/texas_nature_trac...
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2017-dallas-f...
05) Lively Panel Discussion
That's how Native Prairie Association of Texas - Fort Worth Chapter, describes their April 10th meeting, despite the bone dry-sounding topic: Prairie Management on Public & Private Property in Tarrant County. (That wore me out just tying it!)
A panel of local prairie owners/managers, including Don Young of FOTHNA, will discuss among other things, what motivates people to learn about and save their local natural heritage. I'm honored to be included. DY
Read more here: https://fortworthnpat.wordpress.com
06) 360 West Magazine Likes Tandy Hills
Wow, we must be on the map! For the 2nd straight month, 360 West Magazine, mentions Tandy Hills Natural Area in their slick and popular mag. Thanks to publisher, Meda Kessler, for the shout-out. They wrote a nice little blurb about what's happening at Tandy Hills this month in the April 1 issue. Pick up a hardcopy or read online here:
http://digital.360westmagazine.com/publication/?i=395472&ver=html5&p=94#{"page":94,"issue_id":395472}
07) Prairie Posse Liberates 2 Iconic Hills
On the 3rd Saturday of each month, the Tandy Hills Prairie Posse meets to manage trails and special sections of the park. On March 18, a small group of hard-working folks gathered with two objectives:
1. Re-seed Hawk Hill (the recently cleared area near the trailhead and Hawk Trail.)
2. Liberate Barbara's Button Hill from infringing woody species before spring blooms on this bio-wonder.
I'm pleased to report: Mission accomplished. Using 12 pounds of native, Sideoats Grama and Little Bluestem seed from Native American Seed, Debora Young led a small group of kids and adults from, Forest School, in carefully reseeding the two acres of Hawk Hill. About three hills east, a group of 7 guys removed a huge amount of invasive trees and shrubs sahding out the namesake of Barbara's Button Hill, allowing this unique biological wonder to blossom more fully. Big thanks to all who helped.
08) Don't Plant Those Seeds!
General Mills, maker of Cheerios, has gotten some bad press for trying to do a good, if, self-serving deed. In an effort to increase pollinators (their corporate mascot is a bee, get it?), they recently offered free wildflower seeds to the public. Problem is, "The packets Cheerios sent out included seeds for plants deemed invasive in some states and outright banned in others," according to this report:
http://lifehacker.com/don-t-plant-those-bee-friendly-wildflowers-cheerio...
09) Don't Touch That Butterfly!
Strange but true story though decidedly NOT in Texas. According to a recent New Yourk Times report, British police netted a butterfly killer, and now he may face jail time. The butterfly in question is the rarest butterlfy in the UK known as, Large Blue butterfly. Read the news here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/17/world/europe/britain-butterfly-killer...
NY Times
10) Prairie Proverb
“Who could believe in the prophecies...that the world would end this summer, while one milkweed with faith matured its seed?”
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.
