Guest Speaker
Tuesday, April 6, 2021 7:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom in and sit comfortably and safely at home watching our speaker.
Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89187002517?pwd=Ujc1UTEyVjNNbDhUUFJYMjFCV2lNdz09
Meeting ID: 891 8700 2517
Passcode: 212786
Kevin Rudy speaks on Texas Snakes
In addition to covering snake basics, Kevin will “de-mythtify” snakes, doing away with many common misconceptions. Keven will also lead our 4th Sunday walk on April 25. See more information below. Kevin is co-founder of “Wildlife on the Move”, an organization that conducts environmental and nature-appreciation outreach to a wide variety of groups, often featuring live animals from around the world.
Master Naturalists – check your chapter calendar to see whether this qualifies at AT.
Green Tree Snake – a gentle, small, delicate snake often found in our forest. Please just look and don’t disturb them.
Collections From The Field
An art project encourages people of all ages to get outside and create art inspired by Spring Creek Preserve. While exploring the trails at the preserve, find inspiration in nature and create art using any medium. Then submit your art by either posting a photo or document of your art on social media with the tag #collectionsfromthefield or emailing a photo or document of your art to collectionsfromthefield@gmail.com.
For information about weekly prompts and to view the curated gallery, go to CollectionsFromTheField.com and follow the project on Facebook (Facebook.com/collectionsfromthefield) or Instagram (Instagram.com/collectionsfromthefield).
Initiated by Stephanie Hanson, a Garland resident and college senior, Collections From The Field provides the opportunity to find new ways to look at the world. Hanson says, “This project hopes to offer the idea that sometimes building a relationship with the landscape through art is a first step towards creating an ethic of care that will help us tackle the environmental issues we face today.”
Please follow all CDC recommendations and guidelines, as well as City of Garland regulations regarding visiting city parks and protected lands.
Monthly Work Sessions
Saturday May 8: Regular Work Session and Picnic
Time: 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Location: 1787 Holford
We will toil as usual, attacking invasive plants in the prairie and privet in the adjoining forest. Invasive plants are non-native species which grow aggressively and crowd out the native plants. Invasives don’t have the variety and multitude of predators to keep them in check.
Then, at 11, we will gather at the picnic tables for a Bring Your Own Picnic. It is a fun way to end our year and start the summer break. Bring your own sack lunch and drink. (Sorry, no beer or alcohol allowed in the park.)
We will break into teams and each team will have a knowledgeable volunteer so you know exactly what to do. For this event, it is no problem staying 6 feet apart – there is plenty of space. It will make you feel like a new person to get out in the middle of nature and help the Preserve.
- Face masks are required, at least while you check in. After that, if you have enough space, you can remove the mask.
- BRING WATER. Wear heavy work gloves, long pants, protective eye-wear, and sturdy shoes (no sandals) for your protection from poison ivy and thorns. If you have them, bring loppers and/or small tree saws. And, don’t forget, face masks are required.
- All participants and the parents of minors must sign our Liability Waiver. All minors 16 yrs. and younger must be accompanied by an adult. For Master Naturalists, normally this counts as Volunteer Hours on the Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest project, but check your MN chapter current guideline
4th Sunday Nature Walks
April 25, 2021
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Location: 1770 Holford
Kevin Rudy – Snakes in the Preserve
Walk Leader Kevin Rudy, will take us into the forest and talk about snakes right in the habitat. We will hope for a beautiful spring day.
Bioblitz at the Preserve
Coming in May
To celebrate the world-wide City Nature Challenge
Location: 1770 & 1787 Holford
Date: May 1 and 2, 2021
Time: 10 a.m. to 12 noon if you need help.
A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many plant, insect, and animal species as possible in a specific area during a set timeframe. We invite you to come participate at the Preserve and help catalog our flora and fauna that weekend. This Citizen Science activity helps us identify not only organisms which are essential to our ecosystem, but also invasive species which present potential harm.
To date, 266 naturalists have collected 6,800 observations featuring over 980 species in our Preserve, and there are many more to find. The goal is to record a large variety of species, so find organisms that look interesting to you, take several photos from different angles and turn the photos in to iNaturalist. Make sure your pictures are in focus!
Don’t know one plant from another? That is Okay. Judy Aschner, a Society board member and North Texas Master Naturalist will be available at the pavilion at 1770 North Holford between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon on both Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2. If you would like to learn about the iNaturalist App and get tips for use, stop by the pavilion for a demonstration. You need a smart phone.
Both volunteers and public participants must wear masks and social distance by at least 6 feet apart.
Yellow Violets were observed in the forest in 2003. Are they still there? Maybe someone will record them again in the BioBlitz!
Schedule Saturday, May 1
BIRD WALK – REBA COLLINS
May 1, Saturday, 8:00-9:30 am – 1787 Holford Road
Spring Migration Bird Walk with Reba Collins, Master Birder/Master Naturalist
Limited to 15 people, Must RSVP to rcollins20@verizon.net. Please specify Saturday or Sunday. Both volunteers and public participants must wear masks and social distance by at least 6 feet apart.
What birds are in Spring Creek Forest Preserve in late spring? Will we see migrating wood warblers? Come for a morning walk and find out. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring binoculars. If there has been heavy rain, rain boots may be appropriate.
Rubythroated Hummingbird – Should be seen feeding on the nectar from the flowers in our prairie. They are summer birds and move farther south in the winter.
BUTTERFLY WALK – DAVID & SHARON PARRISH
May 1, Saturday, 12:00pm – 1787 Holford Road
Learn about the Texas Butterfly Monitoring Network (TBMN), while walking the trails of a limestone prairie for an introduction to some of the common butterflies of North Texas. Includes an introduction to the survey methods and the Limestone Loop Trails monitoring route. Both volunteers and public participants must wear masks and social distance by at least 6 feet apart.
FOREST SYSTEMS WALK– DANA WILSON
May 1, Saturday, 2:00-3:00pm – 1770 Holford Road
Like animals, plants also have strategies to survive within their respective ecosystem. We will discuss the different layers and relationships that make up a healthy forest. What are the benefits or dangers these plants impart on each other? Join Dana Wilson on a walk through the forest to examine how forests thrive. Both volunteers and public participants must wear masks and social distance by at least 6 feet apart.
FROGS AT NIGHT – JESSICA CROWLEY
May 1, Saturday, 6:30pm – 1787 Holford Road
Join us for an evening hike listening and looking for frogs along Spring Creek. Spring Creek is one of the cleanest creeks in the metroplex. This means that we have an excellent population of creek creatures, including frogs.
In addition to listening and ID by sound, Jessica will bring some frogs from her collection. We will be on dirt trails, so wear appropriate footwear. Both volunteers and public participants must wear masks and social distance by at least 6 feet apart.
Sunday, May 2
BIRD WALK – REBA COLLINS
May 2, Sunday, 8:00 – 9:30 am – 1787 Holford Road
Spring Migration Bird Walk with Reba Collins, Master Birder/Master Naturalist.
Limited to 15 people, Must RSVP to rcollins20@verizon.net. Please specify Saturday or Sunday.
What birds are in Spring Creek Forest Preserve in late spring? Will we see migrating wood warblers? Come for a morning walk and find out. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring binoculars. If there has been heavy rain, rain boots may be appropriate. Both volunteers and public participants must wear masks and social distance by at least 6 feet apart.
INVASIVE PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND REMOVAL – ROBERT KAAA
May 2, Sunday, 2:00pm – 3:00 pm – 1770 Holford Road
Invasive Plant ID and Removal Strategies with Rob Kaaa, Master Naturalist.
We will venture down the trails to identify invasive plant species and their impact in the Preserve. We will discuss the removal strategies that we employ and perhaps some hands on experience with a “Stump Popper”. Both volunteers and public participants must wear masks and social distance by at least 6 feet apart.
Citizen Science is the practice of public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase the reach of scientific knowledge. Through citizen science, volunteers and enthusiasts contribute information to data monitoring and collection programs. iNaturalist is a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society. Information sent by thousands of volunteers like you can be accumulated and analyzed.
This Citizen Science project, City Nature Challenge 2021, is a global project. More information can be found at https://citynaturechallenge.org/. Last year, San Francisco had the most participants with 1,947, and Cape Town, South Africa recorded the most species with a whopping 4,588 species.
You can download the iNaturalist app from the Apple App Store for iPhone, or Google Play for Android phones, or create an account at www.iNaturalist.org and use your laptop/desktop computer to upload your observations. You must be 13 or older to have an account.
Join us to have fun, help increase the biodiversity count, and learn about the Preserve. For more information, email Barbara Baynham, barbara_baynham2005@yahoo.com.
And a Fun Family event in July: An Evening with Moths
Date: Saturday, July 17, 2021
Location: 1770 Holford Road, Garland, TX
Time: 8:30 p.m.
The Garland Parks and Recreation Department and the Society are hosting An Evening with Moths, with special guest Sam Kieschnick, Urban Wildlife Biologist from Texas Parks and Wildlife. This event is coordinated with National Moth Week which celebrates the beauty, life cycles, and habitats of moths.
This family-friendly activity event is all about moths! Most moths are nocturnal, so we will have several light sheets setup to attract moths that live in the Preserve. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and help with identification. Bring a magnifying glass if you have one because many of these beautiful moths are very small. Come be a “Moth-er” with us!
Luna Moth – Wouldn’t it be fun to see this moth!
Speaker Series
Monthly Public Speaker Series: the 1st Tuesday of the month is on Summer hiatus.
- Look for Tuesday, September 7, 2021 news
- Meeting Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Location:
- Summer break
- For Master Naturalists, this often counts as 1 hour Advanced Training, but check the MN schedule to be sure.
Thank you Scouts!
Scout Troop 100 conducted a service project on March 20, clearing invasive privet and picking up litter at the Halff Park Trailhead.
Also, Scout Jonathan Freeborn and his dad worked another 3 hours each picking up litter in the forest. The completed Jonathan’s final requirement for the Citizenship in the Community badge.
Boy Scouts
Do you have suggestions? If you have ideas for speakers or topics for future programs, please email your suggestions to Becky Sans, beckysans7@gmail.com.
Society MembershipMembership: Join Us Today! Download our membership form: https://springcreekforest.org/join/
Monthly Email: To subscribe please contact:
Barbara_Baynham2005@yahoo.com
Make a donation! Your donation helps the all-volunteer Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest offer public lectures, conduct habitat management workdays, and offer public nature walks. Please mail your tax-deductible donation to: Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest, Attn: Treasurer, P.O. Box 450176, Garland, TX 75045-0176
