Monthly Meetings & Guest Speaker
Date: Tuesday, January 4, 2022
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Zoom – https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89187002517?pwd=Ujc1UTEyVjNNbDhUUFJYMjFCV2lNdz09
Meeting ID: 891 8700 2517
Passcode: 212786
Guest Speaker: Matt Grubisich, Garland Parks and Recreation Department
Topic: A Walk with the Parks Director
Garland Parks Director, Matt Grubisich will talk about the array of parks, greenbelts, and especially our Preserve that Garland folks can use. Thanks to an incredible vote of support a couple years ago, Garland citizens approved a large bond package with much needed funds to revitalize our parks system. Matt is one of the people at the forefront of many of the approved projects.
In the year and a half that he has been the Garland Parks Director, it is clear he understands very well the special requirements of our Preserve. His knowledge comes from previous positions working in urban forestry such as at the Texas Trees Foundation, Urban Renewal, Inc., and Texas Forest Service.
Interesting speakers are lined up for the 2021-22 year
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 – Tom Frey, History of Spring Creek Preserve
Tuesday, March 1, 2022 – Ignasio Pujana, Paleontologist – Fossils Around Spring Creek
Tuesday, April 5, 2022 – Carol Clark, Spring Creek Wildflowers
A few more Trail Monitors needed
Thank you so much to the several people that volunteered for the Trail Monitor project. We still do need some more people so we can spread the work out and make sure it is a fun task, not too much for anyone. Do you frequently walk the natural surface (dirt) trails at Spring Creek Preserve? Are you interested in being part of the volunteer team that helps ensure our trails are safe and receive the required maintenance? Then this project might be for you! We are looking for folks that can hike our marked, unpaved trails on a weekly basis.
Duties include:
- Hike your selected trail weekly.
- Perform light maintenance such as litter pickup.
- Be familiar with Garland’s eAssist program that is accessed through an iPhone app and use it to report major maintenance issues such as trees fallen on the trail, vandalism, criminal activity, etc.
- Learn some unique features of your trail and share those with the Executive Committee.
If you are interested or have questions, send an email to Rob Kaaa, the Trail Monitor team coordinator, rmk3a@yahoo.com. Please put “Trail Monitor” in the Subject line. Using the Trails Map at Trails Map (springcreekforest.org), tell Rob your favorite marked trail, and provide your contact information and typical hike schedule (am/pm, day of the week).
Thank you for your interest! You will be contacted regarding an orientation/training session.
Special Events
11th Annual Christmas is for the Birds
Date: Saturday, December 4, 2021
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.
Location: 1787 Holford
This is a super-fun event for pre-school or elementary school children. Bring them to the Park Preserve where they make biodegradable bird feeders out of peanut butter and bird seed, then they hang the feeders in our forest. Yes, be prepared to get a bit messy.
Some folks make their own feeder treats at home and bring them to hang on the trees. See below for make-at-home suggestion. We also have short nature walks to show children a little of our fabulous forest and prairie.
Biodegradable bird feeder ornaments must be hung with cotton yarn or string. The birds will use the string later for making their nests. Metal or plastic hangers, including fishing line are dangerous for birds and wildlife because they might ingest it and injure themselves. If you make bird feeder ornaments at home, please bring them to the park ready to hang.
Some examples of biodegradable bird feeders:
- Pine cones coated in peanut butter and rolled in bird seed.
- Strings of fresh or dried berries.
- Strings of non-buttered popcorn.
4th Sunday Nature Walks
January 1, 2022: Start Your New Year Right Nature Walks
Long Walk
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 11:30
Location: 4695 Ranger Drive at Halff Park
The dirt trail from Halff Park takes you through the tallest trees and wildest woods of our Preserve. This forest walk is always a treat.
Our leader is also a treat – Bill Holston is an avid naturalist and walker of trails in Dallas County. He often writes articles about his nature experiences for D Magazine in a series titled “Law Man Walking”. Bill is a lawyer and is the Executive Director of Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, a non- profit that represents Immigrant victims of human rights abuses.
Short Walk
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30
Location: 1787 Holford
Our leader will start our walk through our amazing prairie and at the end we emerge from the creek-side forest.
Next
- Sunday, January 23, 2022. Leader: Rob Kaaa – Invasive Plants in the Forest
- Sunday, February 27, 2022. Leader: Tom Frey and others – 29th Annual Trout Lily Walk
- Sunday, March 27, 2022. Leader: Ignasio Pujana – Fossil Hunting and the UTD Drone team
- Sunday, April 24, 2022. Leader: Matt Grubisich – Trees of Spring Creek Preserve
- Sunday, May 22, 2022. Leader: Carol Clark – Spring Creek Wildflowers
Monthly Work Sessions
Saturday January 8
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00
Location: 1770 Holford
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. 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
Next
- Saturday, February 5, 2022
- Saturday, March 5, 2022
- Saturday, April 9, 2022
- Saturday, May 7, 2022
Collections From The Field
An art project encourages people of all ages to get outside and create art inspired by Spring Creek Preserve. W
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).
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
springcreekforest.org 