October 2025 Announcements

Preservation Society
for Spring Creek Forest

Preserve, Educate, Collaborate
(https://springcreekforest.org)

Contact the Society: springcreekforestpreservation@gmail.com

City Council Work Session will discuss scope of work proposal

The Society received the updated proposal from Kimley-Horn which outlines phase 1 of how to inspect and repair the sewer line in Spring Creek with the least harm to the Preserve. (Folks, there is still likely a lot of harm that will have to be done.) However, within that proposal is a sub-topic which provides a “schematic level potential pipe realignment alternative”, which we hope means it is a start on the true answer to our problem – getting the Pipeline Out Of the Preserve, also known as the P-O-O-P Project.

Monday, October 6, at 5:00 p.m., during the Council work session at city hall, city administration will present a verbal briefing on the proposal to the City Council. Listed as agenda item 4, this briefing will cover the proposed professional services contract for the condition assessment of the Spring Creek Forest Preserve and Wastewater Interceptor (sewer pipeline). Unless otherwise directed by Council, this item will be scheduled for formal consideration at the October 21, 2025, regular Council meeting. Both meetings are open to the public and you are certainly invited to be there in person or watch on TV on the official City of Garland television channel, CGTV, https://www.garlandtx.gov/3869/CGTV-Government-Access-Television. See Note below about participating.

According to Judson Rex, City Manager, “It is important to note that while the proposed scope of work is broad and inclusive of the activities we expect to complete with Kimley-Horn, it is not intended as a detailed listing of every task to be undertaken. Many of the finer details will be addressed during the actual work process. To that end, we will soon be scheduling a kickoff meeting with Kimley-Horn, Dallas County, and the Preservation Society. That meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss the schedule in more detail and refine specific work activities. If certain items we have previously discussed do not appear explicitly in the scope, please be assured that does not mean they are excluded. Those details will be incorporated as we move forward together.”

Note: Members of the audience may address the City Council on any Work Session item. Speakers are allowed three minutes each, grouped by agenda item, and called in the order of the agenda. Anyone wishing to speak must fill out a speaker card (located at the entrance to the Council Chambers and on the visitor’s side of the Work Session Room) and give it to the City Secretary before the Mayor calls the meeting to order. Speakers are limited to addressing items on the Work Session agenda only.

Enjoy the attached before and after photos as a reminder of what a difference this workday makes. Special thanks to Nancy Boeding, who always steps up with energy and enthusiasm to handle liability waivers, sign-in sheets, and generally keeps us all organized. Thank you, Nancy!Also thank you to the 21 participants who attended the grass ID walk led by Dana Wilson. It was a beautiful day, with the Indian grass, switchgrass, and big bluestem blooming in all their glory. It was fascinating to hear the lively conversations and sharing of knowledge. That’s what it’s all about. Special recognition to Jim Shouse for leading the last part of the walk. Thank you, Jim!

Meet Gustavo Rojas with rescued coralberry (Symphoricarpos orbiculatus )
As we move into cooler weather, it’s a great time to dig valuable native plants for re-establishment in the spring.

Q: What do you call soil along a creek that hasn’t seen rain recently?
A: CEMENT!
But, though our primary digging tools were pickaxes and soil knives, that didn’t stop 13 energetic volunteers from getting an upper-body workout by digging almost 100 pots worth of valuable native plants along the access road that was bulldozed in the Halff Park section of Spring Creek Forest Preserve. These plants were consolidated into 33 pots then transported to growing tables in the city of Garland’s Roach greenhouse complex, where they’ll overwinter and (hopefully) establish roots before being re-planted along our walking path at Halff Park.

          We hope to have another rescue event soon (see October Events below), though – lesson learned – we hope after a rain. Be watching the Preservation Society Facebook page for upcoming activities, and email danawilson59@yahoo.com if you’d like to be on the email list when we announce extra volunteer activities like this.
We extend a special thanks to Gustavo Rojas and Cayden O’Brien for spending several hours before this event scoping out plants in the rescue area, and to the city of Garland Parks department for the use of the greenhouse.

Special Work Session – Plant rescue continued
Date: Saturday, October 4, 2025
Time: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Halff Park at Ranger Drive

Join us as we continue our efforts in the Halff Park section of Spring Creek Forest Preserve (4695 Ranger Drive). We’ll be rescuing native plants growing along the access road that was bulldozed into the forest earlier this year. By rescuing these native plants, we help restore the forest ecosystem and support local wildlife. Your participation directly contributes to the long-term health and sustainability of Spring Creek Forest.

Space is limited—reserve your spot today by emailing danawilson59@yahoo.com with your name and contact information. Please send any questions to the same email.

The rescued plants will be potted, moved to the City of Garland greenhouse for overwintering, and then transplanted back into Halff Park along our walking trail in early spring. We are grateful to the City of Garland Parks Department and the staff of the Roach Garden Center and Greenhouse for supporting this important work and partnering with the Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest.
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.

What to Bring:
• Water
• Gloves
• Hand trowels or shovels with long, thin blades (such as sharpshooters and Root Slayers—for easier and safer plant extraction)
• Rolling garden carts or children’s wagons (to help transport rescued plants)

Thank you for helping us make a lasting impact on Spring Creek Forest Preserve!

Speaker Series:
Kimberlie Sasan – Galls: Let’s Get Curiously Addicted!

Date: Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: currently meeting via Zoom call.

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89187002517?pwd=Ujc1UTEyVjNNbDhUUFJYMjFCV2lNdz09

Meeting ID: 891 8700 2517
Passcode: 212786

Note: Kimberlie will also lead our 4^th Sunday walk on October 26 to show you galls, live and in person. See below.

Galls are fascinating structures found on a wide variety of plants. These abnormal growths are caused by a range of organisms, including insects, mites, fungi, and bacteria. Galls can vary in size, shape, and color, and can serve a range of functions for the organisms that inhabit them.

This presentation will explore the diverse range of galls found in nature, from the simple bumps caused by mites to the complex structures induced by wasps. Join us to learn what galls are, how to identify the organisms that make them, and even how you could find the next undescribed species!

Kimberlie is a Cross Timbers Texas Master Naturalist from the Fort Worth area. She started out with a wide variety of volunteer activities, mostly bluebird nestbox monitoring and working with the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, both of which she still does today.

She quickly recognized an interest in insects and completed the Volunteer Master Entomology Specialist training in 2018. She enjoys mothing and traveling across Texas to photograph and record new flora and fauna in iNaturalist citizen-science app, with around 35,000 observations so far. In 2022 she described a gall new to science, Druon laceyi, and helps Gallformers.org as an Administrator. Kimberlie is also an Herbarium and Research Assistant at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

Kimberlie Sasan

2^nd Saturday Work Session –
Trail Maintenance and Seed Collecting
Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
Time: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Location: 1787 Holford Drive

Trail maintenance and seed collection – and there is plenty of both to do. We break into teams, and each team has a knowledgeable volunteer, so you know exactly what to do.

For last-minute information, especially if the weather is questionable, check our website or Facebook page for updates, including dates and locations which may change because of conditions. We don’t want anyone working in the forest or on the prairie if there is a chance of lightning strikes.

• Safety Information: Each work session begins with a safety briefing.
• BRING WATER and bug repellent.
• Close-toed shoes are mandatory. Heavy work gloves, long pants, and protective eyewear are recommended for your protection from poison ivy and thorns.
• If you have them, bring loppers and/or small tree saws. (No power tools.)
• All participants and the parents of minors must sign our Liability Waiver.
• Youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult; no drop off/pick up of those under 18.
• For Master Naturalists, this may count as Volunteer Hours on the Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest project.

Photo – Canada and Virginia wild rye seeds

9th Annual Tri-City Cleanup
Garland is Keeping It Beautiful for the Ninth Time!

Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
Time: See schedule below
Location: Start at Hella Shrine Events Center, 2121 Rowlett Rd., Garland, TX 75043
Then, come to the Preserve site you chose when you registered – either Halff Park or 1770 Holford. See registration information below.

Keeping our waterways beautiful takes a community effort. Join volunteers from Garland, Rowlett, and Dallas to clean up multiple designated sites surrounding or connecting to Lake Ray Hubbard. Our own Spring Creek Preserve is one of the Garland locations that will have clean-up teams, because Spring Creek flows into Rowlett Creek, which flows into Lake Ray Hubbard.

We supply the tools; you supply the power! Choose from a preferred location in Dallas, Rowlett, or Garland to clean up. Following the workday, you are welcome to hang out at the Hella Shrine Center for free food and fun.

Come dressed to work in the elements: boots, pants, sleeves, bug spray, and sunscreen. And, bring a refillable water jug!

Volunteers of all ages and abilities are invited. This is a great event for groups and families! If you are working in Spring Creek Preserve with the Society, youth under 18 must be accompanied by an adult; no drop off/pick up of those under 18. All participants must sign waivers and youth under 18 need to have a guardian signature on the waiver.

Volunteers can pre-register for specific cleanup sites at Volunteer Garland website: https://garlandtx.galaxydigital.com/need/index/?s=1&need_init_id=14019
Our two sites are listed as Halff Park and Spring Creek Forest

Volunteer Schedule
8:00 – 8:30 AM (All Volunteers & Captains)
Meet at Hella Shrine Events Center, 2121 Rowlett Rd., Garland, TX 75043:

• Register and sign in; pick up swag and free t-shirts
• Receive safety talk and important instructions
• Captains pick up cleanup supplies

8:30 – 8:45 AM
Group photos
8:45 – 9:00 AM
Travel to designated cleanup sites
9:00 – 11:30 AM
Litter cleanup at assigned locations
11:30 – 11:45 AM
Return all cleanup supplies to captains
11:45 AM – Noon
Head to Hella Shrine
Noon – At Hella Shrine, free lunch and fun (food served until it runs out)

4th Sunday Nature Walk
Kimberlie Sasan – Find Galls in the Forest
Date: Sunday, October 26, 2025
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Location: 1770 Holford Rd.

Kimberlie will lead us into the forest to find galls where the occur – all around us in the environment. See more about Kimberlie above in the October 7 speaker information.

Gall on oak leaf – Andricus lustrans – by K. Sasan

To enter, simply fill in the blanks: “A _______ of _____.”

Submit your entry (one per person) to springcreekforestpreservation@gmail.com by Wednesday, October 15.

The winner will be announced in our November Announcements and on the Preservation Society Facebook page, and will receive a $25 Academy Sports and Outdoors gift card!

What should we call this group?

North Texas Giving Day 2025 – Results

Thanks to many generous people, we raised $1,422 during North Texas Giving Day! Your generous support will fuel our mission to protect and maintain the Spring Creek Forest in Garland.

Communities Foundation of Texas’ North Texas Giving Day gives us a chance to introduce Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest to a broader audience. The money you donated will help fund trail maintenance, educational programs and habitat restoration projects that keep Spring Creek Forest thriving. We are so grateful for your generosity!

Spring Creek Forest Listed as a
Favorite Place to Walk

CultureMap Dallas has named our Preserve at 1770 Holford as a favorite destination for walkers. CultureMap says it is a perfect pick for trail newbies or those who lean more toward “nature walk” than workout. Thank you CultureMap!

8 favorite destinations in Dallas to walk outdoors – CultureMap Dallas

Garland Parks and Recreation CAPRA Accredited
Congratulations to the Garland Parks & Recreation Department! It has been recognized for meeting the rigorous national standards of CAPRA Accreditation, a reflection of its excellence in enhancing the quality of life for all residents through parks, programs, and community services.

On Sept. 17, the department was honored at the National Parks and Recreation Conference in Orlando, Florida, where it was officially recognized as one of only 231 parks and recreation agencies nationwide to achieve this prestigious accreditation.

Achieving CAPRA Accreditation demonstrates that the Garland Parks & Recreation Department provides residents with the highest level of service and professionalism. Reaccreditation is required every five years, ensuring the department maintains this excellence into the future.

The National Recreation and Park Association’s (NRPA) Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) delivers quality assurance and continuous improvement to accredited park and recreation departments across the United States. This operational management system improves infrastructure, increases efficiency, and strengthens accountability within communities.

Implementation of CAPRA standards fosters teamwork among staff, embeds best practices into daily operations, and establishes a culture of continuous improvement. CAPRA is the only national accreditation of park and recreation departments and serves as a valuable measure of overall quality in operations, management, and community service.

This recognition highlights the department’s commitment to accountability, innovation, and best practices, ensuring that Garland continues to provide outstanding opportunities for recreation, wellness, and community connection.

North Texas Master Naturalist –
Applications for the 2026 Training Class taken through October 14, 2025

The Society would have trouble accomplishing soooo many projects if it were not for this energetic, passionate group of volunteers that love getting out in the field – the Texas Master Naturalists.

          The Texas Master Naturalist mission is to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers who provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas.

The North Texas Chapter primarily serves Dallas, Rockwall, and Kaufman counties. As a chapter it strives to be as inclusive and accessible as possible in order to share their love of nature with all.

Applications for the 2026 North Texas Master Naturalist Chapter Training Class will close on October 14, 2025. So please check this opportunity out soon. Many of our Society members are also members of the North Texas chapter. If you have questions that are not answered at the link below, send the questions to the Society at springcreekforestpreservation@gmail.com.

You are always welcome to attend a chapter meeting either in person or via Zoom. Chapter meetings are the first Wednesday of each month beginning at 7:00 pm.

How to Join and Class Schedule | North Texas Master Naturalist

In the photo is a Broad-banded Copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus, usually 24”-36” long as adults. These snakes are carnivorous and eat a mixed diet consisting of many things from small mammals such as rodents, to insects. They prefer wooded lowlands near water. Their bite is toxic and quite painful, so please keep several feet away if you happen to spot one. Medical treatment should be sought right away.

All our Preserve snakes are incredibly important to maintaining the ecological balance of the habitat. Please never harm one and watch them with respect.

Speaker Series:
The Power of using iNaturalist
Date: Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Location: currently meeting via Zoom call.

We will have a special guest speaker on hand to talk about the amazing and powerful app for both scientists and citizen-scientists – iNaturalist.

This free phone and web app enables you to catalog your own observations in nature. But it is also a powerful international citizen-science tool that enables scientists to track information on thousands of species worldwide – information such as enabling predictions about species decline or health, indicating whether the species habitat is expanding or collapsing, and much, much more.

The speaker will also lead our 4^th Sunday Walk on November 23, showing us first-hand how to use the app in the field. See below.

2^nd Saturday Work Session –
Erosion Control – Reroute both the Trout lily and the BelAir trails
Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Time: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Location: 1770 Holford Drive

We keep an eye on trails that get heavy use because as the soil compacts from the weight of many walkers, water begins to flow through it more and more quickly, gradually causing erosion. We reroute trails that need it. We break into teams, and each team has a knowledgeable volunteer, so you know exactly what to do.

For last-minute information, especially if the weather is questionable, check our website or Facebook page for updates, including dates and locations which may change because of conditions. We don’t want anyone working in the forest or on the prairie if there is a chance of lightning strikes.

4th Sunday Nature Walk
Learn to use iNaturalist in the field.

Date: Sunday, November 23, 2025
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Location: 1770 Holford Road

          Bring your phone, and if possible, pre-load the free iNaturalist app. Our special guest leader will take you into the Preserve and give tips on the best way to navigate this powerful app.

From iNaturalist: Every observation can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed. We share your findings with scientific data repositories like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility to help scientists find and use your data. All you have to do is observe.

Bird Walks with Certified Birder Reba Collins.

Dates: Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30
Time: 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
Location: 1787 Holford Rd.

Reservations required – rcollins20@verizon.net

Walk with Reba Collins, certified birder and world traveler to see what birds are in Spring Creek Forest in late fall after Thanksgiving. Come for a morning walk and find out.
Contact Reba at rcollins20@verizon.net to reserve a spot. We require reservations on these walks to keep the groups limited to 10 people. Birds hide when too many people are tromping through the area.

Bring binoculars. Dress for the weather. If it has been raining, rain boots may be appropriate.

Male and Female Cardinals

The Executive Committee usually meets once a month. The meetings are open to the public. For information, please contact us at springcreekforestpreservation@gmail.com.