September 2025 Announcements

On August 28, The Society received an email from Judson Rex, Garland City Manager. 

It included the 10-page proposal document from Kimley-Horn, the company hired to provide recommendations and the scope of work for the sewer project.

Mr. Rex stated that “Following the valuable input we received from both Dallas County and the Preservation Society, we have finalized the proposal and scope of work with Kimley-Horn. Your expertise and perspectives have been essential in shaping this effort, and we appreciate the time and thought you have contributed.”

He asked us to review the 10-page proposal and provide comments and suggestions within the week so they can make adjustments before it is submitted to the City Council on September 14 and 15.

He also states, “…we will also be scheduling a kickoff meeting with Kimley-Horn in the coming weeks. Both Dallas County and the Preservation Society will be invited to participate in this meeting, which will provide an overview of the next steps and opportunities to stay actively involved in the work.”

Our Society president, David Parrish, stated to KERA News reporter Priscilla Rice: “They [the city] are trying to … thread the needle here, balance, you know, the needs of the preserve which is basically keeping the trees in the forest healthy, and also the creek and the needs of the wastewater.”  

The Society executive committee (the board) will review the proposal this coming week to see if we have additions or proposed changes. As one board member says, “This is either a preserve, or it is NOT.”

Side note: The Kimley-Horn website shows they have led complicated sewer projects in several cities, one of which is Ft. Worth.

On August 10 and 17, Dana Wilson declared that the time was right (ripe?) to collect seeds that will be used for habitat restoration in the destroyed area.

They first collected Canada wild rye – a great understory erosional control grass and food source for birds. Then they collected at our prairie on 1787 Holford Road, where there is an array of wildflowers genetically suited to recovering the damaged area in the future.

We want to thank all these people for sharing their time and energy on this first step toward recovering our forest. Neither heat nor humidity nor a field full of chiggers slowed them down! Now there are 14 bags of wildflower seed ready to sow, plus a variety of flowers.

And so are the city folks we work with!

          This small, yet amazing group of city employees, 4 employees plus 2 police officers, work tirelessly to try to help homeless folks in Garland.

Amber Thompson, Director of Garland Environmental Compliance, heads her group, while the officers are from the Garland Police Department Homeless Taskforce.

They collaborate with homeless service providers to connect homeless individuals with essential resources and programs, diverting them from the criminal justice system and guiding them toward necessary services or shelters. In addition, they respond to calls involving homeless individuals and camping on public property.

Recently, they worked in our Preserve to remove bags and bags of debris left behind by several homeless people camping in the forest. First, signs were posted at each site, alerting the homeless that they had one week to remove any items they wanted to keep. Then the team arrived on a hot, sultry north-Texas day. They already knew that the Preserve is a delicate habitat, so instead of using heavy equipment and destructive vehicles that are available to them, they did the whole job by hand, leaving a clean, un-ravaged space that can quickly recover from the campers.

Folks from the Society, plus the new Garland Parks Director, Kari Pacheco, met them recently in the city hall lobby, to thank them for taking such good care of the forest, and to chat for a while over donuts.

North Texas Giving Day 2025

The site opened August 28, and closes at midnight on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

Communities Foundation of Texas’ NTX Giving Day is a giving event designed to empower every person to give back to their community by supporting local nonprofits and causes they care about in one easy-to-use platform.

It is the nation’s largest giving day. In 2024, the program connected over 3,200 local nonprofits with givers, raising more than $70 million.
The Preservation Society is participating for the second year. We appreciate your support and donations very much!

Click here to go directly to the Society location on the Giving Day site:
https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/…/Preservation…

Speaker Series:
Ian Seamans – Renewable Energy

Date: Tuesday, September 2, 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

What does clean energy have to do with protecting Texas’ lands, waters, and wildlife? In this talk, Environment Texas City Hall Advocate Ian Seamans will explore the connections between renewable energy and conservation — from how solar and wind power can reduce air and water pollution to how energy efficiency helps preserve natural resources. Ian will also provide an overview of the current state of renewable energy in Texas and share practical steps individuals can take to shrink their energy footprint, save money, and make the switch to 100% renewable electricity at home.

As the City Hall Advocate for Environment Texas, Ian works to secure clean air, clean water, well-funded parks, and a livable climate across North Texas. Ian has led campaigns to include environmental reforms in the City of Dallas’s comprehensive plan, protect transit funding, and streamline rooftop solar permitting in Dallas.

Outside of his professional role, Ian volunteers as a Texas Master Naturalist, and serves on the boards of the League of Women Voters of Collin County and League of Women Voters of Texas. Ian’s work is driven by the belief that local action is critical to driving broad change for our environment.

Environment Texas works for clean air, clean water, clean energy, wildlife and open spaces, and a livable climate. Our members across the state put grassroots support behind our research and advocacy. Environment Texas is part of Environment America, a national network of 30 state environmental groups. Learn more at www.EnvironmentTexas.org

For Master Naturalists, this often counts as 1 hour of Advanced Training but check the MN schedule to be sure.

Photo courtesy of EnvironmentTexas.org

2^nd Saturday Work Session –
Work on the Pocket Prairie

Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
Time: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Location: 1770 Holford Drive

We will work on our newest pocket prairie. 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.

4th Sunday Nature Walk
Bill Holston leads us to find
New Trails into the Forest out of Halff Park

Date: Sunday, September 28, 2025
Time: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Halff Park at Ranger Drive

Since the destruction of part of the forest near Halff Park, it can be difficult to find your way through for a peaceful walk. But there are still huge trees and wild spaces. Bill will show you the best way to find them and navigate the area.

Note that due to the construction, for your safety, we might have to change the location of Bill’s walk. Please check our website or Facebook page for last minute information.

Bill is a lawyer, and also a great friend of our Forest. He has written several columns about this special place for D Magazine under the title “Law Man Walking.” See D Magazine’s 6 Best Hikes in Dallas.

On July 11, 2025, shortly after the road destruction was discovered, Bill wrote an article on Spring Creek Forest for his D Magazine “Law Man Walking” column. Although we now know that using the word “Accidentally” was incorrect, the article is still a wonderful description of the forest and how much more was lost than trees. See the article at: https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2025/07/city-of-garland-accidentally-plows-through-protected-forest/

Bill Holston leading a walk.

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.

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 Road

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.

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: Hella Shrine Events Center, 2121 Rowlett Rd., Garland, TX 75043
Start at the Hella Center, then, come to the Preserve site you chose when you registered. 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

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