The Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest has important events coming up right away as well as in the future.
Tuesday, Sept. 6: Meeting at North Garland Library, 7 p.m. Monarch Butterflies, Disappearing Before our Eyes: Janet Smith, master naturalist, master gardener, will tell the story about the Monarch butterflies.
Saturday, Sept. 10: Work session. 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Meet at 1770 Holford. Remove invasive trees from parking area and, if there are enough folks, work on path that loops from original concrete sidewalk, past the rusting Chevy Bel Air, to the creek, then back to the concrete. Wear work gloves, long pants and sturdy shoes (no sandals). Bring loppers and short-handled tree saws if you have them.
Saturday, Sept. 24: Live Well / Go Green Expo. 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., Curtis Culwell Center. Expo will include Healthy You and Healthy Earth exhibitors, Outdoor Fest, Stop & Learn demonstrations, Green Living exhibits, H2O 5K race and more. Participants may bring household goods, electronics, medical equipment and medications for disposal or recycling. Visit GoGreenGarland.org.
Tuesday, Oct. 4: Meeting at North Garland Library, 7 p.m. John Slaughter will talk about spiders and their importance to the environment.
Saturday, Oct. 8: Work session. 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Meet at 1787 Holford. Volunteers will work on path and remove invasive plants. Wear work gloves, long pants and sturdy shoes (no sandals). Bring loppers and short-handled tree saws if you have them.
Saturday, Oct. 15: Keep Garland Beautiful Fall Trash Bash. Volunteers needed at 8:30 a.m. – noon. Visit KeepGarlandBeautiful@gmail.com. Pick up free supplies at event and bring filled trash bags back to Granger Recreation Center. Stay for games, music, prizes and hot dogs. Event sponsored by Keep Garland Beautiful, Garland Environmental Waste Services and Garland Stormwater Management.
Tuesday, Nov. 1: Meeting at North Garland Library, 7 p.m. Wayne Meyer talks about grassland bird species.
Saturday, Nov. 5: Work session. 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Location TBA.
Sunday, Nov. 13: TENTATIVE, Launch of the Interpretive Walking Trail at 1787 Holford Road at 2 p.m. More information to come.
Saturday, Nov.26: Bird Walk 8 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. with Reba Collins, certified Master Birder. 1787 Holford Road. What birds are in Spring Creek Forest after Thanksgiving? Come for a morning walk and find out.
Good things happening: 
Plants rescued: Thanks to folks led by Dana Wilson dozens of native plants that were doomed to obliteration at the construction project at Campbell Road and George Bush Tollway were rescued. For nine-10 months, Dana and Western Rim Developer management worked together to keep all participants safe and yet not obstruct the progress of the project. Rescued plants are replanted at Spring Creek Preserve and other environmental areas.
Eagle Scout projects: Andrew Fernandes, a Boy Scout from troop 1914 in Allen, is working on his Eagle Scout project at Spring Creek Forest. Andrew will re-establish the walking trail behind Naaman Forest High School, beginning behind the NFHS baseball field and ending near Academy Sports. The trail is about a mile. Andrew plans for the project to take two or three weekends. The project will include approximately 10 Boy Scouts and six to eight adults.
Students at International Leadership of Texas High School using preserve: Bill Longley, biology and AP environmental science instructor at ILT took students on their first outing to Spring Creek recently. The students enjoyed the forest and ran an ecological site survey in which they went over a specific area and documented observations.
Most important message
As the area surrounding the preserve is developed, it is imperative to educate people who work in these new buildings. We need to explain the difference between a preserve and a city park.
A preserve is left as natural as possible – fallen trees are left in place to decay and become the food source for insects and grubs, which in turn are essential food for our birds and other wildlife. The undergrowth of small trees and plants is not cleared out because it provides essential food, shelter and plant diversity. Knowing that the creek corridor is home for bobcats, coyotes, owls, raccoon and other creatures is exciting! Our prairie is not a football or soccer field. It is home to scores of grasses and wildflowers.
We need to help our new neighbors understand that a healthy preserve does not look like a city park. A healthy preserve is wild-looking, messy, tangled with roots and native vines, and alive with bees, butterflies and animals that hide until it is safe to come out in the dark to find food.