The Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest has a full schedule of fall activities. Take a look below and think about joining them for a walk, meeting or work session.
September events
Saturday, Sept. 11 – Monthly Work Session – EARLIER TIME 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. – 1770 Holford Road
Group will separate into teams. Each team has a knowledgeable volunteer so they know what to do. Some of the activities include clearing trails, taking out invasive plants, opening up the prairies or picking up trash. Work sessions begin with safety briefing. Bring water.
Wear heavy work gloves, long pants, protective eyewear and sturdy shoes (no sandals) for your protection from poison ivy and thorns.
- If you have them, bring loppers and/or small tree saws.
- All participants and the parents of minors must sign Liability Waiver.
- All minors 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.
- For Master Naturalists, this may count as volunteer hours on Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest project.
Sunday, Sept. 26 – 4th Sunday Nature Walk –2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – 1770 Holford Road
Rick and Lisa Travis will lead participants into the forest on a Fall Tree Walk, looking at both the key native trees and any invasive species. Lisa is a retired teacher and member of the Blackland Prairie of Texas Master Naturalist chapter. She is a nature educator at the Heard Sanctuary, a trail guide at LLELA, and a Project WILD trainer/facilitator. She has over 10,000 iNaturalist observations and over 15,000 identifications made for others.
October Events
Tuesday, Oct. 5 – 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Location – Zoom – Speaker is Dr. Camelia Maier, Professor at TWU – Topic: Plant-Based Pollinators – Maier will discuss plant pollination, which is essential to our existence. Pollination is vital to creating and maintaining the habitats and ecosystems that the world relies on for food and shelter. She has led students in a study of the life cycle in our own colony of Trout lilies in the forest. She has published studies on
pollination and is passionate about developing sustainable gardens using native plants.
Saturday, Oct. 9 – Monthly Work Session – 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. – 1770 Holford Road
Group will separate into teams. Each team has a knowledgeable volunteer so you know what to do. You could be clearing trails, taking out invasive plants, opening up the prairies even picking up trash.
Work sessions begin with a safety briefing. Bring water. Wear heavy work gloves, long pants, protective eyewear and sturdy shoes (no sandals) for your protection from poison ivy and thorns.
- If you have them, bring loppers and/or small tree saws.
- All participants and the parents of minors must sign Liability Waiver.
- All minors 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.
- For Master Naturalists, this may count as volunteer hours on Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest project.
Sunday, Oct. 24, 4th Sunday Nature Walk – 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – 1770 Holford Road – Dr. Tiffany Lipsett will lead a Family Nature Hike. She has 20+ years experience in education and the sciences. She is a trained conservation biologist and continues her lifelong study of
botany, environmental science and best educational practices. She earned her doctorate from Texas A&M University and a Master of Education in Science Education from Texas A&M. She is a Texas Master Naturalist and executive director of the Native Plant Society of Texas.
Monthly Public Speaker Series: Interesting speakers are lined up for 2021-22. Meeting is usually on the first Tuesday of the month from September to April – 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – Zoom call or combination of in-person and Zoom.
- Tuesday, Nov.2, 2021 – Rachel Richter. Topic: Dynamics of Urban Ecosystems
- Tuesday, Dec.7, 2021 – Holiday Party, information TBA
- Tuesday, Jan.4, 2022 – Matt Grubisich, director GPARD. Topic: A Walk with the Parks Director
- Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022 – Tom Frey, landscape architect. Topic: History of Spring Creek Preserve
- Tuesday, March 1, 2022 – Dr. Ignasio Pujana, paleontologist. Topic – Fossils of Spring Creek
- Tuesday, April 5, 2022 – Carol Clark. Topic: Wildflowers of Spring Creek
- May – August: Summer break – no speakers
FYI
Dog Policy – On-leash dogs are welcome in preserve. However, it is illegal to have off-leash pets in Garland parks. Call 972-205-3570, option 1 to report off-leash animals. Deposit pet waste bags in the trash bins in each parking lot. Do not leave bagged pet waste beside the trail.
Become a member. The society’s only means of financial support is through memberships. Member benefits include Member-Only Nature Hikes and Spring Creek Forest Notecards. To join or give a gift membership, download the form here: https://springcreekforest.org/join/.
Make a donation. This helps the all-volunteer society. Mail tax-deductible remittance to: Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest, Attn: Treasurer, P.O. Box 450176, Garland, TX 75045-0176
For a walk on your own, try the Self-Guided Interpretive Trail at 1787 Holford Road. Follow the trail markers and read about the significance of the area on your iPhone or downloadable flyer. https://springcreekforest.org/interpretive-1787-holford-rd/
For last-minute information, check Facebook or the website for updates on dates and locations which may change because of conditions.