More Complete Information on the North Texas Water Symposium

Fred Hall sent me the agenda/registration for the North Texas Water Symposium so I wanted to share it with all of you.


Texoma Living Well With Less Water 2011
October 1
MPEC
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Registration $40 by September 1
Registration $55 between September 2 -16
No registration after September 16


Speakers:


Bryan Rupp, meteorologist: Weather Outlook Now and in the Future
Scott Calhoun, author of gardening books, Strategies for Water-saving Gardens
Michael Parkey, landscape architect, Drought Tolerant Native Plants for North Texas
Kevin Gustavson, OCC/WQ, Water Conservation with Xeriscapes and Rain Gardens
Dotty Woodson, Tarrant County Extension Agent, Irrigation Efficiency

I think we all recognize the importance of conserving water in our gardens and landscapes--this should be an interesting workshop.

If you are interested, you can contact the county extension office or a member of the local Texas Master Gardeners for a registration form or you can email me at green.wichitafalls@gmail.com. I hope there is a large turnout for this event.

North Texas Water Symposium

A symposium on water conservation strategies for agriculture and home gardeners will be held on October 1 at MPEC. I am hoping to get the agenda and registration information today and will pass it on when received. This is an important topic; I hope a lot of people show up.

Watering Trees in a Drought

We are definitely in a severe drought. Although everyone should be cutting back on using water, the trees (even native ones) are under severe stress. You can see the evidence all over town; many trees are dying. Austin Parks and Recreation has put out a nice handout on how to water your trees to help them survive without overuse of water. I thought it would be useful to readers.

If you do lose trees this year, consider replacing with drought resistant varieties this fall.

Local Business of Interest

Wendi often comments on blog posts, so regular readers have at least seen the name of Restless Prairie Farms--there is also a link to their blog on our blogroll (right). I hope you have been keeping up with the happenings at Restless Prairie Farms and plan to check out the store opening in August.

There was a great write up in the Times Record News on Sunday. If you missed it, here is the link.

Wendi is also a contact for the grass fed beef coop, Holy Cow Beef. You can contact her at restlessprairiefarms@yahoo.com for information and an order form.

Congratulations to Wendi and her family and best wishes for success in their business.

Save the Date! A Walk on the Wild Side

A new exhibit, A Walk on the Wild Side, will open to the public at the Museum of North Texas History, 720 Indiana, on August 13, 10 AM - 4 PM.

It will feature the wildlife of our area and emphasize how people who have lived here interacted with and depended upon these animals. During the grand opening on the 13th, also present will be people with jobs that focus on the outdoors, a number of special activities for the family, and vendors of food and hunting/fishing equipment.

The museum is open free to the public, although donations are welcomed and encouraged. Come on out!

Some Programs of Interest

A couple of upcoming programs at Lake Arrowhead State Park that may be of some interest to readers. These programs are sponsored by the Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park and the Rolling Plains Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists. These programs are free, but admission to the park is required ($3 per person.)

Saturday, July 23, 6:00 PM, Education Bldg: local Texas Master Naturalist Laurie Hall will be giving a program on snakes.

Saturday, August 6. 9:00 AM, Education Bldg: Assistant Fisheries Biologist Robert Mauk will be doing a program on the invasive zebra mussel.

A Clever Idea

I came across this Bee-a-Thon to promote awareness of the plight of bees and other pollinators. Sounds like fun. I don't have 12 hours to sit online to learn more about bees, but I will probably check in, and I may decide to conduct a count. I think this is a clever idea to get people talking about an important topic.

If you check out the website, you'll find lots of resources and interesting information about bees and pollinators.

A reminder that there are lots of resources as well at the Xerces Society website (that reminds me, I need to get my membership renewal done.)