Volunteers Create a TxMN Hub
As volunteers waded into an open field, clippers in hand, their target was easy to spot: the rusty seed heads of Johnson grass (Sorghum halepense) that glinted in the early morning Sun and shaded milkweed and cactus. Within an hour, all seeds were shorn and bagged as part of the effort to eradicate this invasive species from the Snowden Tract.
For years, members of the Balcones Canyonlands chapter of Texas Master Naturalists have been helping restore this tract of land. Purchased about a decade ago from avid birder and gardener Aletha Snowden, the tract is part of the 12,500 acres of Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (BCP) that is managed by Travis County. The full BCP, one of the largest urban preserves in the U.S., includes more than 32,000 acres of habitat for endangered species.
“Volunteers are an essential part of our team,” said Johanna Arendt, Community Liaison at Travis County Transportation & Natural Resources. “We have a very small staff, and without volunteers, we could not have been able to create the educational gardens at Snowden or make as much progress as we have on other projects like invasive plant removal that provide important support to the ecosystem.”
In addition to helping remove fields of invasive grasses, master naturalists from the Balcones Canyonlands chapter have uprooted huge amounts of other invasives that were choking out native plants at Snowden and on surrounding tracts, including vinca, Chinese wisteria, Japanese honeysuckle, hedge parsley, nandina, and bamboo. Master naturalists have also helped develop a bat garden, maintain the educational gardens, collect native wildflower seed for future restoration, plant native bushes and trees, remove old barbed wire fences, maintain trails, assist with guided hikes, and are developing future educational programs.
There are numerous opportunities to join the effort including some new initiatives: Arendt’s colleague Jeremy Hull, Travis County BCP’s volunteer coordinator, recently joined a regional effort to measure moisture content in Ashe Juniper (Juniperis Ashei) trees as an estimate of fire risk. And in addition to workdays each Wednesday morning, Arendt and Hull have been opening the tract on the weekends to volunteers and master naturalists who might not be able to visit during work or school hours.
The idea for weekend workdays was suggested by Balcones Canyonlands chapter member Sheila Endres as a way to bring chapter members, especially those who worked during the week, together after the isolation of COVID-19.
“First, it speaks volumes about the dedication of Johanna and Jeremy that these BCP employees provide weekend workday opportunities for our membership, many whom are still working full-time,” said Endres. “Working at the Snowden tract has brought me such a sense of peace; I always leave happy that I was able to have even a short span of time in that magical place where I can listen to the birds, walk through fields of blooms or groves of tall trees, see butterflies and lizards dart around, seemingly with no thought that our presence as humans could be a danger to them. I learn something new every time I volunteer there, and the longer I have volunteered there, the more I feel connected to the other volunteers.”
Arendt agrees that volunteering will build community. “We hope that the restored house on the Snowden tract can become a Balcones Canyonlands hub so that people can get to know the area well and feel at home here. No matter what you’re interested in, there’s likely something here you can get involved with, from plant propagation and trail maintenance to, in the future, leading hikes and organizing educational events.”
Join the next volunteer opportunity, meet fellow chapter members, and see the hub!
When: Sunday, August 8 from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. This time is flexible — if you are only available for fewer hours, or want to leave before it gets too hot, you are welcome to. Check here for future opportunities.
Where: Snowden Tract
Who: To contact either Johanna Arendt or Jeremy Hull, click their hyperlinked names to access email addresses
