Photo credit: Jonathan and Amy Jackson This June, Travis County Balcones Canyonlands Preserve and the Travis County Parks Foundation are teaming up to train a dedicated crew of astronomy volunteers. Both organizations host monthly astronomy nights, and we’re excited to collaborate in building a strong, …more

 Pollinator Garden Planting Day Success!  On Oct. 26, the Balcones Canyonlands Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists celebrated a big milestone — the creation of a brand-new Pollinator Garden at Richard Moya Park!  About 100 plants representing 30 Texas native species were installed in a 1,700 sq. ft. garden, part of the Pollinators for …more

It’s time for Greater Austin City Nature Challenge!  Are you ready to make observations on iNaturalist this weekend?  There are a lot of ways to participate and help out Greater Austin on the global leaderboard.  If you come to one of our events, you don’t …more

Do you use iNaturalist?  If not, now is a great time to start – we’re gearing up for City Nature Challenge on April 25-28, a worldwide competition between cities and regions to record the most iNaturalist observations between April 25-28.  BCTXMN is coordinating with other …more

Join us as we tackle the invasive plants threatening native vegetation along Bull Creek. The effort to eradicate invasives in the 62-acre Stenis tract has been ongoing for a few years, and we’re hoping our Swarm can make a significant impact! We’ll start with a …more

Join us for our first birding event of 2025! If you’re interested in birds, this is your chance to spend time with fellow chapter members exploring local wildlife. Lake Creek Trail, a favorite birding spot, offers diverse habitats including woods, waterfront areas, and open fields. …more

Happy New Year Master Naturalists! What a fantastic 2024! Over 10,000 volunteer hours were logged during our chapter’s 10th anniversary year. We celebrated 39 first-time certifications and 45 re-certifications. My sincerest thanks to everyone who made this happen. Our 2025 theme is “Do Good, Have Fun, & Don’t …more

“Do good and have fun” is our motto for 2025, and we’re kicking off January with five great ways to get started.Jan 18: Volunteer Fair, Chapter Meeting, Pot-Luck, and Awards.Jan 25: Volunteer Swarm at Snowden with Breakfast taco, advanced training, and invasive removalJan 28: Star Party at Reimer’s …more

Monday, March 24, 9AM-1:30PM The Entomological Society of America, Southwestern Branch, is holding its annual meeting in Round Rock, TX, in March of 2025. Along with the meeting, we are hosting an Insect EXPO for area 3rd-5th graders. Insect EXPO is a free event for …more

Guinea paper wasps, Polistes exclamans, are one of the more common paper wasps seen in Texas.  They are reddish brown wasps with yellow markings, about ¾ inch in length with smoky wings. Antennae are tipped with orangish-yellow.  The base of the abdomen where it joins …more