Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, s-byrns@tamu.edu
Contacts: Jesse Lea Schneider, 432-729-5600, jlschneider@ag.tamu.edu
Logan Boswell, 432-837-6207, l-boswell@tamu.edu
FORT DAVIS – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will conduct a multi-county Nature Appreciation Workshop from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Oct 24 at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center, 43869 State Highway 118, Fort Davis.
The counties involved with the effort are Presidio, Brewster and Jeff Davis.
“Folks who love the Davis Mountains should really try to make this workshop,” said Jesse Lea Schneider, AgriLife Extension agent in Presidio County. “Autumn is a wonderful time of year to visit and the workshop topics we’ve selected should be of interest to all nature-loving West Texans. The speakers we’ll have are experts in their respective fields and there will be ample opportunity for participants to visit with them and ask questions throughout the day.”
Individual registration is $10, due upon arrival. Lunch is on your own.
For more information, contact Schneider at 432-729-5600, jlschneider@ag.tamu.edu ,or Logan Boswell, AgriLife Extension agent for Brewster/Jeff Davis counties at 432-837-6207, l-boswell@tamu.edu .
Topics and speakers will include:
– Pollinators in the Desert, Dr. Cathy Hoyt, Chihuahua Desert Nature Center director of research.
– Aromatics and Ornamental Grasses, Dr. Alyson McDonald, AgriLife Extension range specialist, Fort Stockton.
– Ecological Impact of Wildlfire/Historic vs. Recent and Controlled Burning, Jim Houser, Texas A&M Forest Service regional forest health coordinator, Austin.
– Outdoor/Nature Awareness to include plant identification, nature journaling, how to make a plant press; McDonald, Schneider and Boswell.
– Insect/Human Relationships, Dr. Mark Muegge, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Fort Stockton.
– Growing Fruit Trees in the Trans Pecos, Dr. Steven Winter, retired Texas A&M AgriLife Research agronomist, Alpine.
– Water Conservation-Inside and Outside the Home/Gray Water Collection, Janet Adams, Jeff Davis County Underground Water Conservation District and Fort Davis Water Supply Corporation general manager, Fort Davis.
The workshop will end with evaluations of the day’s topics to help organizers target subjects for future programming efforts.
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