‘Talking Ecology’ topic of quarterly Plant Party webinar

Experts will address ecological site descriptions, species, climate

The second session of the Plant Party webinar trainings is set for Feb. 24 and the topic will be “Talking Ecology.”

These free, quarterly plant webinars are hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department,  and the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The webinar will consist of several 15-minute presentations that will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude by 11:30 a.m. Participants must register and will be sent the link to join the webinar the day before. Door prizes will be available for attendees.

“The Plant Party webinars are designed to be fun, with short presentations and door prizes for participants,” said Megan Clayton, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension range specialist, Corpus Christi. “We want to celebrate the amazing plant diversity we have in Texas and learn how to be better stewards of our land.”

Topics and speakers on Feb. 24

– Ecological Site Descriptions: What Are They and How Are They Made, Jason Hohlt, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service range specialist, Bryan.

– Plants as Indicator Species, Tim Siegmund, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologist, Bryan-College Station.

– Conversion of Introduced Grasses to Native Plants, Tony Falk, Ph.D., assistant director of South Texas Natives, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute-Texas Native Seeds, Kingsville.

– Ecological Site Descriptions: How to Access and Use Them for Planning, Hohlt.

– How New Climate Normals Relate to Ecology and Climate Change, Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon, Ph.D., Bryan-College Station.

Anyone from agriculture and natural resource professionals, landowners, Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Master Gardeners, 4-H youth and the general public are invited to join in, Clayton said.

Past Plant Party recordings are available for viewing as well as the future schedule. For more information, email Clayton, Siegmund or Charles Kneuper.  

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