Bird & Nature Walks

Meetings are held on the fourth Sunday each month, except for November and December.

Social and snacks @ 6:30 pm, educational lecture @ 7 pm.

Join the Swarm and take part in an annual national campaign of global actions to Save the Bees! Together we will pester the pesticide pushers and swarm together to BAN neonicotinoids and other poisonous chemicals. We need to keep the bees alive to pollinate our food!

Start getting your BEE costumes ready now! We'll have a family-friendly gathering with pot-luck brunch, BEE flash-mob dance lessons/practice, and dance for all ages.

Dress as a bee, or bee-keeper...or wear yellow & black...or just come as you please!  

--We'll have a pot-luck brunch with food made from ingredients that are pollinated by bees. (We'll post a list of pollinated foods for you.) 

--We'll hear from speakers and beekeepers, and, for those who are so inclined, we'll practice and perform the "Bee Dance" (see instructional video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrgUXy05KP0&feature=youtu.be ).  

--We'll have activities and favors for the kids. 

--We'll make group photos, posing with "Bee Brunch" signs and with a "bee slogan" spelled out in lights.  

It's blazing hot outside so spend a fun afternoon indoors and join us for this popular interactive class designed for those wanting to begin backpacking or brush up on backpacking knowledge and skills. Dallas Sierra Club trip leaders with several years of backpacking experiences will present a comprehensive and unbiased overview of a variety of important backpacking topics to help you comfortably and safely get out into the backcountry. The class also includes the great tips and advice we wish someone had told us before our first trips. Handouts included. 

$40/nonmembers, $35/Sierra Club members. New online pre-registration is available for those wanting to pay by credit card/PayPal: http://dallassierraclub.org/calendar.htm?c=out. Pay with cash or check if paying in person. Feel free to bring snacks and/or a drink or buy them at the store. 

Seed Mixer! Chapter Board Election & Future Prairie Goals

This meet-up, we are going to have a seed mixer. This is a fun way to exchange seeds, learn about some of our prairie plants and visit with each other about what we love! We will also have a quick election to get chapter board members in place. The Fort Worth chapter has accomplished a lot. In fact, we've accomplished all the goals that the founding steering committee set forth in early 2015. Now, it's time to pass the reins to a newly-elected Board & hear from you what you'd like the chapter to accomplish in the future.

Learn about the Russia-USA Wetland Center Exchange Program: Linking People and Wetlands. The project seeks to identify the shared challenges of those working in wetland education and outreach throughout the USA and Russia to assemble cases of best practice and delivery. We learned quite a bit from our Russian colleagues that we see could happen here at the Wetland Center in the future. Free.

Info: 972-474-9100 or ldunn@wetlandcenter.com. 

Join as we discover all the cool things about the wetland through stories, crafts and nature walks. Children ages 5-10 are invited to come and listen to tales presented by Wetland Steward Karen Lawton. Live animal demonstrations, specimens to observe and touch, nature walks and/or crafts will bring the wetland to life. This month’s book is Hey Diddle Diddle – A Food Chain Tale. A parent needs to stay with child during program. Free for kids with parent $5 admission. Members free. Call to register. Info: 972-474-9100 or ldunn@wetlandcenter.com. 

Learn about the natural and cultural history of the area as we walk this 1.8 mile loop trail. The trail begins with a walk through a forested area to a true bottom land hardwood forest, then follows the East Fork of the Trinity River and ends on the wetland levee roads. This trail is great for families and those who are interested in learning about native trees, flowers, animals and anything else found along the way. $5/nonmembers, free/members. Info: 972-474-9100 or ldunn@wetlandcenter.com. 

Enjoy snakes, snake crafts and educational displays. Snakes are often a misunderstood species, yet highly valuable and essential in our habitats. There will be many live Texas snake species available for viewing from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Learn more about these incredible animals and dispel many myths. $3 donation per person appreciated.

This is an overview of planning, preparation and gear. Learn how to choose a pack, select proper clothing and footwear. Plus pointers on trail etiquette. Free.

If your camp meals have been following the same old pattern, learn some of the components of great meals and translate how to bring them into the outdoors. Free.