Wildlife

As it turns out, the Arboretum is a great place to practice the art of urban wildlife photography. Lot's of friendly and tolerant birds and squirrels! Plenty of flowers, bees, and butterflies! And, some great views of White Rock Lake! We will wander around the park, talk shop, and take lots of pictures! These Septemeber workshops will coincide with opening weekend of Autumn at the Arboretum. There will be a Wizard of Oz themed Pumpkin Village setup in the Pecan Grove, and our table will be right in the middle of it! Meet up in the Pecan Grove.

Founded in 1995 at UNT, TXSER is heading back to Denton to hold the annual conference in the beautiful Environmental Education, Science and Technology building. Conference will feature informal networking, outdoor learning and fun. Ken Steigman, director and research scientist at Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area, is the keynote speaker. Early registration runs through the end of September.  

Clint and Michael will talk about their trip last year to the Trans-Pecos region. They report on herps of the River Road between Lajitas and Presidio and tell about finding a Lyresnake among other species at the Chinati hot springs. Additionally, they reflect on the Trans-Pecos as an ecoregion and as a place of sanity in a crazy world.

Dr. Ray Chancellor discusses how the winter months can be filled with more than 150 species of birds that can be enjoyed even on the coldest days. Learn what can seen when walking the many trails in our local park lands. Learn the key species to look for and how best to attract them to your own back yard. If you are a beginning birder or an experienced one, you will find the program just for you.

“Monitor the Migration: Monarch Tagging & iNaturalist,” with Melanie Schuchart, master naturalist.

Info: Carrie Schweitzer, CSchweitzer@dcccd.edu

“The Miracle of Monarchs,” with Janet Smith, master naturalist.

Info: Carrie Schweitzer, CSchweitzer@dcccd.edu

“Gardening for Monarchs,” with Amy Monroy, master naturalist. 

Info: Carrie Schweitzer, CSchweitzer@dcccd.edu

Ride along with the Fossil Rim Animal Keeper on this behind-the-scenes tour. The excursion will take you through Fossil Rim where you’ll have a chance to view exotic animals in their free-roaming environment. You’ll go into our Intensive Management Area (IMA) and visit maned wolves, Mexican gray wolves, cheetahs, red wolves, black rhinos, black-footed cats, coatis and Attwater’s prairie chickens.

Nature lovers are invited to join us for a fall mini bio blitz where we will document the organisms at Oliver Nature Park. Whether you're an experienced iNaturalist or just learning, we will be there to help you document and upload your finds! Bring your camera or smart phone to take pictures. Free.

Plants and animals that are not native to an area can spell trouble for the ecosystem. What are some of the invasive species that are unwelcome in the DFW area? How much damage can be done by small animals like mussels and beetles? Join a naturalist at Oliver Nature Park to get answers to these questions, and learn what you can do to help keep Mansfield safe from the species invasion! Preregistration required.