Skip to main content

Nature

Parks, wildlife

Landmark tree defended from vandal by Dallas neighbors

A vandal was stopped when neighbors noticed he was cutting up a park tree for firewood in the Dixon Branch Greenbelt last month. Photos by Amy Martin and Scooter Smith.

April 25, 2017

“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way." - William Blake

DFW nature lovers challenged to compete in iNaturalist bioblitz

North Texas nature lovers are encouraged to grab their smart phones and head outside for a DFW-wide bioblitz on Easter weekend. During April 14-18, Dallas-Fort Worth is competing with metropolitan areas across the U.S. to see which city can post the most observations on iNaturalist.org, the citizen science website.

Earth Day celebrated all month in North Texas

Starting Saturday, Earth Day festivals will be popping across North Texas all through April. While organizers of Oak Cliff Earth Day are taking a year off, there are plenty of fests to partake of, as more than 20 environmentally themed events are spread out across the month.

LLELA prepares for its closeup with bioblitz planned on April 1

Last April, experts from across the state came together at Tandy Hills Natural Area in Fort Worth for the largest bioblitz ever held in North Texas. Volunteers not only recorded 3,000 observations of flora and fauna at the 160-acre prairie remnant, they inspired another group of naturalists to host their own bioblitz.

Back to the Garden: Fort Worth herbalist's personal care business springs from her rural roots

Stephonia Roberts of Mrs. Jack's Body Food uses natural ingredients from her garden for her soaps, lotions and bath salts.

Feb. 20, 2017

Native Americans and our other ancestors cured ailments and promoted health naturally by using plants and herbs. Fifty-three-year-old Stephonia Roberts, founder of Fort Worth-based Mrs. Jacks Body Food, says her natural personal care products do the same thing.

Why the Great Backyard Bird Count is a hoot

The first year my husband and I participated in the Great Backyard Bird Count, we were prepared to count birds and take names. On the weekend of the worldwide citizen scientist event, our canopied backyard deck in Fort Worth was our bird blind. Binoculars? Check. Bird guides? Check. Checklists? Check.

Comanche marker trees in Texas chronicled by Dallas tree expert

Comanche marker trees, threatened by disease and development, are chronicled in Steve Houser's book, "Comanche Marker Trees of Texas," which verifies their existence. The book, resulting from over 20 years of research, provides a taxonomy of marker trees and seeks to document them before they disappear.