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By Amy Martin

Group of people walking through a grassy field with trees in the background.
Sep 23 2018, AMY MARTIN

Goodbye to a prairie: Richardson meadow slated for development

The imminent destruction of Beck's Creek Prairie, a rare Blackland Prairie remnant in Richardson, prompts mourning from advocates like Eric Reed, who fought to save it. Despite its ecological significance, city government apathy and development pressures prevail, threatening this historic ecosystem with residential zoning and high-dollar home construction.
Jul 24 2018, AMY MARTIN

East Texan spins prairie wisdom on grassland tour

People & Prairies is a three-part series highlighting people making a difference in prairie preservation.

In this second installment, we meet a philosophical cattle rancher in Hopkins County. Photos by Stalin SM.

July 24, 2018

Karl Ebel doesn’t look much like a Taoist philosopher. Tall and lanky, with a deep drawl that slows time, his jeans are torn and dirty, skin is tanned to umber, and his shredded leather boots sport manure. 

Jul 16 2018, AMY MARTIN

Tenacious Texan preserving family's Terrell prairie

People & Prairies:​ This three-part series highlights people making a difference in prairie preservation. Photo by Amy Martin.

In this first installment, we meet a woman whose passion for Texas and its history saved a prairie from urban encroachment. 

July 16, 2018

Jun 05 2018, AMY MARTIN

Buoyant Memnosyne director helped revive Oak Cliff Earth Day

Coke Buchanan, director for three centers at Green Source DFW's parent nonprofit, the Memnosyne Institute, died Monday at the age of 66. Above, Coke at the Memnosyne booth at Oak Cliff Earth Day in 2012. Photos courtesy of the Buchanan family.

June 5, 2018

May 01 2018, AMY MARTIN

Dallas woman wild about Texas native cats

The mountain lion is one of five native cats under threat in Texas. Photos courtesy of Texas Native Cats. 

May 2, 2018

A Dallas woman wants to raise awareness about Texas' native cats – not the domestic felines we know and love as pets but the wild kind, native to to the Lone Star State. There are five: the big cats - jaguar and mountain lion - (also called cougars or pumas), and the smaller cats - bobcat, ocelot and jaguarundi.  

Apr 02 2018, AMY MARTIN

Create your own pocket prairie

Amy Martin offers tips for creating a mini-prairie wildscape in your backyard. Above, the Native Texas Park at the George Bush Presidential Center in Dallas. Photo by Scooter Smith.

April 3, 2018

Tall dry grasses in a field, bare trees in the background under a blue sky with clouds.
Feb 13 2018, AMY MARTIN

Urban prairie hidden in Crawford Park

Crawford Memorial Park in Dallas features a thriving 27-acre Blackland Prairie, offering diverse ecosystems with native grasses and plants. This urban prairie, sustained by undisturbed soil, attracts naturalists and future plans include enhancing trails. The park balances developed areas with its untouched southern third, promoting ecological diversity.
Jan 30 2018, AMY MARTIN

Green Neighborhoods: Fort Worth Cultural District can be a walk in the park

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is one of the green jewels found in the Cultural District. Courtesy of Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

Jan. 30, 2018

The West Fork of the Trinity River enters the far northwestern fringe of Fort Worth after being dammed for Eagle Mountain Lake and then Lake Worth. As it descends into the city, it merges with the Clear Fork from the south. In the wedge, where the two rivers meet is some of the best nature and culture the city has to offer. 

Green Side of the Cultural District