Texas Pollinator Powwow

Students who attended the conference from Furr High School/Green Institute in Houston added a lot of high energy to the conference.

What a GREAT weekend we spent in Kerrville, meeting with and learning from nature experts and also monarch specialists at the Texas Pollinator Powwow. I can't begin to share everything here (I have pages of notes from the back-to-back sessions). James went, too, a first-ever conference for him. He LOVED being there (I could definitely tell)!

Those in attendance (left to right) included Ricky Linex–wildlife biologist, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Russell Castro–state biologist–NRCS; Ben Eldridge–education director, Cibolo Nature Center; Bill Neiman–founder, Native American Seed/Prairie Conservation; Scott Richardson–landowner/biologist; Kip Kiphart–monarch educator/landowner, and Randy Johnson–Randy Johnson Organics.

Gail Morris–Southwest Monarch Study; Chris Best–botanist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service;  Rebeca Quinonez-Pinon–Forests for Monarchs; Dr. Kristen Baum–Oklahoma State University; Catalina Trail–field assistant/Dr. Fred Urquhart; Randy Johnson; Dara Satterfield–University of Georgia; Cathy Downs–Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas; Wendy Caldwell–Monarch Joint Venture, and Kip Kiphart. 

Dr. Merlin Tuttle, who founded Bat Conservation International, spoke on bats and pollination.

Carrie McLaughlin, Texas Pollinator Powwow coordinator

 I LOVED seeing our friend Ysmael Espinoza from Medina Garden Nursery again! He remembered me! (And, oh, yes, I confess...I bought a few native plants from him. How could I not?)

One photo to prove that James really went with me.