Has it really been an hour since I posted that you should go to this blog and read about my response to this article http://www.dmagazine.com/…/2…/april/six-best-hikes-in-dallas

Good grief how Facebook makes the time fly. It is all the election, street repair, neighborhood, White Rock Lake, Trinity Project news that gets me so very distracted, steamed up and more and the time gets away from me.

So back to the great article by Bill Holston, a friend and fellow lover of all things nature. He had some great walks outlined for all of you to experience and some are my favs too, especially Cedar Ridge Preserve which was the Dallas Nature Center. Great trails and views. I walked there many times when Dr. Geoffrey Stanford was alive and was introduced to so many aspects of the environment just by listening and learning from him.
audubondallas.org/cedarridge.html

Another is the Scyene Overlook where I walked first with Ned Fritz and followed with many others. Ned was amazing. The man walked and talked so fast that you literally almost had to jog to keep up with him and hear what he was saying. amazing man who defended the GTF for years and was invaluable in saving the Big Thicket Preserve in East Texas from clear cutting.
http://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2012/may/10-top-trails-for-hiking-and-biking-in-dallas?single=1

Other places I explore are Breckinridge Park and the Spring Creek Nature Area in Richardson. Wonderful diversity of native plants to see and also after rains good wildlife tracking opportunities. Both are easy to get to and are not hard to navigate.
http://www.cor.net/index.aspx?page=39

If you have not been, you need to get down to see the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center in Cedar Hill. This is the perfect time to go, the Dogwoods are in bloom. What is so fascinating is that this is a relic population of Dogwoods that are growing out of the chalk rock. Most Dogwoods are in need of acidic soils to be healthy and grow well, not these. Plus the birding and other native plants are awesome there, a place where east meets west as far as flora/fauna are concerned. There is a fee here, but well worth it.
http://dogwoodcanyon.audubon.org/visit-us

Another fav is the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center...great boardwalk in the one of the wetland cells and  trails to Bunker's Pond too. Talk about the diversity of wildlife...wow! Beautiful place that has a lot of meaning for me. Fee here also, but go! You will be amazed!
wetlandcenter.com

Other places I walk....and you have to realize, this is not for exercise, too much distraction for me because I am always looking at plants or tracks or scat or something else that keeps me from continuing a steady pace. Anyway that other place is White Rock Lake. Off the concrete trail are some great places to really see things like the Old Fish Hatchery area, Flag Pole Hill, and Norbuck. A few other places I know of but then you would know too much and there would be more people and I will just remain quiet and let you find those places for yourself.
http://www.dallasparks.org/235/White-Rock-Lake

Enjoy the exploration.

Re-Creating the Most Endangered Ecosystem in North America

Lawns Gone Wild

www.huffingtonpost.com

The total area of American lawns is approximately 50 thousand square miles, about the size of New York State. To keep it well watered takes about 200 gallons per person per day, and nearly a third of all residential water use...

Something to consider...
The section of the article referring to the use of lawn space as restoration possibilities for the tall grass prairie are right on, especially since the 12,000,000 acres of Tall Grass/Blackland Prairie that once existed in Texas are now less than 1/10 of 1% or <5,000 acres.

For those in the Dallas area and the massive Trinity project....let's think about restoration of that prairie component right here between the levees. It can be done.

The City and Corps, along with TPWD and other partners, could assist with the development of seasonal wet prairies that can withstand flooding and drought. There could be mowed trails, instead of concrete, for walking though the wildflowers and tall grasses, watching butterflies and hummingbirds, kestrels and hawks swooping to catch their next meal, environmental education opportunities would abound and more...can you just imagine what that would look like every spring/summer/fall? A changing seasonal palette of color. Gorgeous...who needs to drive to the Hill Country when we would have that in our own backyard? And it all would be beside the Trinity River. This would drive eco-tourism, a $16B industry in the state according to TPWD, and become an economic factor all the while improving the local environment and restoring what was here for thousands of years, but has almost disappeared.

 

                  Imagine the beauty of the prairie that the early Texans saw to the horizon    Photo by NPAT

The benefits for adding back to the most endangered ecosystem in North America would be a significant bonus. Right now TPWD is working with land owners and municipalities encouraging them to consider the enormous benefits of native tall grass prairies for water retention, drought tolerant native plants, importance for pollinators, endemic birds that require grasslands to survive and thrive, wetland birds, clean air, water filtration and so many more benefits that would justify a project such a this.

It could be that sea of grass and wildflowers, or a ribbon of it, that those first Spanish and French explorers saw when they came through this area over 500 years ago. Something to consider and just imagine the possibilities....

 Blackland Prairie remnant/Dallas         photo by Becky Rader

 

The USACE has extended the deadline for comments on the final EIS statement for the Dallas Floodway/Trinity River project. Make sure that you send in your comments before Feb. 2.

"In response to resource agency request for additional review time, USACE has prepared a 15-day extension notice for the Dallas Floodway Project Final EIS Notice of Availability." Send your response to marcia.r.hackett@usace.army.mil