Hello, friends. This blog is where the El Camino Real Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists shares news, articles, and reflections. You’ll find our posts right under this introduction. We encourage your comments and likes, and of course, shares!
Our chapter meets monthly on the second Thursday of the month in the fellowship hall at All Saints Episcopal Church, 200 North Travis Avenue, Cameron, Texas. Presentations begin at 6 pm, after a potluck meal. All are welcome to attend.
Our Mission: To develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas.
We had a great turnout today for our Sow & Grow: Milam Seed Library seed packaging event. There were 12 volunteers, comprised of Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners……thank you all so much!
We had lots of native wildflower seeds to package, and we are able to keep the Library very well stocked. We also provide seeds for our free-standing seed library located at the Milam Wildscape at the Bird and Bee Farm. Soon we will be installing another free-standing seed library to be placed at our El Camino Real Wildscape at the All Saints’ Episcopal Church. And in the near future, we will be expanding and adding yet another seed library at the Lucy Hill Patterson Library in Rockdale.
We are thankful to Cameron’s head librarian, Elena Berkes and her staff, for all their support since January 2025. And we look forward to working with Elizabeth Kelley at the library in Rockdale. We are so appreciative of the Master Gardener volunteers. Thank you to Monica Schiller and Lynne Yarbrough for making this such a successful partnership.
Surprisingly, as summer winds down, it’s not too late to add new plants to your garden. Late summer and early fall are excellent times to plant perennials, as the cooler temperatures and warm soil help new roots become established which helps them survive the harsh winter and come back in the spring. Many perennials will grow and thrive this fall. Here are a few suggestions: Black-Eyed Susan, Echinacea Purpurea (Purple Coneflower), Salvia, Coreopsis, Asters, Goldenrod, and Hostas.
Many native flower seeds need cold stratification to germinate: a chilling process that occurs naturally over winter that breaks seed dormancy. Exposure to cold, moist conditions naturally breaks seed dormancy, allowing the seeds to sprout when temperatures warm in spring. Simply scatter the seeds over prepared soil, gently press them into the surface, and let winter provide the cold period they need. This natural process can lead to beautiful, healthy wildflowers the following spring and summer.
So fall is a good time to get these seeds in the ground. Take advantage of Milam County’s free seed library and go by the Cameron Public Library to get some seed packets that will support our pollinators and beautify your yard and garden.
It was a peaceful Sunday morning and I’m watering my plants to beat the summer heat when something unusual caught my eye. I wasn’t sure what it was from a distance….just a brown mass on some weeds. But on careful inspection, I got a couple of close up pictures and discovered it was a Rabid Wolf Spider, with her newly hatched babies covering her back!
Contrary to the name, the Rabid Wolf Spider does not have rabies and it is not dangerous to humans ….. as Eric Neubauer, our member and Wolf Spider expert, has already educated our Chapter. It is famous for exceptional maternal care. The photos I captured show hundreds of newly hatched babies (spiderlings) that the mother is carrying and protecting. They ride there for a few weeks until they are ready to live on their on.
I sent my picture to a few friends. One said, “OMGOODNESS! Do not send that picture to people who don’t like spiders. That’s like a nightmare!” But you, my Master Naturalist friends, are not terrified and I’m sure you’ll find this observance quite interesting.
When you get overwhelmed at the heat and weeds, look around and you will find little jewels all over our Wildscape. Birds, nests, pollinators, blooms, frogs and a rabbit. It is worth the visit to smell the chocolate daisies.
If you want to visit the wildscape, if you do not go before 6am or after 6pm, be prepared to faint at the Wildscape. We made a quick trip there recently to help Terri B dig up natives to be transplanted at Wild Wings Bird Sanctuary. Gary Johnson volunteered help.
The hard-to-find chocolate daisies are blooming and smell – like chocolate.
Terri and Gary at workChocolate daisiesAbundant plantsPollinators! Our goal.
Our Master Naturalist table had a many visitors on the 4th of July in downtown Cameron. We had lots of interest in the classes that will start in January. We also gave away lots of native wildflower seeds and promoted our Milam Seed Library at the Cameron Public Library.
My granddaughter and Alan even had some fun with waterguns!🤣It was a great event and thanks to all who manned our table…. a big team effort on a very hot day!
Nature Along the El Camino Real 