About the Wildscape Project of El Camino Real Texas Master Naturalist
The Milam Wildscape is located on the Bird and Bee Farm, 1369 County Road 334, between Rockdale and Milano TX, where it is seen by many who come to buy chickens and honey, as well as by people who participate in special projects. The site is open during daylight hours. Check our Facebook page for announcements of special events and educational programs.
NEW! Milam County Wildflower Brochure – download, print, and save!
Our Story
In 2019, Donna Lewis and Catherine Johnson coordinated a Master Naturalist bee program and invited Gene Rek to be a speaker. Catherine went to meet him at Bird and Bee farm, and he offered land to the group to build a wildscape. Catherine accepted, got the project approved by the El Camino Real Chapter, and Gene started work.
Gene Rek, Cindy Rek, and Catherine Johnson designed the garden based on the Antique Rose Emporium and Donna Lewis’s garden.
Donna Lewis spent a year inviting members to the Wildscape and introducing them to volunteer opportunities, which has resulted in hundreds of volunteer hours creating and maintaining this beautiful oasis in central Texas. It’s an enchanting spot for young and old, where you’ll spot animals wandering through the plantings, and hidden gems that inspire visitors to sit a while and watch all the action.
Wildscape Happenings
The history of the Wildscape has been recorded in our chapter blog blog. Enjoy browsing through the updates and events throughout the project’s history.
First Quarter Grant Update
by Dorothy Mayer This November we finished the first phase of the H-E-B Pollinators for Texas Project at our Milam Wildscspe. A large number of our members volunteered many hours. Progress included new pathways, seating areas, native Texas redbuds, grasses and groundcovers. In 2026 we will focus on identification of target pollinators and conclude the project with April and May Community tours. The Pollinators for Texas project is a collaborative effort with…
Planting Native Grasses at the Wildscape
By Sue Ann Kendall All the preparations have paid off for our pollinator project at the Milam Wildscape. Our grant from the H-E-B Pollinators for Texas is going a long way toward creating just what our target species need. Starting early on Saturday morning, volunteers got their hands dirty and planted many interesting native grasses and ground covers in the new prairie area. This new section isn’t covered in plastic, because…
Wildscape Renovation in Progress
By Sue Ann Kendall Our chapter is putting our H-E-B Pollinators for Texas grant to good use. Many hours of hard work, along with materials purchased from the grant have transformed the former jumble of natives and volunteers into a fairly orderly setting for the new native plants that will go in soon. It’s a Wildscape, so it has to be a little wild, right? In the past couple of weeks,…
Preparing to Add Pollinators
by Sue Ann Kendall and Carolyn Henderson As part of our grant from the H-E-B Pollinators Across Texas Project, members of our chapter spent the morning at the Milam Wildscape making sure invasives have been removed and preparing for planting the native plants we hope will attract the set of pollinators we want to document over the coming months. Chad, Scott, Bill, Liz, and Kit shoveled and moved a whole lot…
Getting to Work on Our Grant
by Catherine Johnson On the first cool day of Autumn, progress continued on the H-E-B Pollinators Across Texas Project at the Milam Wildscape Project. Many native plants are thriving, including Buttonbush trees, host to Sphinx Moths. Barbados Cherry provides nectar, fruit, and seeds. Goldenrod that was provided by Chapter member Eric is ready to bloom. We saw pollinators and the new residents.
Wildscape Wildness!
by Catherine Johnson It looks like a tornado hit the Wildscape, as work will continue all summer to revamp the garden for minimal maintenance and user-friendly spaces. New members Bill and Tina tackled overdue chores. Texas natives to be planted are fall blooming, drought tolerant, and provide seeds or nectar for pollinators. Come to the Wildscape and visit the pollinators!
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Donations Welcome
Our Wildscape appreciates donations of native plants, decorative items for our hardscape, and of course, time and effort. It takes a lot of work to get the wildscape looking just wild enough. Contact Catherine Johnson to see how you can help out.
Photo Album
Enjoy a few highlights of our flora and fauna. See more on our blog posts!
Nature Along the El Camino Real 