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Moving Large Trees |
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A chapter meeting was held on 22nd of July at Grin’s Restaurant, 802 N. LBJ in Our guest speaker was Jordy Hagen from Tree Wise Men on the topic of "moving large trees". Tree Wise Men provide a number of tree-related services and can be reached at (210) 805-TREE or visit www.treewisemen.org |
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Conservation Legacy Program and Texas Brigades |
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A chapter meeting was held on the 18th of February at Grin’s Restaurant, 802 N. LBJ in Our speaker was Helen Holdsworth, Education Programs with Texas Wildlife Association and Executive Director of The menu and other information about Grin’s is found at http://www.grinsrestaurant.com/index.html |
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Efforts by the San Antonio Water System |
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A chapter meeting was held in Austin on October 3rd at the El Mercado Restaurant ( Lavaca and 17th street). Our guest speaker for the evening will be our own Mark Peterson who provided us a very interesting and informative presentation on the Hot Topics within the SAWS. We had the back room reserved as we have in the past. The meeting started at 6:00 PM, and we enjoyed the complimentary taco bar. We also need to wrap up our nominations for Officers so please come with nomination recommendations in mind. Click to view location map for El Mercado. |
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Hill Country SAF would like to congratulate their own Clay Bales (pictured on the left) for being awarded the Forestry Leadership Award at the statewide Texas Society of American Foresters meeting held in Galveston 2007. |
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Tree Management Workshop Held for Homeowners |
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A Tree Management Workshop was put on by the Hill Country Chapter in Kerrville May 5th, 2007. The meeting gave homeowners and community arborists the latest information regarding oak wilt, tree selection and planting, tree pruning, and avoiding construction damage. The day ended with an outdoor tree pruning demonstration. Course certificates were given out and attendees got to bid on fun tree-related silent auction items.
Please visit the Riverside Nature Center in Kerrville for a fun educational experience. http://www.riversidenaturecenter.org/ |
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Invasive Plant Species of Texas and Tour of San Marcos Nature Center |
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Our April 11th, 2007 meeting was held at the San Marcos Nature Center at Crook Park on the corner of IH-35 and Riverside Drive. Jim Houser, Central TX Oak Wilt and Invasive Plant Species Coordinator for the Texas Forest Service, gave a talk regarding identification and management of Texas invasive plant species. Jim also informed the group of current efforts in Texas to prevent further infestations of the invasive plants.
The San Marcos Nature Center is a great location with a birding trail along the San Marcos river, animal exhibits, and an outdoor wildscape of native plants, theme gardens and two ponds. Please visit the link for directions and information regarding the San Marcos Nature Center. http://www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/departments/parks/Nature_Center.html |
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Exploring Wind Energy and a visit to the Galapagos Islands. |
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During our November 28, 2006 meeting, outgoing chapter chair, Jim Rooni, accepted all final nominations for HC - Chapter officers for the 2007 term. After a short business meeting and open discussion, Mr. Declan O'Cleirigh, Senior Strategic Energy Analyst with the Lower Colorado River Authority’s Fuels & Energy Resource Planning & Analysis Group, gave a fantastic presentation on the Texas Wind Power Project, and its potential impact as a clean and efficient source of energy for our future. The group also enjoyed a complimentary taco bar and a bonus presentation and by Mark Duff, who graciously shared pictures and stories of his recent trip to |
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BBQ & Chapter Meeting |
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Our May 25th, 2006 meeting was held in the historic refectory building in Our group was also treated to a BBQ Supper which was generously sponsored by Oak Wilt Specialists of Texas. Visit their website at: www.stopoakwilt.com. |
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Dove Hunt & Chapter Meeting |
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The Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Society of American Foresters will hold a dove hunt and chapter meeting on the South Texas Plains new Pearsall, TX. The event will be held Saturday, October 29th, 2005 and will include talks regarding pecan trees, cost share programs, riparian water issues, and vegetation management. Among the topics are brush management, game bird habitat improvement, and water issues. The event and meal are sponsored by the The event will start at 1:30pm with the meal and dove hunt starting at 5:00pm. Special thanks to the Resource and Land Management company of Pearsall, TX for sponsoring. They can be contacted at (830) 569-6826. |
The Greatest Good |
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The Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Society of American Foresters held a chapter meeting Thursday, August 4th, 2005. SAF movie “The Greatest Good” was shown followed by a discussion of chapter business. The El Mercado Restaurant in Austin provided a fun and festive atmosphere for all. |
Volunteering at the Riverside Nature Center |
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June 21st, 2005 The Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Society of American Foresters volunteered at the Riverside Nature Center at Kerrville. Members taught proper tree care techniques to the public while keeping the center’s plants healthy and shapely. The Riverside Nature Center includes over 140 tree species some of which are rare or endangered, and the Hill Country Chapter is proud to be of service at such a great educational site. Drinks and snacks for the event were provided for members and guests by both The Hill Country Chapter and the Riverside Nature Center. Please visit the nature center in Kerrville for a fun educational experience. http://www.riversidenaturecenter.org/ |
Tour of Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge |
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April 16, 2005 Members and Guests of the Hill Country Chapter of the Texas Society of American Foresters met at the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge for a chapter meeting and educational tour. Guided by US Fish and Wildlife Service Forester David Hall, the group visited projects involving wildland-urban interface, endangered species habitat, fuel reduction treatments, and ashe juniper management. The tour concluded with a cookout and business meeting where attendees were able to relax and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Thanks again to the Balcones Canyonlands Staff. The following picture was taken from the refuge website which can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/balcones/index.htm |
The Down Home Ranch |
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The Down Home Ranch was founded by Jerry and Judy Horton near Elgin, TX to provide a fun living and learning environment for mentally handicapped persons. To help enhance the ranches desire to stimulate residents both physically and mentally, the Hill Country Society of American Foresters along with the Texas A&M Society of American Foresters Student Chapter spent Saturday, April 2nd, 2005, building a walking trail through the diverse mixed hardwood forest. One section of the trail was approximately 600 feet long while another section was approximately 400 feet long. Seventeen different trees were identified along the trail and 29 trees total were marked for viewing. |
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Information regarding the Down Home Ranch can be found at http://www.downhomeranch.org/
The Society members as well as the Down Home Ranch would like to thank Meyers Sausage in Elgin, TX for their generous contribution of food for the trail building event. Visit their website at www.meyerselginsausage.com |
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