Club outings and photo opportunities

Hello Fellow Club Members,

Our next field trip will be April 17th and we will be headed out I 290 to the Chappell Hill area to take advantage of one of the best years for bluebonnets (Lupinus texensis) and other wild flowers.  The Chappell Hill area is full of small towns with friendly people, small rolling hills and rustic backgrounds with fields of Bluebonnets and other wild flowers. There will be more information to follow as time gets a little closer, the bluebonnets have not started blooming yet and the best route is still being determined, but I wanted to give ya’ll advanced notice so you can prep for the long drive and enjoy one of our states true beauties.

A little background for the people who don’t know that the Bluebonnet is the state flower of Texas. Bluebonnets have been loved since man first trod the vast prairies of Texas. Native Americans (Texans) wove fascinating folk tales around them, crediting them with everything from having natural medicinal qualities to being spiritual messengers sent from the heavens. The early-day Spanish priests gathered the seeds and grew them around their missions to beautify. This practice gave rise to the myth that the padres had brought the plant from Spain, but the two predominant species of bluebonnets are found growing naturally only in Texas and at no other location in the world.

Here are some suggestions for wild flower spotting and photography:

Watch the road first and not the wildflowers.  Take along a designated spotter if possible, or take extra care to drive safely when seeking or viewing wildflowers. Find a safe spot to pull off the road and not on the wildflowers.

Leave the livestock alone.  Livestock can get aggressive if they feel endangered just as wild animals can.  After being approached by wildflower seekers all day long, you can understand why an animal might want to be left alone to graze. Ranchers have special feeding programs, so please do not feed the animals.

Watch the children!  While you have stopped to view the wildflowers or take a photo of your child in the bluebonnets, other cars are speeding by to get home to watch their favorite show or sports game. You should keep your children in hand at all times when leaving your car to view the wildflowers.  Also, while you are on your way to your next wildflower viewing, please watch for stray children wandering away from their neglectful parents.

Honor private property! A fence or wall is usually an indication of private property, but in Texas a “Posted: No Trespassing” sign is enough warning in most counties to allow the local law enforcement to issue you a citation for trespassing.

Please leave with what you brought along.  Carry a plastic bag with you and store your trash. Also check that you have picked up your camera equipment - most often lost item is that lens cap.  Oh, and make certain all your kids are in the car before leaving the area.

Have Fun!...

Please DO get out and see first-hand the wondrous natural beauty of Texas Wildflowers.  While you are there experiencing the fragrance and colorful sight of our Texas Wildflowers, remember how fragile that beauty is.  Your support and help is needed to safeguard this wonderful resource for future generations.

The bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland, the cherry blossom to Japan, the lily to France, the rose to England and the tulip to Holland. - Jack Maguire

Neal Kelsoe

BAPC Field Trip Coordinator