Field Trips

Field Trips are open to all registered attendees of Botany 2017 including spouses/companions and family members. (They must pay full trip registration fee.) All trips require pre-registration and are on a first-come and first-served basis. Fees include transportation, admission fees, field guides (if provided), continental breakfast, water and where indicated, lunch. All trips will have knowledgeable guides to be sure you experience the botany of the area to the fullest!

Schedule subject to change...you will be notified by email. When registering please indicate your first and second choices. All efforts will be given to give your your first choice, and you will be notified before the conference.

Fees for Field Trips are non-refundable if cancelled after June 1. All trips will leave from the Omni Hotel by bus.

Ferns of North Central Texas - 8:00am-5:00pm - $75.00

This full-day field trip, led by BRIT botanists and research associates, will explore Worth Ranch. Worth Ranch is located on the Brazos River below Kyle Mountain, an hour west of Fort Worth and 4 miles north of Palo Pinto, Palo Pinto County, TX. It is one of America's oldest and finest traditional Boy Scout Camps (800 acres, 1,017 ft in elev.) and is located in the Palo Pinto Mountains of the Western Cross Timbers. The Ranch is home to a large diversity of xeric fern species growing out of Mississippian sandstone and limestone boulders and bluffs. This field trip will seek out these ferns in addition to exploring the Cross Timbers vegetation. Box lunches will be provided. Be prepared for heat and have appropriate footwear.

Geobotany of LBJ National Grasslands - 8:00am-5:00pm - 70.00

This trip, led by Ecologist Becca Swadek, will take you on a geobotanical exploration of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland, from the Cretaceous ridgetop limestone barrens of the Grand Prairie, through the hillslope seeps, and downslope along the xeric headwater streams of the Trinity River to the sandy Cross Timbers. The LBJ National Grassland is one of 20 federally protected and managed National Grasslands. LBJ NG is located in the Great Plains of the northern part of Texas near Decatur and is within an hour's drive from Fort Worth. Box lunches will be provided.

Bryophytes and Lichens in North Central Texas (sponsored by ABLS) - 8:00am-3:30pm - 90.00

This field site is located about one-hour northwest of Fort Worth in the Western Cross Timbers and Central Great Plains Ecoregions of North Central Texas. Comprising approximately 150 acres of private property in the southwest corner of Montague County, the property is characterized by a series of level to gently sloping ridges interspersed with somewhat broad to deeply incised drainages overlooking the southern border of the Natural Resource Conservation Services Site 8 Reservoir. The present vegetation at the site is composed of a partly open to closed canopy Celtis-Quercus-Juniperus woodland, with a mixed herbaceous-shrub understory. Numerous shaded, and exposed, sandstone rock outcrops are interspersed with upland woodlands and sandy meandering shoreline habitats. These habitats harbor differing substrates including standing and decaying vegetation, soil, and rock. As with many counties in Texas, this area is largely under-collected. The property owners reside on the site and are eager to share their land with the group. Dedicated to the preservation of the natural resources inhabiting their land, they regularly engage researchers from different institutions in Texas and beyond. As active members of the local Texas Master Naturalist Chapter, they utilize the property for training and educational activities as part of the group. Appreciating the values and benefits associated with herbaria, they have graciously granted permission for participants to collect specimens.

Field trip leaders are Dale A. Kruse (S. M. Tracy Herbarium, Texas A&M University) and Taylor S. Quedensley (Botanical Research Institute of Texas). Both have experience collecting and identifying bryophytes and lichens in the region. Since it will be June in Texas, expect hot and humid conditions, along with rough, uneven terrain. Appropriate clothing for these conditions should include sturdy footwear, long pants, short sleeves, and a hat. Sunscreen and insect repellant are also advised. Continental breakfast, a box lunch, and water are included.

Since it will be June in Texas, expect hot and humid conditions, along with rough, uneven terrain. Appropriate clothing for these conditions should include sturdy footwear, long pants, short sleeves, and a hat. Sunscreen and insect repellant would also be advised.

Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge and the Light Catcher Winery - 8:00am-3:00pm - $85.00

This three-quarter-day field trip will explore the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, located in west Fort Worth. This 3600-acre city park is a natural area comprised of forests, prairies, and wetlands and represents the natural diversity of the Cross Timbers/Fort Worth Prairie transition zone, allowing you to step back in time and experience what the Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex was like in the early 20th century. The park includes over 20 miles of hiking trails, making the park one of the largest city-owned nature centers in the United States. In 1980 it was designated as a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior. The hike will be led by staff naturalist Michelle Villafranca. After the hike, participants will visit the nearby Light Catcher Winery for lunch and a short lecture on wine-making in the region.

All ages welcome at winery; Be prepared for heat, and wear appropriate footwear.

Tandy Hills Natural Area and Rahr & Sons Brewing Company - 8:00am-3:00pm - $70.00

Tandy Hills Natural Area (THNA) is a 160-acre indigenous remnant prairie located in Fort Worth, Texas. The land was obtained by the City of Fort Worth in 1960 and designated a natural area in 1987. Noted for its unusually complete collection of prairie flora, THNA contains more than 600 native plant species. The show of spring wildflowers is unsurpassed in the Metroplex. The land is a living example of how most of Fort Worth and the Great Plains appeared in predevelopment times. THNA is adjacent to I-30 and less than 5 minutes from downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The fact that it has never been plowed or developed and survived into the 21st century in relatively pristine condition is remarkable. After exploring the park in the morning and eating lunch, participants will travel 3.5 mi to visit Rahr & Sons Brewing Company for beer sampling and a short lecture on beer-making.

Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) and Fort Worth Botanic Garden - 8:00am-12:30pm - $34.00

A bus will take you 3 mi from downtown to visit both BRIT and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The tour will end around noon and have you back at the Omni Hotel for lunch on your own. Vending machines are available at both venues. Founded in 1987 and based in Fort Worth, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) documents the diversity of plant life and conducts extensive research around the world. At the core of the Institution is its world-class herbarium of over one million specimens, making it the largest independent herbarium in the southeastern U.S. Visitors will tour the herbarium, the library, and the LEED-Platinum building and grounds. Fort Worth Botanic Garden (FWBG) is the oldest botanic garden in Texas and is a 109-acre living museum displaying over 2500 species of native and exotic plants. Visitors will tour the largest collection of begonia species in North America at the Garden's Begonia Species Bank and also tour their orchid collection, which has over 350 different species including a wide variety of unusual hybrids. Neither of these collections are open to the public.

Cowboys and Rangers - 9:00am-12:30pm - $80.00

Experience two of North Texas' five professional sports teams with a morning of guided tours at Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium and Texas Rangers' Globe Life Park. AT&T Stadium: VIP Guided Tour stops include a private suite, the print media press box, the Cotton Bowl Office vestibule, and the Dr. Pepper Star Bar or the Ford Motor Company Fountain. Your guide will then take you down to the event level where you’ll see all of the stops on the Self-Guided Tours, including the field, the Miller Lite Club, the post-game interview room, and both the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders locker rooms. Your tour will end in the AT&T Stadium Pro Shop. Globe Life Park: See the most exciting behind-the-scenes areas of the ballpark including batting cages, press box, City of Arlington Suite, dugout, and much more. All areas are subject to availability.

Please wear comfy shoes for walking

Sunday, June 25

Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) Fort Worth Botanic Garden - 9:00am-12:30pm - $45.00

Please dress casual the greenhouses will be hot!

A Fern Lover’s Haven: Casa Flora, a World-Leading Producer of Ferns - 9:00am-12:00pm - $70.00

Casa Flora, Inc. is a world-leading producer of ferns and heuchera based in Dallas, Texas, with additional facilities in Florida and China. Casa Flora produces both new and familiar varieties of ferns and other plants, at the highest quality and at a fair price, delivered to their customers with honesty, integrity, and efficiency.

Thursday, June 29

Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area Research Tour and Kayaking Trip - 8:00am-5:00pm - $150.00

Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) is 2,000 acres of tallgrass prairies & bottomland forests tucked into the rolling hills of north central Texas, with the Trinity River running through it all. This field trip includes a tour of LLELA's research sites (prairie/nursery research and aquatics) and then a kayak trip. Lunch and water are provided.

Field Trips

Saturday, June 24

Sunday, June 25

Thursday, June 29