June 2026, Vol 26, Episode 6

Texas Master Naturalist Elm Fork Chapter

• Announcements
• Upcoming Chapter Meetings
• Inside Outside News – Approved AT + Volunteer Opportunities
• Projects in the Community 
• Wild About LLELA
• Features
• Tweet of the Month
• Almost the Last Word 

https://txmn.org/elmfork/

Transcript

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The Texas Master Naturalist Elm Fork Chapter presents Naturalist News, June 2026, Volume 26, Issue 6. Announcements. Texas Master Naturalist 2026 Annual Meeting in Waco, Thursday, October 22nd through Sunday, October 25th. Texas Master Naturalist Elm Fork Chapter Scholarships Allocated. 15 members at $100 each, one certified member at $500 each, one initial trainee at $500 each. New certified members, submission period, June 19th through 26th. Initial trainees submission period to be determined. Submissions will be via a form on our chapter website. Denton Conversations Podcast. Check out podcast number 25, featuring Brenda Martin and Susan Richmond, sharing about Texas Master Naturalist Elm Fork Chapter. Susan Richmond is at it again. Check out the great thank you notes she created. Send your thanks to those who are helping our efforts with these Texas Master Naturalist Elmfork Chapter thank you note cards. They are available in the resource room and they come in two sizes. Thank you, Susan. Constellation of Living Memorials. The two-year impact report for the Constellation of Living Memorials Project that was presented at the May Chapter Meeting is available via the link in the digital version of the newsletter. Upcoming chapter meetings. June chapter meeting and presentation, Thursday, June 18th, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Denton County Administrative Courthouse, third floor conference room, one courthouse drive, Denton. This month's presentation? Listen up how you can be involved in environmental due diligence by Bethany Deach, Environmental Analyst, Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc., and Audrey Hafner, Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. The presentation will cover due diligence processes within different environmental disciplines. Learn how you and others can get involved and understand what's happening around your home and across the state. Our speakers will review specific project examples and respond to questions about current industry trends. Bethany Deach offers four years of professional experience in environmental assessments in multiple industries and geographic locations. She performs regular fieldwork, report and permit preparation, and agency coordination. Within Kimley Horn, she manages the tree inventory and sampling practice and assists with stormwater consultation. She holds a bachelor's degree in environmental geosciences with minors in meteorology and geographic information systems, GIS, from Texas AM University. Audrey Hafner is on the power delivery team at Kimley Horn, where she brings experience in environmental assessments, agency coordination, and public outreach. She has contributed to multiple CCN transmission line projects across Texas, supporting project development and stakeholder engagement efforts. Audrey is involved in outreach for students interested in environmental science in the Fort Worth area. She holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science and sustainability from Texas Christian University. July chapter meeting and presentation. Thursday, July 16th, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., Denton County Southwest Courthouse, 6200 Canyon Falls Drive, Flower Mound. July's presentation, How to Build a Park, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park by Kate Fisher, Park Interpreter and Park Ranger, Palo Pinto Mountains State Park. Originally purchased in 2011, Palo Pinto Mountains has become the newest state park in Texas. But what goes into building a park? Come and hear from a ranger about the steps taken to balance outdoor recreation opportunities for Texans while also conserving wild spaces. From shielding starry skies to protecting historic waterways, this park will offer a natural sanctuary for generations to come. Kate Fisher is a native Texan born and raised in Fort Worth. Despite limited access to the outdoors growing up, her fascination for animals and the natural environment persisted from a young age. This quickly turned into a deep-seated passion for protecting wildlife and wild spaces, which took Kate to Tarleton State University to study wildlife biology. Having worked for the Corps of Engineers and Abilene State Park, Kate developed a love for interpretation to share the wonders of the outdoors with others. This brought her to Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, which sits halfway between two major metropolitan areas of Texas. Kate is so excited to be a part of helping others discover the great outdoors. Whether she's teaching someone the history of the land, a weird animal fact, a new skill, or helping to create a more accessible experience, Kate strives to introduce the outdoors to others the same way that so many did for her, in a way that is memorable and welcoming. Inside Outside News, Advanced Training. Blacklight Mothing, Corinth Nature Preserve, 3901 Corinth Parkway. Discover the nocturnal side of Corinth, July 11th, 8 to 11 p.m. Spot moths, learn about insects, and log your finds at Corinth's free blacklight mothing event on July 11th from 8 to 11 p.m. at Corinth Nature Preserve in Corinth Community Park. All ages. DFW Urban Wildlife Biologist Sam Kieshnick will be on site to lead our mothing activities. Bring a filled water bottle and a flashlight. Headlamp will do. Registration is free. Just click the link in the digital version of the newsletter, and share the event on Facebook by clicking the link in the digital version of the newsletter. Texas Waters Webinar. Enjoy learning about improving water quality, water quantity, conservation practices, water law, and aquatic habitats. Join us throughout the year for free. Wednesday, July 15th, 6.30 to 7.30 p.m. Conservation Opportunity Areas in Texas. Jennifer Marugo, ecologist at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Wildlife Division. Register by clicking the link in the digital version of the newsletter or on the calendar page of our website. Visit the Texas Waters webpage for information on becoming a certified Texas Waters specialist. Note Texas Waters Webinars AT, Texas Waters Certification Training. More advanced training. Habitat at Home. Managing the land you have with the wildlife you want. Presented by Texas AM AgriLife Extension, August 21st, 2026, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Denton County Extension Office, 611 Kimberley Drive, Denton. What is Habitat at Home? This workshop guides landowners through managing wildlife habitat on your land, regardless of acreage. From home pollinator gardens to white-tailed deer management, this series focuses on identifying the right wildlife species for your property, building a wildlife management plan, and integrating your land use goals with your wildlife management. Cost is $35 for early registration, which ends July 21, 2026, $45 regular registration, lunch and all course materials included with registration. Program agenda, 8-8:30 a.m. Registration, 8 30 to 9 a.m. Welcome and Introduction to Wildlife Management, 9 to 10 a.m. Land Resource Inventory and Habitat Suitability Assessment, 10 to 1015 a.m. Break, 1015 to 11 a.m. Species at Scales. What wildlife can you manage on your size property? 11 to 1145 a.m. Managing Wildlife Habitat Within Land Use Restrictions. 1145 to 1215 p.m. Lunch provided with registration. 1215 to 1 p.m. Choosing Scale Appropriate Wildlife Management Practices. 1 to 2.30 p.m. Building Wildlife Management Plans. 2.30 to 3 p.m. Building Communities of Conservation. Agenda and Presentation Titles subject to change. Register by clicking the link in the digital version of the newsletter, scanning the QR code in the digital version, or the link on the calendar page of our website. For questions about the program or sponsorship opportunities, email chase.brook with an e at ag.tamu.edu. The Texas AM AgriLi Extension Service provides equal opportunities in its programs and employment to all persons, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Texas AM University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioner Courts of Texas. More advanced training. The Extraordinary Caterpillar. Wild Ones DFW presents the Extraordinary Caterpillar film and panel discussion with North Texas conservationists on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 6 30 p.m. to 845 p.m. Grapevine Palace Arts Center, 300 South Main Street, Grapevine, 6:30 p.m. Meet and Greet, 7 p.m. The Extraordinary Caterpillar, 8 p.m. Panel Discussion. The Extraordinary Caterpillar invites viewers into the hidden world of nature's tiniest superheroes and the vital role they play in sustaining healthy ecosystems. Through stunning macro videography and the insights of naturalists, scientists, and community advocates, the film reveals how caterpillars connect native plants, insects, birds, and other wildlife into an intricate food web. This captivating documentary encourages audience to look more closely at the overlooked creatures in their own backyards and highlights why restoring native landscapes matters. Afterwards, learn more during a 30-minute lively, knowledge-packed QA session with four outstanding local experts who are shaping conservation work right here in North Texas. Sam Kieshnick, urban biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Jake Poinset, Education Manager, Trinity River Audubon Center, Carol Clark, Conservation Specialist, Monarch Watch, Teddy Zonker, VP Wild One's DFW, Native Plants, Natural Landscapes. Enjoy a rare chance to learn directly from these local leaders, ask your questions, and walk away inspired to make a difference. Don't miss this opportunity to hear their insights, elevate your experience, and spark new ideas. Register and add your seat today. RSVP Required. Click the link in the digital version of the newsletter or on the calendar page of our website. Hosted by Wild Ones DFW, Native Plants Natural Landscapes. We connect people and native plants for a healthy planet. Join us to celebrate biodiversity, ecological stewardship, and the power of native plants to support life. Our sponsors, WildOnesDFW, DFW.wildOnes.org, Homegrown National Park, Homegrown Nationalpark.org. Volunteer Opportunities. Greenbelt General Maintenance and Natural Resource Volunteers needed. The staff of the Greenbelt Unit of Ray Roberts Lake State Park serve as the management team for the Greenbelt and the Natural Resource Team for the Ray Roberts Complex. We are looking for general maintenance and natural resource volunteers to assist us in maintaining the Greenbelt and conserve the natural resources of Ray Roberts. General Maintenance Volunteers have multiple opportunities to volunteer at the park based on their areas of interest and the park's operational needs. Opportunities include, but are not limited to, a variety of maintenance tasks, special projects, and customer-related opportunities. Natural resource volunteer projects could include bluebird box monitoring, firebreak preparation, invasive management, and habitat restoration. This opportunity is available year-round and provides a flexible schedule. No minimum hours per week are required. This volunteer opportunity does not include a campsite. Please contact the Greenbelt Manager at Matthew.more with an E at tpwd.texas.gov for more information. Minimum age of volunteers 16. If under 18, volunteer will need to print a parental release form and bring a completed copy to the park. Criminal background check is required for non-TMN members. PO six zero two one two RM Ray Roberts Lake, Bluebird Nest Box Monitoring would be PO six zero two one two FR. More volunteer and AT opportunities. Ray Roberts Lake State Park, Johnson Branch Nature Center. Summer is in full swing at the park and nature center. We are really needing volunteers to host at the Nature Center during the week. If we are not there, our beautiful nature center can't be utilized by the public. It is a great place for young and old to get in touch with nature. I will also add it is one of the few climate-controlled projects TMN EFC has. Please sign up through the chapters calendar on Sign Up Genius. Also, Ranger Celia is looking for volunteers who would like to hold other events at the center or in the park. This is from Celia. For summer programs, I am always looking for an extra set of hands as well. I spoke to Lynn Hampton while she was here this past Saturday about hosting watercolors at JB in July. I would like to have others come out and host programs, like for a Bio Blitz or Naturalist Talk. I would like to add more options, especially for our early risers. If you would like to host a program or talk, please contact Celia at 940-783-6793 or through her email. Celia C E L I A dot Flores F L O R E S at TPWD.texas.gov. Be sure to check Plan Your Week and the Elm Fork Chapter website and calendar for more AT and volunteer opportunities. Projects in the Community. Denton Plant Rescue Project. Karen DeVinny, Class of 2021. We all probably realize that Texas Master Naturalist chapters are organized by ecoregions. Our particular chapter encompasses part of the Cross Timbers ecoregion, which stretches south from Kansas all the way to central Texas, in finger-like strips running north and south. For a wonderfully thorough explanation of the Cross Timbers, see Richard V. Francovilia, the Cast Iron Forest. It is the transitional area between the eastern deciduous forest and the Great Plains, and it consists of types of plants from both of these ecoregions. This means that tall grass prairie is as environmentally important to our chapter as stands of trees. If we as a chapter want to restore our ecological heritage, we need to work on both prairies and forests. This is especially vital if we are concerned about climate change. Tall grass prairies can capture as much or more carbon as trees. They store between 0.3 and 1.7 metric tons of carbon per acre per year, whereas the number I encounter for an eastern deciduous forest is more like one U.S. tonne per acre per year, depending on density and species, see tallgrassOntario.org. A metric ton equals 2,204 pounds. Native grasses are, in fact, preferable because they store the carbon in their roots, and a wildfire can't sweep through and send it back into the atmosphere, as it does with trees, which store carbon both above and below ground. Washington Post, August 19, 2020. The Elm Fork Chapter's Denton Plant Rescue Project tries to preserve some of the native prairie plants that are imminently threatened by development. I'd recommend that everyone look at the Native Plant Rescue Project's website at NativePlantrescueproject.org. This program represents to me the ideal for which the Denton Plant Rescue is striving. Here's how it works. When a property is scheduled for development, and when we find out about it, you can help here, we drive by and try to determine if the property contains plants of interest. It's important not to set foot on the property without landowner permission, so we try to do as much as possible from a car, public sidewalk, or Google satellite images. The Texas Master Naturalist Program frowns on someone who is acting as a master naturalist, trespassing, which reflects poorly on the program and makes it more difficult to ask for buy-in from landowners. Getting permission is not a trivial task. Formulating a usable permission form took six months, a majority of the time needed to set up this project with the chapter. In many cases, during a drive-by, we can determine that the property has been disturbed and planted with imported grazing grasses, and thus not of interest to us. But sometimes there are fantastic native grasses and forbs, and that's when we try to get access to the property and set up a workday. This brings up another obstacle to proceeding, the difficulty of identifying native plants in the winter or early spring, when there are no recognizable blooms or even leaves, especially for a bird person like me. This is where I'm eternally grateful to Dr. Jamie Baxter Sly for allowing our volunteers to come on her site and help dig plants and gather seeds for use in her pollinative prairie. Who knew what a purple three-on grass looks like in late spring before it blooms? She did, and she's happy to teach us. Using the Native Plant Rescue Project as a model, I've also learned that we don't want to reveal too much to the public about the locations where we'll be working. That group has had people show up to protest the development, which is disruptive and harmful to working with landowners in the future. Although it can be frustrating, private property ownership is fundamental in Texas. So after we've determined there are plants of interest, received written permission, and dug or harvested, what do we do? There are options. One, donate seeds to Emily Fowler's seed library or another seed library that will distribute them to the public. Two, take them home and add them to your own prairie or pollinator garden, plant them at Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center as part of their prairie restoration. Four, you tell us these plants and seeds will be available for anywhere in our chapters area as long as they will be nurtured and you can promise to pay it forward with future seeds and propagated plants. In all cases, we want to keep track of the provenance of the seeds or plants with as many details about soil type and original location as possible. This project has required hard work, but has been oh so satisfying. And now that it's up and running, I hope you can join us at our next rescue. Progress on the HEB Green Acres is the Place to Be Grant by Becky Bertoni. The HEB Pollinator for Texas grant, Green Acres is the place to be, is ending this July. We had a blacklighting evening on June 12th with Sam Kieshnick. Our rain collection shed is being painted with a Green Acres species. We are planting and transplanting as the weather permits, and we are fighting the battle against non-native invasives. All that we are doing is aimed at increasing native pollinators by planting native plants. We added lots of photos to iNaturalist during the April City Nature Challenge 2026. Brynn and Sue's photos, in the digital version of the newsletter, show two. In the photo of the rain collection shed are two young volunteers that have returned to help out Sam and Hannah with their grandma, Margaret, a community volunteer, and Monica, TMN EFC. Our artist, Jenna, is a community volunteer. We have two thousand. 2026 trainees working with us now, Andrew and Emily. Malou and Nancy are longtime dedicated community volunteers. Shown in the picture on the left in order, Hannah, Monica, Sam, Margaret, Jenna. In order on the right, Malou, Andrew, Emily, Nancy. Come and join us Tuesdays, 8 to 11 a.m. at Green Acres Farm Memorial Park, 4400 Hideaway Lane, Flower Mound. Wild About Leela. Sue Yoast, class of 2017. Sticks. Someone can stick it to you, or this is a stick up. Sticks and stones can break your bones. Sticks also mean hockey, field, and lacrosse sticks, chopsticks, pick-up sticks game, stick shift, part of a tree, carrot or celery stick, weather stick, glue stick, walking or hiking stick, or at Leela, it means stick bug. According to Wikipedia, the Phasmatodia, also known as Phasmida or Phasmatoptera, is an order of insects whose members are variously known as stick insects, stick bugs, walking sticks, stick animals, or bug sticks. They are also occasionally referred to as devil's darning needles, although this name is shared by both dragonflies and craneflies. Their natural camouflage makes them difficult for predators to detect. Still, many species have one of several secondary lines of defense in the form of startle displays, spines, or toxic secretions. Steer clear of the two-striped walking stick in the southeastern U.S. They can spray a foul-smelling, milky fluid from their thorax that can cause temporary blindness if it gets in the eyes. One member of the order is the longest insect in the world. There are over 3,000 species of stick bugs worldwide, with most found in the tropics. Forty-four species are found in the U.S. and Canada. They are slow-moving herbivores. That must be why so many of the kids at Leela find them. They eat the edges of plant leaves. They are more active at night. Many will feign death when disturbed, sometimes falling to the ground in the weeds and remaining motionless. Females can lay thousands of eggs, which they glue to vegetation singly or in batches, or let drop to the ground. Stick insects develop by metamorphosis and usually molt six to seven times before reaching maturity. Adults only live several weeks to a few months. If you want to stick it and hunt for these really cool insects at Leela, early spring into summer in the fields behind the log cabin and the fields near the pavilion are the perfect areas to look for them. Bring a kid with you. They always spot them first. Credits, NWF Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America, Wikipedia. The photos in the digital version are from Sue Yoast, Sciencing.com, AnimalFact.com, IStock Credit, Carsoul. Features National Trails, Right of Way, and Open Access Land, Hiking the English Cotswolds by Jerry Hamby. The Cotswolds conjure up images of limestone cottages, colorful gardens, and Gothic churches. Picturesque villages dot the countryside of rolling hills, or walls, and checkerboard farms and pastures. Most visitors crossed this landscape by train or car, but my wife Susan and I recently explored the Cotswolds on foot. Joining us on this adventure were our friends and fellow Texas Master Naturalists, Rick and Lisa Travis, along with 12 other travelers, on a two-week excursion organized by Road Scholar, a not-for-profit organization that provides learning adventures for adults aged 50 and older. Our home base for the first week was the village of Mickleton. Before meeting up with our group, Susan and I took a leisurely walk to Hidcoat Manor Garden, an influential arts and crafts garden built in the early 20th century by Lawrence Johnston after his mother bought the 300-acre estate for him. The site is now owned and maintained by the National Trust, which oversees more than 500 historic sites and 200,000 acres of land across the United Kingdom. After walking through the garden rooms near the house, Susan and I took refuge in the gift shop to wait out a rainstorm. It was the only time inclement weather interfered with our outdoor activities. Like most days, our first group outing provided a mix of cultural and historical experiences, with a vigorous hike led by our leaders Ian and Simon. We began the morning with a walking tour of Chipping Campton, a market town dating from the 14th century. It was outside a block of historic almshouses that I first spotted a red valerian, Valeriana rubra, a popular garden plant with large pink flowers at the tips of the branches. Above the garden bed, wall bellflowers, Campanula Portinschlaggiana, bloomed in the mortar joints of the limestone wall. Both plants are native to the European continent and have naturalized in England. Chipping Camden is the starting point for the Cotswold Way, a 102-mile national trail that ends in Bath. A stone marker outside the historic market hall lists key towns on the route and includes the following passage by the poet T. S. Elliot. Now the light falls across the open fields, leaving the deep lane shuddered with branches dark in the afternoon. An acorn in the center of the marker symbolizes the national trail system. This icon appeared on signposts on every trail we hiked. Our six-mile hike to Broadway Village included two dramatic stops, the first of which was Dover's Hill, a National Trust site. In addition to overlooking a natural amphitheater, the hill shows traces of the ridge and furrow ploughing system that was used in open field farming from the post-Roman period, A.D. 400, to the 17th century. The surviving ridges, spaced several yards apart, create subtle waves across the flat hilltop that could easily be overlooked. One key advantage of traveling with experienced leaders like Ian and Simon is learning about such details. The highlight of the hike was a stop at Broadway Tower, an 18th century folly, a whimsical building constructed for decoration rather than practical use. It later became a retreat for William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts movement. Our hike ended with a gentle descent through sheep pastures to the village of Broadway. On all our hikes, we passed through dozens of gates and styles, each varying in style and structure, that allowed us to cross from one owner's land to another's. The national trail system consists of public rights of way, legally protected centuries-old footpaths, many of which cut across farmland. Some areas, such as Dover's Hill and Broadway Hill, are designated open access land, allowing visitors the right to roam away from the path. Our first hike also introduced us to Cotswold stone fences, mortarless dry stone walls that have intersected the English landscape for thousands of years. The construction, uniform in the width and taper of the wall and placement of stones, is iconic, down to the cock and hen capping stones that keep the lower layers in place and shed rainwater. We took a break from hiking on the second day by completing a five-mile walking tour of Oxford, the City of Dreaming Spires, as described by the Victorian poet Matthew Arnold. During a visit to New College, we walked inside the 13th century medieval city wall, which the college is legally obligated to maintain. Since 1379, the Lord Mayor of Oxford has participated in a ceremonial inspection of the city walls every three years. Today, the walls enclose manicured grounds and formal gardens. Like many of the plant species I documented in cities, towns, and villages, my eye naturalist observations at New College were casual grade, since the plants were placed there and do not grow wild. One tree of note was a cobus magnolia, Magnolia Cobus, a Japanese native with a widespread canopy. The tree had already bloomed but was filled with ripening seed pods. On our third day, which ended with a five-mile hike through Duntisborne Valley, I encountered more native species, including woodland forget me knots, Myosotis salvatica. Seeing these iconic bright blue flowers on the woodland edges, I understood why they are popular garden flowers. In the tiny village of Duntisborne Abbots, population 225, we passed St. Peter's Church. Inside the churchyard, buttercops, genus Renunculus, dotted the gravesites, and oxide daisies, Leucanthemum vulgaree, lined the churchyard wall. During my two-week visit, I observed eight species in the poppy family, Papa Voraceae, from the bright orange Atlas poppy, Papavir Atlanticum, to the large Oriental poppy, P. orientale, both of which appeared in garden settings, but the species I encountered most often was the more compact but equally vivid common poppy, P. reus. The scarlet flower with a black center, also known as the Flanders poppy, is associated with remembrance of the fallen soldiers of World War I. One of the highlights of my time in the Cotswolds was a visit to Kelmscott Manor, home to William Morris, whom I mentioned earlier. While our time there provided a break from the outdoors, the tour of the house reinforced the connection between the arts and crafts movement and nature. Botanical studies and the environment provided inspiration for many of Morris' designs, which were evident in every room of the manor. The wallpapers, curtains, embroideries, and decorative tiles featured motifs of birds, flowers, fruits, and vines, and many of those designs mirrored the manor's gardens. For example, Strawberry Thief, one of Morris's iconic designs, was inspired by the thrushes that plundered his kitchen garden. Before embarking on an afternoon hike, we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the grass between the River Thimms and the fruit orchard that Morris maintained in the late 1800s. On our hike, we passed through Bybury, which Morris described as the most beautiful village in England, and we walked along the River Colne. We also encountered an unexpected tree species, a giant sequoia, sequoiodendron giganteum. This massive conifer, which is native to the western slopes of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range, is considered the largest tree on Earth. William Lobb, a British plant collector, discovered the giant sequoia on an 1852 trip to California and brought seeds and seedlings back to England. Today, there are more than half a million redwoods growing in the UK. Our final hike in the Cotswolds followed a section of the Warden's Way, starting near Nauntain and ending at Burton on the water. Along the way, we passed through the upper and lower slaughter, unspoiled villages whose macabre name derives from an Old English word meaning muddy place. Stretches of our hike followed the river's eye and windrush, allowing us to experience even greater variety in the landscape. We ended the day with a low-key exploration of Stowe on the Walled, and because our visit coincided with a community medieval fair, we witnessed some local color, Morris dancers, musicians, and most significantly, three Cotswold lions that a breeder had brought to the market square. These historic domestic sheep, Ovis Ares, are named for their large size and long curly fleece. At their height in medieval England there were half a million of these sheep, but according to the Cotswold Sheep Society, there are now only 1,350 breeding ewes, which puts the breed at high risk of extinction. Before taking our coach back to Mickleton, we stopped at St. Edward's Church to see the Tolkien Door, the thirteenth century entryway that is believed to be the inspiration for the Doors of Durin, the west gate of Moria in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Whether the story is true or not, the 700-year-old common Ew trees, Taxus Bacata, that frame the doorway enhance the drama of the setting. As our first week in England came to an end, our group anticipated the next leg of the adventure, a 200-mile drive to Cornwall, with a stop in the city of Wells. For our second home base of Camelford, we would encounter a more rugged landscape while hiking three sections of the Southwest Coast Path, and we would discover why this is one of the most scenic walking routes in England. Tweet of the Month from Sue Yost, class of 2017. The White-Eyed Vireo. The white-eyed vireo, according to Sam Crow on birdzilla.com, is a small songbird species with a distinctive olive green plumage, a white iris, and a conspicuous white eye ring. It is found in shrubby habitats in the southeastern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central America, and is known for its lively rhythmic songs, which it delivers from concealed perches deep within the vegetation. Crow continues, they can be found in brush, wood edges, and undergrowth. They breed in different kinds of dense low growth, including shrubby thickets of maple, briar tangles on low swampy ground, saplings in overgrown pastures, and scrub near forest edges or in open woods. They are breeders at Lila. A white-eyed vireo's diet is primarily made up of insects and berries. During breeding season, they almost only eat insects. Some of the insects they eat are flies, caterpillars, beetles, butterflies, moths, leaf hoppers, spiders, and lace wings, which they collect from shrubs and trees. They'll sometimes eat snails and small lizards as well. During migration and in winter, they eat berries and other small fruits. White-eyed vireos make short flights between shrubs and hop along branches. This keeps them well hidden. Males will sing from the edges of the underbrush all day long, even during the hottest part of the day. At Lila, it is a bird that haunts you on the trails, sounding like it is right in front of you but never can be found, following you along the trail, taunting you with its call. These vireos sing at all times of the day, but you'll hear more frequent vocalizations at dusk and dawn. Their calls include a harsh nasal mew and a short zip that somewhat sounds like a blue gray gnatcatcher. Some claim that they sing spit and see if I care, spit, while others say they sing pick chickawee over and over and over. White-eyed vireos breed throughout the eastern United States. Breeding extends all the way north to Massachusetts. They are regularly heard and sometimes even seen at Lila during the spring and summer. They are commonly seen along the Gulf Coast and into Florida in winter. During the non-breeding season, white-eyed vireos can be seen in the Belize Honduras, Yucatan Peninsula, parts of the Caribbean, and parts of the Bahamas. Wikipedia also has an interesting article on this bird. According to the article, they nest at eye level or near the ground in tangled thickets. Nests are made of weeds, leaves, grass, bark, or bits of trash. The grass lined nest is a neat cup shape attached to a fork in a tree branch by spider webs. They lay three to five dark-spotted white eggs. Both the male and female incubate the eggs for 12 to 16 days. The young leave the nest nine to eleven days after hatching. Field marks are distinctive. The white iris, visible even at moderate distances, is the defining feature that gives this bird its name. Adults display two bold white wing bars, yellow green flanks, and a yellow spectacle pattern around the eye that frames the face neatly. The underparts are olive green, and the bill is slightly hooked at the tip, as is typical across a vireo family. There are thirteen species of vireos found in Texas. Bells, black capped, endangered, red-eyed, cassins, yellow throated, blue-headed, plumbius, warbling, Philadelphia, yellow green, gray, huttons, and of course the white-eyed Vireo. My lifelist is missing the gray, yellow green, and cassins. Someday I will see them, but for now, I will continue trying to get my bins on the elusive trickster, the white-eyed Vireo. Credits. Birdzilla.com, Animalsofthings.com, Wikipedia. Photos from Sue Yoast and Flickr. Almost the last word. Reduce, reuse, recycle. The 2026 Training Committee is asking for your help by actively seeking your gently used TMN textbooks. We request any TMN EFC member that is not using their TMN textbook to help us reduce, reuse, and recycle your textbooks by donating it back to our chapter. It is easy. Just bring your textbooks to the next few monthly chapter meetings. Contact Marissa Shaw or any member of the 2026 training committee to coordinate. Remember to visit the Elmfork Chapters online pop-up store on the homepage of our chapter's website. New items added. We are on Instagram. Please follow us at Elmfork Chapter TMN and check out all the neat photos from our chapter. Show your project workday on Instagram. Send one to three photos to social media team at efctmn.org. Thank you all for your amazing articles and photos for the Naturalist News. We couldn't do it without you. Please send submissions to newsletter at EFCTMN.org. July 2026 submissions are due by Monday, July 6th. Tammy Walters, Editor. This has been Naturalist News, presented by the Texas Master Naturalist Elm Fork Chapter, June 2026, Volume 26, Issue 6. Read to you by Terry Schnellbeld. Thank you for listening.