Naturalists Rooted in the Community
Tina Adkins
Much good can be done when will and skill come together in community. Communities can be corporations, nonprofits, small businesses, special interest societies and clubs, trained volunteer organizations, youth organizations, public administrators and staff, and our families and neighbors. These are communities within a greater civic community. When their will and skill combined this November in Dripping Springs, Texas, the power of community brought lasting good to the area’s natural environment.
Here’s how it happened
The Native Plant Society of Texas received news of a company donating tree saplings to parks. I immediately sent the information to Dripping Springs Ranch Park (DSRP).
Dripping Springs is one of the Hays County communities experiencing tremendous population growth, its population almost doubling over the past 5 years, with a 43% increase between 2020 and 2022. As a result, both business and residential construction have accelerated, along with impervious cover. During the past three years, drought and severe winter freezes have taken their toll on most plants, including many trees. The 164-acre ranch park decided it needed an uplift to create an expanded natural visual and audial barrier enclosing the park from encroaching development.
Hays County Master Naturalists (HCMN) partnered with the park to accomplish this project. A grant for 50 native trees to DSRP from Apache Corporation was received in August, enabling a fall planting. Originally, the application requested 100 1-gallon seedlings. However, upon actual delivery on November 1, 50 saplings arrived in 3-gallon containers! We received five native species, including American plum, Cedar elm, Escarpment black cherry, Mexican plum, and Possumhaw. An additional 15 tree seedlings of Netleaf hackberry were donated by a local HCMN member, for a total of 65 trees. But the donation of trees was just the beginning.
We asked local businesses for donations of compost, deer fencing, and root stimulator to jumpstart the immature trees during planting. One positive outcome of the February winter storm was the abundance of shredded bark from downed limbs, which was used as mulch to protect the young saplings from extreme temperatures and help them retain moisture during the hot summer months. GeoGrowers, McCoys Building Supply, Tractor Supply, and Natural Gardener were all extremely generous in providing the park with these essential supplies.
The community of Dripping Springs needed to come together to provide volunteers. Lots of volunteers. Park staff and Naturalists began sending a flurry of emails to many different organizations for both physical assistance and donations of materials required to complete this goal. A call to arms was sent to local Boy Scout Troops, 4-H clubs, agricultural students, high school students, Master Gardeners, Hays County Master Naturalists, and residents through the Dripping Springs City website and Facebook.
This all came together on November 5, 2023. On the designated day for actually planting these saplings, an amazing group of about 30 energetic and committed Dripping Springs folks banded together to get down and dirty, digging holes—now much larger holes than originally planned.
Most of the volunteers were well-versed in planting trees and were ready to jump in and select a task: Excavation Specialists (diggers), Transportation (wheelbarrow loaders), Horticulturalists (planters), Safety Specialists (mulchers), Security (wire cage builders), and Collectors (cleanup crew). As is often the case in industry, where new interns can rotate positions for a broader experience, this was also an option for this project. DSRP staff had transported both compost and mulch near the planting sites the day before in preparation. Fortunately, the soil was mostly found to be moist from recent rains and dark brown, indicating a healthy microbiome with plenty of microbes to assist in root growth during the winter. Only a half dozen or so holes on inclines required a rock bar to break through the Central Texas limestone.
Several Scouts were very enthusiastic after having teamed up to dig, add compost, and plant their very first tree. “Look what we did!” exclaimed a proud Scout. Intrinsic rewards abounded among the volunteers, including several young girls who seemed to enjoy covering each seedling with fresh compost and loose soil with their bare hands. Many were inspired by the vision of enriching the diversity of the existing tree population and offering additional shade along hike-and-bike paths. What an appropriate project to celebrate Texas Arbor Day (November 3)—planting young trees, while simultaneously shaping the young minds of our future master naturalists and master gardeners.
While the Excavation Specialists dug, an experienced Naturalist provided instruction on handcrafting welded wire cages. These were used to prevent wildlife from feasting on the young leaves or deer from rubbing against trees to shed the protective velvet from their antlers, which would destroy vital bark. Several young students assisted in the cage building process, learning new skills when cutting and shaping the wire by hand.
After planting numerous saplings on a sunny day with temperatures in the 80s, several groups of volunteers gradually left for other, less strenuous, Sunday activities. The day had been quite productive, with 54 trees having been planted and caged.
A week later, seven Master Naturalists volunteered to finish planting 11 more trees and forming cages for each. Then DSRP informed us that a group of middle schoolers was coming for a service day in the park on November 17. It was decided to have 20 of them fashion larger tree rings, add mulch, which was readily available, and begin watering the saplings.
DSRP staff and Master Naturalists also scheduled two mornings to provide water and Liquid Seaweed root stimulator to each sapling. This was a bit of a project in itself since no water source is within range of the planting site. Park staff brought in their tractor to pull a 1,600-gallon water tank alongside the planted trees while volunteers bucketed water from the tank to the trees. It was rather time-intensive since trees were spread all along the fence line. Supplying water to newly planted trees is essential, especially during the hot summer months, until they are fully established. The project team and park administration are brainstorming creative methods for watering in the future.
This project was truly rooted in the Dripping Springs Community. Several different organizations, families, students, and friends assisted in this undertaking. Thanks to all the volunteers who supplied the energy and labor. Thanks to all the companies that donated necessary supplies. And a special thanks to Melanie Engels and the DSRP ranch hands who were instrumental in helping to plan and coordinate this project. We hope to see these saplings sprouting new leaves and spreading their branches into a tall canopy for generations to come.
Anne Forish (far right) and her fellow Master Gardeners worked tirelessly, staying until the very end. Anne is a Hays County Master Naturalist and a Master Gardener!
Editor's note: Hays County Master Naturalist Tina Adkins conceived and in a very short time organized this project, brought the City of Dripping Springs on board, secured multiple in-kind donations, enlisted the many volunteer organizations—and produced the community effort she describes here.
Also among the community of tree planters were Master Naturalists Bob Adkins, Anne Forish, Sue Harding, Michael Meves, Sharon Meves, Chris Middleton, Becky Reynolds, Kat Schmidt, Shalynn Smith, Neal Sutton, and Nicola (Nick) Williams.
Photos were taken by HCMN Tom Hausler.