Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is open from dawn to dusk. The Visitors Center opens at 9:00 a.m. To beat the heat, take advantage of the best light, see the most wildlife, and, possibly, get some sunrise photos, I plan to arrive at about 6:00 a.m.
WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
My plan for our June field trip is to photograph cacti and succulents. In the past, we have imposed on Irwin Lightstone’s generosity to photograph his amazing collection of cacti and succulents. That is always a great learning experience. However, I thought it might be worthwhile to visit a different venue for a change. With Irwin’s permission, we undoubtedly will visit his place again. Other than Irwin’s house in Dallas, the only venue I could find in the Metroplex that focuses on cacti and succulents is the Cactus Garden in the FWBG.
Adult admission is $15.00 for Adults, $13.00 for Senior Citizens, and $9.00 for Children ages 3-15. Children younger than 3 are free when accompanied by an adult. Members are admitted for free.
While the FWBG is an amazing place to photograph all kinds of nature, our primary focus for this trip will be the Cactus Garden near the south end of the FWBG. The Cactus Garden (number 16 on the FWBG map) was established in 1935 and is home to a variety of cacti and succulents including a collection of rare and nearly extinct varieties growing in a special soil mixture developed for the area. Cacti always make compelling photo subjects, especially when in bloom. For all their fierceness, cacti have amazingly delicate and vibrant blossoms. Succulents also make fascinating photo subjects with their eccentric shapes and colors.
The Cactus Garden is quite small, and it may not include enough to keep us shooting all morning. Since the Cactus Garden is adjacent to the Japanese Garden (number 17 on the map) and the Rose Garden (number 8 on the map), everyone should feel free to move around in all three areas or, if you like, beyond. The map identifies all the gardens within the larger FWBG.
In addition to the Cactus Garden, the Japanese Garden, and the Rose Garden (all near the south end of the Botanic Garden), there is a spectacular display of water lily/lotus blossoms in the ponds in front of the main building (number 1 on the map). Feel free to take advantage of this opportunity to photograph the stunning water lily pads and blossoms.
Finally, I recently received information from the FWBG’s Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) regarding a photo exhibit in BRIT’s Madeline Samples Exhibit Hall. The BRIT building (number 2 on the map) is just north of the main building. The exhibit is entitled “Expeditions through the Lens: Botanical Photographs of Sherwin Carlquist.” Carlquist was a mid-20th century American botanist who spent his career collecting and photographing plants from around the world. The exhibit is sponsored by BRIT and the National Science Foundation. It will run from June 1 through September 30. Unfortunately, it is open only on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. However, the morning we will be at the FWBG, there will be a special event from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. that will make the exhibit available to us. The publicity says, “Members Only,” but Ana Niño from BRIT assures me that it is open to anyone. You must have a ticket to attend, but you can reserve tickets for free at https://fwbg.ticketapp.org/portal/product/492.
TRAVEL
Your car or cell phone GPS should get you to the general vicinity of the FWBG from wherever your starting point. However, after I exited westbound I-30 at Exit 11A, and after following directions around the cloverleaf and turning left (north) onto University Drive, my car’s GPS directed me to turn left (west) onto Rock Springs Road to get into the Botanic Garden. However, Rock Springs Road is closed off by a most impressive gate. If your GPS tells you to turn left onto Rock Springs Road, disregard that direction. You need to continue north on University Drive to Botanic Garden Blvd. where you should turn left (west) to park and get to the main building. There is lots of parking, and I am guessing that we will have no trouble finding open parking spaces by arriving early.
Once you enter the main building near the parking lot to pay your entrance fee, the areas we will focus on are about a 20-minute walk south where the Cactus Garden, the Japanese Garden, and the Rose Garden are located. If you prefer not to walk all the way, there is a free shuttle that departs from and returns to the front of the main building. There is a shuttle stop (drop off and pick up) at the Horseshoe Garden (the green dot at number 11 on the map) that is just a couple of minutes’ walk northwest to the Cactus Garden and the Japanese Garden, and due east and down some stairs to the Rose Garden. The shuttle will also pick you up or drop you off at any other green dot on the map (depending on how far afield you wander) and take you back to the main building when you finish.
As I said, the ponds with the lily pads and blossoms are in front of the main building. So, if you want to photograph the lily pads, you may want to do that first thing before proceeding to the Cactus Garden, or the last thing before heading to lunch.
LUNCH
Henry McCarty Irish Pub is five minutes from the FWBG. It is on the southeast corner of Curie Street and Crockett Street. To get there from the Botanic Garden, turn left (north) onto University Drive as you leave the Botanic Garden. Turn right (east) onto Trail Drive at the stop light. Trail Drive becomes Currie Street after passing Lancaster Avenue. Once you pass Lancaster, Crockett Street is just a few more blocks north (past Bledsoe Street, past Morton Street, and the next street is Crockett. The restaurant is on the ground floor on the corner of Curie and Crockett.
There is a parking garage just south of the restaurant to the right of Curie Street. I recall passing another parking garage a little east of Curie on Crockett Street. After you eat and pay for your lunch, ask the waiter for the parking QR code. Use your cell phone to photograph the QR Code, connect to the link that pops up, and respond to a couple of prompts with your license plate number and state to get free parking.
I had a terrific shepherd’s pie (I love good shepherd’s pie) for lunch when we did our reconnaissance trip, and I enjoyed an excellent bread pudding for dessert. I understand that their fish and chips are really good. That’s probably what I will order when I go back for our field trip. They have plenty of seating and the restaurant has great atmosphere and service. You can check out their menu on their Web site.
Henry McCarty Irish Pub
2869 Crockett Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
(817) 529-6005
www.thehenrymccarty.com
SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
The FWBG Web site says amateur photographers are welcome, and monopods are allowed so long as photographers do not block pathways. Tripods and extensive photographic equipment (things like backdrops and lighting) are not permitted unless you are willing to pay a very stiff professional photographer’s fee. If there are any questions, explain that you are an amateur nature photographer, and you are there only to photograph the gardens. Make clear that you are not there to photograph people using the Botanic Garden as a setting. See photography policies (https://fwbg.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Photography-Policy-2.9.24.pdf).
Wide-Angle Lens (A zoom len adds flexibility.)
Macro Lens, Extension Tubes, or Close-Up Diopters (For macro [extreme close-up] shots of flowers, plants, or insects.)
A telephoto lens if you want to apply some of the lessons Lisa Langell shared at our April meeting about lens compression (A zoom lens adds flexibility.)
Extra Batteries and Memory Cards
Water
Snacks
CONTACT INFORMATION: Contact me if you have questions:
Tom Martin
HNP Field Trip Coordinator
(469) 261-3045
hollyfox07@gmail.com
ARRIVAL TIME The two gardens have different opening times, so arrival time may depend on where you chose to start the day. I will be at Clark Gardens at 8:00 a.m., but intend to visit both locations before lunch.
LOCATIONS
Chandor Gardens (Opens at 9:00 a.m.)
711 West Lee Avenue
Weatherford, Texas 76086
817-598-4334
Adult admission is $5.00; Children 12 and younger are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Chandor Gardens does not accept cash or American Express, so bring a non-American Express credit card.
Clark Gardens (Opens at 8:00 a.m.)
567 Maddux Road (This is west of Weatherford toward Mineral Wells off U.S. 180.)
Weatherford, Texas 76088
940-682-4856
Adult admission is $10.00; Seniors are $8.00; Children (4-12) are $5.00; Children younger than four years of age are free. If you visit the Gardens and do not find an attendant in the admissions booth, please use the "Honor Box" located on the front of the booth. All funds are used to maintain the Gardens. Motorized cart tours are available by prepaid reservation. Visit the Clark Gardens Web site for more information.
WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
Chandor Gardens: Douglas Chandor (1897-1953) was a renowned British portrait painter who, in his lifetime, painted about 200 portraits of notable people including Great Britain’s Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Ministers, U.S. Presidents, celebrities and nobility from around the world. Five of his paintings are in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
In 1934, having relocated to New York City, he met and married Ina Kuteman Hill from, of all places, Weatherford, Texas. They built a house and portrait studio on some of her family’s pastureland in Weatherford along with beautiful gardens unlike anything seen in Weatherford, or probably, Texas at that time. They named their home and gardens “White Shadows,” and they divided their time between Weatherford and New York City. When he unexpectedly died at the age of 55 in 1953, he was buried in Weatherford, and his wife renamed their home “Chandor Gardens” in his honor. She lived there until she passed away in 1978.
After she died, the place fell into disrepair until it eventually was purchased by a couple in 1994. They restored the home and gardens to their former beauty. They rented it as a wedding venue and charged admission for garden tours until the property was acquired by the City of Weatherford in 2002. Since then, the city has maintained the gardens and the house and made the gardens accessible to the public. Chandor Gardens appears on most lists of the best public gardens in Texas. They are designated a Texas Historic Landmark and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The beautifully maintained gardens provide numerous opportunities for photographers with a wide variety of flowers, trees, insects, water features, architectural features, and a koi pond. The 3.5-acre gardens have well-groomed, mostly paved, paths making it easily accessible. Since it is a compact location with crowds on weekends, no tripods are allowed unless you pay the professional photographer fee of between $30 and $100 per two hours. If they think you are a professional photographer there to photograph people within the venue, they will charge the fee. So, just to be safe, when you pay your admission, inform them you are a nonprofessional photographer there to photograph only the gardens.
In addition to the cultivated gardens, there is a 0.8-mile nature trail that includes an upper loop. It can be accessed from the parking lot. It takes visitors through a Western Cross Timbers ecozone. Information and maps for both gardens and the nature trail are included in this announcement, below.
The day my wife and I visited Chandor Gardens for reconnaissance, it was a chilly day at the end of the Garden’s winter season. There was not much in bloom. But, by the time of our visit, it should be spectacular. I have been there when the flowers were absolutely stunning, and that is what I anticipate for our field trip.
Clark Gardens are about 20 minutes west of Chandor Gardens toward Mineral Wells off U.S. 180. The Clark Gardens have their own interesting back story. Max Clark began developing the gardens in 2000 as a gift to his wife, Billie. She died in 2012 and is buried at the top of While Garden within the Clark Gardens. Max commissioned a sculpture of himself and his dog near her grave with the inscription, “If love could have saved you, you would have lived forever.” Max, now 93, still lives in a private area of Clark Gardens, still works in the gardens, and he regularly visits Billie’s grave, often leaving notes for her.
Unlike the 3.5-acre Chandor Gardens, the Clark Gardens are quite expansive filling about 35-plus acres with beautiful flowers, trees, shrubs, lawns, and water features. Well-groomed paths allow visitors good access to all the public areas that include a small chapel, statuary, shady groves, a meditation garden with hammocks, a “large ladybug” (a vintage red VW Beetle painted with large black dots and eyelashes), and a G-scale model railroad. Again, we visited the Clark Gardens at the end of the winter season, so roses, columbines, tulips, and irises were just getting ready to explode. The daffodils were already in bloom. It should be spectacular by the second half of May when we visit.
You may wish to spend the morning in one garden and visit the other after lunch. Or, if you don’t have that much time, it’s totally possible to start at Clark Gardens when they open at 8:00 a.m., and hurry back to Weatherford to spend some time at Chandor Gardens before lunch. Or you may prefer to spend your time exclusively in just one of the gardens. They’re both great!
TRAVEL
Clark Gardens open at 8:00 a.m. Chandor Gardens opens at 9:00 a.m. From the Heard Nature Center, it is about a 1.5-hour drive to Weatherford. The easiest way to get there is to go west on I-20. I suggest using your car or cell phone GPS to guide you to westbound I-20, since every different starting point will need different directions. Once you get to Weatherford, again, your GPS will be the best resource to get you to whichever of the two gardens you wish to start with. I have room for one, possibly two, to travel with me if anyone needs a ride. We can work out where and when to meet. I plan to visit both gardens over the course of the morning.
LUNCH
Skinny’s Hamburgers has been a Weatherford institution for 25 years. It’s maybe five minutes from Chandor Gardens and a good 20 minutes from Clark Gardens. Both the parking lot and the restaurant, while large, can get crowded at lunchtime. They have quite a bit of space, both indoors and outdoors, so we should be fine. I suggest getting there before noon to get ahead of the lunchtime crush. They serve excellent burgers and chicken sandwiches (both breaded and grilled). Their fries and, especially, their beer-battered onion rings, were great.
People should plan to start arriving at the restaurant a little before noon. I plan to be there at about 11:30 a.m. While the restaurant does not take reservations, it is always helpful for me to know who to expect and who not to expect for lunch. So, please let me know in the comments when you register if you plan to join us for lunch.
Skinny’s Hamburgers (Opens at 11:00 a.m. on Saturdays)
504 Palo Pinto Street
Weatherford, Texas 76086
817-594-3101
https://www.skinnyshamburgers.com
SIGGESTED EQUIPMENT
· Wide-Angle Lens (A zoom lens adds flexibility.)
· Macro Lens, Extension Tubes, or Close-Up Diopters (For macro [extreme close-up] shots of flowers, plants, or insects.)
· Due to crowds at both gardens, and especially Chandor since it’s much smaller, both locations prefer that we not use tripods. They said monopods are fine if we do not block pathways.
· Extra Batteries and Memory Cards
· Water
· Snacks
· Sturdy Walking Shoes (Web sites for both locations recommend sturdy, closed-toed walking or hiking shoes, especially if you plan to hike the nature trail. I believe good walking or hiking shoes are advisable for either location.)
CONTACT INFORMATION: Contact me if you have questions:
Tom Martin
HNP Field Trip Coordinator
469-261-3045
WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT
By late April, we should be well into the spring bird migration, and many birds will already have returned for the mating season or passing through on their way further north. Being next door to each other, both Cedar Hill State Park and the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center share pretty much the same birds. Both venues have several trails that range from easy to strenuous and short to long. The State Park has more water to attract birds with a couple of ponds (Duck Pond and Perch Pond) and the large Joe Pool Lake on its western side. In this announcement, I have included a bird checklist showing types of birds that have been seen in the State Park, though they may not all be present when we are there.
In the State Park, the Duck Pond Trail, the Shoreline Trail, and the Penn Farm Trail are all easy. In the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center, only the Canyon Floor Trail is easy. It includes a bird blind along the way. Having visited both on my reconnaissance trip, I felt that the State Park offered more photo opportunities with more options for less strenuous trails, if that’s important to you. I have included maps for both locations in this announcement and an interpretive guide for Cedar Hill State Park.
I saw more meadows at the State Park than at Dogwood Canyon, so that may suggest more opportunities for wildflowers at the State Park. However, there is a strenuous Dogwood Trail at the Audubon Center that apparently culminates in an impressive grove of dogwood trees. If they are in bloom at the end of April, and if anyone is up for a more challenging hike, that could be a good photo op.
The State Park includes the Penn Farm Agricultural History Center. It is a historic farm belonging to the Penn family that dates from the mid-1850s to 1970. It includes old, rusting farm equipment that was used back in the day, a windmill, a water tower, barn, a couple of farmhouses, and other buildings It was a lot of fun photographing things in and around the old farmstead. If you enjoy photographing rusty antique farms and farm equipment, you’ll have lots of opportunities at the Penn Farm.
TRAVEL
On a Saturday morning, Cedar Hill State Park is about an hour southwest of the Heard Nature Center. It sits on the east shore of Joe Pool Lake. The Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center is next door to the State Park just east on the same highway. There are several ways to get to the State Park, and directions will vary based on your starting point. The best thing to do is to program Cedar Hill State Park into your car or cell phone GPS and follow the directions provided.
Day use admission to the Cedar Hill State Park is $7.00 per adult (13 and older), while children 12 and younger are admitted free. Admission is free for everyone in a vehicle where at least one person has a Texas State Parks Pass. The park can get quite crowded on weekends, so I may need to make a reservation for our group. Thus, the sooner I know how many to expect, the better for making a group reservation.
Admission to the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center is free, but visitors must check in at the office before proceeding onto the trails.
LUNCH
Sam’s Pizza Pasta Subs is a wonderful Italian restaurant in the old heart of the quaint town of Cedar Hill. It’s about ten minutes from the State Park. My wife and I enjoyed a terrific lunch there after our reconnaissance trip to the State Park. They make everything from scratch in-house, and their prices are reasonable. When I left the restaurant, I tracked down the husband-and-wife owners and told them that I hope the people of Cedar Hill appreciate what a treasure they have in that restaurant.
People should plan to start arriving at the restaurant between 11:30 a.m. and noon. The restaurant has plenty of room, and they do not make reservations, but it’s always helpful for me to know who to expect and who not to expect for lunch. So, please let me know in the comments when you register if you plan to join us for lunch.
Sam’s Pizza Pasta Subs
601 Cedar Street
Cedar Hill, Texas 75104
972-293-0013 or 972-293-0487
SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT
Telephoto Lens (For wildlife and distant objects. A zoom lens adds flexibility.)
Wide-Angle Lens (For Landscapes and Wide Close-Ups. Again, a zoom lens adds flexibility.)
Macro Lens, Extension Tubes, or Close-Up Diopters (For close-up shots of insects, wildflowers, or detail shots of antique farm equipment)
Optional: Tripod or Monopod
Extra Batteries and Memory Cards
Water
Snacks
CONTACT INFORMATION
Contact me if you have questions:
Tom Martin
HNP Field Trip Coordinator
469-261-3045
hollyfox07@gmail.com
The park has a ten-acre walk-through Safari Village at the end that includes a giraffe feeding area, a petting zoo, a budgie aviary, a kangaroo walk-about, and a gift shop. The budgie barn is a delight with dozens of flying Easter eggs. The petting zoo allows you to get very close to the small, cute animals.
Few creatures capture the imagination like butterflies. These beautiful, delicate, but surprisingly durable, insects come in an amazing variety of colors and shapes. They flit about like erratic Christmas ornaments. Those erratic flight patterns and small size make them a real challenge for photographers. The Dallas Butterfly House and Insectarium provides numbers and variety within a controlled environment creating opportunities to capture stunning images that are not frequently available in the wild. Keeping them in focus as they fly in unexpected patterns, avoiding strong backlight that turns them into silhouettes, while getting enough light on them go capture the amazing colors and shapes is both a challenge and a joy when it all comes together.
Admission to the Dallas Butterfly House & Insectarium costs $12.00 for adults (ages 13-64), $10.00 for senior citizens (ages 65+) and $6.00 for children (ages 4-12). Parking is free on the date of the HNP field trip.
From southbound 75 or northbound I-45, exit at the 2nd Avenue Fair Park exit. Stay to the right onto Robert B Cullum Blvd. You will pass Gate 5, then turn left at Gate 6. Turn right and then right again into the Texas Discovery Gardens parking lot. Cross the street and you’re at Texas Discovery Gardens.
From eastbound I-30, exit at 1st Avenue and stay to the right. At the Parry Avenue traffic light turn right. Parry turns into Robert B Cullum Blvd. You will pass Gate 5 and then at Gate 6 turn left and then right and right again into the Texas Discovery Gardens parking lot. Cross the street and you’re at Texas Discovery Gardens.
DART Light Rail: The Green Line takes you to Fair Park, but there you will need to walk across Fair Park from the Fair Park Station to get to the Texas Discovery Gardens. The Martin Luther King Station is outside Fair Park, but is a shorter walk to the Texas Discovery Gardens, but is still a longer walk than from the Texas Discovery Gardens parking lot.
No tripods. However, monopods are acceptable.
Telephoto Lens (A zoom adds flexibility, especially since we will be in a confined area with little room for zooming with our feet.)
Macro Lens for up-close and personal shots of butterflies and plants.
Extra Batteries and Memory Cards
Comfortable clothing. It can get humid and warm inside the butterfly building.
Contact me if you have questions:
Tom Martin
HNP Field Trip Coordinator
469-261-3045
hollyfox07@gmail.com
Sandhill cranes are stately birds that can stand as much as five feet tall and can have wingspans of more than six feet. Their beautiful ash and gray plumage culminates in a vibrant reddish forehead and crown.
The holiday season feels incomplete without its festive lights. The lights don’t get any more festive than at Vitruvian Park in Addison. The crowds attest to the beauty of the park in December.
There are a couple of places in the state that are known for fall color: primarily Lost Maples State Park (six hours away in the Hill Country) and McKittrick Canyon (at least eight hours away in the Guadalupe Mountains of Far West Texas). However, every year, I am surprised by the pleasing fall colors we actually see in North Texas. We just see the color later than the rest of the country.
In September 2025, the Heard Nature Photographers will visit the Dallas World Aquarium (DWA) in Dallas’ West End to photograph a wide variety of exotic wildlife (amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, mammals, and flowers) from around the world.
Join the Heard Nature Photographers for a night of astrophotography at Cooper Lake State Park-Doctors Creek Unit, on the north shore of Jim Chapman Lake. I scheduled our July and August field trips as night shoots to beat the heat this time of year.
The area around the Trinity River between the levees at the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, the Ron Kirk Pedestrian Bridge, and Trinity Groves provide numerous opportunities for wildlife photography down closer to the river, street photography around the pedestrian bridge, and sunset and cityscape photography from a number of vantage points. Plus, there are ample dining opportunities.
We will arrive in time for dinner at 5:00 p.m. so we can finish eating with plenty of time to get ready for the golden hour, the blue hour, and nightscapes of the Dallas skyline. To allow you to choose your preferred restaurant, I will not make any reservations. We will be eating early enough so we should not have trouble getting seated. But I would like to know who will be participating, so I can keep track of people. When you register for the field trip on the HNP Web site, let me know in the comments whether you plan to join us for dinner.
Below, you will find a map detailing the area and identifying, with heavy red lines, what you may find to be some good locations for setting up cameras to photograph wildlife, sunset, cityscapes, and street action.
5:00 p.m.
There are at least three restaurants available at Trinity Goves. While I was at Trinity Goves to scope out the area, I tried Beto & Son (Mexican restaurant) where I enjoyed an excellent lunch, though the portions were much larger than I prefer. There are also a Chinese restaurant (Sum Dang Good Chinese) and an Italian restaurant (Saint Rocco’s New York Italian). All provide both indoor and outdoor dining.
Sunset: 8:29 p.m.
Moon: A thin crescent about 2% of full that will set at 9:59 p.m.
Long pants to protect against chiggers in grassy areas and mosquitoes.
Tripod (though you may prefer not using a tripod for street photography)
Long Lens (for wildlife and street photography)
Wide Lens (for cityscapes and sunset)
Extra Batteries and Memory Cards
Water
I suggest you bring your photo gear with you to the restaurant rather than risk having anything stolen from your vehicle, but it is up to you. So, you may want to travel light.
Contact me if you have questions:
Tom Martin
HNP Field Trip Coordinator
469-261-3045
ntmarti1@tx.rr.com
The Trinity River Audubon Center (TRAC) is in south Dallas. This spring it is lush with wildflowers, other vegetation, insects, and birds. May and June are prime mating season for painted buntings and other perching birds.
There are numerous, well-groomed, easy trails, several ponds and streams, a bird blind, and, of course, the Trinity River. The area is part of the Great Trinity Forest. A trail map is available to download on the Web site listed above.
There is no cost to enter the TRAC, but you must reserve a ticket ahead of time and check in upon arrival.
The Market Café at Bonton Farms
6911 Bexar Street
Dallas, TX 75215
214-777-7703
If you decide to leave TRAC early, there is a nice coffee shop next to the restaurant where you can hang out until time for lunch. This is a unique and enjoyable restaurant that has some outdoor features you may enjoy exploring: a large organic garden where they raise produce for the restaurant, chickens that produce eggs for the restaurant, and goats.
Center Rules
Please pre-register online (https://trinityriver.audubon.org/) prior to the date of arrival, and check in at front desk upon arrival.
You must provide your own water bottle.
Trail open hours may be adjusted - be sure to check park hours before you visit.
The following are prohibited at the Center and surrounding grounds:
Horses, dogs, or other animals except service animals (please see our polices below)
Bicycles on trails (biking is permitted on the City of Dallas Great Trinity Forest Trail and AT&T Trail which connects near our center)
Smoking or campfires
Hunting, camping, and fishing
Specimen collecting of any kind without a permit
Alcohol and other intoxicants
Motorized vehicles of any kind or size beyond the parking lot
Fireworks, firearms, or any other weapons (enforced by Dallas Police Department)
Swimming, walking, or boating in ponds
Parking on the grass
Professional photography without a permit
Drone photography/video
Other Guidelines:
There are both venomous and non-venomous snakes on the premises. They are protected by state law. If you encounter any snake, give it wide berth and leave it alone.
Poisonous plants, including poison ivy, are on the property. Know what poison ivy looks like and avoid it.
Do not attempt to touch, befriend, feed, or help any wild animal you encounter while on the trails. Please notify the front desk of any injured animals.
Stay on designated trails and specifically avoid areas where vegetation could be impacted. Walk in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy. Avoid walking on vegetation as it widens the trail and contributes to erosion.
Please supervise your children and children within your care at all times. Guests under the age of 16 must be accompanied at all times by an adult.
Picnics are permitted in designated picnic areas only.
Shoes are required at all times both indoors and outdoors.
Please do not litter. Dispose of your trash and recycling in the appropriate receptacles found on the trails or around the center.
Guests who do not adhere to staff and center guidelines may be refused entry into and/or removed from premises for the safety of visitors and staff.
Wildflower photography! Native prairie! Birds! Bugs!
From Texas Highways: “Researchers say 99 percent of the Blackland Prairie habitat that once covered 15 million acres has been lost. What remains exists in mostly small chunks. Clymer Meadow Preserve contains one of the largest contiguous remaining pieces.
Even more remarkably, no plow blade has ever cut through the soil on some sections of the property. Its gently rolling land, pockmarked by micro-topography—wetlands just a few meters wide perched atop hillsides—acts as a laboratory for researchers studying everything from monarch butterflies to water quality.”
©Dennis Fritchie
Meet for a late lunch/early dinner at 3:30 pm in Blue Ridge, TX. (The exact location is TBD, depending on how many people register.
Our approved entry time at the preserve is 5:00 pm. (Sunset is 8:20 pm.)
Dress to protect yourself from scratchy weeds and chiggers, chiggers and chiggers (DEET has been suggested if you are comfortable using it. Heavy doses suggested!) Snakes possible. Tall boots are recommended.
Tripod and lens selections appropriate for flower, bird, and bug photography.
Water, hat, sunscreen (very little shade available).
The terrain is not level and is very uneven, with trip hazards. On-site, each participant must sign the Nature Conservancy’s Liability Release and acknowledge their photography policy (no selling of images, etc.)
If you are a member of both the Heard Nature Photography Club and the Plano Photography Club, please only sign up with one of the clubs (not both).
Trip Leaders
Heard Trip Leader: Jackie Ranney
Plano Trip Leader: Mary Ruhle
Our guide for the September 2024 bus tour of the Refuge tells us that, pending seasonal rainfall, we should also see fields of wildflowers! (Historically they have even had wildflower tours there.)
Irwin Lightstone has invited members of the Heard Nature Photographers to come to the Dallas Arboretum on March 21, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. We will be joining the Plano Photography Club members who will also be there. Irwin has once again used his connections to get us access to the Dallas Arboretum early in the morning to photograph tulips and all the other beautiful plants on display. THANK YOU, IRWIN!!
During this time window, any member of the Plano Photography Club and/or the Heard Nature Photographers attending with our group may walk and photograph the grounds of the Arboretum. Tripods will be allowed until 9:00 a.m.
Details
REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for this event.
There is no limit on the number of PPC or HNPC members who can attend.
Attendees must park in the lot accessible at the Gate 1 entrance (located at the intersection of Garland Road and Whittier).
Attendees MUST be physically present at the Main Entrance of the Arboretum by 7:00 AM; please plan to arrive a few minutes early so that members can enter as a group
Attendees will be admitted onto the grounds as a group; any individual who arrives at the Main Entrance after the group enters the Arboretum may be denied admission.
Attendees will be allowed to use their tripods until 9:00 AM (when the Arboretum opens to the public); no tripods may be used after that time.
Attendees may remain at the Arboretum after 9:00 AM and continue taking photographs for as long as they wish, subject to item (6) above.
There are no official lunch or brunch plans, but some people will almost certainly get together after the shoot; this will be decided on-site.
Typically, when Irwin takes groups like this, there is no entry charge. However, Irwin advises that we should be prepared to pay an entrance fee should it be required. (In the past, for Irwin’s early morning groups, the ticketing kiosk has not been staffed.)
As a condition of providing access under these terms to the Plano Photography Club /Heard Nature Photographers Club, the Dallas Arboretum is requesting copies of five (5) photographs captured by each attendee.
Plano: Details will be communicated when we collect images for display on the club website.
Heard: Details will be communicated with a Call for Images after the event.
Witness the magnificent transformation of nature and marvel at the sight of brilliantly colored living jewels fluttering in the Rainforest Conservatory of Fort Worth Botanic Garden during Butterflies in the Garden, presented by Central Market. Don’t miss the opportunity to see the largest exhibit of live, exotic butterflies.
We have permission to enter the Refuge 30 minutes before sunrise! This gives us time to determine where each of us wants to be to photograph the sunrise and get set up. The geese are there, too. (6,000 of them on 12/11/2024). After shooting sunrise, we’re off to photograph the geese in flight, on land and in the water and multitudes of other waterfowl and hopefully, other wildlife! Just watching the geese take off en masse is amazing – the sights, the sounds!!!
Most of the Refuge is open. (In the Godwin Unit, Meyers Unit and the Big Mineral Unit below the railroad, squirrel and rabbit hunts will be in progress). There are lots of places to investigate for hiking and/or photography.
Each participant is free to choose their own location for shooting sunrise and we’ll encounter each other multiple times during the day rather than meeting in one specific place.
There is no cost to enter the Refuge.
Frank’s
80841 TX 289
Pottsboro, TX
Dress for the weather!
Long lens
Extra batteries
Water
Might want to stop by the Visitor Center at one point for a Refuge map.
Walking in the Great Trinity Forest for an unusual visual and auditory experience! The lights ! The sights! The sounds (“other-worldy” music and nature sounds one would expect in the forest)! It’s focused on the stars.
Saturday, November 23, 2024
4:00 p.m. Early group dinner in Fort Worth (location TBD) – attendance optional
5:30 p.m. Entry into the event (see notes below)
9:30 p.m. Event over; gardens close at 10:00 p.m.
The third annual Lightscape event is a spectacular collaboration with Sony Music. This extraordinary show features custom-designed light installations with breathtaking, never-before-seen artistic displays from around the globe, immersing guests in the magic of the holiday season.
Our ideal entry time is 5:30 p.m. If Lightscape:Advanced tickets are sold out for that time period, check the closest available entry time. There are approximately 300 tickets for each time period. Since the event’s inception three year ago, it has totally sold out; an early purchase is encouraged.
An entry ticket and a parking pass are needed unless you choose to carpool with someone who has purchased a parking pass.
Parking passes: Once you enter your ticket choice, the website takes you to the option to purchase a parking pass.
You need to purchase your ticket from the Ft. Worth Botanical Gardens AND register for the clubs Field Trip. That’s the only way we’ll know you’re attending.
Please familiarize yourself with the information on their website, especially the FAQ’s. https://fwbg.org/calendar-events/signature-events/lightscape/lightscape-faqs/
No tripods, monopods or drones.
100,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash, hailing from THE pumpkin capital of Texas, Floydada, and 150,000 beautiful fall blooming plants throughout the garden. This year, the Pumpkin Village will feature the theme “Texas Town,” taking visitors on a journey through Texas pioneer life.
Where We’ll Meet
Meet at the fountains outside of the main ticket entrance. Have patience and anticipate lots of visitors!!
Dallas Arboretum Members – Free Admission & Parking (Advance reservation not required)
Non-members – advance reservations & parking fee are required.
Note that some of our club members have an Arboretum membership and are willing to share, please let Jackie know.
If you would like to take advantage of a member’s generosity, please let Jackie know.
Tickets: https://tickets.dallasarboretum.org/events/419e73b3-3ebc-eafb-62f6-3f3a6c08d4da
Parking: https://tickets.dallasarboretum.org/events/8fb986fc-1268-5390-eeac-eaf4ba48b425
For those who wish to carpool, please meet in the parking lot at the WalMart on Coit, just north of the George Bush Tollway. We will depart promptly at 8:00 a.m. It would be helpful to know ahead of time if you wish to participate!
Please register on our club website to attend this field trip. That’s it! If you have questions, as always just call me!
Rocky Mountain elk, herds of free-roaming American bison and long horn cattle plus North American river otters, black-tailed prairie dogs, colorful “Mountain Bomer” lizards, and the black-capped vireo.
The Blackland Prairie Raptor Center has offered members of the Heard Nature Photographers Club an exceptional opportunity at the Center….. not only will we be able to photograph their education ambassadors but to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the rehabilitation area.
The normal cost for doing both is $125.00. ($75 for the photography time and $50 for the tour). Our cost for both is $50 per person!!!
6:00 a.m. Arrive at the Center and check in at the Visitor Center. You will have a little time to photograph the pond and the lake at sunrise.
6:45am - 7:45am Photo Time & 8:00am - 8:45am Tour**
**Space is limited
For those who choose to participate, we will determine a location for after-the-event conversation and camaraderie.
Use this link to pay your fee (not the normal link showing on their website).
Note: you must also register on the club website.
Per the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, if you take photographs inside the rehabilitation areas, they are not to be sold, not to be published in any type of social media and not to be entered into any contest at any point in time. They may be shown in the Club’s slideshow. Photographs taken during “photo time” are not covered by this limitation.
Note: Mosquitoes/chiggers may be an issue this time of year. Please prepare for these possibilities.
Early settlers in this part of Grayson County established communities at Orangeville (4 mi. e.), Pilot Grove (4 mi. s.), and Kentucky Town (3 mi. w.). In 1878, after the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas (MKT) railroad built a line southeast from Denison to this Site, a new town was created and named for William Whitewright (1825-1898), a railroad official and vice-president of Union Trust Company of New York, the railroad's financial backer.
We are planning a trip to the Santa Clara Ranch. A visit to this ranch is always a treat. There are lots of birds! They have four in-ground blinds overlooking a small pond with feeding stations and two elevated blinds to photograph raptors.
Hikers, birders and wildlife-watchers have over seven miles of trails to enjoy at LLELA. LLELA is positioned where Blackland Prairie mingles with the dry upland forests of the Eastern Cross Timbers. The Elm Fork of the Trinity River, with its surrounding bottomland forests, winds through the middle of these two ecosystems.
This time we are trying something a bit different than in the past. Since cacti generally bloom when temperatures are a bit warmer in the day, we’re going to “hope for the best” and plan the day as follows
The Fort Worth Zoo currently houses over 540 species, including 72 species of mammals, 148 species of birds, and 172 species of ectotherms. This translates to 64 acres housing 7,000 animals.
The Big Cats are also back! Their newest habitat, Predators of Asia & Africa, is now open.
Yes, it’s January, and yes, it will be cold. REMEMBER THAT WE WILL BE IN OUR CARS! (Average January temps 57-58-59 degrees.
Explore over 3,600 acres of The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. This natural area comprises forests, prairies, and wetlands, allowing you to step back in time and experience what the Fort Worth/Dallas Metroplex was like in the early 20th century.
Petit Jean State Park is a 3,471-acre park in Conway County, Arkansas. It is located atop Petit Jean Mountain adjacent to the Arkansas River in the area between the Ouachita Mountains and Ozark Plateaus. It is about five and a half hours from McKinney. This trip should be timed with fall colors in the area.
