WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT:

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.”

WHEN:

• 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.)

EQUIPMENT:

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).

IMPORTANT TO KNOW:

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.)

Joint Heard & Plano Photography Clubs Field Trip

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

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

1. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for this event.

2. There is no limit on the number of PPC or HNPC members who can attend.

3. Attendees must park in the lot accessible at the Gate 1 entrance (located at the intersection of Garland Road and Whittier).

4. 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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

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.

LUNCH @ 11:30 a.m.

• Frank’s
  80841 TX 289
  Pottsboro, TX

EQUIPMENT:

• Dress for the weather!

•  Long lens

•  Extra batteries

•  Water

 Might want to stop by the Visitor Center at one point for a Refuge map.

Date/Time:

• 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.

About Lightscape:

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.

Tickets:

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.

Important:

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/

Photography Policy:

 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!

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!!!

Schedule:

• 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

Brunch

For those who choose to participate, we will determine a location for after-the-event conversation and camaraderie.

How Do I Pay for My Entrance Fee

Use this link to pay your fee (not the normal link showing on their website).

https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_19f59686-0d7d-11ef-b2a8-0a3287177f03&WidgetId=65536

Note: you must also register on the club website.

Important Notice

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.

Trout Lilies usually start blooming at the Heard in the middle of February. After our February meeting, we will head down the Hoot Owl trail to check them out. Remember, admission to the Heard is free for photo club members on meeting day.

After photographing the trout lilies, we will head to the Great Outdoor Sub shop at 1751 Eldorado Parkway in McKinney, just a few minutes from the Heard.

The trout lilies or weather may not cooperate with our plans. The theme for our March video will be trout lilies. Get out to the Heard and photograph them when it is convenient for you. Images will be due to Ron Marabito at rmarabito@gmail.com on March 1.

You can register for the event at heardnaturephotographers.com.

Questions? Contact Steven Earles.

Mid America Flight Museum

POSTPONED:
New Date October 22

The Museum opens at 8:00 a.m.  Should you wish to arrive that early, please feel free to do so (just identify yourself as being from the Heard Nature Photographers).

COST: There is no charge for admission or parking.

LUNCH: Laura’s Cheesecake & Café in Mount Pleasant.  Time t/b/d.

TIDBITS: There are over 60 aircraft at the Museum and the majority of them are flight-worthy About 40-45 aircraft are on display at this point in time.

• They have two of the four known flyable planes that are Pearl Harbor survivors.

• Warbirds and vintage aircraft….bombers, fighters, helicopters, observation and transports.

• The collection is easily accessible.  There are no ropes, chains or fences around the aircraft.

• Check out the website’s many stories about the aircraft and their crews…fascinating!  www.midamericaflightmuseum.com

• There is plenty of seating in the Museum’s many buildings.

SUGGESTED EQUIPMENT:

Tripod/monopod; a selection of lens, comfortable walking shoes, bottled water.  The aircraft are in multiple buildings.

Questions? Call Jackie Ranney 214/478-2107. Final details will be sent to registrants a few days before the event.

Chandor Gardens captures both the ornate design of ancient Chinese architecture and the elegance of a formal English garden. The 3.5-acre estate leads its visitors on a meandering path of beauty and wonderment. A recent visitor emphasizes how much care the Gardens staff has taken to keep the vegetation lush and thriving throughout the extreme weather conditions recently experienced.

 What to bring: 

• Comfortable walking shoes 

• Your favorite walk-around lens and possibly others! 

• Bottled water 

Important: . 

• Tripods are not allowed due to the narrow pathways.

• The 30’ waterfall mentioned on their website is still being reworked.

• Photography inside the on-site house is not permitted.

We will be leaving by 11:30 a.m. at the very latest since they have a wedding scheduled in the evening (the wedding party is scheduled to begin arriving at 11:00 a.m.) 

Additional gardens in Weatherford that members may choose to visit on their own after our lunch: 

Clark Gardens www.clarkgardens.org 

**Photography by Wy Roberge. Used with permission.

Reservations

THIS EVENT IS LIMITED TO 20 PEOPLE. Please familiarize yourself with the information on their website before signing up for this field trip.

Cost

For our private two-hour photographic opportunity, the cost is $10/pp. If you wish to also visit TrainTopia (the indoor model train exhibit) after our photographic time, the cost is an additional $5 ($15 total). TrainTopia opens at 10:00 a.m.

Payment will be made upon arrival. Cash is preferred to facilitate a quicker entry; credit card payments will also be accepted.

While We Are There

• Our tour will be “guided” during our visit with appropriate stops for photographing. Wandering is not part of the policy of the Museum.

• Tours are outdoors over uneven surfaces with no cover from the sun. There are no paved sidewalks at this point in time.

• When close to the trains, the surface is ballast (a loose granite) which is used to keep the train rails in place.

• Steps will be provided for the two train cars we will be allowed to go inside to photograph.

• Please dress for the terrain, heat, and bring plenty of fluids. (There are no restrooms or water fountains available at the site at this time.)

• Some of the trains have been restored, some have not.

Suggested Equipment

Tripod/monopod; a selection of lens, comfortable walking shoes, bottled water, sun protection.

Copyright

If publishing or selling your photographs of the trains showing their logos, it is not up to the Museum to grant copyright permission. All photographs in this announcement have been used with permission.

Sugges