NPRP works with landowners and developers to visit natural sites before they are cleared in order to conserve native species and their genetic diversity, board member Sara Torres said at the event.
What happened
NPRP volunteers collected plants, such as Blazing Star, Winecup and Mealy Blue Sage—all native to Texas. By preserving these species, NPRP can save the local genetics of common plants, Torres said.
“Because we're gathering here in Williamson County, these genetics are different than [plants] you might find other places, even when it's the same species,” Torres said. “So that's why it's so important to do this everywhere.”
The Nov. 14 rescue event was a collaboration between NPRP, Southwestern University and SU 560 developers. Native species collected will be transferred to The Trail Conservancy and Williamson County Master Gardeners, which will rehome them in Central Texas, according to a Nov. 11 SU news release.
Georgetown officials also plan to use some of the plants to build a native community garden, city utilities conservation coordinator Hailey Vickich said.
“We want to be able to give examples to our customers about what those native landscapes look like,” Vickich said.
The impact
Preserving and planting native plants comes with a host of benefits, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, including:
- Helping water conservation
- Providing habitats for wildlife
- Mitigating flood risks
- Lowering surface temperatures in urban areas
Also of note
The SU Ecolab is located just east of the university’s campus in Georgetown on the land that will become SU 560. Largely student-run and maintained, the Ecolab is a restoration and environmental study endeavor to encourage native species growth and track environmental changes over time.
A 70-acre Eco Gateway will replace the former Ecolab and allow students to continue to conduct research and practice restoration in a secluded preserve, the news release states.
“There's so much work that went into this land,” Stephanie Insalaco, assistant professor of Geographic Information Sciences, said. “If there's any chance we can preserve part of it [or] relocate it so conservation can still happen—that’s fantastic.”
Get involved
NPRP is volunteer-run and led. Prospective volunteers can fill out this interest form to get involved with future projects.
Additionally, Georgetown residents and businesses can access rebates for water conservation measures, such as incorporating native plants into their lawns and gardens. One such rebate is the Texas Grown Landscaping rebate, offering up to $5,000 for residents and $8,000 for commercial entities.
