Trans-Pecos Chapter Texas Master Naturalist

05/31/2026

A thought-provoking blog post from El Paso Wildlife Conservation Society's blog. Please read and share it far and wide.

Share the good news about the El Paso Wildlife Conservation SocietyAsk your family and friends to Join the El Paso Wildlife Conservation Society!Membership is free! Photos – mountain lion alo…

05/30/2026

For anyone who wishes to play a part in the capital improvement bond project being instituted for Ascarate Park, please read about the 3rd Community Meeting being held on June 2nd at 6pm at 6900 Delta Drive, the Ascarate Park Pavilion.

05/14/2026

Fantastic news for Franklin Mountains State Park, for El Paso, for Desert Big Horn Sheep, for all wildlife in the area and for nature lovers! 😍

Saddle up, El Paso! 🤠

We’re thrilled to share that Franklin Mountains State Park is expanding 👏

This new acquisition opens access to the northeastern side of the park and helps protect critical desert bighorn sheep habitat across the main mountain range.

📲 Learn more about this acquisition here: https://shorturl.at/xjqT2

05/11/2026

Yeah, we could've tried to come up with a Mother's Day post of our own, but why?! We could just as easily share this fantastic post by Hueco Tanks State Park & Historic Site. It is a perfect post and photos just right for today. Wishing all the moms out there a wonderful day spent doing nothing but enjoying yourselves.

05/04/2026

Sharing the Public Service Announcement from El Paso Wildlife Conservation Society.

This is an opportunity for you to show up and express your concern for conserving Rio Bosque Wetlands Park and the wildlife that call this place home. See the below text and info graphics about the public comment events being held on May 6th in Socorro, TX and May 13th in Northeast El Paso. The issue still jeopardizing Rio Bosque is the proposed development of the Border Highway East Extension.

"The proposed Border Highway East Extension (BHEE) could cut through or run directly alongside this fragile ecosystem. Plans being considered include elevated, six-lane highways—massive infrastructure that conservationists warn could:
Sever wildlife movement corridors
Increase air, noise, and light pollution
Disrupt fragile wetland systems
Permanently alter one of the most important wetland landscapes in our region
Once that damage is done, it cannot be undone.

Rio Bosque needs us—and the time to act is NOW.
Two important public meetings in May will help shape decisions that could impact one of our region’s most important wildlife areas.
📍 May 6 – Socorro
📍 May 13 – El Paso
If you care about wildlife, open space, and the future of our community, please attend and speak up.
This is how we make a difference.
Read the action alert: https://elpasowildlifeconservationsociety.wordpress.com/2026/04/30/may-meetings-are-our-moment-to-speak-for-rio-bosque/

May Meetings Are Our Moment to Speak for Rio Bosque.
They Passed Over El Paso Last Night… Will They Have a Place to Land Tomorrow? by Rick LoBello. Last evening, I looked up and saw something extraordinary—a flock of egrets gliding silently over El Paso....(read article at link: elpasowildlifeconservationsociety.wordpress.com)
Rick LoBello
(Source: El Paso Wildlife Conservation Society Blog by Rick LoBello)

05/01/2026

As National Volunteer Appreciation Month comes to an end, we'd like to feature a fantastic pair of Trans-Pecos TMN volunteers. Bev and Roger are one of several married couples of volunteers in our chapter. These two are definitely a dynamic duo! Both participate in the dove banding, burrowing owl, Urban Wildlife Information Network and Bat Acoustics projects. Additionally, Roger stepped up to taken on a leadership role by serving as chapter Treasurer. As for Bev, she additionally works on the El Paso Museum of Archaeology's 3 Sisters Garden and Native Plant / Pollinator Garden. She also sets up trail cameras to capture the wildlife activity there. That video footage is then displayed on the museums video monitor so all visitors can see what wildlife visits the grounds. Wow! Is there anything this duo doesn't do?! It's no wonder they were recognized as the outstanding 2026 Natural Resource volunteers by AgriLife Extension for El Paso county. We are very proud to have such phenomenal volunteers...and lucky.

04/26/2026

Before National Volunteer Week ends today, we want to recognize our outstanding master naturalist volunteers in the Trans-Pecos chapter. Without your selfless volunteerism, we would not be able to conduct conservation outreach in El Paso. You all are superheroes in our eyes, so own it! Looking forward to doing more great things this year and many years after.
(Stats are for 2025 year, but we are working on outdoing ourselves in 2026 too)

04/25/2026

Trans-Pecos Texas Master Naturalists Rosie, Keary and Steva had a great time promoting the conservation message during San Elizario's Earth Day Celebration today. Keary, of Molinaro Snake Lab fame, brought some of his snakes for visitors to interact with. He had some species endemic to the Chihuahuan Desert, as well as other species such as Jack who is prominently featured in these photos. Jack is a python species. Isn't he charismatic?! He is a wonderful ambassador for his species and wildlife in general. Thanks for helping us out, Jack and company! 😍🌎

12/01/2025

Sharing to impart knowledge about ideal trees for El Paso region. Now is the best time to transplant trees and shrubs and sow seeds of wildflowers.

Plant of the Week!

Common name: Catclaw Mimosa

Scientific name: Mimosa aculeaticarpa var. biuncifera

Native range: Central Texas west through New Mexico to Arizona, south through most of Mexico

Catclaw Mimosa is a thorny shrub that can reach between one and three meters in height and is characterized by its dense branches covered with spines that curve backwards like a cat’s claw. The spines are usually arranged in pairs, which gives it its variety name “biuncifera,” meaning “two hooks.”

Its leaves are bipinnate, with numerous small bright green or grayish-green leaflets, giving it a fine, feathery appearance. During spring and early summer, it produces small, globular flowers ranging in color from white to pink. The flowers are grouped in spherical heads that are very attractive to bees and other pollinators.

The fruit is a flattened, curved pod that is brown when ripe, with spiny margins and several seeds inside. This plant is often found on rocky slopes, in scrubland, and in grasslands. Its tendency to form spiny thickets provides excellent cover to birds and small mammals.