Friends of Kellus Turner Park

06/16/2026

Any birders out there? These were recorded at the park yesterday, it is really cool there are different species without a great variety of trees. The natural areas of the park are beautiful right now with all the things blooming after the rains!

05/19/2026

Have a couple of these ready for the park!

05/19/2026

New signage going up today!

05/13/2026

Look at all the cleanup that happened today around the old pond! Looks so much better cleared of overgrowth and trash. Thank you Jeff with Ector County Building Maintenance, Environmental and the inmates for busting b***y today on this cleanup!

05/08/2026

Been a busy day! Spent the rest of the day visiting with 2 more folks about the park, yeah!

The weather this morning was perfect to join the Friends of Kellus Turner Park in West Odessa. Michele Lee, Betsy Triplett-Hurt and other talented naturalists were kind enough to take me around this 33-acre park and show off the new and upgraded nature trails.

05/05/2026

Just want to let everyone know some things are being marked at the park for a proposed project and the protection of a wildlife spot. Please do not remove any flags or boulders placed in the park. Thanks for your support!

04/16/2026

The Llano Estacado Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists voted at their last board meeting to apply for the Pollinators for Texas grant from Texas Master Naturalists and HEB for Kellus Turner Park. Let's grow something lovely and beneficial!

TONIGHT: Join us on April 15 at 6pm CT for a webinar covering the Pollinators for Texas 2026 Project Award application!

In partnership with H-E-B, this initiative supports Texas Master Naturalist Chapters working to conserve and protect native pollinators across the state. Chapters can apply for variable awards of up to $4,000 to fund habitat development, restoration, and outreach.

To review the application and register for the webinar, visit: https://txmn.tamu.edu/pollinators-for-texas/

04/11/2026

The pocket prairie is looking beautiful right now! Full of Chocolate Daisies blooming and this lovely red tipped grass that just sways in the breeze. Saw a few Mexican Hats blooming and there will be more plants blooming over the next months. Ladybird Johnson started the seed the sides of Texas Highways Program and our Commissioners Court back in 1976 were headed in the same direction with their plans for Kellus Turner Park.
Difference is the park wasn't seeded it's all nature's planting! Thank you birds and wildlife for doing the hard work, you were designed for.

03/27/2026

Don't forget the bioblitz is happening tomorrow afternoon!

Public is welcome. Trainees, members and Juniors can earn volunteer hours for posting to the iNaturalist BioBlitz.

12/15/2025

These lovelies are growing in a couple of spots at the park!

Our Plant of the Week, Texas Skeleton Plant (Lygodesmia texana) is part of the large Aster Family (Asteraceae) and is also known as Texas Skeleton W**d, Skeleton-plant, Purple Dandelion, and Flowering Straw.

Texas Skeleton Plant is drought tolerant and well suited for xeriscape gardens. Named for it’s minimal foliage, the plant has smooth, almost leafless stems. Its few leaves are at the base of the plant and are narrow, gray-green, with short lobes. The bare stems, grow at odd angles, thus its common name. The tubular flower grows singly at the end of stems. When the stems are broken, they exude sap which coagulates into a gum.