Alamo Sierra Club Outings & Events

WARNING CHIGGERS: Be sure to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirt and use a heavy amount of repellent. We will be walking grassy areas prone to chiggers! Also, bring water, hat, and sunscreen.

This is a two-part event:

Part 1: Families with upper elementary age children and adults should arrive by 7:50 am to register for an 8 am sharp Entomology Talk covering types of insects, morphology, and the critical role of insects as pollinators. Then join families with younger children on the savanna for an hour of insect catch, ID, and release. We will provide loaner nets.

Part 2: Families with younger children should arrive and sign-in by 8:55 to join the earlier group as it moves from the classroom to the savanna by 9:10.

Our objective is to learn about insects, identify some of the more common species found in our local area, and learn the role of insects in the environment. The event will be led by Nicolas Phillips an expert student of Entomology planning to specialize in entomophagy, an award-winning insect collector, and an Integrated Pest Control professional. Nicolas has been an enthusiast and lover of insects since early childhood and brings his passion and knowledge to our park.

The morning begins in the small classroom with an hour overview of all you ever wanted to know about these arthropods. We will then move to the nearby savanna where families with younger children will join us to catch, ID, and release insects. Nicolas will identify and elaborate upon our captured specimens to explain general concepts. The netted insects are then released back into nature. The park is a great place to find a variety of interesting insects.

Please arrive on the patio at 7:50 am SHARP (or by 8:55 am SHARP for families with young children). Minors must be accompanied by an adult parent/guardian. Dogs are not appropriate for this event. DIFFICULTY: Easy, geared to families with children, as well as interested adults. This will not be a hike and should end around 10:00 am.

Donations of $3 individual or $5 family to the PHP Conservancy are suggested, to support park educational activities. Parents interested in learning more nature for their children can go to https://txmn.org/alamo/area-resources/natural-areas-and-linear-creekways-guide/family-nature-guides/

This event's general sponsors are the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department's Natural Area Office, Alamo Area Master Naturalists, and the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club.

Contact Stan Drezek (stanwendre@gmail.com) for additional information or questions.

Our walks's purpose is to identify and appreciate our area wildflowers in the context of also appreciating the beauty of our natural areas and learning about where and when our wildflowers grow and their relationship to insects.

Wendy Leonard whose Masters is in Biology from UTSA currently serves as assistant manager in San Antonio's Natural Area Office. Her masters thesis was on a threatened wildflower, the Bracted Twistflower. Wendy is a naturalist, Certified Wildlife Biologist, plant ecologist, conservationist, and beekeeper. There is not a better person in San Antonio to lead us along the trails of PHP and through the Demonstration Garden identifying and discussing those wildflowers that beat the drought. Wendy will specifically discuss where native wildflowers will be present in the local ecology and their interactions with pollinators. Come learn with our accomplished local expert.

Please arrive by 7:45 am to sign up so we can begin promptly at 8:00 am. We will walk along several of the trails close to the UEC where Wendy will have scouted out the most wildflowers. There will be brief explanations at the start and along the way with ample time for participant questions.

Minors only when accompanied by an adult parent/guardian. Dogs allowed if leashed and socialized. DIFFICULTY: Easy, definitely suitable for families. Flat terrain, slow-paced. This will only be about a mile walk and last about two hours ending back at the Urban Ecology Center around 10:00 am.

The trail is a natural surface so be sure to wear sturdy shoes and, dependent on the weather, bring water, sun protection, and dress appropriate for the day and season. Suggested $3 individual or $5 family donation to the PHP Conservancy to support enhancements to the park.

This event's general sponsors are the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy, the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department's Natural Area Office, the Alamo Area Master Naturalists, and the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club. The SA Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas is a special sponsor.

Contact Stan Drezek (stanwendre@gmail.com) for additional information or questions.