Matthews Cartwright-Roberts Prairie, Ebel Grassland Ranch, The Lennox Woods Preserve, and Daphne Prairie.  LUNCH @ Lennox House, Clarksville, and Dinner will be in Mt. Vernon, TX. 

Questions? Contact Leigh Ann Ellis:

Cell # 214.395.1902; Email : laellis55@aol.com.

ITINERARY:

7:30am Meet at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas

8:30 am - 9:30 am Tour the Matthew Cartwright-Roberts Prairie with Susan Roberts, near Terrell. This is 200 acres of quality prairie with stunning views. One of the owners, Susan Roberts, will guide us on the prairie’s plants and history. This prairie was awarded the 2000 Texas Lone Star Land Steward Award.(9:30am Depart for Ebel Grassland Ranch, Sulphur Bluff.)

11:00 am - 12:00 Noon Ebel Grassland Ranch with Kelli and Karl Ebel, Sulphur Bluff. This critically imperiled Silveus dropseed prairie has undergone an amazing restoration since 2003. The Ebels will share their knowledge on the ecology of raising cattle and goats on their 1057-acre grassland. They were recently invited to Washington, D.C. to urge members of Congress to support the American Prairie Conservation Act for nationwide "Sodsaver" protection. Theirs is a 1057 acre multi-species ranch, producing cattle and goats with approximately 525 of restored native tall grass prairie, 282 acres of non-native permanent pastures, and 250 acres of savannah and woodland. (12Noon: Depart for lunch in Clarksville.)

(The 1st photo -left- was taken by NPAT during a visit to Ebel Grassland Ranch.)

12:30 pm - 1:30pm Lunch: Lennox  House, Clarksville. $10/person CASH ONLY please. Mr. B. F. Hicks has arranged lunch: sandwiches, chips, and tea will be prepared for us by the Clarksville Historical Society. (Registration Form provides opportunity to select a standard meal, a gluten-free, or a vegetarian lunch if you prefer.) Local historians will be available to share local lore. (Depart for Lennox Woods Preserve afterward.)

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Lennox Woods Preserve, North of Clarksville, The Nature Conservancy described it as "One of the most beautiful and pristine old-growth forests in the state, the 1,400-acre Lennox Woods Preserve is a vital refuge for several rare plant and animal species, all of which rely on the waters of Pecan Bayou, the largest undammed watershed in northeast Texas and what many consider the focus of the return of the black bear. The old-growth timber and cathedral-like canopy of these woods thought to be typical of the undisturbed floodplains through out the state prior to the arrival of settlers."  (4:00pm Depart for Daphne Prairie, Mt. Vernon.)

(The 2nd photo left is by big5kayakchallenge.com and captures a mysterious, somewhat bizzare walkway between ancient trees of Lennox Woods Preserve.) 

".... just as the road turns toward Pecan Bayou, a dark forest looms, far taller than the rest." Open this link   and read Amy Martin's article written after she and her husband, Scooter Smith, visited this amazing and ancient forest. (Amy is an active volunteer with the Blackland NPAT Chapter. Thanks Amy!)  

4:45 pm - 6:00 pm: Daphne Prairie with B.F. Hicks, Mt. Vernon. We return to this special site that is a favorite for prairie and bird lovers, known for its mima mounds and East Texas tall grass prairie. Daphne is a 925-acre preserve, NPAT holds the conservation easement for supervision of management; CE was donated to NPAT in 2016. We will be able to go farther into the prairie this visit to view more of this historic property! (6:30pm Leave Daphne Prairie behind and board the bus for our ride to downtown Mt. Vernon.) 

6:30 - 7:45 pm: Tour participants are dinner guests of the Franklin County Historical Association of the B.F. Hicks Church Inn, 501 S. Kaufman Street, Mt. Vernon, TX.  The 1.5 acre grounds have been planted with a variety of native plants and attract a variety of birds and butterflies; the gardens will be in full bloom!

7:45 pm Depart for return to Dallas

9:30 pm Arrival at Bath House Cultural Center, Dallas

(The bottom photo is one of NPAT's prized images, a pond on Daphne Prairie.)

REGISTER NOW -

Pay for Bus Tickets Online!

 You may pay for bus tickets by check payable to: NPAT, with your memo: '6-16-18 Prairie Bus Tour.

NOTE: We will not be able to process Credit Cards.

The Lennox House asks that each person pay the cost of their $10 lunch in CASH. Lunch will include a sandwich, chips and tea. Additional items (dessert, soda, etc.) will need to be paid by cash as well. Lennox House will also accommodate food restrictions by offering a gluten-free or vegetarian lunch in addition to a standard meal. Please indicate your selection(s) on the Registration Form.

We will notify them in advance; this will streamline the process and enable us to adhere to our Itinerary. 

Thanks for your cooperation!