Master Naturalists clean up museum

On January 22, thousands of Ligustrum, an invasive species not native to the Hill Country were removed from the grounds of the Bandera Natural History Museum and taken away in a dumpster thanks to a work crew composed of 17 members of the "Salsa Squad,” a team based in San Antonio whose mission is to remove invasives from the environment, and 16 members of Texas Master Naturalist Hill Country Chapter.

Funds for this were donated by Bandera’s Billy Walker.

The event was organized by Janis Arterbury, a member of the Hill Country Chapter with the permission of Museum Director and staff Maggi Schumaker, Juan Carlos, Chairman, Maria Infante and the Board of Directors of the Museum.

In addition to the benefit they gave to the Hill Country ecosystem through the removal of these detrimental invasives, the day was also set aside to help educate the public about how the introduction of non-native species into our landscapes is harmful to both the health of the environment and potentially harmful to the well-being of native insects and animals and to humans as well.

The group stopped for lunch and then an education presentation given by Cheryl Hamilton, a member of the Salsa Squad and an expert on invasives.

This presentation was attended by twelve members of the Major James Kerr Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. These ladies traveled from Kerrville, Texas to attend the event.

The Texas Master Naturalist Hill Country Chapter is one of 48 regional Texas Master Naturalist volunteer corps. The chapter serves Bandera, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Mason, Menard, Real, and San Saba counties.

Members receive comprehensive training in natural resource management specific to the Texas Hill Country and share their knowledge to promote conservation and good stewardship in their communities. Our chapter is a 501(c)(3) organization.

More information can be found at txmn.org/hillcountry