Nature-friendly places to go in DFW beginning Oct. 1
▪ First Saturday at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas will be 9 a.m.-noon Oct. 1 at the campus, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth. Activities include storytime; garden, building and collection tours; and more. www.brit.org
▪ The annual fall festival will be 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 1 at all Calloway’s locations. Free activities include Mad Science performances, kids’ games, crafts and more. calloways.com
▪ Kids can join a free animal exploration at 2 p.m. Oct. 1 at River Legacy Living Science Center in Arlington. The center is at 703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington. 817-860-6752; www.riverlegacy.org
▪ Hike the Riverbottom Trail with a naturalist looking for tracks, animals and more, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. At 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Oct. 2, kids can make simple leaf sun catchers at the Hardwicke Interpretive Center.
On Oct. 7, join an 8:30 a.m. early birds hike around the nature center. Bring or borrow binoculars.
Most programs are free with paid admission ($2-$5). You may register online for these activities and more, including an Oct. 8 canoe trip on the West Fork of the Trinity. A fall docent orientation will be 10 a.m.-noon Oct. 8.
The refuge is at 9601 Fossil Ridge Road, Fort Worth. 817-392-7410; www.fwnaturecenter.org
▪ Learn about the gardens French impressionist Claude Monet created and used in his paintings from speaker Bonnie Williams at the Arlington Garden Club meeting at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Fielder House Museum, 1616 W. Abram St., Arlington. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/gardenclub-arlington.
▪ A preview class for the Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s fall plant sale will be 6 p.m. Oct. 4 in the garden’s conservation greenhouse, off I-30. A tree planting class will be 6 p.m. Oct. 5, also in the greenhouse. To register for the classes, $15 each, call 817-392-5548.
The $15 can be applied toward purchases at the plant sale, which will be 2-6 p.m. Oct. 7, and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 8, at the Grove area of the garden. Bring your own cart or wagon, but some will be available. 817-392-5510; fwbg.org.
▪ Texas artist Deborah Paris’ exhibit, “The Nature of Things: Daphne Prairie,” which includes 25 oil paintings of one of the state’s largest remaining tallgrass prairies, runs through Oct. 20 at the Botanical Institute of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth. www.brit.org
▪ The eleventh annual “Dinosaurs Live!” life-size animatronic dinosaurs exhibit continues at the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney. The exhibit is included in the admission price, $9 adults and $6 seniors and ages 3-12. www.heardmuseum.org
▪ Get your gardening questions answered with a call to the Tarrant County Master Gardener Association help desk, 817-884-1944. Hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
▪ Johnson County Master Gardeners also answer gardening questions and give advice 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays. Call the Johnson County Extension Office at 817-556-6370 and ask to speak to a master gardener.
Mark your calendar
▪ For River Legacy’s 20th annual After Dark in the Park fall festival, Oct. 7-9 at River Legacy Living Science Center, 703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington. Family Fun Packages, $45 for four admission tickets plus activity and food tickets, are on sale until Oct. 6. For more information, call 817-860-6752 or visit www.riverlegacy.org.
▪ For the 13-state Southern Region Master Gardener Conference, Nov. 1-4, at the Sheraton Arlington. To register, go to http://2016southernregionmg.com
Send announcements of local home and garden happenings (including retail news) at least two weeks in advance to Places to Go, Features Department, Star-Telegram, Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101, or send an email to scline@star-telegram.com with “Places to Go” in the subject line.
This story was originally published September 29, 2016 at 4:19 PM with the headline "Nature-friendly places to go in DFW beginning Oct. 1."