Nature-friendly places to go in DFW beginning Nov. 12
▪ Join free backyard composting classes led by Arlington master composters, 9-11 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of the River Legacy Living Science Center. Also, take a free, family-friendly, naturalist-led nature walk at 2 p.m. Saturday. RSVP to 817-860-6752. The center is at 703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington. 817-860-6752; www.riverlegacy.org
▪ Saturday is Military Appreciation Day at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. Admission and activities, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., will be free for members of the military and their families.
Sunday activities include “string games,” a kid-friendly activity, 2-3 p.m., and a full-moon paddle on the West Fork of the Trinity River, beginning at 5 p.m. Registration is required for the paddle, which costs $20 per participant.
Other programs at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge this week include “Nature Center After Hours, 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, and the Preschool Discovery Club, which will be studying opossums, 10:30 a.m. Friday.
Most nature center programs are free with paid admission ($2-$5). You may register online. The refuge is at 9601 Fossil Ridge Road, Fort Worth. 817-392-7410; www.fwnaturecenter.org.
▪ Master arborist Wes Culwell will discuss trees great and small in his program “Local Historical Trees and Observations From Southwest Nature Preserve,” 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Community Room, West Arlington Police Station, 2060 W. Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington. Details at www.swnp.org.
▪ Join “Family Drop-in: Garden Glow” and participate in various glow-in-the-dark activities, 6-8 p.m. Thursday at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3400 Botanic Garden Blvd. The activity is free and no reservations are required. Must have parental supervision and a flashlight. 3200 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth. 817-392-5510; fwbg.org.
▪ Tickets for the 32nd annual Colleyville Woman’s Club Holiday Home Tour are on sale at various restaurants and businesses in Colleyville, Grapevine, North Richland Hills and Southlake. The tickets are $25 in advance, $30 on day of tour. The tour will be 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 4 and will feature five decorated homes, along with Santa’s Sweet Stop. For more information, including ticket sale locations, visit c-w-c.org or call 817-358-1805.
▪ The 11th 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, $11, $8 for seniors and ages 3-12, 2 and younger admitted free. 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 tea ceremonies in the Fort Worth Japanese Garden on Nov. 19. Tickets are $30. To reserve a seat, call 817-392-5548. 3200 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth. fwbg.org
▪ For Canoe Fest at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, noon-4 p.m. Nov. 20. It’s $5, and first-come, first-served. Meet at the Big River parking lot. 9601 Fossil Ridge Road, Fort Worth. 817-392-7410; www.fwnaturecenter.org.
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 November 10, 2016 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Nature-friendly places to go in DFW beginning Nov. 12."