Nature-friendly places to go in DFW starting Sept. 10
▪ The monthly Community Day will be 9 a.m.-noon Sept. 10 at the O.S. Gray Natural Area, 2021 W. Abram St., Arlington. Volunteers will mulch trails, cut privet and weed garden areas.
▪ Marshall Grain’s free organic vegetable gardening class will be at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 10 at the Grapevine store, 3525 William D. Tate Ave. 817-416-6600, http://www.marshallgrain.com/.
▪ River Legacy’s annual W.A.T.E.R. (Water Awareness Through Education and Recreation) festival will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 10. The free event is a science fair filled with family-friendly activities, crafts and demonstrations. Also, from 9 to 11 a.m., city of Arlington volunteers will conduct composting classes and distribute free books.
At 10 a.m. Sept. 10, there’s a beginner yoga class for adults. It’s $5; bring a mat and water bottle.
The River Legacy Living Science Center is at 703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd., Arlington. 817-860-6752; www.riverlegacy.org.
▪ Pick up Upcycle rain barrels and compost bins ordered from the Botanical Research Institute of Texas and the city of Fort Worth, 9 a.m.-noon Sept. 10 at BRIT, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth. www.brit.org.
▪ Learn about “Ancient Nature” on a hike at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, 1-3 p.m. Sept. 10. Or take the Spillway Hike, 1-3 p.m. Sept. 11. Both are free with admission.
Also, register for a Full Moon Paddle of the West Fork of the Trinity River, 7-10:30 p.m. Sept. 16. Canoes, paddles and life jackets are provided. Maximum 12 participants allowed. It’s $20, $15 for members.
Most programs are free with paid admission ($2-$5). You may register for these activities and more online. The refuge is at 9601 Fossil Ridge Road, Fort Worth. 817-392-7410; www.fwnaturecenter.org.
▪ The opening reception of Texas artist Deborah Paris’ exhibit, “The Nature of Things: Daphne Prairie,” will be 4-9 p.m. Sept. 10, Fall Gallery Night, at the Botanical Institute of Texas, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth. The show, which includes 25 oil paintings of one of the state’s largest remaining tallgrass prairies, runs through Oct. 20. www.brit.org.
▪ The ninth annual “Art in the Garden” exhibit continues this weekend at the Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. Parking is free.
▪ Learn about orchid varieties and care from the experts at a Fort Worth Orchid Society meeting, 7 p.m. Sept. 12 in the Rose Room of the Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center, Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd.
▪ Daylily hybridizer Karol Emmerich of Minnesota will speak at the meeting of the North Texas Daylily Society, 7 p.m. Sept. 15, in the Camellia Room of the Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center, Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd. Join a free potluck dinner. For more information, call Susan Austin, 817-925-5052 or visit www.facebook.com/northtexasdaylilysociety. Online: http://www.northtexasdaylilysociety.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 a “Hummingbird Havens” workshop led by master naturalist George McBride, 10-11 a.m. Sept. 17, at the Bob Jones Nature Center, 355 Bob Jones Road, Southlake. It’s $10, free for members. To register, call 817-491-6333. bjnc.org
▪ For a pet adoption fair featuring several North Texas rescue groups and shelters, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 17 at Marshall Grain, 3525 William D. Tate Ave., Grapevine. Giveaways, a mobile vet clinic, vendors and more. 817-416-6600; www.marshallgrain.com
▪ For the Iris Society of Dallas plant sale, 9 a.m. Sept. 17, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 11425 Marsh Lane (near Forest Lane), Dallas. Plants are freshly dug, with newest varieties available. Sellout is normally by noon.
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 8, 2016 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Nature-friendly places to go in DFW starting Sept. 10."