This is an archive of articles written by Anita Westervelt between 2015 and 2021 for the Rio Grande Valley Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist. To focus on the most current information, these earlier articles were retired from the original site. We are pleased to provide a permanent home for them here. Please note that the articles are preserved mainly in their original form and may contain outdated information or links. For Anita’s current work, please visit the South Texas Border Chapter’s blog: stbctmn.org/blog.
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Four annoying garden plants you’ve probably never named
Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist It’s getting toward the end of spring in the Valley, and newly planted gardens are looking colorful and healthy. Many uninvited yard plants are looking healthy, too, much to the consternation of many a gardener. Four annoying lawn and garden plants everyone probably has but never…
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Colorful and unique creatures share the warm Gulf waters off South Padre Island’s shore
By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Moray eels are a unique fish found worldwide in tropical and temperate seas. They are often brightly colored, have a big mouth, tapering body and swim using a series of undulating movements. Morays have no side fins like typical fish. Instead, they have a dorsal fin — generally the…
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Pond sliders
By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist It’s unusual to see a big pond slider turtle lumbering across the lawn at a good clip — away from the water. Two of the most common turtles in Texas are the pond slider and red-eared slider. They are medium-sized semiaquatic turtles and live in fresh and brackish water,…
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Texas pocket gopher — prevalent but rarely seen
By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Texas pocket gophers are prevalent in sandy soils of South Texas. The critters rarely surface, which is why they aren’t often seen, but their mounds leave tell-tale evidence that they’ve taken up residency. The gopher’s distribution in South Texas is wide but patchy because of its requirement for loose,…
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Dog days of summer are as ancient as the cicada’s song
Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist A Texas cicada, the Superb Dog-days cicada, Neotibicen superbus, is so named because it makes its annual appearance during the dog days of summer — those hot, sultry days when it is most hot and humid. Historically, the dog days followed the heliacal rising of the…
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Yellow bells of esperanza are popular nectar source
By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist The air will soon be aflutter with masses of colorful butterflies searching for colorful flowers and rich nectar sources. One popular Valley shrub coming into its showiest season is Esperanza (Tecoma stans). This prolific bloomer sports attention-getting, bright yellow clusters of bell-shaped flowers. The eye-catching blooms aren’t just for…
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Texas Master Naturalist chapters invite Valley residents and Winter Texans to events
By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Programs. There are two Texas Master Naturalist chapters in the Rio Grande Valley. Both chapters offer monthly meetings with guest speaker programs and social time that are free and open to the public. The Texas Master Naturalist organization is a unique educational volunteer program sponsored by Texas A&M AgriLife…
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Prepare for the butterfly season
Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Believe it or not, April is a good time to think about October. The October butterfly season, that is, when the Rio Grande Valley is a kaleidoscope of colorful butterflies Now is the time to set about making sure your garden will have plenty of nectar…
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A white garden is a magical thing
By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist At dusk, white flowers glow with their own special drama. Some seem to float like tiny alien spaceships in a dark, terrestrial sea. During the day, white-flowering plants suspended among a diversity of green leaves generate a cool, peaceful visage in the summer’s heat. In descending order of height,…