Our February speaker, Mary Kay Pope, will present an overview of past drought conditions in Central Texas and the long-term ramifications that those conditions may have on tree health. The environmental consequences of ecological drought can include losses in plant growth; increases in fire and insect outbreaks; altered rates of carbon, nutrient, and water cycling; and local species extinctions.

Mary Kay is an Horticulturist and Certified Arborist who has worked in her field continuously for five decades. She has been with Backbone Valley Nursery in Marble Falls since 2015 and regularly publishes articles on the nursery’s website.

Meeting room doors open at 9:30 a.m. for social time and light refreshments. A brief business meeting starts at 10:00 a.m., and Mary Kay Pope’s presentation begins immediately after the business meeting.

If the weather permits, there is a pre-meeting bird walk at 8:00 a.m. at Haley Nelson Park in Burnet.