“A Monarch!” They eagerly misplace, Her gentle poise unflinching.

I first realized that we had a species of Gopherus in Texas when I came upon a small female G. berlandierii (Texas tortoise) at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. She was in the last stages of covering a hole that likely contained eggs.

Painted spurge (Euphorbia heterophylla) and painted leaf (Euphorbia cyathophora) are not so distant relations of the famed commercialized poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) all of which are in the Spurge family and widespread throughout the tropics and subtropics. They also have been introduced or naturalized in many countries – giving them many common names.

What a spectacular sight!! Each fall millions of monarch butterflies pass through our region on their way to their overwintering grounds in the oyamel fir forests of central Mexico. The following spring these migrants return to the southern tier of states so their offspring and successive generations can fly north to repopulate the summer range.…

Almost every winter visitor to the Gulf Coast shores will sooner or later encounter the delightfully busy, medium-sized sandpiper, Calidris alba, or Sanderling, whose common name we’ve received from the Old English sand-yrðling, “sand-ploughman.” These little sandpipers are possibly the most common shorebird species in the world, being found on every continent but Antarctica.

Estero Llano Grande State Park in November wrapped up the Rio Grande Valley’s State Parks’ 100- year anniversary celebrations with an Outdoor Family Fiesta.