Congratulations to the ’24-’25 Awarded Chapters!
Texas Master Naturalist Program Announces Sixteen (16) Chapter Awardees of the Pollinators for Texas Initiative
January, 2025 — The Texas Master Naturalist Program announced that 16 chapters from across the state will receive funding to implement community projects benefiting native pollinators, thanks to a generous $50,000 donation from Texas-based grocer, H-E-B.
The awards are part of H-E-B’s Pollinators for Texas initiative and will support a wide range of chapter projects to enhance conservation efforts for native pollinators. This includes restoring pollinator habitats, educating the public on pollinators’ importance and engaging communities in efforts to protect and sustain these essential species.
Critical importance of pollinators
The Pollinators for Texas initiative highlights the crucial role that pollinators — such as bats, butterflies, moths and more — play in maintaining healthy ecosystems, supporting biodiversity and ensuring the sustainability of agricultural practices.
“We are grateful for H-E-B’s commitment to this important cause,” said Mary Pearl Meuth, Texas Master Naturalist Program assistant program coordinator. “Thanks to their generous contribution, these chapters can make a meaningful impact for native pollinators throughout Texas, ranging from urban to rural landscapes.”
Each awarded project aligns with the overarching goal of the Pollinators for Texas initiative, which is to engage local communities in the conservation of pollinators and the habitats they depend on.
The following chapters will receive funding:
Each of these projects reflects the Pollinators for Texas initiatives purpose of protecting and restoring vital native pollinator habitats across the state. By engaging local communities, fostering educational outreach and providing hands-on conservation opportunities, these initiatives will contribute to the long-term health and sustainability of Texas’ pollinator ecosystems. With the support of H-E-B, these TMN chapters will bring awareness to and create positive change for pollinator conservation.
Alamo Area Chapter
Woodlawn Lake Centennial Garden – $3,000
The Centennial Garden in Woodlawn Lake Park, a valuable historical site for San Antonio, Texas, is expanding to half an acre. Funding will contribute to developing the new land to make it suited for planting native plants that support pollinators in the area. The Alamo Area Chapter will work with the Woodlawn Lake Community Association and neighborhood volunteers to tend to the garden.
Balcones Canyonlands Chapter
Bull Creek District Park Pollinator Garden – $3,000
This Balcones Canyonlands Chapter, in partnership with external organizations, will develop and maintain a 1,700-square-foot pollinator garden that attracts native species through pollinator food and shelter in Austin, Texas. In addition to six other gardens previously installed by this chapter, this garden will serve as an educational opportunity for the community. The chapter plans to host garden tours and maintain a relationship with the community to encourage participation from locals during their garden workdays.
Blackland Prairie Chapter
Frisco Monarch View Park – $3,000
Monarch View Park in Frisco, Texas, consists of 13 acres of natural woodlands and meadows. The Blackland Prairie Chapter has previously worked in this park to establish native plants through other project funding. With the Pollinators for Texas funds, the chapter will initiate its second phase to source additional native plants and seeds and develop pollinator-based educational signage for the park. The garden will be sustained through the chapter’s multiple partners and local volunteers.
Brush y Canyons Chapter
Garner State Park Visitor Center Garden – $3,000
In 2009, the Friends of Garner State Park established a native garden to showcase the native plant species at Garner State Park in Concan, Texas, for the almost 1/2 million park visitors who come each year. The Brush y Canyons Chapter’s project is to maintain a display of native pollinator plant species to attract local pollinators and to provide educational experiences to the community. Funding will be used to restore and maintain the garden to help support native plant species.
Capital Area Chapter
SMARC Pollinator Pathway – $3,000
This project consists of developing and maintaining a native pollinator garden at the San Marcos Aquatic Resources Center (SMARC), a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) federal property in Central Texas. This 9,000 sq. ft. project will not only boost pollinator habitat but also enable community engagement, education, enjoyment and active participation in pollinator science.
Coastal Prairie Chapter
Nina’s Garden – $3,000
Nina’s Garden is a new project to be developed in Cullinan Park in Sugar Land, Texas. Cullinan Park is a valuable area of 754 protected wooded acres. Nina’s Garden aims to enrich the number and biodiversity of native pollinators within the park, in order to enhance park visitors’ educational and sensory experience.
Galveston Bay Area Chapter
Putting the “3” in 3A – $3,000
The Exploration Green 3A Pollinator Garden project, initiated through a grant from the Clear Lake Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) in September 2024, aims to create a sustainable habitat for pollinators using native plants while fostering collaboration between three non-profits: the TMN Galveston Bay Area Chapter, Exploration Green Conservancy, and NPSOT. The garden, strategically located near local schools, will serve as an educational space to promote biodiversity and raise public awareness about the importance of pollinators, with plans for educational signage and community involvement.
Gideon Lincecum Chapter
Educational Signage for Pollinator Habitats – $3,000
Six pollinator gardens spanning a five-county area were established by the Gideon Lincecum Chapter to demonstrate native plants that can be used in settings ranging from a small yard to prairie restoration. Funding will be allocated towards adding educational signs that will engage visitors when chapter volunteers are not present. The chapter is hopeful that educational signs will reach a larger audience and provide helpful information about native species that visitors can leave with.
Hill Country Chapter
Kerr County Courthouse Pollinator Garden – $2,000
The “Monarch Highway” initiative, started in 2015, led to the creation of a pollinator garden at the Kerr County Courthouse to promote native pollinator species. The garden has become a successful educational space, raising awareness about pollinators and providing a peaceful area for visitors. Funding will contribute to expanding the garden to include native trees, grasses and milkweed to enhance biodiversity and visitor experiences.
Indian Trail Chapter
Ennis Public Library Education Pollinator Garden – $3,000
This funded project will support the development of a new pollinator garden at the Ennis Public Library in Ennis, Texas. The project will support, promote and expand its local history through an educationally focused pollinator garden.
Lindheimer Chapter
Madrone Trail Pollinator Garden – $3,000
In partnership with the Water Oriented Recreation District, the Lindheimer Chapter developed a native pollinator garden in Comal County at Canyon Lake. This is an existing garden regularly challenged by drought, extreme heat and severe winters. The chapter will use funding to help build resiliency in the garden through soil restoration, develop shaded areas and increase the number and diversification of native plants found in the park suited for the garden’s ecoregion.
Lost Pines Chapter
Bob Bryant Park Prairie Pollinator Project – $3,000
The Lost Pines Chapter will create a small native prairie to serve as a local pollinator habitat, an educational resource and a natural space for community enjoyment. This pollinator habitat, which will be located at Bob Bryant Park in Bastrop, Texas, is receiving funding to help in the preparation of the site. This pollinator project is integral in providing a location for outdoor learning about prairies and pollinators for the Bastrop community and visitors to experience.
Mid-Coast Chapter
Pollinator Garden Collective – $3,000
The Mid-Coast Chapter will develop one new garden and maintain 5 additional pollinator gardens throughout its multi-county range. The gardens range in location from Rockport, Texas (Aransas County), to Matagorda, Texas (Matagorda County), with other gardens located in Calhoun and Victoria counties. These gardens represent important efforts to create and maintain native pollinator habitat across a broad geographic area; creating not only a refuge for pollinators but also a visible means of educating the public about pollinators.
North Texas Chapter
Tenison Park Pollinator Garden – $1,000
The Tenison Park Pollinator Garden in Dallas, Texas, has been an urban respite for park visitors to enjoy and observe nature since its development in 2017. The North Texas Chapter managed the planning and development of the garden and continues to dedicate its time and effort to sustaining it with help from community volunteers. The chapter plans to use the financial award to purchase native plants to restore habitat lost to urbanization to benefit local insects and birds.
Sabine-Neches Chapter
Pollinator Garden Project – $3,000
The Sabine-Neches Chapter has managed multiple gardens within Southeast Texas since 2023 to accomplish their goals of creating a vibrant and sustainable habitat and fostering the well-being of essential pollinators while promoting community awareness and involvement in preserving biodiversity. Funding will be dedicated to soil health and planting native pollinator plants in the area to support declining pollinator populations in the region. These pollinator gardens support biodiversity, enhance community awareness and contribute to environmental resilience.
Meuth said that through these chapter-led projects, the Texas Master Naturalist Program hopes to develop an awareness of and create meaningful impacts for the state’s many native pollinators.