December is for Storing Up

December in the canyon is a time of subtle beauty and unexpected activity. The Madrone trees have been putting out red berries since November and they create a festivity in contrast to the slowly dying plants that are turning shared of brown. Bluebonnet rosettes are plentiful and many other wildflowers are either releasing seeds or setting the beginning of spring plants.

In order to keep the Canyon natural and a happy habitat for native plants, we have been removing invasive species. On November 15th  30 volunteers removed over 100 King Ranch Bluestem grass and at least 12 False Willow trees! The photo to the below captures folks removing KR - hard but very gratifying work.

A new addition to the landscape are the cheerfully decorated Ashe Junipers that can be seen from Bee Cave along the canyon perimeter. As you can see, decorations are falling off, and animals may decide to use these materials for nest building or for other purposes that can harm them. We hope that those who decorate secure objects tightly and return to remove all materials after the holiday season. All decoration debris on the ground will be removed.