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CDRI Desert NewsFlash
May 2026
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Pitaya, Echinocereus stramineus, in the Desert Specialty Garden of the Botanical Gardens.
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We have enjoyed a spectacular spring in the Botanical Gardens!
Last summer, we received 24 inches of rainfall, along with a warm winter and spring, plus an additional 3 inches of precipitation already recorded in 2026. The garden has benefitted tremendously from these conditions! Of course, we hope that favorable conditions continue throughout the summer.
The beautiful plant identification sign shown in the photograph is one of 600 new signs that have been added throughout the garden. They were designed by volunteer Jim Fissel and installed by CDRI’s Site Manager, Scott Whitener. Funding for the plant signs was made possible by a generous donation from the Estate of Joyce Lockhart Wildenthal.
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Agave Festival Marfa, June 4-7, 2026
If you’re looking for a terrific way to kick off your summer, come experience the annual Agave Festival Marfa! The festival celebrates the agave plant and its influence on culture through food, film, music, science, and, of course, spirits. The festival honors the agave as the indicator species for a region that is culturally dynamic, multilingual, and deeply informed by indigenous cultures and history.
It brings communities together through outstanding free and accessible programming, including talks by preeminent historians, botanists, artists, anthropologists, and archaeologists. Tastings hosted by agave spirit producers, one-of-a-kind dining experiences, and performances by leading artists in contemporary and regional music make for an unforgettable multi-day event.
CDRI will offer two guided hikes through the Botanical Gardens during the festival. The hike on Friday, June 5, will be led by CDRI's Head Gardener, Faith Hille-Dishron, while the hike on Saturday, June 7, will be led by CDRI's Board President and co-author of Marfa Garden, Jim Martinez. The hikes will begin at 9:15 a.m. from the Powell Visitor Center.
Each event at CDRI is limited to 50 guests. To participate in the hike, please sign up at programs@cdri.org.
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Agave and Cactus Sale at CDRI!
So many of our visitors have asked where they can buy plants this summer, that we’re holding a plant sale that will coincide with the Agave Festival Marfa, June 4-6!
We’ll have Whale’s Tongue Agave, Parry’s Agave, and Havard Agave, plus we will also offer a wide variety of cacti in 4-inch pots.
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Save the Date!
CDRI's
BBQ and Auction
fundraiser!
August 15, 2026
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CDRI awards scholarships
The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute is pleased to award three Scudday Scholarships this spring. Each award is $1,500 and is open to graduate students in the Biology Department or to those studying vertebrate animals in the Chihuahuan Desert. The three recipients for 2026 are Thomas Levrie, Kevin LeGrow, and Jesse Ellgren.
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Thomas Levrie is a graduate student in the Biology Department at Sul Ross State University (SRSU).
Levrie’s thesis research focuses on how elevation influences gut microbial diversity in Sceloporus poinsettii (Crevice spiny lizard) in the Christmas and Davis Mountains in the Trans-Pecos region. Levrie's thesis committee chair, Dr. Thorton Larson, stated, “Thomas has taken on a very ambitious project, involving some level of proficiency in field-based collections and a genetic workflow never yet conducted at SRSU.” His research and work with these vertebrate communities relate to studies conducted by the late Dr. Scudday.
In the above photo, left to right, are Chris Ritzi, PhD SRSU Biology, Thomas Levrie, and Shirley Powell, CDRI director emerita.
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Jesse Ellgren is a graduate student at SRSU’s Borderlands Research Institute (BRI). His research is focused on the wildlife population and community trends of Ursus americanus (American black bear) along the U.S. and Mexican border. In his research, Ellgren is evaluating current occupancy and transboundary dynamics in three regional counties. To conduct his research, Ellgren has been monitoring and analyzing data from 50 cameras stationed on private ranch land along the Rio Grande. Ellgren stated that he is “currently studying factors that may influence the natural recolonization of black bears back into southwest Texas, and quantifying how current border infrastructure, surveillance activities, and landscape resource variation not only affect black bears, but also shifts medium to large mammal community's abundances, richness, and activity patterns.”
Pictured above, from left to right, are Shirley Powell, CDRI director emerita, Jesse Ellgren, and Justin French, PhD BRI.
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Kevin LeGrow is not your typical college student. LeGrow left a successful corporate career to pursue a second Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology and then his Master’s degree.
LeGrow’s thesis research focuses on whether mule deer habitat selection affects survivability.
LeGrow’s thesis committee chair, Justin French, stated, “Kevin has gone beyond his regular duties to investigate how extensive herbicide treatments at Black Gap really impact mule deer populations.” In addition to researching mule deer habitat choices, LeGrow is also asking whether habitat improvements translate into demographic benefits for the the mule deer population. French concludes that LeGrow has utilized new methods and ideas to accomplish this goal, making his research “exciting on both scientific and practical grounds.”
In the above photo are Kevin LeGrow and Lisa Gordon, Executive Director, CDRI.
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In December 2024, volunteers transplanted over 100 small Agave havardii, (Havard agave), in the CDRI Botanical Gardens. CDRI collaborated with Bat Conservation International’s Agave Restoration Project in an effort to protect and restore the foraging habitat of bats throughout the bats’ migratory range. This is a long term project, with agaves taking 15-20 years to mature and produce a flower stalk to provide nectar for the bats, hummingbirds, and other wildlife.
The agaves were planted in circular “pods” with about five plants per circle, or pod. To enhance this area and provide clear paths for visitors, CDRI’s head gardener, Faith Hille-Dishron and volunteers have nearly completed stone pathways throughout the exhibit.
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April 2026 saw a lot of back-to-back programs, including school visits, affinity group tours, and the Conant Lecture!
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Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Day is one of our educational programs designed specifically for 2nd and 3rd grade students in the Big Bend Region. It is free to all who attend. Many thanks to the CDRI staff, the Tierra Grande Master Naturalist volunteers, and Dr. Chris Ritzi and his students from the Sul Ross State University (SRSU) Biology Club. It takes the entire community to produce one of these very special programs!
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Jame Cornett, CDRI’s Guest Lecturer
at the Roger Conant Distinguished Guest Lecture
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Living Things is one of our free children’s educational programs for 1st grade students. Like its name implies, this program teaches about plants and animals of the Chihuahuan Desert. All of CDRI’s programs are STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) based, and follow the Texas Education Agency’s curriculum for each specific grade level.
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Road Scholar brought two groups in April for a guided tour of the Botanical Gardens.
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St. Mary’s Hall, San Antonio, Texas
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The Girls’ School of Austin
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A Friend’s Group reunion from across Texas
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Adopt a Highway - Trash Off!
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From the best rural
Nature Center and Botanical Gardens
in Texas,
We wish you happy trails
and hope to see you soon!
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Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, P.O. Box 905, Fort Davis, TX 79734
432.364.2499
www.cdri.org
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