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CDRI Desert NewsFlash
June 2025
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Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa) by Mady Kitchens.
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It's 2 months and 9 days until
CDRI's BBQ & Auction Fundraiser!
You're invited to come join the fun!
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Dear Friends & Supporters,
You're invited to join
CDRI’s 2025 BBQ & Auction
Host Committee!
We're always striving to make "this year’s fundraiser" the best one yet,
So, let's do it!
Let's make this year's fundraiser the best one yet
and get this party started off on sure footing by joining
CDRI’s 2025 BBQ & Auction Host Committee!
All it takes is your donation of $250.
As an Underwriter/Host, you will receive
* Two event dinner ticket
* A unique, commemorative host gift
* Acknowledgment in all event publications
* Special recognition at the event.
You can join the BBQ & Auction Host Committee at
mail your check to CDRI, P.O. Box 905, Fort Davis, Texas 79734.
Thank you for your support!
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We've Planted a Yucca Forest!
CDRI is thrilled to announce that we have received a generous donation of 18 Faxon yuccas (Yucca faxoniana) from Hoven Riley, the owner and founder of Comanche Yucca in Fort Stockton, Texas.
What did we do with these 18 yuccas, which stand at 4.5 feet tall? Our dedicated staff and volunteers planted them in the Botanical Gardens, right next to three already mature and towering Faxon yuccas. The Faxons are truly remarkable, and we look forward to seeing how magnificent they will become in about five years.
Thank you, Hoven!
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Thank you to this wonderful team. From left: Matthew Brock, Sherry Cardino, Scott Whitener, Mady Kitchens, Warren Shaul, Faith Hille-Dishron with Stubbs the Cat, Jake Dishron, and Allen Tscheyka.
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Using an auger makes planting look easy.
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There's more!
We received two gorgeous Beaked yucca (Yucca rostrata) from Hoven Riley, of Comanche Yucca. One was planted at the beginning of the path to the Botanical Gardens, while the other was planted in the Cactus Garden outside the large greenhouse. Thank you, Hoven!
Planting these yuccas was made considerably easier thanks to volunteer Greg Brock's donation of an auger. After helping dig the 18 holes for the Faxons, Greg purchased the auger for CDRI to help lighten future workloads. Thank you, Greg!
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CDRI Honored as Hortis' Garden of the Month
Last month, in the Desert NewsFlash, we reported about our commitment to create an updated software database to adequately record and maintain the accession records for the Botanical Gardens. Thanks to our team, Jim Fissel, Faith Hille-Dishron, and Mady Kitchens, we're making astounding progress!
We're excited, now, to report that Hortis is shining a spotlight on the CDRI Nature Center & Botanical Gardens by designating CDRI as their Garden of the Month! The link to their article follows:
We'll continue to post updates on our progress in the Desert NewsFlash.
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Discover the Fascinating Geology of the
Davis Mountains
Friday, June 20, 2025
Please join us for a fun, fact-filled day, learning about the geology of the immediate region. The class is designed as a Continuing Professional Education course for Region 18 teachers; however, we will also welcome non-teacher adults who are interested in learning more about the region.
Dr. Jesse Kelsch, Assistant Professor of Geology at Sul Ross State University, will lead a discussion about the region’s mountains and land formations. Following the discussion, participants will embark on a 1.5-mile hike to Clayton’s Overlook, located on the CDRI property. The Overlook features an intrusive igneous rock formation that rises 220 feet to its summit. From the top, you will enjoy a breathtaking 360-degree view of the surrounding area and learn about how the various mountains in sight were formed.
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Bring lunch.
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Two SRSU Students Receive the 2025
James F. Scudday Scholarship
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From left: Dr. Thor Larson, Thomas Levrie, Shirley Powell, Dr. Chris Ritzi, and Derek Dacus.
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Two Sul Ross State University (SRSU) Biology students were recent recipients of CDRI's Scudday Scholarship. With their impressive thesis projects, this year’s scholarship winners are Derek Dacus and Thomas Levrie.
The $1,000 grants are offered annually to graduate students conducting research in the Chihuahuan Desert region, with preference given to applicants conducting research in vertebrate biology.
Derek Dacus
Derek Dacus is a Master’s student in Biology at Sul Ross State University with a deep passion for wildlife biology, parasitology, and the ecology of the Chihuahuan Desert. The grant will support, in part, his graduate thesis project, which explores the environmental and temporal dynamics of gastrointestinal parasites in rattlesnakes (genus Crotalus) across the Big Bend region. Derek's career goal is to become a rural small animal and exotic veterinarian, with a strong emphasis on continuing ecological research alongside veterinary practice.
Thomas Levrie
Thomas Levrie is a Master's student in Biology at Sul Ross State University. His thesis project focuses on the gut microbiota of a widespread species (Crevice Spiny Lizard) in the Chihuahuan Desert. According to SRSU professor Dr. Thor Larson, "This is an ambitious project requiring field and significant lab techniques most students find intimidating." The grant will help fund his research over the summer months.
The Scholarship's Namesake
James F. Scudday, Ph.D. (1929-2009) was a CDRI co-founder and longtime professor of Biology at Sul Ross. Upon his retirement in 1995, he was named a Distinguished Professor Emeritus by the Board of Regents of the Texas State University System, the Board’s highest honor for retired educators.
In addition to a full teaching load, Dr. Scudday conducted significant research, published in scientific journals, and prepared numerous comprehensive vertebrate surveys for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the National Park Service.
During his SRSU tenure, Dr. Scudday directed more than 100 students in graduate programs and thesis projects. Many of his former students maintained close contact with him throughout his lifetime.
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CDRI now offers a High School Scholarship
To explain our interest in awarding a scholarship to high school students, let us start with some background information about our first scholarship recipient, Alice Giambalvo.
We have had the pleasure of getting to know Alice during the 2025 Spring Semester as she performed volunteer work in the Botanical Gardens. Alice contacted us last winter and asked if she could volunteer two hours each afternoon during the Spring Semester in conjunction with the school's work-study program. She explained that her interest lies in environmental science, which aligns with her plans to attend Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi in the fall.
Alice reported to work in good weather and in bad, always with a smile and always willing to attempt something new. As the semester was drawing to a close, we knew we wanted a way to express our gratitude and to show her how proud we were of her initiative, so we decided to award Alice with a $1,000 scholarship.
The first CDRI High School Scholarship for $1,000 was presented to Alice at graduation on May 23. Congratulations, Alice!
Starting with the 2025-26 school year, CDRI will award up to two $1,000 scholarships to area high school students. Applications will be provided to Fort Davis, Marfa, and Alpine graduating seniors who are interested in learning about site maintenance, horticulture, or CDRI's educational programs. We want to encourage our local youth to explore all avenues as a source of potential career opportunities.
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Agave Festival Marfa
Agave Festival Marfa, June 5-8, promises a full lineup each day of talks, panel discussions, films, and tasting events.
CDRI will participate by providing guided garden tours on Friday, June 6, and Saturday, June 7. Please note that both garden tours are "sold out."
Please understand that we will be at capacity, so we cannot accept late reservations or walk-ins.
There are many exciting activities scheduled in and around Marfa that are open. If you haven't yet, check out the schedule at Agave Festival Marfa for a fun weekend.
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Watch Conant Lectures on YouTube
If you missed any of our recent Conant Lectures, they are recorded and can be easily accessed on the CDRI website. Our most recent lecture with Bill Neiman, owner and founder of Native American Seed, is now available to view.
Mr. Neiman recently shared the photo below of Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra). It looks like a Hummingbird's paradise.
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Visiting Groups, May 2025
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The Girls' School of Austin
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University of Southern Alabama - Integrated Science
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University of Texas at San Antonio - Integrative Biology
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Worth noting: May 30, 2025, was chilly, foggy, and Mitre Peak was hidden from view.
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| In closing,
We wish you happy trails
And a wonderful summer!
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You never know what you'll see if you just stop to take a look. Photo by Faith Hille Dishron.
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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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