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CDRI Desert NewsFlash September 2024 It was a calm, serene evening if you happened to be looking toward Mitre Peak, but if you looked over your shoulder, you'd see and hear 250 people at the most fun, best-attended, and most successful BBQ & Auction fundraiser in the history of CDRI. The above photo and the photos below are by Matt Walter.  The annual CDRI BBQ & Auction was a huge success, thanks to each of you! Thank you to all 250 of you who attended the event. Thank you also to Cactus Liquors, Glazer's Beer Distributors, Maverick Bank, King Land & Water, and Lowe's Market for their donations, helping the event get off the ground. And thank you to the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce for their tables and chairs. Thank you to all 45 singles and couples who joined the Host Committee, ensuring that we were off to a strong start with all expenses paid, plus providing tickets for many of our attendees. Thank you to Sanchez BBQ, which served up the best BBQ in the region. Thank you to Rick Ruiz and Grupo de la Paz for providing just the right sounds for the event. Thank you to all who bid on auction items and the Education Paddle Raise like your hearts were at a fundraiser! Thanks to Matt Walter and Daryl Styblo (Daryl's photos follow) for the great photos. Thanks to all who donated fabulous items to the event. Thank you to Martin Stringer, our auctioneer, who has donated his services for over 20 years, making our auction a fun and successful event every year. And although last on this list, they know it wouldn't have happened without them. Thank you to our staff, volunteers, and Board of Directors. They made it happen.  Thank you to all who helped make the 2024 BBQ & Auction a success! You're Invited to the Dedication of the Native Grasses Exhibit! It's been nearly two years in the making, and we're ready to share the Native Grasses Exhibit with you! Please join us on Saturday, September 14, at 9:30 a.m. for a guided tour of this exciting new exhibit led by Jim Martinez and Faith Hille-Dishron.  Admission is free. Please RSVP to events@cdri.org. The guest limit is 50.   Save the Date! CDRI's Roger Conant Distinguished Guest Lecturer Program  October 17, 2024 Free admission.  See Details Below. CDRI's Educational Programs, "The Earth Rocks!" and "Herps Day" are Coming in October! It's not too late to sign up for "The Earth Rocks!" and "Herps Day."  "The Earth Rocks!" for 5th graders is scheduled for Thursday, October 10.  "Herps Day" for 4th graders is scheduled for Thursday, October 24.  Thanks to the generous donors at the BBQ & Auction's "Education Paddle Raise," we provide all our programs, for all ages for free.  Choose between two sessions, 9:30-11:30 and 12:00-2:00. Please contact events@cdri.org for details and to reserve a space for your students for one of the best half-day educational experiences in Texas. Call for Volunteers. We rely heavily on volunteers for each of these programs. The programs are thoroughly researched and planned out, and each volunteer will have lesson plans and complete background information for their Learning Station. We need a minimum of 12 volunteers for each program. Please contact events@cdri.org if you can help. We'll provide snacks throughout the day and lunch. Thank you! Plant of the Month Dyschoriste decumbens Spreading Snakeherb Photographed growing between two rocks next to an oak tree in the Pollinator Garden, this pretty little plant is one of three species of snakeherb in our area. This one is found in the Davis Mountains grassland and wooded areas.  It grows 6 - 8 inches, with woody stems sprawling along the ground. Its sessile leaves, growing along the stems in clusters, are green to dark green. Flowers are varying shades of purple, from violet to lavender.  In the United States, Dyschoriste decumbens is native only to Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. In Texas, it's found in upland grasslands and within the mountains of the Big Bend region.  Some benefits of snakeherb are that it attracts butterflies, it's drought tolerant after it's established, and it can be used as a ground cover in sun to part shade areas.  Please note that snakeherb is not edible.  Source: https://southwestdesertflora.com Photograph by Jim Martinez.  The Tierra Grande Master Naturalists - New Class first session was held at CDRI in August.   Alpine Plein Air Artists Visited Over Labor Day Weekend To each of you,  Thank you for spending your time at "the best rural nature center and botanical garden in Texas!"                                                                                                                           Photograph by Matt Walter. We hope to see you soon and often! Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, P.O. Box 905, Fort Davis, TX 79734 432.364.2499 www.cdri.org

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