Friends of Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve

Know Your Nature Neighbors
2025-04-27 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
Join us during the weekend of City Nature Challenge (https://www.citynaturechallenge.org)! Beginners and seasoned naturalists are both welcome on this walk for finding and documenting plants, animals, and other living things that are our neighbors.
We use the citizen science app iNaturalist for this, but you do not have to be an iNaturalist user or nature expert to join us. Along the way, we talk about what we are finding, and we all learn more about the life of the preserve. Meet in the parking lot.

Looking for Yucca Moths
2025-05-10 19:30 - 21:00 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
John and Grace Darling will lead us on a walk through SCNP with emphasis on finding blooming glen rose yuccas and active Yucca Moths, but we will look for any creature that happens by and hope we can name a few.
Male and female moths emerge from their cocoons in the spring, timed with the blossoming of the yucca plant. There is an extraordinary partnership between the yucca moth and the yucca plant. They are so interdependent that one cannot live without the other.
Wear STURDY shoes or boots, maybe bring BUG SPRAY and WATER, and especially a good FLASHLIGHT or headlamp with fresh batteries. The walk back will be in the dark, so a good light will be essential.

Know Your Nature Neighbors
2025-06-02 10:00 - 11:30 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
We’ll take a walk to meet the plants and animals that are our neighbors. The path we choose will depend on recent rain and how muddy the trails are. Optionally, when we’re done, maybe we will re-convene somewhere close by for some coffee and discussion of what we saw.

These walks are in small groups and are informal, intended for beginners or seasoned naturalists. We love introducing some of the 2000+ species of plants and animals to people who are new to the preserve or just beginning an interest in nature.

Know Your Nature Neighbors
2025-07-12 08:30 - 10:00 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
We’ll take a walk and see what “neighbors” we can find – the frogs, dragonflies, oaks, and other living things we share the preserve with. We’ll take photos to document what we find using the nature app “iNaturalist” – you’re invited to do this as well (we will show you how if you’re new to it) but you certainly don’t have to.
We will meet in the parking lot and get started at 8:30am. Please bring water and consider using insect repellent and sunscreen. This walk is for folks around 10 through adult – and if you have an older child (ten through teen, if they’re interested in nature) that you want to bring, a responsible adult must accompany them.

An Evening Walk
2025-07-27 20:00 - 21:00 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
We will walk to a couple of the ponds at sunset to see what we might see … and hear. Are any frogs calling? Spring is the best time, but we may hear cricket frogs and possibly leopard frogs calling. We will pick a spot along the bank and stay very quiet for about 3 minutes to listen for calls. We may also see spiders spinning their webs and we might hear owls.
Please email events@friendsofscnp.org if planning to attend. Bring a FLASHLIGHT and water – and think about insect repellent before we get started.
Meet in the parking lot. Weather Underground predicts it will still be 91F at 8pm, with a “feels like” of 96.

Bats of the Area and How to Find Them
2025-09-06 19:00 - 21:30 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
Local bat enthusiasts Ellen Ravkind and Anne Alderfer along with bat expert Kate Rugroden from the Bat World Sanctuary will provide our program at the preserve. Kate will talk about the bats in this area and the role the sanctuary plays in education and rehabilitation. Ellen and Anne will demonstrate the use of the echo location devices from Wildlife Acoustics (Echo Meter Touch 2).

Kate Rugroden is Director of Special Projects for the Bat World Sanctuary and is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, specializing in bats, raccoons, and opossums. To learn more www.batworld.org and www.bwmidcities-batworld.org. Dr. Ellen Ravkind is the Public Programs Manager/Environmental Educator at River Legacy Foundation/River Legacy Nature Center. Anne Alderfer is a part time Naturalist at River Legacy Park and a Master Naturalist.

We will meet in the amphitheater that overlooks the south pond. You might want to bring bug spray and water, and a good flashlight or headlamp with fresh batteries for getting back to the parking lot at the end of the evening.

North Texas Giving Day
2025-09-18 | Texas
The Friends of Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve (SCNP) support the Arlington Park and Recreation Department in its work at SCNP and share the City of Arlington’s commitment to protect this unique site’s natural resources. Our current projects include invasive exotic plant management, trail maintenance, enhancement of the pollinator meadow, establishment of a bird watching area, aquatic habitat restoration and more. We also work to enhance the public’s understanding of these natural resources through wildlife and plant surveys as well as providing public education opportunities.

Know Your Nature Neighbors
2025-09-21 09:00 - 10:30 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
Michael Smith will lead this event – we’ll take a walk to meet the plants and animals that are our neighbors. These walks are in small groups and are informal, intended for beginners or seasoned naturalists. We love introducing some of the 2000+ species of plants and animals to people who are new to the preserve or just beginning an interest in nature.
Please bring water, and consider bringing a camera or smartphone (especially if you use the nature app iNaturalist).

Third Saturday Volunteers
2025-10-18 09:00 - 12:00 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
Third Saturday Volunteers will turn our attention this month to trail maintenance. This is an important role the Friends of Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve shoulders to permit safe access for us to enjoy the preserve.
Erosion along footpaths is an ongoing problem. You may have noticed some anti-erosion “bumps” placed along selected trails. These are some of the effective techniques we have learned from our partners at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. We’ll share the knowledge Saturday.
Meet, as usual, at the parking lot at 9 a.m. Volunteer Rudy Arnold, our trail boss, will lead our work this morning. Be sure to bring insect repellant, water and gloves. Equipment will be provided.
The next Third Saturday Volunteer Event will be on Nov. 15.

Spiders in the Park! (Via ZOOM)
2025-10-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Texas
Meghan Cassidy will give us a foundation of basic info about spiders and other arachnids, most of whom are misunderstood, and almost all feared. The presentation will include some basic taxonomy, with a touch of ecology & natural history. Meghan will discuss and showcase spiders found in Texas that you may come across while out in Texas nature. She will also offer some strategies to help with identifying spiders. Meghan has many detailed spider photos to show, and she will provide some tips for using iNaturalist as a learning resource for these amazing animals!
Bio:
Meghan is a data analyst by day, and a naturalist & photographer by night! As a strong advocate for everything in class arachnida, Meghan has been conducting nature education and outreach with a focus on spiders for 6 years, and has been studying them for fun for over 9 years! Many of her photos have been contributed to scientific publications and books, such as a recent publication from Texas A&M press titled “Mindfulness in Texas Nature” by local herpetologist Michael Smith, and the highly recommended field guide “Spiders of North America” by Sarah Rose.

Third Saturday Volunteers
2025-11-15 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-02-21 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-21 09:00 - 12:00 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
The Friends of Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve schedule a once-a-month volunteer day on the third Saturday of the month. We tackle a wide variety of needs for the preserve. These include brush clearing, seeding, trail maintenance, transplanting and trash pickup. Volunteers get to learn in depth about the preserve and its goals while contributing to sustaining and improving this treasured ecosystem.
Bring gloves, appropriate apparel and bug repellent as needed. Meet in the parking lot.

Winter Tree ID Walk with Suzanne Tuttle
2026-02-08 13:30 - 15:30 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
Want to learn to identify a tree or shrub in winter when there are no leaves to help? Join us for this walk as we get to know woody plants of the Eastern Cross Timbers by their growth habits, bark, twigs, buds and leaf scars.
This always-popular event is provided by Suzanne Tuttle, plant ecologist and retired manager of Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Fort Worth Chapter of the Native Prairies Association of Texas.

Free, but pre-registration is limited to 20. Please register by emailing events@friendsofscnp.org.

Great Backyard Bird Count
2026-02-15 08:00 - 10:00 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
New Date!!!
On Sunday, February 15 the Friends of Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve will host its 19th Great Backyard Bird Count. The annual census brings together hundreds of thousands of environmentalists worldwide to take an avian health-care snapshot. How are our birds faring?
The final tally at Sheri Capehart last year was 205 birds counted and 41 different species, above average over the 18 years.
The count is taken 8-10 a.m. Meet in the parking lot. All skill levels are welcome. Bring your cameras and binoculars. Download the Merlin app in advance so you can use your cellphone to track birds from their songs.
7,970 species were recorded worldwide last year. That’s good news: 50 higher than a year ago. The data is reported on eBird, the world’s largest biodiversity-related participatory science project. Last year 642,003 citizen scientists from 210 countries joined the count.

What Lives Here?
2026-02-28 10:00 - 11:30 | Sheri Capehart Nature Preserve, 5201 Bowman Springs Rd., Arlington, TX, 76017
Say goodbye to winter and take a walk to find some of the living things at the preserve. We’ll focus largely on names for things, how the plants and animals work together ecologically, but some of the time we’ll focus on experiencing the preserve with mindful, in-the-moment awareness.

The walk is designed for anyone interested in nature, including beginners. It is for pre-teens on up through seniors but probably wouldn’t work for younger kids. Please do not bring dogs on this walk. Remember that the trails are primitive (but we go slow). Bring water!
