Prairie Workshop

12/12/2025

I’m excited to be working on this amazing park project in downtown Lubbock!

10/31/2025

The cool zigzag silk structure called stabilimentum reflects UV light making the web more visible to birds, which helps prevent the female’s masterpiece from being accidentally destroyed.

Field Guide Friday: Black-and-Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia) 🕸️

If you’ve been walking through tall grass, prairie edges, or even your own backyard lately, you might notice a striking spider perched in the center of a large, intricate orb web. The Black-and-Yellow Argiope (Argiope aurantia), also called the Yellow Garden Spider, Writing Spider, or Orb Weaver, is one of the most conspicuous orb-weaving spiders in Texas.

Despite its dramatic appearance, this spider is harmless to humans. Females, much larger than males, display bold black-and-yellow patterns on a rounded, shiny abdomen. The female typically sits in the center of her web, waiting patiently for prey, while males roam or position themselves on the edges of her web.

Habitat: Prairies, fields, gardens, and backyards with tall vegetation for web support
Active Season: Late summer through fall
Fun Fact: The Argiope’s web decoration, called a stabilimentum, may reflect UV light that attracts prey or helps prevent birds from flying through the web.

Learning to recognize the Argiope helps us see the intricate balance of prairie life, where even the smallest hunters play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

📸 Photo by Sean Fitzgerald

05/16/2025

Exciting News!

04/24/2025

proud to be the landscape architect for this award winner!!

Simply the best 🥇

The Cash Family Ranch Life Learning Center at the National Ranching Heritage Center received the gold award for Best In-Museum Experience from the Texas Association of Museums.

The center has become a popular, hands-on learning destination for families and educators that showcases modern ranching life.

https://www.ttu.edu/now/posts/2025/04/cash-family-ranch-life-learning-center-wins-gold-award.php

04/23/2025

Shanley Sculpture Garden is one of my pro-bono projects - so proud to be part of something that embodies my hometown’s past, present & future community space!

03/03/2025

get outside and start living the dream!

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.” - Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder

Photo at Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge by USFWS

02/17/2025

Join me next Monday night on the banks of the Paluxy River!