A Texas Arborist

04/07/2026

03/25/2026

Today, and every day, we celebrate the families who have dedicated their lives to producing the food and fiber for our country. Cattle raisers work day in and day out to not only steward the land and livestock, but also to ensure a wholesome, high-quality protein is at the center of your plate. That is something worth celebrating, and we are looking forward to doing just that at our nation’s capitol later this week! Happy National Ag Day!

03/25/2026

This is the 5th consecutive week that drought expanded. Exceptional drought covers 3% of the state, its largest extent since July 2025. The latest map is available at https://ow.ly/vyjT50YqaFW

03/14/2026

Thank you, Master Naturalists, for this important information about Texas butterflies!

Happy National Learn About Butterflies Day! Butterflies are more than just pretty wings—they're essential pollinators and indicators of a healthy environment. Learning about the butterflies of Texas helps us appreciate their role in our ecosystem and take steps to protect them such as planting native flowers, reducing pesticide use and supporting conservation projects.

Want to learn how some of our Texas Master Naturalist Chapters are supporting butterfly populations through our Pollinators for Texas initiative? We're highlighting 2024 Awarded Chapters on our socials this month! Check out the full report at: https://txmn.tamu.edu/blog/pollinators-for-texas-2024-awards-final-report

Learn more about what the Pollinators for Texas initiative is at: https://txmn.tamu.edu/pollinators-for-texas

02/13/2026

Flowers die. 💐🌹
Cattle pay. 💸💸

Source : Cattlemen’s Livestock Market

02/11/2026

Storms bring out the “fly by night” and scammer tree care companies, adding insult to injury for homeowners looking for help in their time of crisis. In a recent news story published by WKRN, a homeowner in Tennessee paid more than $6,000 to a tree removal company after the recent ice storm only for the company to never do the work and then become unreachable. Unfortunately, situations like this happen far too often after severe weather - scammers going door to door, demanding full payment up front, and disappearing, leaving homeowners out thousands of dollars and still facing dangerous tree hazards.

That’s why The Better Business Bureau and Attorney General's Office encourage homeowners to look for TCIA membership and ISA Certified Arborist credentials, and why it's important for YOU to market you have them – it helps to separate yourself from companies less qualified and less reliable to conduct some of the most dangerous work in the world. Giving homeowners piece of mind that they are hiring the best company they can for the job, and giving them a good experience in crisis, can help create a lasting relationship.

Full Article - https://hubs.li/Q042xZfv0

01/24/2026

Important information from A&M Forest Service:

DOES FREEZING WEATHER MAKE TREES “EXPLODE”?

You may have seen warnings about “exploding trees” with the upcoming freezing weather.

Trees don’t actually explode, but freezing conditions can cause frost cracks. When temperatures drop suddenly, water inside the tree expands and contracts faster than the bark can handle, causing the outer layer to split. These frost cracks, along with branches breaking under the weight of ice, can create loud popping or cracking sounds that sometimes get described as “explosions.”

For your safety, keep a good distance from trees with heavy ice buildup or visible damage. Wait for conditions to improve before approaching or assessing any broken branches.

👉 More about winter tree care: https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/trees/tree-care/trees-and-natural-disasters/

01/10/2026

The latest map shows an increase in drought area, the seventh weekly increase in the last 9 weeks. Without additional precipitation, a quarter of the state could succumb to drought conditions. The latest map is available at https://ow.ly/Q3C250XC0tk.

01/05/2026

10/19/2024

Meanwhile down on the farm… 🐄 🐖