April 18, 2025

In the heart of North Texas, wildflowers bloom with more than beauty — they bloom with purpose.

As spring’s first colors stretch across the landscape, a quiet transformation takes place on the campus of Texas Woman’s University (TWU). Behind the Ann Stuart Science Complex, the university’s butterfly and pollinator gardens offer more than just a scenic retreat. The Dr. Bettye Myers Butterfly Garden serves as a living classroom, a sanctuary for declining species, and a powerful example of what’s possible when conservation begins at the community level.

Now in its 45th year, Texas Wildflower Day has become one of the state’s longest-running environmental celebrations. Launched in 1980, the event has grown from a grassroots initiative into a statewide movement that draws attention to the ecological importance of native plants and pollinator habitats. This year’s festival, set for April 24–25, carries the theme ime to Restore Pollinator Habitats — an urgent call to action in light of the rapid decline of pollinator populations.

Launched in 1980, the event has grown from a grassroots initiative into a statewide movement that draws attention to the ecological importance of native plants and pollinator habitats.

The event will be held at the Dr. Bettye Myers Butterfly Garden. Photo courtesy of Texas Women's University.

PROMOTING BIODIVERSITY

Pollinators such as butterflies, bees and other native insects are facing significant population declines due to habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change, said Camelia Maier, a TWU professor and the Texas Wildflower Day event director.

She explained that while public attention often centers on high-profile species like monarch butterflies and honeybees, many lesser-known pollinators also play equally vital roles in ecosystems. Native bees, for example, are crucial to these systems but are often overshadowed by their more famous counterparts, Maier said.

That’s why events like Texas Wildflower Day are so important — they promote biodiversity and the protection of native species through simple, actionable steps.

“A lot of people don’t realize that we have so many bee species,” Maier said. “We get to show people different plants and how they can support them.”

Bees find sustenance in the TWU pollinator garden. Courtesy of TWU.

TWU GARDEN

In a purposeful and collaborative effort involving students, educators and the broader community, Maier, who had just spent several hours preparing the gardens for next week’s events, expressed her honor in knowing that TWU's butterfly and pollinator gardens serve as a model for how even small urban spaces can support a diverse range of pollinators.

In these gardens, milkweed sustains migrating monarchs, wild bergamot and purple coneflowers attract native bees, and hoverflies — often mistaken for bees — carry out the vital task of pollination.

However, Maier believes that the greatest honor is being able to celebrate Texas Wildflower Day there. The event brings together scientists, artists, educators and nature lovers for a two-day celebration that aims to inspire everyday conservation. 

Free and open to the public, the festival offers workshops, art sessions, garden tours and science-based presentations — all designed to strengthen the community’s connection to native landscapes and empower individuals to get involved in habitat restoration.

PIONEERING EVENT

Maier said 45-year-old Texas Wildflower Day is likely the earliest public event in Texas centered on native plants and habitat restoration. The long-standing tradition reflects how early TWU was in recognizing the need for environmental education tied to ecological stewardship.

The origins of Texas Wildflower Day date back to Carroll Abbott, a passionate native plant advocate and adjunct instructor at TWU. Abbott, who also founded the Native Plant Society of Texas in the early 1980s, sought to raise awareness about the importance of native plants. 

One year later, Abbott, alongside then-TWU President Mary Evelyn Blagg Huey, successfully lobbied the Texas Legislature to recognize the fourth Saturday in April as Texas Wildflower Day — a resolution that passed with the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 110 in April 1981.

Today, Abbott’s legacy lives on in the Carroll Abbott Wildflower Sanctuary at TWU, which serves as a tribute to his tireless work in conservation and environmental education.

The origins of Texas Wildflower Day date back to Carroll Abbott, a passionate native plant advocate and adjunct instructor at TWU. He also founded the Native Plant Society of Texas in the early 1980s.

FROM LEARNING TO CREATING

A watercolor workshop will be held in the garden, where participants can sit among the blooms and learn to paint native flowers with the guidance of local artists. ​Courtesy of TWU.

While the science behind pollination and habitat restoration is central to the festival, the heart of Texas Wildflower Day is its ability to make that science accessible. Through art, storytelling and hands-on experiences, the event helps attendees connect emotionally to the environment and the creatures that depend on it.

One of the featured activities is a watercolor workshop in the garden, where participants can sit among the blooms and learn to paint native flowers with the guidance of local artists. These artistic sessions offer more than just a chance to capture beauty — they foster mindfulness and encourage a deeper appreciation for the often-overlooked details of nature.

Photography enthusiasts also can attend a nature photography session led by award-winning photographer Sean Fitzgerald, known for his evocative images of Texas landscapes and wildlife. Fitzgerald will share techniques for capturing light, movement and emotion in natural settings, offering both technical advice and insight into the spiritual side of nature photography.

Best selling author Doug Tallamy will deliver the keynote on Thursday. Courtesy of Homegrown National Park.

The festival’s keynote speaker this year is Dr. Doug Tallamy, a nationally renowned entomologist and author whose work advocates for environmental change that begins at home. His message is simple yet profound: to protect pollinators and ecosystems, we must start in our own yards and communities.

Doug Tallamy, the author of Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens, will deliver the keynote on Thursday, April 24, at 7 p.m.

In an effort to make the festival more inclusive, TWU has introduced bilingual resources, including a new children’s book titled How to Make a Pollinator Garden. Written by Maier and illustrated by university students, the book not only teaches young readers about native plants and pollinators, but also provides step-by-step guidance for creating their own gardens — making the message of habitat restoration accessible to even the youngest conservationists.

“The hope is that the earlier they start, the more likely they are to continue caring for pollinators and gardening throughout their lives,” Maier said.

One of the festival’s most popular features is the guided tours through TWU’s certified wildlife habitats. Led by students and faculty in the biology and environmental sciences departments, these tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at the work being done to cultivate and sustain pollinator-friendly environments on campus. 

Each stop on the tour serves as a mini-lesson on ecosystem dynamics. Guests may learn how narrowleaf mountain mint provides late-season nectar for bees or how leaf litter plays a critical role in supporting ground-nesting pollinators. These tours often spark conversations that extend well beyond the walk itself, as attendees begin to see their own gardens, parks and schoolyards in a new light, Maier said.

A CALL TO ACT — AND TO HOPE

As headlines continue to report alarming declines in pollinator populations, events like Texas Wildflower Day offer a much-needed dose of optimism. They remind us that while we may feel powerless in the face of global climate shifts, there is power in community action and local stewardship.

TWU’s pollinator gardens are both a sanctuary and a symbol. They show what’s possible when intention meets collaboration. What started as a small patch of milkweed and bee balm has grown into a model of community-led restoration, demonstrating how even limited spaces can be transformed into critical habitats.

Behind the blooms and buzz lies a deeper truth: conservation is not just about protecting wild places far from home — it’s about rethinking how we share the spaces we already inhabit. From schoolyards to urban medians to backyard gardens, every patch of land holds potential. It’s not just the colorful petals that matter, but the soil, the roots and the care we take in cultivating them.

As Texas Wildflower Day approaches, the TWU campus offers more than a celebration — it offers an invitation. To dig. To plant. To listen. To learn. And most of all, to act.

Because in Denton, as in so many communities across the state and country, wildflowers are blooming with purpose — and with them, a new hope for the wild things yet to come.

Courtesy of TWU.

Texas Wildflower Day

About: Started in 1980, the two-day festival hosted by Texas Woman’s University features speakers, workshops and a tour of TWU’s pollinator gardens. 

Keynote: Douglas Tallamy, PhD, professor of entomology and wildlife biology at the University of Delaware, author of Bringing Nature Home and his latest book How Can I Help? Note: Registration is full but there will be an overflow room with a Zoom broadcast. Contact Laura Legett at [email protected] to check available seating.

When: Thursday, April 24, through Friday, April 25. See schedule.

Where: Ann Stuart Science Complex (ASSC) and the Butterfly Gardens on the TWU campus, Denton.

Cost: Free.

Contact: [email protected] for available space in workshops.

Website

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