Immerse yourself in a wonderful prairie at the junction of the Blackland and Post Oak savannah ecoregions. This will be a fall tour of Daphne Prairie, featuring opportunities to see festive Mt. Vernon and other aspects of the life and history of the region.
8 a.m. - Metroplex folks will meet at the White Rock Lake Bathhouse in Dallas to carpool and head east
8:30 a.m. - Depart Dallas
10:15 a.m. - Arrive at Mt. Vernon and explore the annual CountryFest, filled with children’s activities, food vendors, craft booths, etc.
11:15 a.m. - Head a block south of the Town Square on the 1894 depot grounds to visit with B.F. Hicks (Daphne Prairie Landowner/2016 Prairie Preservationist Award winner) and the Mt. Vernon Historical Association cooking down ribbon cane juice into a syrup using his family's mill press.
11:45 a.m. - Break for lunch
12:30 p.m. - Head out of town to Daphne Prairie
1 p.m. - Rendezvous at the Daphne Prairie Barn
1:30 p.m. -4 p.m. - Join us on a hayride tour and general exploration of various parcels of the prairie. There is signage on the prairie explaining the unique mima topography, wildlife, as well as other points of interest. Chapter president and botanist Canaan Sutton will also be pointing out various aspects of the critically imperiled Silveus' dropseed - Mead's sedge plant association onsite.
4 p.m. - Depart back for Dallas