Saturday, October 3, 2009 was a beautiful day for the first Lake Worth Monster Bash at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge. BRIT participated in the event by hosting an activity booth where seed balls were made by the hundreds!
Eager to get their hands dirty, children of all ages made the marble sized balls out of clay, compost, and a mix of Texas and Oklahoma native wildflowers.
Seed balls are a perfect vessel to deliver wildflowers. Protected from predatory insects, rodents, birds and other animals, seed balls lie dormant until sufficient rains fall to start their germination. Then hundreds of sprouts explode from each ball as they eagerly reach for the sun.
Participants left excited to distribute their creations with hopes to see a variety of wildflowers come next spring.
1 part seeds*
3 parts fairly fine compost (may need to sift out large twigs)
5 parts terra cotta (red) clay in powder form
(can be found in ceramic and pottery supply stores)
Add water as needed to create a ball that will stay together without being too sticky.
Dispersal:
*Seed balls at the Monster Bash were made with wildflower seeds from Native American Seed,
a family owned and operated business located near Junction, Texas. The mix selected was
“Texas-Oklahoma Native Roadside Mix.” Visit their website for more information about the wildflowers contained in this mix, along with other valuable planting and care information.
The Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge is located just inside the city limits of Fort Worth, TX. It is a wilderness comprised of forests, prairies, and wetlands reminiscent of how much of the Fort Worth/Dallas metroplex once looked. Replete with native flora and fauna, the area beckons to those searching for a piece of nature to refresh their spirits and reintroduce a measure of tranquility to their increasingly urban lifestyles.
Over 3600 acres, the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge is one of the largest city-owned nature centers in the United States and offers residents and visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the natural history of north central Texas . Over 20 miles of hiking trails provide easy access to a myriad of natural wonders to be found on the Refuge. Staff naturalists at the Hardwicke Interpretive Center are available to facilitate your exploration.
A division of the City of Fort Worth Parks and Community Services Department, the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge is located on the northwest side of Fort Worth, four miles west of I-820 on Jacksboro Hwy. (TX Hwy 199).
