This is a special episode in which I’m broadcasting a cross over episode from my second podcast, Orange Blaze: A Florida Trail Podcast. My guests for the episode are Heather Housekeeper and Scott Weis, 2019 Florida Trail thru-hikers. Heather is a certified herbalist and Scott is a musician, and together they have hiked several trails throughout the eastern US, cultivating their deep love for plants and the outdoors. Be sure to check out the show notes to read their trail journals, purchase Heather’s edible and medicinal guidebooks for the trails she’s hiked, and learn a bit about the biodiversity Florida has to offer.
Today’s episode features Don and Debora Young, founders of the Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area. Don and Debora have been spreading the word about this amazing remnant prairie in east Fort Worth for several decades and when oil and gas exploration activity came to Fort Worth, they wanted to do something to protect this special place. Thus, Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area was formed. Through the years the group has put together a decade of Prairie Fests as well as other outings for groups to get to know Tandy Hills and the unique flora and fauna that reside in this urban prairie landscape.
My parents grew up in the area but it wasn’t until 2010 that I really became familiar with the park and the treasures residing within it. As an avid reader of Don’s Prairie Notes newsletter, I keep tabs on the goings on of the park every month. I knew that I wanted to showcase Tandy Hills and get a bit more insight into the park and Don and Debora were the perfect people to speak with to shed light on the history of the park and just what it means to them.
Be sure to check out the shownotes below to find out how to visit Tandy Hills and how you can support Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area!
