Elmer works full-time as a bilingual nurse at Mill Street Elementary in Lewisville. Although being a health advocate for children and families brings satisfaction as a nurse, nothing brings her more happiness and joy than being with genius husband Zach and their six beautiful, unstoppable children, she says. Lewisville Noon is proud to recognize Steffanie Elmer for her service and commitment to making our community a better place and fostering the success of future generations!

Lewisville Noon last week welcomed guest speaker Diane Wetherbee, vice chairman of the board of The Flower Mound Foundation, who gave an informative presentation on the historic prairie and valuable ecosystem for which the town of Flower Mound is named.

 

“The Mound” on 2499/Long Prairie Road is a beautiful natural habitat for plants and pollinators native to North Texas, said Wetherbee, a Texas Master Naturalist and a member of the Native Prairies Association of Texas and the Native Plant Society of Texas.  “It’s a living museum, a glimpse of what our area must have looked like when the first European settlers came to the area,” she noted, explaining that the Mound has never been mowed. As such, it boasts highly diverse plants and insects. One acre of prairie can have more than 300 species of flora and fauna, from sunflowers, bluebonnets and basket flowers to Monarch butterflies and bobcats, said Wetherbee, who also is a Certified Citizen Forester and a board member of the Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council.

 

In addition, the prairie is a home for grassland birds, Wetherbee said, such as scissortail flycatchers, northern harriers, and various kinds of sparrows. Grassland birds are rapidly declining in number because grasslands are being turned into subdivisions and shopping centers, sadly destroying these vital natural habitats. 

 

“Prairieland is the most endangered ecosystem not only in the U.S. but in the world,” she said. Prairies also protect native animals, like coyotes, field mice, and jackrabbits.

 

Equally important, the Mound is a community resource that is a beautiful place to hold events, like the annual Easter sunrise service and viewing solar and lunar eclipses. The 12.5-acre property is managed by the nonprofit Flower Mound Foundation, which always appreciates helping hands from local residents. Volunteers strive to protect and preserve the historic virgin prairie, which is surrounded by urbanization. They plant native plants on the Mound, seed the frontage each fall, pick up trash, and eliminate trees, invasive species, and woody plants, among other activities.

 

Wetherbee encouraged club members and visitors to take a walk around the Mound or plan a picnic in the spring and marvel at the beauty and historic significance of this remarkable prairie. To learn more or find out about volunteer opportunities, visit www.TheFlowerMound.com.