Hill Country Master Gardeners: 10,000 volunteer hours, 80% tree survival, and a training class starting in March

The Hill Country Master Gardeners do not use the word miracle lightly. But when Delane Caesar, Donna Bellis, and Sheryl Landrum described the survival rate of native trees planted along flood-damaged riverbanks after 2025 — 40% to 80% still standing after the 2026 surge — the word hovered nearby.

The three appeared Wednesday on Lead Live’s Nonprofit Week on behalf of an organization that contributed more than 10,000 volunteer hours in 2025 alone, working in partnership with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to translate research-based horticulture into visible, practical community benefit.

The Master Gardeners’ Riparian Project is the most direct expression of that work. After both floods stripped riverbanks to bare mineral soil, the organization coordinated volunteer planting of native vegetation — river grasses, native shrubs, and anchoring trees specifically chosen for the Guadalupe watershed’s soil and hydrology. The survival data from 2026 confirms what native plant advocates have argued for decades: a properly vegetated riparian zone absorbs far more force than a mowed or bare bank. Erosion slows. Banks hold. The corridor begins to function again.

The organization’s Demonstration Garden at the AgriLife center showcases deer-resistant native plants that perform in the Hill Country’s specific conditions — a living reference library for homeowners, ranchers, and land managers. The First Wednesday public speaker series brings horticultural expertise to the public at no cost.

The next 70-hour Master Gardener training class begins March 9, 2027, at a cost of $225. Graduates join a network of certified volunteers who become the organization’s frontline community educators. The annual spring plant sale — typically a significant fundraiser — is scheduled for April.

Master Gardener training registration and program schedule: agrilife.org/kerr.