Environmental

Spring winds normally blow oak tree “tassels,” or “catkins,” around North Texas every March, causing them to pile up in yards, streets and on cars, like snow, and with recent high winds, you’re probably seeing a lot of them. The yellowish-brown wormlike “strings” are technically known as aments, the male flower parts of the oak trees, and they fall to the ground once their pollen is released. Depending on the location of the tree, the aments can create a yard nuisance, but experts with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service say they can serve a useful purpose as a nutrient-rich, short-term mulch in flower beds and vegetable gardens or they can be mowed into the lawn, where they quickly break down. They can also be added to a compost bin/pile (see below for information about a free upcoming composting workshop).  

The Intro to Composting workshop, presented by Anne LeSenne with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, will provide homeowners with a practical overview of how to turn everyday kitchen scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich compost. Participants will learn what materials can be composted, explore simple bin options and gain an understanding of basic maintenance practices. The workshop also highlights how composting improves soil health, reduces waste and supports healthy landscapes, with a focus on easy, manageable steps that can be implemented at home. 

This week, Richardson has been observing Fix-a-Leak Week, an EPA WaterSense program, to bring attention to household water waste in the home and encourage residents to check their homes for leaks and drips. Through Sunday, March 22, free toilet leak detection tablet packs are being distributed at several city facilities during normal business hours (while supplies last).

Richardson’s annual Blue Bag recycling letters were mailed to residents today and are expected to arrive in mailboxes early next week. Each letter can be redeemed for two rolls of blue recycling bags, with 26 bags per roll. The letters are distributed each spring to encourage residents to take advantage of the City’s recycling services.

The City of Richardson is participating in the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Fix a Leak Week March 16–22, an annual initiative that raises awareness about household water waste and encourages residents to check their homes for leaks.

The annual monarch butterfly migration from Mexico to the northern U.S. and Canada has begun, with sightings already reported in Texas. Luckily for fans of the beautiful orange and black pollinators, Richardson is in the pathway. The City has been a Mayor’s Monarch Pledge city since 2015 (a program of the National Wildlife Federation) and has established dedicated butterfly gardens in four parks—Berkner, Prairie Creek, Durham and Yale—and includes plants that attract and feed butterflies in park and landscape projects wherever feasible.  

The North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD), Richardson’s water supplier, will conduct its annual chlorine maintenance on its water transmission system and member cities’ distribution systems March 2-30.