Denton's Prairie Pathways
Transforming local landscapes with vibrant native meadows.
About Prairie Pathways
Discover how Denton is transforming local landscapes with vibrant native meadows that support wildlife, improve environmental health, and celebrate our city’s unique natural heritage. Together, we're cultivating a greener, more resilient future.
Denton’s commitment to preserving its natural heritage and enhancing community resilience is taking root in a transformative initiative focused on restoring our native prairie landscapes. By reintegrating diverse native plants like grasses and forbs across select public spaces, this program aims to bolster biodiversity, improve wildlife habitats, and address pressing environmental concerns such as soil erosion and urban heat. With sustainable land management practices and expert partnerships guiding its implementation, this initiative represents a collaborative effort to create thriving ecosystems that benefit both our environment and our community.
The Denton Prairie Pathways program is designed to reintroduce and expand native plant habitats throughout the city, strengthening the ecological health of local landscapes while supporting diverse flora and fauna. By focusing on native grasses and forbs, strategic site selection, and sustainable land management practices, the program aims to increase biodiversity, enhance wildlife habitats, improve soil and water quality, and mitigate environmental challenges such as erosion and urban heat. Through thoughtful implementation, community education, and collaboration with partners including UNT, TPWD, and Master Naturalists, the program seeks to establish resilient native meadows that enrich Denton’s natural heritage and foster long‑term environmental stewardship.
Public input plays a vital role in shaping this program. By engaging residents and local stakeholders, we ensure that these efforts not only align with Denton’s unique environmental needs but also reflect the values and aspirations of our community. Through transparent planning, strategic site selection, and widespread education, this program aspires to establish scenic, functional, and ecologically robust native meadows for generations to come. Your voice makes a difference in this journey.
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Helpful Links and Resources
![Banner image showing close up of yellow flowers (Maximillian Sunflowers) with green field in the background filled with additional yellow flowers (Maximillian Sunflowers). [Bottom left] Text reading Denton's Prairie Pathways. [Right side] Green text box reading "Denton's official Prairie Pathways iNaturalist project, located in Denton, Texas. Established in 2025, we have been reintroducing Texas native plants materials to the City of Denton municipal green spaces to help sustain and support local flora and fauna."](https://img.imageboss.me/zc-qb-prod/width/1140/c38a994c-c748-4768-ad1a-de1dcb62bc3a-1779388189411-4768-ad1a-de1dcb62bc3a-1779388188863-Screenshot_2026-05-21_132829.png)
iNaturalist - Denton Prairie Pathways
Denton GIS - Prairie Pathways Interactive Map
Brand Richter's Plant Identification Workshop Presentation
Initiatives
Current and Future Initiatives
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Upcoming Events
30 Days of Pollinators - 2026 Edition
Beneficial Bugs with TPWD's Sam Kieschnick
An eventful evening with Texas Parks and Wildlife's own Sam Kieschnick, DFW Urban Wildlife Biologist, Master Naturalist and iNaturalist legend.
Join us at Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM for a fun night of bug catching and education.
Wanna try a sweep net? Ever looked at an insect through a bug viewer? Beetles can do whaaaat? Sam Kieschnick will explain all about the myriad of beneficial native insects in our area!
We will meet at the Clear Creek Visitor Center. Sweep nets and bug viewers provided as supplies last. We encourage you to bring a headlamp or flashlight as you might potentially need one.
Please dress appropriately for outdoor weather.
Bat Walk at Clear Creek
From 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM the members of UNT Wildlife Society - Bat Campus will take us on a walk through parts of Clear Creek Nature Center utilizing recording equipment to pick up inaudible bat calls as well as educate us on the native bats in our area, their benefits as pest control and pollinators, and how we can be more bat-friendly.
A brief introduction will occur at the beginning of the walk, and any captured bat calls will be analyzed at the end of the walk.
Meet at the Visitor Center, please wear appropriate clothing for the event.
Guided Hike & BioBlitz at North Lakes Park Wildflower Trail
Hosted by our friends at the PETAL Project. This guided hike and bioblitz will start at the head of the Wildflower Trail at North Lakes Park. Always wanted to know what that yellow flower was? What's that flying thing buzzing about?
Bring your phone and your hiking shoes, and be ready to learn about native flora and fauna as the PETAL project takes you through a beloved trail in Denton.
Starting at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, a waterbottle refill station will be set up in advance. Please wear appropriate clothing for the event.
Guided Hike & BioBlitz at Clear Creek - Davis Prairie Trail
Hosted by our friends at the Native Prairies Association of Texas. This guided hike and bioblitz will start at the head of the Davis Prairie Trail at Clear Creek. Take in the beautiful native fall foliage, ask questions, learn about the benefits of prairie grass, wildflowers, and the wide assortment of pollinators.
Bring your phone and your hiking shoes, and be ready to learn about native flora and fauna as NPAT takes you through a beautiful example of Cross Timbers prairies.
Starting at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, a waterbottle refill station will be set up in advance. Please wear appropriate clothing for the event
Blacklight Mothing at Clear Creek Collins Prairie Trail
Calling all mothing enthusiasts, new and established! Bring your own blacklight set-ups, or simply come to observe and enjoy what our blaklights attract on the Clear Creek Collins Prairie Trail.
This event will start at 8:00 PM and go until midnight, or end whenever the last tarp is pulled up.
We recommend something to take photos with, as well as a lightsource like a headlamp or flashlight.
Pollinator Palooza at Clear Creek Visitor Center
Interested to see what sorts of pollinators and projects are happening in our city?
Prairie Pathways's Pollinator Palooza, hosted at the Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center - Visitor Center will start at 5:30 PM and run through 7:30 PM hosting multiple organizations that span topics like:
- Birds
- Bats
- Beetles
- Butterflies
- Bees
- Mammals
- ...and more
Join us and groups spanning UNT Bee Campus, The Wildlife Society, Bat Campus, to the Girl Scouts as we take a dive into active research, city-wide projects, and super-cool displays.
Blacklight Mothing at Clear Creek Collins Prairie Trail
One more round! Why not?
Calling all mothing enthusiasts, new and established to end off our 30 Days of Pollinators with a bang...or a flash.
Bring your own blacklight set-ups, or simply come to observe and enjoy what our blaklights attract on the Clear Creek Collins Prairie Trail.
This event will start at 8:00 PM and go until midnight, or end whenever the last tarp is pulled up.
We recommend something to take photos with, as well as a lightsource like a headlamp or flashlight.
Past Events
Herpetology Walk
Starting at 8p, Denton's Prairie Pathways and The UNT Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society will host a guided herpetology walk through Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center. Learn about local amphibians and reptiles. We have a limited number of flashlights to lend, so we recommend bringing your own whether it's a headlamp, phone flashlight, or a handheld flashlight. Please dress hike appropriate.
We'll meet at the Education Center before starting.
Springtime on the Prairie & Herpetology Walk
As we take on the iNaturalist City Nature Challenge with Denton's Prairie Pathways, join us for a celebration of spring with a Faire & Herpetology Walk. Join over half a dozen local organizations at the Education Center and surrounding trails for a close-up, interactive look at how Dentonites and surrounding counties are helping our environment - and how you can be involved, too!
From 4p - 8pm
Starting at 8 p.m. after the Faire, join us on a walk hosted by the UNT Chapter of The Wildlife Society all about amphibians and reptiles. Equipment will be provided while supplies last. Feel free to bring a flashlight or headlamp if you'd like!
Blacklight Mothing
Join us for a night on the prairie as we turn on the blacklights and set up our cloths for iNaturalist's 2026 City Nature Challenge.
Starts at 8pm!
Have your own setup? Bring it along and set up along the trail.
Dentonites' Eco-Fair & Mothing Night
As we celebrate "30 Days of Pollinators" with Denton's Prairie Pathways, join us for our Mothing Event & Eco Fair on September 6 at Clear Creek Park!
Dentonites' Eco-Fair - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Pollinators on the Prairie - Mothing Event 8 to 11 p.m.
Note: Have your own mothing kit and want to bring it? Just put your name down here so we know to expect you! Bring a flashlight or a headlamp alongside a camera or your phone! Mothing will be running until 11:00 PM.
We recommend downloading the mobile version of iNaturalist (and Merlin for the birds) before arriving to Clear Creek if planning to use your phone, as signal strength varies greatly.
BYOBinoculars Bird Walk
Join us for our Prairie Pathway's "30 Days of Pollinators" BYOBinoculars Bird Walk. Kicking off our celebration will be a morning bird walk, guided by representatives of UNT's Bird Campus. We'll meet at the Clear Creek Education Center at 6:45 AM for a short orientation before heading off at 7:00 AM towards the trails. It is recommended that you wear good shoes and long pants. Bring a water bottle, and your own binoculars.