Upcoming Events
Come see Colleen live at community classes, garden talks, and seasonal demos around Central Texas.
BioBlitz II: The Ripening
The Fruit Savers project seeks to locate and identify hardy local fruit producing specimens, for the purpose of protecting, harvesting, and propagating these resilient trees for current and future generations! Specifically we're looking for trees that are surviving and thriving with minimal human intervention, whether that's an ancient forgotten pear tree on the site of an old homestead or a feral peach growing on a fence-line.
Our first BioBlitz of 2026 focused on identifying fruit trees by their eye-catching early spring blooms. Mid-summer to early fall presents our next great opportunity to track down fruit-bearing trees, as their mature and ripe fruit makes them more conspicuous.
A BioBlitz is an event where everyday volunteers work together to find and identify as many species of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms as possible within a specific area. We are using iNaturalist to track observations in our BioBlitz. For each iNaturalist observation, please include images of the tree's FRUIT, LEAVES, TRUNK, and FULL PROFILE (along with any other identifying features you notice).
The Fruit Savers are a working group of Central Texas Seed Savers, a project of Fruitful Commons. Funding for this year’s BioBlitz comes from the City of Austin’s Urban Forest Grant. To learn how to use iNaturalist and participate in our Fruit Tree Bio Blitz, click the button below.
Tree ID Walk: Zilker Botanical Garden
Have you been wondering what kind of tree is growing in your yard? Maybe you want to learn a fun new skill? Well, you’re in luck, because the Central Texas Seed Savers and TreeFolks are coming to the Zilker Botanical Garden to lead a Tree ID lesson to help you learn a little more about what’s growing around you!
You will learn how to identify native trees, and how to safely and ethically collect seeds to donate to the TreeFolks Seeds To Trees Native Nursery.
Meet your walk leader at the Flag Pole!
The Central Texas Seed Savers is a growing network of people who love seeds with the mission of preventing the extinction of ecologically and culinarily important plants in the Central Texas Region.
TreeFolks was founded as Austin’s Urban Forestry non-profit in 1989. Since then, TreeFolks has grown to work with communities throughout Central Texas in community tree planting, tree giveaways, education and urban-wildland reforestation efforts. Our mission is to empower Central Texans to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees.
This Tree ID Walk will be led by Bailey Hoops, a clinically trained herbalist, specializing in bioregional herbalism (Texas native medicinal plants). Bailey studied with the Austin Permaculture Guild (austinperm.com) and is certified in Permaculture Design. She is also is certified with the Native Plant Society of Texas in Landscaping with Native Plants (https://www.npsot.org/our-work/class-schedule/native-landscape-certification/). Since completing the Native Landscape Certification program she continues to volunteer with Austin NPSOT Chapter, TreeFolks, and CTX Seed Savers, where she teaches plant knowledge and leads plant walks for the program.
Tiny Talks Volume 9
Tiny Talks are a quarterly showcase of weird, fascinating and inspiring talks from the people that shape Austin. Think: “show & tell” for adults, in the form of 5-8 minute PowerPoint presentations.
Colleen Dieter will be one of the speakers, and she’ll share the story of Central Texas Seed Savers. Speakers are scheduled between 8-9:30pm during the event.
Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP) Level 1
Learn from Bailey Hoops and Holly Wilson about the benefits of native plants, desirable plants for your area and design considerations for your landscape.
Level 1: Introduction to Native Landscapes
Learn the value of including and preserving native plants in landscapes
Understand the differences between sustainable and conventional development
Discover your Texas ecoregion, vegetation, and soil.
Become familiar with 45 native Texas plants recommended for your landscape and 5 plants to avoid
The Native Landscape Certification Program (NLCP) is a four-level certification program that teaches the value of including and preserving native plants in landscapes. Classes focus on the characteristics and plants of the region in which they are taught. Check it out.
NPSOT Austin Chapter: CTSS and Seed Saving How-To
The Austin Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will feature Central Texas Seed Savers in a special Seed-Saving presentation led by Colleen Dieter.
Social time will begin at 6:30 PM, and the presentation will be from 7-8 PM.
Seed Saving Basics with Colleen Dieter
Discover the rewarding practice of saving seeds and preserving plant diversity for future generations. Whether you are a beginning gardener or an experienced grower, this class will provide practical knowledge and simple techniques to help you save, store, and share seeds with confidence.
This event is free, and no RSVP is required.
Wild Spirit Wild Places 3rd Annual Pollinator Celebration
Help Wild Spirit Wild Places celebrate National Pollinator Week!
3rd Annual Pollinator Celebration 🐝🌼
Join us for a fun-filled afternoon celebrating the powerful connection between native plants and pollinators. Protecting and promoting pollinator health and diversity is essential for the well-being of both nature and people—and everyone can play a part in supporting them.
GUEST SPEAKERS • FREE NATIVE PLANTS • AND MORE!
FREE AND FUN FOR ALL AGES!
A special panel discussion featuring pollinator and native plant experts will take place from 12:00-1:00 PM.
Vista Brewing offers a lovely tasting room featuring craft beer and non-alcoholic beverages and locally sourced Sunday Brunch menu.
Your participation will help create and preserve pollinator habitats across Texas! Together, we’ll learn simple, practical steps to make every yard, garden, and green space more pollinator‑friendly.Make it stand out
Oak Hill Plant Fest
Colleen will be teaching a class at this festival on how to save vegetable seeds and hosting a community seed swap. 🌱
Come learn how to preserve seeds from your garden and share varieties with other growers!
Bio Blitz
Growing fruit in Texas is not for the faint of heart. Between our heat, the cold snaps, drought, pests, and diseases, it can be very difficult to keep fruit trees healthy, happy, and producing delicious fruit. At the same time, it’s not unusual to stumble across a tree that is thriving and producing fruit against the odds–perhaps an ancient pear tree growing on the site of an old homestead, a wild peach tree sprouted from a discarded pit, or a locally-adapted fig tree that’s been passed down across multiple generations through cuttings. We believe it’s important to preserve the genetics of these hardy varieties, for the sake of biodiversity and building more resilient local food systems in the face of climate change.
Supported by an Urban Forest Grant through the City of Austin, Fruit Savers seek to identify, propagate, and share these special trees with the public. Community engagement is a crucial part of the project’s mission, and we hold regular classes, grafting workshops, scion swaps, and other meetups to raise awareness and empower the public to participate in our preservation efforts.
Are you interested in getting involved? Do you know of a fruit tree that is thriving without much human intervention? Please reach out to us at centraltexasfruitproject@gmail.com.
If you use INaturalist, please add your observations of fruit trees to our Heirloom Fruit Tree Preservation Project. Our INaturalist BioBlitz runs from Feb 21-March 8, 2026, brought to you by Central Texas Seed Savers, ATXGardens.com and Austin Urban Forest Grant.
Want to book Colleen for your next event?
