Photos: CUE in Action

Showing UTRGV Upward Bound students the CUE plant nursery at Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen, TX. Urban Ecologist John Brush teaching about habitat restoration and environmental career options.

Exploring nature at night is a great way to get folks outside, especially during the summer heat! Flashlight Nights is one of our favorite programs to offer guests.

McAllen Independent School District students planting a butterfly garden at their school. The CUE worked with the Lower Rio Grande Valley Learning Landscapes Collaborative to install butterfly gardens on six elementary school campuses in 2021.

UTRGV Upward Bound students helping enhance wildlife habitat by planting Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus) in mulched beds at Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen, TX.

On Flashlight Nights, participants get up close (sometimes in hand) experiences with a variety of wildlife. Stick insects (Order Phasmida) are a fan favorite to hold.

The CUE helped plant 240 native plants good for butterflies, going to the school campuses to give an outdoor lesson to students. The children loved getting their hands in the soil!

Talking with guests about hummingbird-friendly plants during Hummingbird Days at Quinta Mazatlan.

We turn volunteer events into learning opportunities and hands-on experience, sharing insights into the why’s and how’s of creating wildlife-friendly habitat and the importance of native plants.

We grow native plants to create more wildlife-friendly habitats. Pictured here are Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus).

We focus on plants we know benefit bees, butterflies, and birds, and that would make attractive additions to urban landscapes. Picture here is Tamaulipan Spring Mistflower (Tamaulipa azurea).