Native Plant Project's guest speaker for the November 22nd meeting in Weslaco will be Anita Westervelt, a freelance photojournalist who has written a newspaper nature column for the McAllen Monitor for seven years.

Anita is the author of Anita's Blog, a look at the natural world of the Rio Grande Valley, for the past eight years. She has acquired over 6,600 volunteer hours as a South Texas Border Chapter Texas Master Naturalist. Anita holds a Fine Arts degree from the University of Maryland, European Division, and a Communication Degree from Pittsburg State University. She has been intrigued with plants since early childhood and, prior to retirement, photographed flora wherever she was deployed as a U.S. Navy Chief Journalist.

Her presentation, "Don't Kill It 'Till You Know What It Is," is a look at many of those random mystery plants that suddenly appear in a yard or garden and how they might be useful to wildlife.

Westervelt states, "Many plants we don't even consider because they've just always been around. We might be able to name some of them, but don't regard them as having any value to the environment."

Her presentation is meant to pique curiosity and encourage people to consider the benefits or ramifications of letting volunteer plants mature.

The Native Plant Program will be Tuesday November 22nd at 7:30 p.m., at the Valley Nature Center, 301 South Border Street in Weslaco, behind Gibson Park. The public is invited; there is no charge to attend.