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Habitat Harry

@habitatharryms

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Naturalist | Native Habitat Consultant | Garden Designer | Restoring Natural Plant Communities of the Mid-South

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Last month, we had the pleasure of tagging along on another TN Native Plant Society @plants_of_tn field trip in the North MS Hill Country, this time to a remnant Blackland Prairie site in Tupelo, discovered and put on Southeastern Grasslands Institute’s (@segrassland) radar by Andrew Ballard @campcreeknativeplants, who co-led the trip with Harry Babb @habitatharryms.

Witnessing the vitality and diversity of these chalk “barrens”, despite visiting during the last gasps of an oppressive and unprecedented summer, one can’t help feeling equal waves of humility and despair, knowing these scattered remnants collectively comprise < 1% of the 356,000 acres that once stretched as a 350–mile long and 30-mile wide, SE-NW trending, crescent-shaped band from south-central AL thru northeast MS, terminating just across the TN border (see accompanying NASA image with arrows added).

One of three comparable “black gold” locales on Earth, with distinct a contemporary of shallow, inland Cretaceous seas in central Texas and SW Arkansas, and a similar but much younger, Quaternary wind-blown chernozem in Ukraine, the MS Black Belt’s rich and fertile chalk subsoil is the result of millions of years of accumulating plankton, mollusk, and other diverse marine microfauna exoskeletons rich in calcium carbonate.

***We HIGHLY recommend checking out Matt White’s short and brilliant essay, “An Exaltation” online at the wonderful @constoflivingmemorials, where he unveils how Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and Texas, in general, owe their origins and later prominence to that state’s own SW-NE trending, crescent-shaped Blackland Prairie.***
https://www.constellationoflivingmemorials.org/matt-white-exaltation
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If you’re interested in learning about/propagating local ecotypes of the north MS Hill country, register NOW for one of few remaining spots at THIS Saturday’s workshop we’re hosting with Marshall Co Extension / Master Gardeners and local partners, as the first of four workshops this fall with MS Native Plant Society.
Registration link in bio; event posted on facebook. taken in Tupelo, Mississippi by @habitatharryms

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The Overcup Oak - a cornerstone species in natural areas and resilient, native tree for landscaping @mattfisher1982 @greengrovesllc #nativeplants #ecology #stemtok taken in Water Valley, Mississippi by @habitatharryms

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Join @habitatharryms and myself on the Ghost Section of the Wolf River with the Wolf River Conservancy on November 14th! Sign up @ wolfriver.org
#wolfriverconservancy #wolfriver #ghostriver #swampboater #kayakmemphis by @habitatharryms

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Round 2 of photos from previous post.
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We had a delightful saunter on Oct. 3rd, tagging along with the TN Native Plant Society @plants_of_tn at one of their two recent field trips to the North MS Hill County, co-led by @habitatharryms at a remnant prairie within a ROW easement of the Holly Springs National Forest in southeastern Marshall Co.  A day of communal learning, awe, and gratitude, witnessing the early-fall, MS Hill Country palette of purples and yellows from myriad Liatris, Symphyotrichum, Eupatorium species of late-blooming Asteraceae family, and the deep orange of 4th generation, migrating monarchs who dependent upon these fall-blooming ‘weeds’ for completing their journey back to Michoacan.
 If you’re interested in learning more about native plant propagation, or taking home seed from some of these unique and rare north MS ecotypes, join us for the Native Plant Fall Propagation Workshop HollyWild is cohosting with the Marshall Co. Extension Service and Marshall Co. Master Gardeners Saturday, October 17th. Registration link is in our bio or visit the Facebook event on the HollyWild page. DM or email HollyWild at g mail for any questions. taken in Holly Springs National Forest by @habitatharryms

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We had a delightful saunter on Oct. 3rd, tagging along with the TN Native Plant Society @plants_of_tn at one of their two recent field trips to the North MS Hill County, co-led by @habitatharryms at a remnant prairie within a ROW easement of the Holly Springs National Forest in southeastern Marshall Co.  A day of communal learning, awe, and gratitude, witnessing the early-fall, MS Hill Country palette of purples and yellows from myriad Liatris, Symphyotrichum, Eupatorium species of late-blooming Asteraceae family, and the deep orange of 4th generation, migrating monarchs who are dependent upon these fall-blooming ‘weeds’ to complete their journey to overwintering grounds in the oyamel fir forests of Michoacan.
 If you’re interested in learning more about native plant propagation, or taking home seed from some of these unique and rare north MS ecotypes, join us for the Native Plant Fall Propagation Workshop HollyWild is cohosting with the Marshall Co. Extension Service and Marshall Co. Master Gardeners Saturday, October 17th. Registration link is in our bio or visit the Facebook event on the HollyWild page (also flyer as last photo) DM or email HollyWild at g mail for any questions. taken in Holly Springs National Forest by @habitatharryms

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A close look at our Native Sunflowers #nativeplants #botany #ecology #stemtok taken in Panola County by @habitatharryms

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Tennessee Native Plant Society, @plants_of_tn , Field Trip - Marshall County, Mississippi on 10/3/2026

This is such a special site - mega biodiversity and teeming with life. Big thanks to Bart Jones and Allan Trently for helping organize this. We loved having Mitch with @hollywild38635 and Dana with @rewild_memphis on this trip! And thank you, Darrell Brown, for showing me this amazing place on that field trip with SGI a couple years ago. Be sure to follow your state’s Native Plant Society and neighboring state’s Native Plant Societies for some incredible field trip opportunities! taken in Marshall County by @habitatharryms

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9 days ago

An invitation for everyone to go outside and “touch grass” - just make sure it’s native grass #nativeplants #botany #stemtok #ecology taken in Hernando, Mississippi by @habitatharryms

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13 days ago

Exploring the Mississippi Black Belt Prairie with Tennessee Native Plant Society #nativeplants #ecology #naturalhistory #stemtok @tennesseenativeplants @campcreeknativeplants @hollywild38635 taken in Lee County by @habitatharryms

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Bald Cypress along the Stong River! #nativeplants #ecology #naturalhistory #mississippi taken in D'Lo, Mississippi by @habitatharryms

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A beautiful grassland remnant in Hernando, MS! I encourage you to find beautiful wild remnants in your communities. #nativeplants #ecology #botany #stemtok taken in Hernando, Mississippi by @habitatharryms

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Top 7 Plants for Hummingbirds in Mid-South Native Gardens and Natural Areas! #nativeplants #hummingbird #ecology #botany #stemtok @northmshummingbirdfestival taken in Southaven, Mississippi by @habitatharryms

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