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A photo of purple flowers blooming amidst green grass at Lubbock Lake Landmark.
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Lubbock Lake Landmark was in full bloom this June, during a summer of heavy rainfall.
Brad Burt / KTTZ
An expansive field of flowers and grass, mostly browns and greens with pops of yellow and purple.
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A field outside of the Texas Tech University Innovation Hub, which Longing calls a “pocket of biodiversity.”
Brad Burt / KTTZ
Close up photos of bees on flowers and grass.
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Not the Sphecodosoma pratti and their nama, but you don’t have to look far to find all kinds of bees on the South Plains.
Brad Burt / KTTZ
A quail nest that has been attacked by predators, leaving the mother quail to start over.
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A quail nest that has been attacked by predators, leaving the mother quail to start over.
Olivia O'Rand
A quail peeps through the brush covering her nest.
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A mother quail peeps through the brush while protecting her eggs.
Olivia O'Rand
Flowers, grasses, and a tree grow outside of Debra Robinson’s house. There is a small wooden sign that says ‘prairie in progress’.
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Debra Robinson was one of five homeowners in the Heart of Lubbock whose lawn was transformed into a ‘prairie in progress’ where natural plants work with human infrastructure to mitigate flooding.
Bishop Van Buren / KTTZ
A photo of a bird sitting on a branch in front of an expansive of green grass and purple flowers.
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Brad Burt / KTTZ
A photo of purple American basketflower flowers blooming amidst green grass at Lubbock Lake Landmark.
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Lubbock Lake Landmark was in full bloom this June, during a summer of heavy rainfall.
Brad Burt / KTTZ
The bristly nama looks like a small bush. The green leaves have small light bristles on them and the flowers are delicate with purple petals and a yellow center.
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The bristly nama plant.
Brad Burt / KTTZ
Flowers and butterflies in a natural lawn, landscaped by the Mesquite Mile team using native plants.
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A natural lawn, landscaped by the Mesquite Mile team using native plants.
Bishop Van Buren / KTTZ
Flowers and butterflies in a natural lawn, landscaped by the Mesquite Mile team using native plants.
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A natural lawn, landscaped by the Mesquite Mile team using native plants.
Bishop Van Buren / KTTZ
Flowers and butterflies in a natural lawn, landscaped by the Mesquite Mile team using native plants.
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A natural lawn, landscaped by the Mesquite Mile team using native plants.
Bishop Van Buren / KTTZ

A South Plains Summer

A South Plains Summer

  • A photo of a bison statue at the entrance of Lubbock Lake Landmark.
    Brad Burt
    /
    KTTZ
    Lubbock Lake Landmark preserves South Plains of the past, looks to a future of revival
    Samantha Larned
    Lubbock Lake Landmark is a snapshot of the land before settlement, preserving archeological evidence of early-human life and the natural history of the region’s plants and animals. Through its discoveries, education, and conservation, staff with the Landmark have reintroduced native wildlife driven out of the area, and continue to explore possibilities for the land and for those who love it.
  • A close up photo of bristly nama flowers, two of which have bees tucked into them.
    Courtesy of Scott Longing
    Resilient regional plants serve as biodiversity hubs for local pollinators
    Samantha Larned
    Texas is home to approximately 1,200 species of bee and about 25% of them are specialized bees, meaning they only pollinate specific plants. The bristly nama may not be a familiar name for those on the South Plains, but the plant and its purple flowers are all over Lubbock and its bees are hard at work to keep the ecosystem alive.