News: Texas Field Station Network
Read the latest news from the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin
McDonald Observatory
Bass Foundation Gift Strengthens Outreach at McDonald Observatory
Updates to Field Station Network member McDonald Observatory will be in the Frank N. Bash Visitors Center and improve and expand the visitor experience.
![Aerial view of an astronomical observatory set atop a mountain](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/mcdonald_observatory-112.jpg)
Targeted Grazing May Help Beat Invasive Buffelgrass
Researchers head to Kenya to unlock the weaknesses of invasive buffelgrass to combat it here in Texas.
![Image of buffelgrass and cattle](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/buffelgrass_thumb_1.png)
Texas Field Station Network Catalyzes Collaborations Across Field Sites
The recently announced largest-ever gift to the college is helping to bring new research synergies.
![Natural landscape with orange brown grasses in the foreground, trees in the middle distance and a mountai top with telescope domes in the distance](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/ts_mcdonald_observatory-20_1200x800.jpg)
Wildflower Center
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Launches Live Owl Nest Cam
A much-loved great horned owl named ‘Athena’ is viewable at The University of Texas at Austin center and field station.
![A great horned owl perches on a tree branch.](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/athena-in-tree-2020-3-2.jpg)
Natural Labs: UT Field Stations Help Predict Drought Impact
UT scientists study how droughts affect local ecosystems at the Brackenridge Field Laboratory and the Stengl Lost Pines Biological Station.
![A wooden frame with clear pastic cover sits in a field of grass and shrubs surrounded by trees](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/droughtnet-bfl2400x1350.jpg)
Biodiversity Center
Meet the 2023 Stengl-Wyer Scholars, Fellows and Grant Awardees
Three postdoctoral fellows, four graduate students and numerous labs at UT and the Wildflower Center received awards this year.
![A scientist kneels in a tree-lined area with marked gardens near equipment as he measures the rate of calcium carbonate precipitation in the soil.](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/3x2-cns-field-station-network_5.jpg)
McDonald Observatory Invites Ecological Research as a Texas Field Station
The observatory joins a network of six University of Texas sites dedicated to scientific research, environmental monitoring and conservation efforts.
![Two telescope domes sit atop a mountain with more peaks in the distance](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/mcdonald_observatory-141_0-1200x800.jpg)
Philanthropic Gift Establishes Historic UT Commitment to Monitoring Texas’ Natural Resources
A transformative donation allows for the expansion of a Texas Field Station Network to study biodiversity and sustainability.
![A young man in a hat holding equipment leads a group of students down a creek at a Hill Country-based field station](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/3x2-cns-field-station-network_3.jpg)
Five Lessons from UT Austin Science about Planning for Living with Heat
In our endless summer, research on heat impacts offers insights on how best to adapt.
![CNS Scientists have been applying their research in ways that will help communities respond to heat.](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/heat-thumbnail.jpg)
Female Butterflies See UV Light Thanks to a Gene Hiding in an Unusual Place
In some species, female and male butterflies apparently perceive colors differently.
![A butterfly with black and white striped wings](/sites/default/files/uploads/images/default/heliconius-1200x800.jpg)