1. Constellation of Living Memorials Program

A Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery & Native Plant Society of Texas

Julie Fineman, Harryette Erhardt & Kim Conrow June/July 2021

Once an eyesore and embarrassment to the neighborhood, the historic Warren Ferris Cemetery is being transformed into a Dallas jewel. Through a native landscape restoration program, Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery is creating a beautiful environment and destination spot that has built community and connectivity through nature, while honoring the rich history of the Texas pioneers interred there. The Warren Ferris Cemetery, a 100-plus year old historic family burial ground in Forest Hills near the Dallas Arboretum, is using NPSOT’s prescription of native plants as a model for restoration to reflect its original state. Our goal is to continue to evolve a native landscape that beautifies to the standards of a certified wildlife habitat and promotes environmental stewardship as a means to honor the pioneers buried there. To extend this noble concept to support native habitat development, a pilot program to revitalize 6 of the 5500 neglected, historic cemeteries throughout Texas has been born.

This partnership can provide an educational hub offering guidance in reconnecting communities with nature through land restoration, while fostering a connection to their own cultural heritage and spirituality.

What is the Constellation of Living Memorials? The aim of the Constellation of Living Memorials is to create a cohesive, integrated plan which outlines a shared vision for how cemetery landscapes can transform into natural habitats statewide, broadening local and migratory wildlife corridors.

Native plants are essential for the survival of butterflies, birds, bees and other pollinators. But like the animal species that depend on them, many native plants are threatened by the conversion, degradation, and fragmentation of their habitat caused by human activities. These threats are exacerbated by ongoing climate change, putting many plants, animals and insects at risk of extinction.

It will be a tool to coalesce like-minded environmental groups to participate in projects that could include cemeteries throughout Texas, then countrywide.

Key Outcomes The Constellation of Living Memorials program is structured to build community within neighborhoods that house neglected historic cemeteries:

• Tackle climate change

• Adopt a native landscape restoration program designed for regional ecosystems

• Collect, propagate seeds and seedlings through NPSOT chapter fundraisers

• Experience the process of land restoration through native landscaping

• Build community through aligning neighbors to restore a neighborhood cemetery

• Promote and educate environmental stewardship and cultural history for each community

• Create synergy through a statewide “Constellation of Living Memorials” membership (eventually national)

• Increase the availability of way-stations for local and migratory wildlife

Constellation of Living Memorials Process

• Determine cemetery ownership through a title search (many historic cemeteries are ownerless) through a local title company or real estate attorney (potentially pro-bono)

• Define cemetery boundaries through a survey (potentially pro-bono) • Map habitat zones such as Blackland Prairie, mixed woodland, etc.

• Conduct an initial plant survey for each zone

• Develop landscape restoration plan, landscape design and timeline

• Track native emergence & fauna sightings via iNaturalist on specific cemetery project page.

• Ongoing documentation of flora and fauna species sightings

Constellation of Living Memorials Criteria To acknowledge the efforts of community partners working together to honor both the natural and human history of Texas’ historic cemeteries.

Review and Monitoring Establishes a living document to study for decades to come.

Do you know of a neglected cemetery historic cemetery to lead in restoration and to add to our constellation Map? Please contact: FerrisWildlife@gmail.com

Imagine the impact!

___________________________________________2. The Tree of Life Project

Lead by Katrena Koellner

The Overall Goal: The goal of The Tree of Life Project is to transplant young native trees taken from the Warren Ferris Cemetery and transplant them in local schools across the Dallas area. This will help schools expand tree canopy, increase shade, protect the wildlife and native species of Texas in an area with major urban growth as well as provide students with service and educational opportunities and a chance to give back to their community. 

The Statistics: The Tree of Life Project relates to the goals of the Dallas of City Comprehensive Environmental and Climate Action Plan (CECAP) as Goal 6 states that “Dallas protects and enhances its ecosystems, trees and green spaces that in turn improve public health.” The Tree of Life Project helps contribute to this goal by transplanting select native seedlings from a heavily forested area to Dallas high schools where urbanization continues to increase. As these newly replanted trees grow, they will help reach the goal of 33%, 37% and 40% or more canopy cover citywide by 2030, 2040, 2050, respectively. The City of Dallas is second only to Phoenix, Arizona relative to the size of the urban heat island. These trees will help reduce heat islands and therefore support the goal of 20%, 50% AND 75% reduction in urban heat island index by 2030, 2040, 2050, respectively. https://www.dallasclimateaction.com/ecostemsdashboard. 

 What this looks like:

The botany/biology/science teacher from each school that we work with will notify their students that there is an opportunity for students to earn service hours and/or extra credit if they participate in removing the seedlings from the Warren Ferris Cemetery and then replanting it in an area under the direction of the high school’s principal and landscape contractor within the grounds of the school. The trees replanted would be “ripe for the picking.” The Texas native trees replanted could include: Chinquapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), Texas RedBud (Cercis canadensis), Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia), Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), and Shumard Red Oak (Quercus shumardii). Each student would choose from our available tree list. The students can use Sign Up Genius in order to pick a specific time specified by the Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery. Under the Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery supervision, they will be volunteering, which will indicate whether they are involved in the removal of the seedling or replanting it. This will take place in the fall. Before the tree removal, students would learn about the particular tree’s root structure, growing habits, and best practices for transplant to ensure success for that particular native tree. The Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery could provide direction, and access to the Dallas City’s Forester, Karen Woodward, for technical assistance, and to sources with the proper information needed for the research portion. This research could be done in class depending on the guidelines of each teacher. The tree will need water and maintenance throughout the year which could also be a great opportunity for students to earn service hours and give back to their community.  

A Bit of History:

There are too many young trees, also known as seedlings, which will eventually create overcrowding in the cemetery. One area in the cemetery is an established pocket-prairie, and seedlings will need to be removed in order to maintain this particular micro-ecozone. Before urbanization, prairies were naturally cleared by wildfires and the stampede and grazing of bison, which was nature’s maintenance for the prairies to flourish. In today’s society, fire or bison are not an option for maintenance, so a thinning program is required. 

 Future Expansion Ideas 

• Expand beyond DISD

• Provide service opportunities for Girl Scouts, YMSL, NCL, NHS, etc. 

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3. Friends of the Warren Ferris Cemetery & Alex Sanger Preparatory School

Experiential educational program

 Self Guided Tour, Classroom Topics & Guest Speakers:

• What We Can Learn From Historic Texas Cemetries? Who were those that settled Dallas and the indigenous people who came before them? What is the value of historic cemeteries as keys to Texas’s past - historic events, religion, lifestyles and genealogy. Led by Paul McLin, on the board of directors of Oakland Cemetery and has been Frances James’ successor in leading Dallas cemetery tours.

• Were Texas Settlers Justified in Taking Land From Indians and Mexicans? The title of the book, Land is the Cry, reflects the Anglo-American greed in seizing land and displacing native American and Tejenos in Texas pre & post statehood. Led by an advocate versed in the biography: Land is the Cry! Warren Angus Ferris, Pioneer Texas Surveyor and Founder of Dallas County.

• What Does a Landscape Architect Do? Led by landscape architect, Michael Parkey, with an emphasis on use of native vegetation.

• What is a Wildlife and Monarch Way-station? Led by a member of the Texas Native Plant Society, Dallas Chapter.

• What is Cemetery Archeology? Lead by archeologist Victoria Clow.

• What is the Value of Native Plants in the Garden? Led by a member of the Texas Native Plant Society, Dallas Chapter.

• How Has Surveying Changed from its birth in the early 1800s to Modern Times? Led by Chris Freeman, Dallas Chapt. 5, Texas Society of Professional Surveyors.

• What is an Entomologist? Led by Sam Kieschnick, Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., Urban Wildlife Program Biologist, Dallas/Fort Worth.

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Below please find the Friends of the Warren Ferris presentation from the first annual update - fundraiser held on November 22, 2020. Click below to view all 15 slides.

Enlarge presentation below by clicking in the lower right hand corner

4. Ferris Cemetery’s Landscape Restoration to the standards of a Wildlife Habitat & Monarch way station.

•     Evaluate the native regrowth since the removal of the majority of invasive woody species (since March 2019) and begin the multi-phase restoration plan (see illustration below) to replant and reseed the inner and outer grounds.

•      Install birdhouses, a bird water source, benches, improve access and wood-chip pathway.

• Install wildlife web-cameras for the study local & migratory fauna, to be viewed on our website 24/7

•      On-going maintenance program to include removal of debris, constant removal of invasive species, placement of seasonal plant signage to educate the public, annual reseeding of native wildflowers, planting of native vegetation as needed and upkeep of wood chip walkway.

 • Promote environmental stewardship through education for children and adults.

As of August 2020, all trees have been identified. 10 of the 12 tree species are native, Crape mrytle and Chinese pistache trees are not. See Map and ledger below.

Did you know that North America has two migratory populations of Monarch butterflies? Monarchs that we see in Dallas are the Eastern breeds defined as those east of the Rocky Mountains and throughout much of the central and eastern United States and Canada. The fall migratory Monarchs fly from Canada and the northern tier states to their overwintering location in the Transvolcanic mountain range of central Mexico (pictured below in red). This “super generation” does not develop sexual organs until after they’ve reached Mexico; all their energy is saved for the long, 3000 mile or so north-to-south flight. Monarchs west of the Rockies are the Western populations who overwinter along the California coast, within 5 miles of the ocean.

5. Research Project lead by

Genealogist Donald Payton

• All tombstones had been vandalized for the past 100 years. a one year research has concluded to find and list the names interred at the Warren Ferris Cemetery. A new memorial marker has been placed on the grounds honoring those settlers and the indigenous people who came before them.

• Archaeological research to document artifact findings, to start in year four. Led by Cemetery Archeologist, Victoria Clow.

Ultimate Goal

Cemeteries are important keys to Texas’ past. They are tangible reminders of settlement patterns. the indigenous people who came before them, and reveal information about historic events, religion, lifestyle, and genealogy. By tying together the historical, educational and native wildlife elements, we envision to support other neighborhoods across the state to revitalize their own fallen cemeteries.

The work for the cemetery property now serves as a template for study and improvement of the greenbelt in the middle the Forest Hills neighborhood that extends from San Leandro Drive to Whittier Avenue and the City of Dallas.