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identification of native plants, composting, butterfly gardens, organic gardening, and planting for wildlife. Programs will be developed for each grade level, so that a first grader may be planting seeds, while an eighth grader is planning a site to attract a particular species of wildlife, and a senior may be giving wildscape presentations to visitors. Parents will be invited to learn alongside their children. Guided tours will be given to describe and discuss the ecology of a wildscape for those who cannot spend as much hands-on time. In addition, many educational materials will be developed for this purpose, and related TPWD materials will displayed at the Interpretive Center. The Interpretive Center and all of its associated programs are a part of the City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department, and will always be maintained by staff of the Watershed Protection Division. Objectives and need for assistance (project Justification) There are several objectives involved in designing a Wildscape Demonstration on the acreage behind our Interpretive Center. 1. Provide a healthy native wildlife habitat in an urban setting, through promoting backyard wildscaping. While providing opportunities for grade school, high school, and community college students a place to study nature through a program that offers increasingly sophisticated tasks and concepts. 2. Teach the importance of conservation of natural resources, i.e. water conservation (native plants require less water than exotic species), composting, and how school children can learn to become land stewards and develop and enhance interest in the natural world around them. 3. Provide an educational opportunity to the low-income segment of our community, through location, cost, and outreach. The Wildscape is located adjacent to a large low-income housing area and there is no charge for visitors or any type of program involvement. We intend to target this segment of the community through local schools and neighborhood association presentations. 4. Attract a variety of wildlife just as hummingbirds, butterflies, bats and even migratory waterfowl for use in identification courses, and general education of these speCIes. 5. Provide recreational activities such as bird watching and photography. Currently, in the San Marcos area, a wildscape demonstration site and associated community programs have not been developed. The closest native plant education center is located in Austin, Texas.