april april 2012 2012 - texas master...

Texas Master Naturalist Program - Cradle of Texas Chapter - Chapter News - April 2012

April 2012

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APRIL 2012

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Chapter News ispublished by TexasMaster NaturalistCradle of Texas Chapter.

Contact us atBrazoria County AgriLife21017 County Road 171Angleton, TX 77515‐8903

979‐864‐155 8 (Angleton)979‐388‐155 8 (Brazosport)281‐756‐155 8 (Alvin)979‐864‐156 6 (Fax)http://tmn‐cot.org

Special Issue: Photo SpreadsWe devote this section of Chapter News to photos provided by ourmembers, friends, and partners. In the following pages, you'll find photospreads covering: Intern Class of 2012 by Pete Romfh Citizen Science by Ramah O'Gorman Central Texas Wildflowers by Barbara Burkhardt The Muckers visit the Media Luna Unit by Neal McLain Outreach: Brazoria Heritage Day by Neal McLain Texas Jr. Duck Stamp Competition by Barbara Burkhardt Partner News: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service by David Plunkett

CONTENTSPage B2 Intern Class of 2012 By Pete RomfhPage B3 Citizen Science By Ramah O'GormanPage B4 Texas Wildflowers By Barbara BurkhardtPage B5 Muckers Visit By Neal McLainPage B6 Outreach: Brazoria By Neal McLainPage B7 Texas Jr. Duck Stamp By Barbara BurkhardtPage B11 Partner News By David Plunkett

APRIL 2012

Section B

This photo was the Best of Show Winner in the Migration Celebration 2012Photo Contest. Congratulations to photographer Tim Timmis! It was avery competitive contest this year, with a total of 221 entries. See themthis weekend at Migration Celebration, and help pick the People’s ChoiceAward Winner.

Migration Celebration Photo Contest - Best of Show Photo

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Chapter News - April 2012

Texas Master Naturalist Program - Cradle of Texas Chapter - Chapter News – April, 2012

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“If it ends in Y, We’ve probably studied it.”

The TMN Intern class haspassed the half‐way pointin their training. Withtraining coordinated byEd Johnson, a new subjectand learning opportunityis presented eachWednesday. An on‐goingseries of instructors,holding more graduatedegrees than apresidential panel, leadthe group’s learningactivities with topics thatfascinate, elucidate, andeducate.

Field trips to wildlifereserves, historical sites,lush woodlands, prairies,beaches, wetlands, bog,and bayous have giventhe interns a plethora of“hands on” experiences.

Many of the interns havealso selected activities ororganizations to supportwith their volunteerhours.

Three project teams arebusy with investigationsof pond, woods, andbeach environments. Eachteam has reported anenormous amount oflearning taking place atthe project sites.

The Project Team reportsand presentations on May9th will be a “not to bemissed” event.

‐ Pete Romfh Pete Romfh is a member of the TMN-COT Intern Class of 2012.See more of Pete's photos at http://tinyurl.com/PetesPhotos

By Pete Romfh

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Chapter News ‐ April 2012

Texas Master naturalist Program ‐ Cradle of Texas Chapter ‐ Chapter News ‐ April 2012

Citizen Science: Project FeederWatchBy Ramah O'Gorman

I have been participating in theCornell University Ornithology LabProject FeederWatch for severalyears. FeederWatch is a winterbackyard birdwatch program thatgoes from November to April. Of note this year was a very smallnumber of Goldfinches and a muchlarger-than-usual number of winterhummingbirds. GCBO reported thisin a newspaper article in February,and offered to come out and bandbirds in one’s backyard if there werea large number of hummers visiting the feeders. I was filling my two feeders several times aweek, and seeing Rufous and Black-chinnedhummers feeding regularly, so I called GCBO andask for banding. On Sunday, February 5, SusanHeath, GCBO licensed bird bander, and TadFinnell, GCBO volunteer, came to my backyard toband hummers. Tad put up the metal cages around my twofeeders, and Susan set up her equipment on mykitchen bar area. Todd delivered the birds in thenet sacks, and Susan did the banding andrecording. In one hour, Susan banded six Rufousand two Black Chins. Todd said there were manymore than he captured, and he was sure that hesaw at least one Calliope. It was a delightfulexperience to watch Susan at such close rangeexamining the hummers, recording each one’sweight, the amount of fat on the breast, the sex,whether adult or juvenile. Nature always rewards us with beautiful andinteresting experiences right in our own backyardsif we take the time to look!

What is Project FeederWatch? The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a world leaderin the study, appreciation, and conservation ofbirds. Our hallmarks are scientific excellenceand technological innovation to advance theunderstanding of nature and to engage peopleof all ages in learning about birds and protectingthe planet. Founded in 1915, the Cornell Lab is anonprofit organization supported by 45,000friends and members. Our vibrant communityincludes 200,000 citizen-science participantsfrom all walks of life and 5 million birdenthusiasts of all ages who connect with usonline at All About Birds. Project FeederWatch is a winter-long surveyof birds that visit feeders at backyards, naturecenters, community areas, and other locales inNorth America. FeederWatchers periodicallycount the birds they see at their feeders fromNovember through early April and send theircounts to Project Feeder-Watch. FeederWatchdata help scientists track broadscalemovements of winter bird populations and long-term trends in bird distribution and abundance. Project FeederWatch is operated by theCornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird StudiesCanada

Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithologyhttp://www.allaboutbirds.org/

Susan Heath, GCBO Licensed Bird Bander,bands a rufous hummingbird. Feb. 5, 2012.

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Chapter News ‐ April 2004 ‐


CENTERAL Texas Wildflowers near Muldoon, TexasBy Barbara Burkhardt

Plains coreopsisBlue Bonnets off Guttermann‐EljerRoad, Freyberg, Texas

Drummond phlox (red) with bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, and severalother spec ies I haven’t identified yet.

“Flower Peepers”: Jennifer Trusty, Donna Trusty, The Prez

Drummond phlox

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Chapter News ‐ April 2012 ‐


THE MUCKERS VISIT to MEDIA LUNA UNITBy Neal McLain

The muckers is an amorphousband of individuals who, among otherthings, seek to identify extant plantand animal species within a specifiedgeographic area. When the TexasMid-coast National Wildlife RefugeComplex acquires new lands, themuckers are often the first non-USFWS employees to visit the land. On January 9, 2012, a group ofmuckers convened at the Complexoffice explore the Media Luna ("HalfMoon") Unit of San Bernard NationalWildlife Refuge. The Media Luna Unitwas a recent acquisition, and fewoutsiders had ever visited it. The tripwas organized and led by MikeLange, Wildlife Biologist with theComplex.

From left: Jim Renfro (TMN-COT), Mike Lange (USFWS), Phil Huxford(TMN-COT), Kirby Rapstein (TMN-COT), Tom Schneider (USFWS), andDenis Mudderman (TMN-COT) assemble at the Complex office beforedeparting for the Media Luna Unit.

Mike Lange, Kirby Rapstein Jim Renfro Jennifer Wilson

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Outreach: Brazoria Heritage Day By Neal McLain

Clockwise from top left: "Is that a realsnake?"; the exhibit booth with the MigrationCelebration banner on display; MickeyDufilho with friend; Phil Huxford with visitors;EarthQuest raptor handler Steve Hoddy witha newly-acquired Harris Hawk in its firstpublic appearance.

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2012 TEXAS JR. DUCK STAMP COMPETITION


The Texas Junior Duck Stamp

competition was held on Friday,

March 23 at the Rockport Center for

the Arts, in Rockport, Texas. Tonya

Nix, Environmental Education Spec.,

for Aransas NWF was the leader again

this year. She was assisted by park

ranger David True.

The Junior Duck Stamp Conservationand Design Program is a dynamic, artand science program designed to teachwetlands habitat and waterfowlconservation to students inkindergarten through high school andhelp reconnect youth with theoutdoors. The program guides studentsusing scientific and wildlife observationprinciples, to communicate visuallywhat they have learned through anentry into the Junior Duck Stamp artcontest. This non‐traditional pairing ofsubjects brings new interest to both thesciences and the arts. It crosses culturalethnic, social and geographicboundaries to teach greater awarenessof our nation's natural resources.

The judges during the first round ofeliminations. The drawings arenarrowed down to 10, from which thethree first place, three second place andthree third place drawings are chosen.

Ellis is showing the judges the five

finalists for first place. Each judge has

approximately 30 seconds to grade the

drawings. The totals are determined

and the winning drawings placed on

the display boards.

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Group 1: Kindergarten through Third Grades: The star indicates a finalist for Best of Show.This student was eight years old‐‐‐‐amazing!

Group II: Fourth through Sixth Grades

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Group III: Seventh through Ninth Grades

Group IV: Tenth through Twelfth Grades

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Species: Old Squaw/Long Tail DuckThe student was from the Academy of Dream Art, Dallas, Texas

Ellis and I both had a great time working with the Aransas NWR staff. We had enjoyed helping the Mid‐CoastRefuge staff, the three years they were responsible for the contest. The talent these students have neverceases to amaze.The number of entries was very low this year—less than 250 for the entire state. Tonya felt that this was dueto the economic times and the cuts in the art curriculum. She has asked that we put on our thinking caps andhelp find ways to encourage participation in 2013. This is a great educational program and hopefully we canat least find ways to increase participation by Brazoria County Schools.

BHB

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Partner News: U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceBy David Plunkett

A new exhibit space at Brazos Mall

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a new display in a new location at Brazos Mall. We have moved ourold display to a new, larger space across from the Food Court and next to Powerhouse Gym. Be sure to stopby and see it. Thanks to Brazos Mall for their continuing support!

Remember: Migration Celebration this weekend!

That's right: Migration Celebration is this weekend! Volunteers are still needed! Tovolunteer, contact Ed Barrios:

Home 979-297-1815Cell: 979-415-4998Email: [email protected]

Information for volunteers: Volunteer Schedule for Saturday April 21

http://migrationcelebration.org/Volunteers/2012-04-21-VolSched.pdf

Volunteer Schedule for Sunday April 22http://migrationcelebration.org/Volunteers/2012-04-22-VolSched.pdf

Volunteer Handbookhttp://migrationcelebration.org/Volunteers/MC_Handbook_2012-V4.pdf

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