Texas Amphibian Watch, Texas Horned Lizard Watch, Texas Box Turtle Survey
Submitted by Michelle Haggerty, Texas Master Naturalist State Coordinator
Posted April 6, 2012
Details

Partnership Assistance
Submitted by Dave Brandes, President
Revised August 28, 2011.
The Cradle of Texas Chapter maintains written agreements with several partner organizations and certain non-partner organizations.   These agreements specify blanket approvals for certain activities that COT members perform on behalf of these organizations.   Any COT member is automatically granted permission to perform any specified activity.
The following documents summarize approved (and not-approved) activities:

Environmental Education Programs
Submitted by Neal McLain, Webmaster
Revised August 28, 2011.
The Cradle of Texas Chapter supports Environmental Education programs for elementary, intermediate, and high school children in Brazoria County and neighboring counties.   These programs are sponsored by local organizations including the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, INEOS Olefins & Polymers USA, and ConocoPhillips.   The Chapter supports these programs by providing tour leaders, formal classroom instruction, instructional materials, facility resources, and program administration.
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Volunteers are essential to the success of these efforts. For further information about volunteering for these programs, please see the Environmental Education page of this website.

Migration Celebration
Submitted by Neal McLain, Webmaster
Revised April 14, 2012
Migration celebration is an annual two-day nature festival co-sponsored by the Texas Mid-Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex and Friends of Brazoria Wildlife Refuges. Volunteers from the Cradle of Texas Chapter perform numerous functions in support of the festival:

  • Bake Sale Attendants
  • Bird Banding Assistants
  • Cashiers
  • Children’s Discovery Activity Leaders
  • Food Preparation Assistants
  • Food Servers
  • Information Booth Hosts
  • Kayak Tour Leaders
  • Moccasin Pond Van Tour Driver/Leaders
  • Nature Hike Leaders
  • Nature Store Attendants
  • Parking Attendants
  • Photo Contest Assistants
  • Photographers
  • Publicity Administration
  • Room setup assistants (tables, chairs, etc.)
  • San Bernard Oak Trail Tour Hosts
  • Silent Auction Assistants
  • Tour Leaders
  • Van Shuttle Drivers

The 18th Annual Migration Celebration is scheduled for April 21 and 22, 2012, plus a kickoff dinner on Friday, April 13.   For further information about volunteering for this event, please contact:
—-Ed Barrios, Volunteer Coordinator.
—-979-297-1815 (home)
—-979-415-4998 (cell)
—-barrios@refugefriends.org

Tall Grass Prairie Restoration at Armand Bayou Nature Center
Submitted by Steve Upperman
Posted April 4, 2009
For information contact Steve Upperman at uppermanst@yahoo.com
713-304-5827
Details

Wolf Lake Skimmer Lot Maintenance and Monitoring at BNWR
Submitted by Ed Barrios (TMN-COT Volunteer Coordinator) on behalf of Jennifer Wilson (Wildlife Biologist, USFWS)
Posted March 18, 2009
For information contact Ed Barrios at ed77566@comcast.net
979-297-1815 (h), or 979-415-4998 (c)
Details

Cradle of Texas Invaders
Submitted by Dave Brandes, Chapter President
Posted February 4, 2009
For information contact Dave Brandes at djbrandes@comcast.net
979-265-3813
Details

Cactus Moth Monitoring Project
Submitted by John Marshall, 2008 Volunteer Coordinator
Revised by Gerald Forrest, 2010 Volunteer Coordinator
Details
Contacts:
—-Dr. Barron Rector
—-Associate Professor & Extension Specialist
—-Texas A&M University, College Station
—-979-845-2755
—-b-rector@tamu.edu
—-p-craig@tamu.edu

Sea Turtle Patrol
Submitted by John Marshall on behalf of Tracie Teague
Details

San Bernard NWR – Salt Marsh Restoration
Submitted by John Marshall on behalf of Jennifer Sanchez, USFWS
Here is an interesting volunteer opportunity at the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge. Jennifer Sanchez, Manager of the refuge, needs people to help with this project. You do not have to have any experience — just willingness to help. In the field training will be provided — advanced training opportunity. For information contact John Marshall.
jmarshall1487@comcast.net

Trail trimming at Brazos Bend State Park
Submitted by Ron Morrison, BBSP.

The trail trimming group meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays to trim trails at BBSP. There are 35 miles of hiking, biking and horseback trails at the park and some desperately need your help.

The group is led by Ron Morrison who has volunteered at national, state, and county parks. Ron learned trail trimming at Saguaro National park and teaches a class in trail trimming at BBSP. Please contact him to be included in the trail trimming group and receive e-mails of upcoming trail trimming events.

Contact:
Ron Morrison
223 Sanderling Lane
Sugar Land, TX 77478-4731
rcmorri@windstream.com

Citizen Scientist projects
Ornithology Lab of Cornell University
Submitted by Jim Renfro, TMN-COT
“From backyards and city streets to remote forests, anyone who counts birds can contribute to the Lab’s research. Data from the projects are used to monitor bird populations and outline conservation efforts.”

As you may know Cornell is considered as “Bird U” by most of the US. Within their Cornell Ornithology Lab they have a number of Citizen Science programs designed as “light duty” (my words – Jim Renfro) research endeavors. Membership in the Lab is required and all data gathered is reported to Cornell for processing. The projects are designed for average folks who have an interest and who self conduct the field work. Feeder watch has been going on for 30 years. As with Christmas count data, Feeder Watch data becomes part of the knowledge base for bird population dynamics. The projects I (Jim Renfro) have been involved in are site specific…Texas….and contribute to that great body of science knowledge. These projects are just as scientifically valid as the Christmas Bird Counts.

  1. If a person is interested whom should they contact? Go to
    http://www.birds.cornell.edu/LabPrograms/ and scroll down to “Citizen Science.”
  2. How does a volunteer get the training material? Cornell sends out the protocol and data sheets. However, there is a fee required and participants must join the Cornell Lab organization via the web site. Learning how to identify bird species is purely up to the participant.
  3. How does one become a member of the Cornell Ornithology Lab volunteer organization so they can participate? Go to the web site listed above then click on “Become a Member”. The basic membership is a “Supporter” membership and cost $35.
  4. To whom and how does the volunteer submit his findings? Cornell has now set up an on-line data entry. Or, one can submit the raw hand written data sheets.

Feeder Watch is a project in which participants record birds using their feeders during the winter. Participants identify all species at the feeders, on a periodic basis throughout the winter season. It is not a daily thing and participants are allowed a great deal of flexibility in their time commitment. The data is submitted to Cornell. The protocol is simple and the system for recording and reporting is very user friendly. The current (2006-07) winter project is already underway. This announcement is for the 2007-08 winter project.

For further information, click here.