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Photos courtesy of Mike Gray and GCBO staff. April 2012 
Birds and Bottomland Blitz - Wild Flowers and Prairie Habitat The next Birds and Bottomland Blitz program
will feature wild flowers and prairie habitat. Thomas Adams will
host this event on Saturday, April 7, from 9:00 to 11:00am.
Thomas Adams is a botanist at the Texas Mid-coast National
Wildlife Refuge Complex here in Brazoria County. The monthly program is
a joint effort by the Cradle of Texas Master Naturalists and
GCBO to raise awareness of the importance of the Columbia
Bottomlands to birds and other native flora and fauna. Next month's topic is Insects of the Bottomland Forest with Ed Barrios. Servolution Volunteers
For the third year in a row we have been lucky enough to have a volunteer team from the Brazospoint Fellowship come out to conduct habitat projects on our sanctuary here in Lake Jackson. This year, 17 enthusiastic members of the local church built a small creek linking the two constructed wetlands. The new creek was artfully decorated with river stone and now provides important water exchange for the wetlands. The new creek is best viewed from the near-by observation tower and is sure to attract a lot of birds this spring. Part of the team also planted native flowering annuals under the tower stairwell to add to the beauty of the whole area. Come on out and climb the tower to see this lovely new enhancement provided by our community volunteers. Quintana Spring Fling
Check out our Spring Fling Auction to raise money for habitat conservation along the Texas Coast. We have many unique items and fantastic trips! Fisherman's and Boater's Guide to Breeding Birds
GCBO has teamed up with American Bird Conservancy, Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program, and Audubon Texas to create a Fisherman's and Boater's Bird Guide to the Texas coast. This is part of a larger project to protect colonial nesting waterbirds around the Gulf of Mexico as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Other aspects of this project include posting signs on nesting islands, and a Public Service Announcement that is currently playing on CBS in the Houston area. Click on the image above to see the complete guide. Click here to see the PSA on youtube. If you frequent area boat ramps or stores where fishermen and boaters are common and would like to distribute some brochures to these locations, please let us know! And remember, when you're on Texas bays "Fish, Swim, and Play from 50 Yards Away!".
Spring Events
It's nearly spring and local bird-related events are coming up quick. FeatherFest April 12-15 in Galveston and Migration Celebration, April 21-22 at San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge. We encourage you to get out and attend these wonderful events geared towards birding and education. All of these events depend heavily on volunteers, so think about offering your unique skills to help out! Monthly Bird Banding at GCBO
If you are a bird, it's spring! The Purple Martins are back, Cave Swallows are swarming under bridges, and migrant songbirds are beginning to arrive. Join us from 8:00 until noon on Saturday, April 14th for our next monthly bird banding session and see what migrants we find. Seeing birds in the hand is a great way to get kids excited about wildlife, but all ages are welcome. See the map on our webpage for directions or find a map by going to Mapquest or GoogleMaps. Note that some other navigators will not take you to the correct location. Note that bird banding is on the SECOND Saturday of the month in April! |
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If you are an ExxonMobil employee or retiree and would like to help us raise funds through their VIP Group matching grants program by donating four hours of volounteer time, please let us know! |
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| www.gcbo.org | Telephone 979-480-0999 | Contact Us |
103 W. Hwy 332, Lake Jackson, TX 77566
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