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Photos courtesy of GCBO staff. September 2008 XHX - Saturdays In September
Saturdays in September are a great time to visit GCBO. From 8:00 to 12:00, we'll be celebrating fall hummingbird migration with our Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza. You can watch hummingbird banding, adopt a hummingbird, browse the Nature Store, walk the nature trails, or buy a plant to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Each Saturday, a different informative lecture will round out the festivities. See the GCBO webpage for more details. We still need some "gung ho" volunteers to help with this event. If you are interested, contact Carol Jones.
Hawk Happening at Smith Point
Join us for our Hawk Happening at the Smith Point Hawk Watch Tower on Saturday, October 11, 2008. This is a free event sponsored by GCBO and Hawk Watch International. Come enjoy the spectacle of fall hawk migration, observe banding demonstrations, pick up tips on hawk identification, and learn about the role weather plays in hawk migration. Mike Neal from Hawk Watch International will be on hand to present HWI's new citizen science initiative. For more information on the Hawk Happening and directions to Smith Point, visit the GCBO webpage. Search and Shop for GCBO!
How many times a day do you use a search engine to find something on the internet? How often do you shop over the internet? Did you know you you can help support GCBO when you search or shop? Check out GoodSearch and GoodShop, two ways to provide funds to GCBO for something you're already doing. GoodSearch is a search engine that donates 50% of its revenue to charities. It's powered by Yahoo!, so you get proven search results and the money donated to GCBO comes from GoodSearch's advertisers. If everyone who receives this e-news searched four times a day in September, GCBO would receive $2040! GoodShop is similar, but the donation money comes from the merchants. GoodShop includes many of your familiar places to shop like Amazon, Teleflora, Target, and WalMart. Consider giving GCBO a Christmas present by doing your shopping through GoodShop this year! Quintana Donates Festival Proceeds
Each year, the Town of Quintana designates a charity to receive the proceeds of its Creed Day Cook-Off and Festival. At the August 11, 2008, Town of Quintana City Council meeting, Mayor J.O. “Rocky” Morgan awarded a check for $3141.60 to Cecilia Riley, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory. Ms. Riley responded: “On behalf of the board and staff of the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, I wish to thank the Town of Quintana for this generous gift for our conservation programs. We were honored to be selected as the charity recipient for the annual Creed Festival fundraiser held this past spring. As owners of migratory bird habitat here on the island of Quintana, the GCBO is especially proud to have a conservation partnership with Quintana who also owns and manages the Neotropical Migratory Bird Sanctuary and the Xeriscape Sanctuary - both important venues for ecotourism and for birds. With this gift, we look forward to working together with the City to protect habitat for our nation's migratory birds.” Avian Cornucopia
Thanks to the construction talents of Master Naturalist Bob Woods, our birds now have a wonderful new platform feeder. Situated in the front garden, the feeder has already attracted the attention of many cardinals, chickadees, and titmice. It didn't take long for the raccoons to find it either, but we saw at least one discover that the baffle works. Bob is a long time GCBO volunteer and has helped out with many projects in the past. Thanks Bob for your donation and hard work! Fledgling Wood Ducks Find a Home at GCBO
On August 2, 2008, a volunteer from the Gulf Coast Wildlife Rescue brought five young Wood Ducks to GCBO for release in our wetland. These birds had been captured as ducklings by well-meaning individuals who thought they were abandoned by their parents. For the most part, any duckling swimming in a pond or wetland most likely has a parent hidden somewhere watching, so its best to leave them alone. Since these birds had already been removed from their natural setting, Gulf Coast Wildlife Rescue raised them until they were old enough to survive on their own and then chose GCBO's wetland as a safe place to send them on their way. We were very glad our 3-year old wetland could provide them a home. They have settled in nicely and remain on the wetland for visitor's to enjoy. Native Plant of the Month
Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), also known as Trumpet Honeysuckle or Woodbine, is native to most of the eastern United States. It is a high-climbing, twining vine, 3 to 20 feet long, that produces clusters of red, tubular blooms followed by bright red berries. It blooms March through June and is evergreen throughout the year. It is a great native alternative to the exotic and invasive Japanese Honeysuckle and will attract birds, especially hummingbirds, and butterflies. It is the larval host for both the Spring Azure Butterfly and the Snowberry Clearwing Moth. The easiest way to propagate Coral Honeysuckle is through softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings, but it is also available at commercial nurseries. Photo courtesy of Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. |
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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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