President’s Corner

Seasonal Change

Photos & text by Dwight Bohlmeyer

The official arrival of fall on the calendar usually means little in terms of noticeable weather changes here in the Brazos Valley.  Recently, however, overnight temperatures plummeted and daytime temperatures were exceedingly pleasant. It’s time to get out and embrace the seasonal change!

I enjoyed a walk in Lick Creek Park this weekend looking at the fall wildflowers. There were large stands of yellow bitter sneezeweed mixed with pink prairie agalinis and purple mist flowers. I spotted a crab spider that had just ambushed a little skipper butterfly. I stopped to photograph the spider and just when I got back on the trail, a group of birders spotted a migrating flock of wood storks overhead. Flying in formation,  they were mesmerizing to watch. October is often a busy month with festivals and events, but don’t forget to get out and enjoy the beauty of nature while the weather is great!

Crab Spider

Wood Stork Flight

Executive Committee

President: Dwight Bohlmeyer
Vice President: Jean Webster
Secretary: Marianne Dent
Treasurer: Terry Junek
Past-President: Betty Vermeire
Historian: Manuelita Ureta
Webmaster: Jackie Palmer

Committee Chairs

Advanced Training: Terry Junek
Membership: Jackie Girouard
Newsletter: Jimmie Killingsworth
Outreach: Jean Webster
Publicity: Punnee Soothornpoct
Social: Connie Flickinger
Training: Amanda Chau
Volunteer Services: Dwight Bohlmeyer

Inside This Issue

Brazos Valley Texas Master Naturalists Go WILD in August! by Andrew Chow & Amanda Chau

Going Native by Lois Eisenstein

Mississippi Kites in the Raintree Subdivision by Jerry Taylor

Monster Molars by Mark Ojah

The Lower Keys Marsh Rabbit by Angie Dedrickson

Armchair Birding by Liz Crompton

Sequoia: A Volunteer’s Perspective by Jackie Palmer

Volunteer Service Projects: 2010 by Chapter Members

• BioBlitz
• Bluebird Boxes
• Carter Creek Trail
• Chimney Swift Tower
• Junior Naturalist Program
• Navasota River Survey
• Park Hudson Trail
• Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection

Affiliates

AgriLife Extension Service
Brazos Valley Museum
City of Bryan
City of College Station
Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection
Texas Parks & Wildlife

The Brazos Valley Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists was founded in the fall of 2005 as “a corps of well-informed volunteers who provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within our community.”

This issue of the Cyrano was prepared by the following 2010 Brazos Valley TMN Newsletter Committee members: Jackie Palmer, Jimmie Killingsworth, Lois Eisenstein, Kate Kelly, and Tanner Singleton.

Special thanks to our contributing authors!