Good evening, Blackland Prairie Chapter Members,
You can access our latest bi-weekly newsletter from our Chapter’s Home Page at bptmn.org, click on the “Blackland Prairie Newsletter” image OR by direct link – https://txmn.org/bptmn/newsletters/
This bi-weekly newsletter will provide:
- Upcoming Advanced Training Opportunities
- Upcoming Volunteer Service Hours Opportunities
- From the Desk of the Treasurer
- Shaking the Trees Posts on bptmn.org
- Lights out Dallas Spring 2024
- John W Garbutt: Thoughts from Behind the Viewfinder Vol. 1
- Linder O’Rourke – “Eleven Ways of Seeing a Crow”
- Jean Higgins – Plano Park Project Update
- Last Chapter Meeting recording
- Next month’s Chapter Meeting information
- TMN State Program Updates
- #TMNTuesday – Raptor Monitoring Project
- Call for Projects – TMN Virtual Volunteer Fair – Spring 2024
- Chapter Advisor – A new advisor, Dr. Curtis Jones
- Chapter Partners
If chapter members need to share information in the bi-weekly newsletters,
please send your requests to communications@bptmn.org.
Michelle Connally
Communications Director
Blackland Prairie Chapter
Upcoming Advanced Training Opportunities
Check out our chapter’s calendar for more information on these opportunities.
Member VHAT Calendar (txmn.org)
#TMNTuesday 2024 January and February Webinar Recordings are available for AT!
Tuesday, 3/5 #TMNTuesday – Raptor Monitoring Network
Thursday, 3/7 NPSOT-Creating an Oasis for Pollinators
Saturday, 3/9 Friend of Hagerman Bird Walk with Jack Chiles
Saturday, 3/9 Heard Museum 2nd Saturday Bird Walks
Saturday, 3/9 Friends of Hagerman Second Saturday: Owls with Dr. Wayne Meyer
Sunday, 3/10 Birds of Oak Point Park Guided Walk with Jean Suplick
Tuesday, 3/12 BPTMN Chapter Meeting – Prairie Restoration with Dave Powell
Tuesday, 3/12 Dallas Sierra Club Meeting Program “Climate Planning in DFW”
Wednesday, 3/13 2024 Texas Waters Webinar Series
Upcoming Volunteer Service Hours Opportunities
Check out our chapter’s calendar for more information on these opportunities.
Member VHAT Calendar (txmn.org)
March 12 thru June 1 – Lights Out Dallas Bird Survey – Spring 2024
Sun-Fri Connemara Meadow Work Days
Mondays 3/5 – Erwin Park Prairie Restoration
Thursday, 3/7 – Clymer Meadow 1st Thursdays
Thursday, 3/7 – Frisco Work Day – Commons Park
Thursdays 3/7– Wylie Prairie Restoration
1st Thursday 3/7 – BPTMN Board Meeting via Zoom
2nd Saturday 3/9 -LLELA 2nd Saturday River Care Team
Saturday, 3/9 – Frisco Work Day – Frisco Grand Park
Wednesday, 3/13 – Plano Oak Point Park Trail Guide
3rd Saturday, 3/16 – Pollinator Garden in J.M. Caldwell Sr Park
From the Desk of the Treasurer – Linda Nixon
LAST REMINDER TO PAY DUES IN 2024
This message is only for a “handful of members” who have not yet paid dues for 2024.
The final day to pay dues is March 12. After this date, those with unpaid dues will be marked inactive and will be unable to enter AT or VH hours. Active status can be reinstated upon dues payment.
The good news is you still have time to make your payment of $30 ($25 + $5 late fee).
Here is how to pay your dues:
Mail check via U.S. Postal Mail: (Payable to BPTMN) Mail to: BPTMN Treasurer, 825 N. McDonald, Suite 150, McKinney TX 75069 (Postmark date must be on or before March 12, 2024)
Pay online via PayPal – The link to pay dues online is on the BPTMN website home page. (Top of page on the right on your computer; scroll down if paying on your cell phone.) PLEASE NOTE: A small processing fee will be added to your $30 on PayPal payments.
At the March chapter meeting: Cash or check made payable to BPTMN.
Treasurer Linda Nixon will be accepting dues payments at the next Chapter Meeting on March 12. Bring your checks or cash. Remember, we do not accept credit cards.
If you have any questions, please contact Linda Nixon at treasurer@bptmn.org.
If you are not sure if you already paid your dues, please check with Linda before you write a check or send a PayPal payment!
Shaking of the Trees – New Posts from our Members
John W Garbutt – Thoughts from Behind the Viewfinder Vol. 1
Linder O’Rourke – “Eleven Ways of Seeing a Crow”
Jean Higgins – Plano Park Project Update
Chapter Meeting recordings
Did you know that if you go to our bptmn.org, click About Us, then Chapter Meetings, then any 2024 Chapter Meeting post, you can view the recording of the Meeting?
Here is a Direct Link – https://txmn.org/bptmn/home/what-we-do/chapter-meetings/
Our videos are also available on Vimeo!
- Last Meeting: https://vimeo.com/914621170
- Link: https://vimeo.com/channels/bptmn
- Host: heatherf@bptmn.org
Next Chapter Meeting & March Potluck
Dave Powell, Blackland Prairie and Prairie Restoration
Tuesday, March 12, 2024 – 6:30PM – Click here to view our Calendar
Come early for the Spring Potluck beginning at 6:30 PM. Pizza will be provided.
Members sign up to bring drinks, sides, and desserts via SignUp Genius:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A4DAFAD29A5F85-48131469-potluck
If you are bringing a dish, please arrive at 6:00 PM.
Our own Blackland Prairie Master Naturalist, Dave Powell, will present on the Blackland Prairie and Prairie Restoration.
About our speaker:
In 2005, after retiring, I became a volunteer Trail Guide at the Heard Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2007, I became a contract educator teaching the natural environment. I joined the Blackland Prairie Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist in 2007, holding several leadership positions. As an Independent Science Educator, I teach a wide range of topics about the natural environment in Texas.
I love learning and sharing what I have learned over the past 17 years.
Keeping Nature Real is my motto. – Dave Powell
Physical Meeting Location: Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary,
1Nature Place, McKinney TX 75069, Science Resource Center (SRC) building.
Directions to SRC: Drive through Heard gates; go past parking lot and museum building; continue until the road ends at the large white SRC building.
Online Zoom Meeting Registration:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqc-yrqT4rHtzVMlNaWFk_mL0NlAjq0Lpj
Please register ahead of time for this meeting using your Zoom Account Email address.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information about joining the meeting.
Online Meeting Host: Heather Fell – heatherf@bptmn.org
Logging AT: The monthly meeting presentation will allow members to earn 1-hour of AT. Log as AT: BPTMN Chapter Monthly Meeting Only (1 hour) with the speaker’s name and topic in the description box.
TMN State Program Updates
#TMNTuesday – https://txmn.tamu.edu/tmntuesdays/
On Tuesday, March 5 at 12pm, Dr. Ben Skipper will be presenting a webinar titled “Texas Raptor Monitoring Network: a participatory science program to monitor the reproductive biology of raptors across Texas.” Dr. Ben Skipper from Angelo State University and Dr. Clint Boal from Texas Tech University have authored this initiative together.
Over the last two decades, citizen science has emerged as a powerful tool to gather data on biological phenomena over wide geographic areas. Through observation-based platforms like iNaturalist and eBird, citizen scientists have helped document shifts in geographic range of both native and invasive species and their work has proved invaluable to scientists and managers.
Such platforms are, however, structured for single-observation events and there exists space for novel citizen science projects to use repeated observations of individuals. These repeated observations have the potential to shift observation-based citizen science to a more participatory science whereby individuals collect data additional to just occurrence and location. This workshop will use the monitoring of raptor nests as a model for engaging with the public through participatory science. Raptors are charismatic wildlife with wide public appeal. Since the 1960’s several species of raptor have adapted to urban and suburban environments, yet much remains to be learned about the reproductive ecology of many species in these areas. This participatory science program therefore would serve to fill this data gap and provide relevant information back to participants.
Workshop participants will be provided instruction on identification of raptor species, the identification of different stages within the nesting cycle and their associated behaviors, and the balance between gathering data and disturbing nesting birds. Data collection will be made simple via an electronic form with pre-defined fields that can be accessed via any internet-connected device (e.g., smartphone, tablet, desktop computer).
About the Speakers:
Dr. Ben Skipper is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Angelo State University. At Angelo State, Dr. Skipper and his students pursue questions related to the population genetics of raptors and songbirds, trophic interactions among insectivorous birds and their prey, and the evolution and maintenance of song dialects. Prior to arriving at Angelo State, Dr. Skipper studied the urban ecology of Mississippi kites at Texas Tech University. Dr. Skipper has over 15 years working with and studying urban raptors and their habitats.
Dr. Clint Boal is the Assistant Unit Leader for the USGS Texas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Texas Tech University. His research is directed at addressing contemporary research and information needs of wildlife management agencies. Although he studies a broad array of species and management issues, my primary research interests are the ecology and conservation of predatory birds and their roles in biotic communities.
Register for the* March 5 *webinar here.
As always, be sure to visit our website https://txmn.tamu.edu/tmntuesdays to view past recordings or register for future webinars! 2024 is in full swing and we’re excited to continue with our monthly *#TMNTuesdays*!
Call for Projects – Texas Master Naturalist Virtual Volunteer Fair – Spring 2024
Have a project idea but need help doing it? Do you have field data to collect? Computer research to do? If it can be done by volunteers, our Texas Master Naturalists can help!
Our volunteers are ready to volunteer! Our Texas Master Naturalist Volunteers are dedicated to natural resource conservation work. After the innovations of the pandemic, we’re continuing to hold our ever-popular Virtual Volunteer in 2024 Fair where Texas Master Naturalist volunteers are introduced to virtual and distanced service projects offerings of our partner conservation organizations in their communities. This returning feature of our program easily allows members to remain active during the hottest months of the year and provide service opportunities for any ability throughout the year.
We are seeking your “Virtual” and “Distance Based Service” project opportunities to add to our Texas Master Naturalist Program’s “Virtual Volunteer Service Fair”! You will present your project(s) online to our statewide membership of Texas Master Naturalist volunteers on Tuesday April 9th , 2024, with short 15-minute spotlight presentations to highlight the tasks, expertise and help you need. We will offer time during the event to answer questions and opportunities for volunteers to sign up too!
During the hottest months of the year, in-the-field service projects become less desirable and hit a lull until cooler months come around. The TMN Virtual Volunteer Fair (VVF) is an opportunity for our partner conservation organizations to present service projects that need volunteers from a distance or virtually! After five successful TMN VVF events, our members are asking for more virtual and distance-based service projects!
Consider this when developing your project ideas – How could a natural resource trained volunteer help ease your workload from afar or fulfill virtual tasks? Try to connect their Texas Master Naturalist training and skills with your project needs that can be completed by volunteers working remotely. Submit your project today!
https://txmn.tamu.edu/blog/virtual-volunteer-fair-2024/
Chapter Advisor
Dr. Curtis Jones, County Extension Agent
825 North McDonald Street Suite 150
McKinney, TX 75069-2175
curtis.jones@ag.tamu.edu
972-548-4233
Chapter Partners
Blackland Prairie Raptor Center
volunteer@bpraptorcenter.org
https://bpraptorcenter.org/
Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve
Bob Mione | info@connemaraconservancy.org
connermaraconservancy.org/wordpress/meadow-nature-preserve
Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary
Laura Ragan | volunteers@heardmuseum.org
www.heardmuseum.org/volunteer
LLELA Nature Preserve
Erin Piper | epiper@cityoflewisville.com
https://www.llela.org/research-restoration/volunteering