VSP: Bird Study and Nature Merit Badges – Scouts BSA; J. B. Harrison Foundation – Long Point Ranch Green COVID Alert

Experienced Birders and Nature Lover Volunteers Needed!

Our own Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter (TMNCPC) member, Rick Adams, needs volunteers on Tuesday, 11/22/2022, from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. The J. B. Harrison Foundation will offer Bird Study and Nature Merit Badges at the Long Point Ranch location at 8200 Whaley-Long Point Road, Richmond TX.

For the Bird Study, some 4-6 volunteers will be needed. For the Nature Study some 3-4 volunteers will be needed to help with some of the hands-on activities, e.g., plaster casts for mammal tracks).

Per Rick, “Youth in Scouts BSA Troops are invited to attend this all-day session and can complete the badges in one day with some pre-work done beforehand. The class will be limited to 15 Scouts and will be taught by birding experts in the Texas Master Naturalists Coastal Prairie Chapter (TMNCPC) and by a Bird Study Merit Badge Counselor from Troop 941 (Fulshear). Registration will be at 8:30 am at Ranch headquarters, located at 8200 Whaley-Long Point Road, Richmond TX. There will be no charge for the event. The class session will run from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, with 30 minutes for lunch. The event will include a 2-hour birding field trip with birding experts. Also included will be a project period in which Scouts will complete either a bird feeder or work on a bird sanctuary at the Ranch. To complete the merit badge in one day, Scouts will need to be prepared with pre-work. Each Scout will need to have a merit badge booklet and to complete a few selected requirements by reading the booklet and answering questions on a worksheet. The worksheet is available to download and print out at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O5j6qiSuLx7-UtqvpbmICHKTl1KPvVLz/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108536269966048967466&rtpof=true&sd=true

Scouts should be prepared with the items below: Scout activity uniform (“Class A” is optional for this class) Water and snacks (Ranch will also have some water available) Lunch (needs to be portable and in a small cooler if it needs to stay cool) Work gloves Bring a shovel if you wish to work on the bird sanctuary project Merit badge booklet and completed worksheet Notebook and pencil or pen Clothing suitable for the weather. If it’s raining, the class session will be moved into the Ranch garage but the birding field trip will still be outdoors. Insect repellent, just in case.

The J. B. Harrison Foundation requires all visitors (youth and adult) to complete their online liability waiver form. The form can be completed by following this link: https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/e/hhxaPBvzjahbd83xETXsqE/.”

For further information, please contact Rick Adams (713-410-5428/mr.rick4242@gmail.com).

[VSP hours to be recorded in VMS under: “James B Harrison Foundation Properties: TMN Report Hours”]

TMN COVID-19 Precautions: “For any indoor or outdoor activities that do occur in-person, masks and social distancing considerations are encouraged.”

Fort Bend County COVID-19 Green Advisement: “Resume normal contact with others unless sick. Resume attending public and private gatherings freely. Resume visiting vulnerable populations while practicing good hygiene and social distancing.” The Green risk description follows: “Minimum and controlled level of COVID-19 in Fort Bend County. New chains of transmission are rare.”