
[{"id":122343,"date":"2026-08-31T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122343"},"modified":"2026-08-25T09:22:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T14:22:57","slug":"tmncpc-presidents-message-2026-september","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/tmncpc-presidents-message-2026-september\/","title":{"rendered":"TMNCPC President&#8217;s Message &#8211; 2026: September"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Jan Poscovsky<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-10-2026-08_35_35-AM.png?resize=1024%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122345\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-10-2026-08_35_35-AM.png?w=1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-10-2026-08_35_35-AM.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/ChatGPT-Image-Aug-10-2026-08_35_35-AM.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After its summer hiatus, I\u2019m especially excited to introduce our reformatted, <strong>web-based newsletter <\/strong>&#8211; and of course to reconnect with all of you. Our Communications Team, led by Tonya Steckbeck, has put an incredible amount of time and creativity into making this happen. What you see is the result of many hours of work, discussion, experimentation, and problem-solving. It is still a work in progress, but I think the result is terrific! I hope you\u2019ll take some time to explore it and let the team know what you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s hard to believe how much we\u2019ve packed into the first part of 2026. From our work at Seabourne Creek Nature Park and our other project sites to educational programs, outreach, community partnerships, and the countless hours members have contributed throughout Fort Bend, Waller, and Wharton counties, <strong>you have continued to show what happens when people who care about nature put their time, talents, and enthusiasm to work.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And now we have a wonderful fall ahead of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>I hope you\u2019ll join us in Waco!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting, October 22\u201325 in Waco<\/strong>, is one of the best opportunities we have each year to step outside our own chapter and become part of the larger Texas Master Naturalist community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The educational opportunities are truly impressive. There are presentations, workshops, demonstrations, speakers, and activities covering an amazing range of natural history topics. Some of the field trips are already full, but <strong>don\u2019t let that discourage you from attending<\/strong>. There is still so much to learn, and just as importantly, so many people to meet and ideas to bring home with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/txmn.tamu.edu\/2026-annual-meeting\/\">Explore the 2026 Annual Meeting program and details<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We also have a <strong>limited number of $250 scholarships<\/strong> available to help members attend. If you are interested, please send me a DM via Slack. I would love to see more of our Coastal Prairie members represented in Waco!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>And then\u2026Woodland Wonders!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mark your calendar for <strong>November 7<\/strong>, when we return to Seabourne Creek Nature Park for <strong>Woodland Wonders<\/strong> in the Woodlands\/Bird Sanctuary. We\u2019ll celebrate the birds, wetlands, plants, and other wildlife that make this special part of the park such a wonderful place to explore. There will be opportunities for learning, discovery, and plenty of ways for our members to get involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When I think about everything our chapter has accomplished, I\u2019m reminded that our greatest strength isn\u2019t any one project or program\u2014it\u2019s <strong>you<\/strong>. Every hour spent pulling invasives, leading a hike, planting natives, answering a question, collecting data, teaching a child, or simply sharing your enthusiasm for the natural world adds another root to the strong foundation we are building together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thank you for being part of this remarkable chapter. I\u2019m looking forward to seeing what we accomplish together in the months ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Growing Deeper Roots\u2014together, for nature and for our community.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After its summer hiatus, I\u2019m especially excited to introduce our reformatted, web-based newsletter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1450,"featured_media":122346,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":true},"categories":[40424,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-volunteers","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1",512,512,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?resize=150%2C400&ssl=1",150,400,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1",512,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1",512,512,true],"landing-template-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?resize=512%2C512&ssl=1",512,512,true],"landing-template-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?resize=483%2C272&ssl=1",483,272,true],"template-flexcolumns-2":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?resize=512%2C332&ssl=1",512,332,true],"template-flexcolumns-3":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?resize=370%2C222&ssl=1",370,222,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1",512,512,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1",512,512,true],"archive":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1",400,225,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?resize=512%2C512&ssl=1",512,512,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Newsletter Team","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/author\/webadmin3\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"After its summer hiatus, I\u2019m especially excited to introduce our reformatted, web-based newsletter","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2qpz-vPh","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Growing-Deeper-Root.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122343"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122343\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":122381,"date":"2026-08-30T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122381"},"modified":"2026-08-25T09:04:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T14:04:41","slug":"volunteer-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/volunteer-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteer Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Tonya Steckbeck, Communications Director<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-bottom is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"570\" height=\"735\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=570%2C735\" alt=\"Tonya Steckbeck\" class=\"wp-image-122440\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?w=570&amp;ssl=1 570w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=300%2C387&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 570px) 100vw, 570px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wait, I put my hand up for Spring Training Class Representative \u2014 how did I end up as the Communications Director?? Anyone who has volunteered in an organization for a while will understand this feeling: Why Did I Put My Hand Up!? I have a long history of volunteering, from working in the Large Mammal Section of the Houston Zoo when I was studying at University of Houston to countless activities and Scouting organizations with my daughter while she was growing up. However, I can honestly say I have never been THIS overwhelmed THIS quickly\u2026but in such a lovely way. Our rapidly changing world has settled into the rapidly changing landscape of digital publishing, and our beautiful bespoke newsletter has become too cumbersome to assemble with the tools that are now available. Over the summer, this amazing group of volunteers we call The Communications Committee welcomed me on board. We have been researching and discussing how to navigate this brave new world while trying to hold on to the dear traditions of our paper past. This issue is the result. A single place where links to our latest news all arrive in your inbox and direct you to where they have been tucked neatly away on our website for you to enjoy in posterity. We are still figuring things out as we traverse this new format. So please bear with us as we all try something new together. It\u2019s like a delightful science experiment, changing each time you look at it, and hopefully for the better! We would love for you to be a part of the experiment, so fill out a short survey to help guide us; just follow the link at the bottom of the email. We would also love for you to be a part of the team and really need editors and proofreaders, especially if you already have experience in this area. Drop us a note in the Slack channel #submissions-newsletter to get started earning volunteer service hours from home. Just go ahead and put your hand up as I did; you never know where you will land in the end, but the people you meet along the journey will make it so memorable. My name is Tonya Steckbeck, and I am your new Communications Director.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"938\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Dragon-fly-Work-Zone-Ahead.png?resize=938%2C512\" alt=\"Drgaonfly Work Zone Ahead Graphic\" class=\"wp-image-122383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Dragon-fly-Work-Zone-Ahead.png?w=938&amp;ssl=1 938w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Dragon-fly-Work-Zone-Ahead.png?resize=300%2C164&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Dragon-fly-Work-Zone-Ahead.png?resize=768%2C419&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 938px) 100vw, 938px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Drgaonfly Work Zone Ahead <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is this email and where is my beloved Newsletter!??? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1450,"featured_media":122440,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?fit=570%2C735&ssl=1",570,735,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=150%2C400&ssl=1",150,400,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?fit=300%2C387&ssl=1",300,387,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?fit=570%2C735&ssl=1",570,735,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?fit=570%2C735&ssl=1",570,735,true],"landing-template-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=570%2C576&ssl=1",570,576,true],"landing-template-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=483%2C272&ssl=1",483,272,true],"template-flexcolumns-2":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=554%2C332&ssl=1",554,332,true],"template-flexcolumns-3":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=370%2C222&ssl=1",370,222,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?fit=570%2C735&ssl=1",570,735,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?fit=570%2C735&ssl=1",570,735,true],"archive":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1",400,225,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?resize=570%2C600&ssl=1",570,600,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Newsletter Team","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/author\/webadmin3\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"What is this email and where is my beloved Newsletter!???","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2qpz-vPT","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Tonya.jpg?fit=570%2C735&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122381","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122381"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122381\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122381"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122381"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122381"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":122398,"date":"2026-08-29T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122398"},"modified":"2026-08-25T09:02:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T14:02:41","slug":"ruby-throated-hummingbird-fall-migration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/ruby-throated-hummingbird-fall-migration\/","title":{"rendered":"Ruby-throated Hummingbird Fall Migration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Guest Author Celeste Silling, Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Education and Outreach Director, and Margo Johnson<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:19px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-vertically-aligned-top\" style=\"grid-template-columns:28% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"773\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=773%2C1000\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122397 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?w=773&amp;ssl=1 773w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=300%2C388&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=768%2C994&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 773px) 100vw, 773px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The fall Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration has already begun, and at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory (GCBO) we\u2019ve been seeing them zipping all around the property from one flower to another. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration is truly impressive. These tiny birds start their fall migration in August and continue through October. They breed as far north as central Canada, but the majority spend the winter in Mexico and Central America. They fly as far as 1,000 miles twice a year between their wintering and breeding grounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hummingbirds can fly forward, backward, upside-down and hover, making them some of the most acrobatic fliers in the bird kingdom. Some hummingbirds can flap their wings 200 times per second, giving them the record for most wing beats per minute of any bird. This fast propulsion comes in handy during their impressive migration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some hummingbirds will follow our coast around the Gulf down to Mexico, but others will take the shorter route straight across the water! The long flight across the Gulf has to be done all at once since there are no convenient trees for birds to rest on in the ocean. They have been known to land on ships out in the water, but they can\u2019t rely on finding the right ship in the right place. To meet the energy demands of this long journey, Ruby-throats can double their body weight with fat in a matter of days by bulking up on nectar from flowers and feeders and from eating insects.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"775\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX-2024-2-1024x775.jpg?resize=1024%2C775\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122395\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX-2024-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C775&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX-2024-2-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C227&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX-2024-2-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C581&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX-2024-2-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1163&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX-2024-2-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1551&amp;ssl=1 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by Patty Brinkmeyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX2024-1-1024x683.jpg?resize=1024%2C683\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122394\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX2024-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX2024-1.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX2024-1.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX2024-1.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Patty-Brinkmeyer-XHX2024-1.jpg?resize=2048%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by Patty Brinkmeyer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Celeste-Silling-XHX-2023-3-768x1024.jpg?resize=768%2C1024\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-122396\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Celeste-Silling-XHX-2023-3-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Celeste-Silling-XHX-2023-3-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Celeste-Silling-XHX-2023-3-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Celeste-Silling-XHX-2023-3-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Celeste-Silling-XHX-2023-3-scaled.jpg?w=1920&amp;ssl=1 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo by Celeste Silling<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are not only charming and cute, they also have some of the most unique features in the bird kingdom. For such a small animal, they are actually quite smart! Ruby-throats have a great memory, and can remember the location of different food sources and how to get there. A hummingbird&#8217;s brain is about 4.2% of their body weight, giving these birds the largest brain-to-body proportion of any bird.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One lesser-known feature is the hummingbird\u2019s heart. It can make up 2.5% of the total body weight. For comparison, the human heart is less than 1% of our total body weight. Their hearts are fast too; they beat at about 1,260 beats per minute when the birds are in flight. For comparison, the resting heart rate of human is about 60-100 beats per minute.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are interested in enjoying the hummingbird migration and seeing these birds up close, come join us at our Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza on September 12th and 19th at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory headquarters in Lake Jackson!&nbsp; Fortunately for us, Lake Jackson is in the middle of their migration flight path and GCBO is flooded with hummingbirds every September. You can watch hummingbird banding and even symbolically adopt a Ruby-throated Hummingbird of your own! There will also be activities for the kids, nature booths with live animals, a plant sale, and much more to enjoy. You can learn more at this link <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gcbo.org\/connect\/xtreme-hummingbird-xtravaganza\/\">XHX<\/a>. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Members of the Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter are invited to volunteer to help with this event. For more information about volunteering for the Hummingbird Xtravaganza&nbsp; look for the calendar listing on the Chapter calendar. We hope to see you there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fall migration of Ruby-throated hummingbirds is in full swing at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory! To learn more about these beautiful birds and their amazing journey, check out the Hummingbird Xtravaganza event this September at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory headquarters in Lake Jackson, Texas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1450,"featured_media":122397,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?fit=773%2C1000&ssl=1",773,1000,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=150%2C400&ssl=1",150,400,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?fit=300%2C388&ssl=1",300,388,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?fit=768%2C994&ssl=1",768,994,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?fit=773%2C1000&ssl=1",773,1000,true],"landing-template-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=773%2C576&ssl=1",773,576,true],"landing-template-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=483%2C272&ssl=1",483,272,true],"template-flexcolumns-2":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=554%2C332&ssl=1",554,332,true],"template-flexcolumns-3":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=370%2C222&ssl=1",370,222,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?fit=773%2C1000&ssl=1",773,1000,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?fit=773%2C1000&ssl=1",773,1000,true],"archive":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1",400,225,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1",600,600,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Newsletter Team","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/author\/webadmin3\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Fall migration of Ruby-throated hummingbirds is in full swing at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory! To learn more about these beautiful birds and their amazing journey, check out the Hummingbird Xtravaganza event this September at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory headquarters in Lake Jackson, Texas.","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2qpz-vQa","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/GCBO-hummingbird-flyer-.png?fit=773%2C1000&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122398","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122398"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122398\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122398"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122398"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122398"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":122415,"date":"2026-08-28T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122415"},"modified":"2026-08-25T09:01:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T14:01:30","slug":"preparations-for-the-fall-2026-training-class-are-underway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/preparations-for-the-fall-2026-training-class-are-underway\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparations for the Fall 2026 Training Class Are Underway!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Vanessa Weidman<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-bottom is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg-1024x578.jpeg?resize=1024%2C578\" alt=\"Spring 2026 class\" class=\"wp-image-122414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=1024%2C578&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=768%2C433&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=483%2C272&amp;ssl=1 483w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=400%2C225&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?w=1172&amp;ssl=1 1172w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Spring 2026 class, Photo by Stephanie Wheatley<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Registration for the Coastal Prairie Chapter\u2019s Fall 2026 training course took place in early July, and for the second year in a row the class filled in record time \u2014 about five hours! We approached registration a little differently this year, capping the number of enrollees at 27 to avoid a waiting list. While we would love to accept everyone who wants to apply, the unfortunate reality is we can only accommodate so many people per class. Anyone who sat elbow to elbow with their neighbor in the Brazos Bend State Park classroom can appreciate why we limit enrollment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like many past classes, this year\u2019s cohort will be overwhelmingly female (92%), but also quite a bit younger, with an average age of 46 years compared to 54 years over the past three classes. Not surprisingly, the fall course with its weekday sessions held in the evenings tends to attract more working adults than in the spring.&nbsp; This makes the role of our wonderful team of mentors even more important, as many of these trainees will need to juggle family and work obligations to complete their initial certification.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Something else that sets the Fall 2026 class apart from prior years will be our first-ever training session held at Hesed House in Wharton. Hesed House is a non-profit community space that aims to support underserved residents of Wharton County. They offer services like free GED classes, programs that address health and food insecurity, and are partnering with the Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter\u2019s new Junior Master Naturalist Program. We are excited to work together with Hesed House to host Junior Master Naturalist training and hope to expand the Coastal Prairie Chapter\u2019s presence within Wharton County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To find out more about upcoming classes and increase the chances of getting into a class, we strongly recommend visiting the Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter website at <a href=\"http:\/\/coastalprairie.org\">coastalprairie.org<\/a>. Once on the Chapter website, complete and submit a <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/forms\/d\/e\/1FAIpQLScgZjm0oDQ_F6L-s3V03VIm-7l7JowqED-fZwS1OMPiwql_cQ\/viewform\">training interest form<\/a>. This form feeds into a private \u201cContact List\u201d to receive monthly email updates about our training program enrollment process and key dates. Completing a training interest form also generates a sneak preview link for early registration ahead of the general public.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As we look forward to a fun and rewarding Fall 2026 training course, we are also looking ahead to Spring 2027 training. Can you believe it?&nbsp; We are already seeking an enthusiastic and organized Texas Master Naturalist volunteer to begin planning the Spring 2027 training class. If you are interested in becoming part of the training team or a training class Director, please contact Coastal Prairie Chapter member and Fall 2026 Training Director Vanessa Weidman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter Fall 2026 Training class is underway, and plans are beginning for the Spring 2027 Training class. Here is how to get involved! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1450,"featured_media":122414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?fit=1172%2C661&ssl=1",1172,661,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=150%2C400&ssl=1",150,400,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?fit=300%2C169&ssl=1",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?fit=768%2C433&ssl=1",768,433,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?fit=1024%2C578&ssl=1",1024,578,true],"landing-template-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1",1024,576,true],"landing-template-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=483%2C272&ssl=1",483,272,true],"template-flexcolumns-2":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=554%2C332&ssl=1",554,332,true],"template-flexcolumns-3":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=370%2C222&ssl=1",370,222,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?fit=1172%2C661&ssl=1",1172,661,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?fit=1172%2C661&ssl=1",1172,661,true],"archive":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1",400,225,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1",600,600,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Newsletter Team","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/author\/webadmin3\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter Fall 2026 Training class is underway, and plans are beginning for the Spring 2027 Training class. Here is how to get involved!","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2qpz-vQr","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Spring-2026.stephaniewheatleyjpeg.jpeg?fit=1172%2C661&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122415"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122415\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":122385,"date":"2026-08-27T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122385"},"modified":"2026-08-25T08:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T13:55:08","slug":"texas-junior-master-naturalist-program-coming-soon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/texas-junior-master-naturalist-program-coming-soon\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Junior Master Naturalist Program coming soon!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Jo Cain<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"139\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=300%2C139\" alt=\"Junior Master Naturalist\" class=\"wp-image-122384\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Junior Master Naturalist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter program leads Haleigh Thornley and Jo Cain are pleased to announce a new Junior Master Naturalist training program launching in Wharton County, Texas. Classes for youth begin in September 2026 and will be held monthly in person at the Hesed House of Wharton community center through summer 2027. Participants earn a program certificate at the end of the series.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mission of the Texas Junior Master Naturalist program is to help youth build a lifelong love of natural history and science while growing personal leadership skills and protecting sustainable goals in local communities. To grow the Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter\u2019s presence in Wharton County, the majority of enrolled students and accompanying adults are local residents of Wharton County. Classes are scheduled on the second Saturday of each month beginning September 12, 2026 and continue through June 12, 2027. Each class features a two-hour interactive session with a presentation followed by one hour of volunteer service outdoors. To earn a certificate, each student will need to complete six hours of classes and two hours of volunteer time. The goal is to have approximately forty-five minutes of class followed by outdoor activities to put new knowledge to work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each class will cover a wide range of naturalist topics. Feature presentations include Nature Journaling with Texas Master Naturalist Stephanie Wheatley, Herpetology with Texas Master Naturalist Nathan Heilman, Entomology with Texas Master Naturalist Jo Cain, Geology with local college Professor Peter Anderson, Mammalogy with Texas Master Naturalist Haleigh Thornley, Ornithology with Texas Master Naturalists Jan and Kevin Kolk, a special wildlife presentation by Texas Master Naturalist and Houston SPCA Wildlife Center volunteer Randolph Watson, Aquatic Insects with Texas Master Naturalist Kerry Padilla, and Botany and native plants with Texas Master Naturalist Cathy Kemper. The December class will feature a night of stargazing with two telescopes. The Ornithology and Aquatic Insect sessions will include field trips to Seabourne Creek Nature Park in Rosenberg, Texas. Additional themes such as Leave No Trace, Safety in Nature, using iNaturalist, and responsible interaction with nature are woven into each session. The core goals of the Junior Master Naturalist program include helping youth get outside to learn about nature, gain new knowledge and skills, and learn to lead in service to their community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The involvement of the Hesed House of Wharton has been instrumental in building this program. Hesed House is a nonprofit community center and graciously offered to host classes in the Yellow House on campus. Additionally, Hesed House designed the registration system to support program enrollment. The Texas Master Naturalist Junior Master Naturalist program is grateful for the generosity and enthusiasm of Wharton County residents and the Coastal Prairie Chapter volunteers who stepped up to serve, advise, and assist in the launch of this new youth-focused program. We look forward to seeing you in September!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter launches a new youth-focused Junior Master Naturalist educational series this September. The first Junior Master Naturalist class will be held monthly at the Hesed House of Wharton community center in Wharton County, Texas. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1450,"featured_media":122384,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?fit=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=150%2C139&ssl=1",150,139,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?fit=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?fit=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?fit=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"landing-template-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"landing-template-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"template-flexcolumns-2":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"template-flexcolumns-3":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?fit=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?fit=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"archive":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?resize=300%2C139&ssl=1",300,139,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Newsletter Team","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/author\/webadmin3\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter launches a new youth-focused Junior Master Naturalist educational series this September. The first Junior Master Naturalist class will be held monthly at the Hesed House of Wharton community center in Wharton County, Texas.","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2qpz-vPX","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/junior-master-naturalist_small.jpg?fit=300%2C139&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122385"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122385\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":122430,"date":"2026-08-26T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122430"},"modified":"2026-08-24T08:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:35:35","slug":"heb-pollinators-for-texas-grants-in-action-at-cullinan-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/heb-pollinators-for-texas-grants-in-action-at-cullinan-park\/","title":{"rendered":"HEB Pollinators for Texas Grants in Action at Cullinan Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Monica Taylor<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"1000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_1766.jpg?resize=750%2C1000\" alt=\"Monia Taylor, Karen Brisch, Caroline Kane at CUllinan Park\" class=\"wp-image-122443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_1766.jpg?w=750&amp;ssl=1 750w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_1766.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Monia Taylor, Karen Brisch, Caroline Kane at Cullinan Park<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center .image-text-column {  display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: center; } is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">Magical things are happening in the pollinator triangle garden at Cullinan Park! It\u2019s all thanks to the HEB Pollinators for Texas grants program and the Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter volunteer work ethic. This pollinator area is not only loved by Cullinan Park visitors, it also serves as a demonstration site for the City of Sugar Land to showcase successful growth of native plants in shade, part shade, and full sun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-paragraph\">In the fall of 2024, the Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter HEB grant team submitted their inaugural grant application, which was awarded to create Nina\u2019s Garden, a 4,000-square-foot native pollinator habitat at Cullinan Park. This area was previously mowed for 50 out of 52 weeks each year, leading to moderately compressed soil. In January 2025, the full grant request was received and celebrated. The deadline to complete all grant work was October 31, 2025. Needless to say, between January and October, the team had their hands full preparing for planting, conducting a seed stomp, planting starter plants, adding a crushed granite pathway, and establishing a fence in the garden area. Everything turned out beautifully! In just one year, visitors watched a barren space turn into a habitat that attracted new native pollinators to Cullinan Park.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:20%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"623\" height=\"623\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=623%2C623\" alt=\"Nina's Garden Signage\" class=\"wp-image-122436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?w=623&amp;ssl=1 623w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 623px) 100vw, 623px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nina&#8217;s Garden Signage, Photo by Monica Taylor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:20%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"522\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-a.png?resize=522%2C522\" alt=\"Nina's Garden\" class=\"wp-image-122437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-a.png?w=522&amp;ssl=1 522w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-a.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 522px) 100vw, 522px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Nina&#8217;s Garden. Photo by Monica Taylor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The grant team wrote a second HEB grant request to create signage for the Pollinator Pathway in and around Nina\u2019s Garden. Lo and behold, the Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter was one of only four chapters statewide to be awarded the full grant amount! The team dove into collecting information and creating beautiful signage for Nina\u2019s Garden. The signage installation became an Eagle Scout Project and was completed in June 2026. If you haven\u2019t popped into Cullinan Park lately, come by to see Nina\u2019s Garden and the new pollinator signage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In late August, the team received approval of the third grant proposal addressing night time pollinators. Stay tuned for updates on the next stage of pollinator habitat development at Cullinan Park!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter HEB Pollinators for Texas grant team thanks everyone who has helped in the grant writing process, sign design, garden creation, and ongoing garden maintenance. This effort has added a pleasing native pollinator habitat for both wildlife and visitors to Cullinan Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter grant team was awarded two HEB Pollinators for Texas grants, establishing a new native pollinator habitat with gravel pathways and signage at Cullinan Park in Sugar Land, Texas<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1450,"featured_media":122436,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[74787,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cullinan-park","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?fit=623%2C623&ssl=1",623,623,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=150%2C400&ssl=1",150,400,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?fit=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?fit=623%2C623&ssl=1",623,623,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?fit=623%2C623&ssl=1",623,623,true],"landing-template-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=623%2C576&ssl=1",623,576,true],"landing-template-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=483%2C272&ssl=1",483,272,true],"template-flexcolumns-2":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=554%2C332&ssl=1",554,332,true],"template-flexcolumns-3":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=370%2C222&ssl=1",370,222,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?fit=623%2C623&ssl=1",623,623,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?fit=623%2C623&ssl=1",623,623,true],"archive":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1",400,225,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1",600,600,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Newsletter Team","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/author\/webadmin3\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter grant team was awarded two HEB Pollinators for Texas grants, establishing a new native pollinator habitat with gravel pathways and signage at Cullinan Park in Sugar Land, Texas","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2qpz-vQG","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Ninas-Garden-Signage-a.png?fit=623%2C623&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122430","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122436"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":122418,"date":"2026-08-26T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122418"},"modified":"2026-08-24T08:22:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:22:32","slug":"bat-acoustic-monitoring-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/bat-acoustic-monitoring-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Bat Acoustic Monitoring Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Monica Taylor<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Most people think of bats on the Gulf Coast as being primarily one species: Mexican Free-tailed bats. The surprising fact is that there are many more species of bats that call the Coastal Plain home for at least part of the year! The Bat Acoustic Monitoring Program helps determine the bat species richness in Texas. It also helps to guide conservation and scientific efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bat acoustic monitoring takes place from late April through July. Sometimes monitoring occurs into late July or August due to weather events that delay previous recording. Designated monitoring sites must be at least five kilometers apart, demonstrate suitable bat habitat, and be willing to share the recorded data with the North American Bat Association.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over four nights, an electronic acoustic bat detector designed to capture the echolocation calls of bats flying near the device is placed at a designated site. This specialized equipment captures the ultrasonic calls made by bats. We analyze the recordings with software designed to identify potential bat species that may be present. The software uses advanced methods to match the recordings with verified bat calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The software results identify which bat species are likely to be present. This method is not 100% perfect, but by combining software analysis with manual analysis, we can be highly confident in the presence of a specified bat species.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"809\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Seminole-Bat-Katelin-Cross-iNat-edited.jpeg?resize=768%2C809&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Seminole Bat\" class=\"wp-image-122426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Seminole-Bat-Katelin-Cross-iNat-edited.jpeg?w=768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Seminole-Bat-Katelin-Cross-iNat-edited.jpeg?resize=300%2C316&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Seminole Bat, Photo by Katelin Cross via iNaturalist, licensed under CC-BY-NC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1004\" height=\"877\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=1004%2C877&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Southern Yellow Bat\" class=\"wp-image-122427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?w=1004&amp;ssl=1 1004w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=300%2C262&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=768%2C671&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Southern Yellow Bat, Photo by Yuri Aguirre via iNaturalist, licensed under CC-BY-NC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year at Seabourne Creek Nature Park in Rosenberg, Texas, acoustic monitoring was done from June 30<sup>th<\/sup> through July 5<sup>th<\/sup>. Multiple bat species were recorded, and the presence of four potential species was confirmed as highly likely: the Southern Yellow Bat, the Seminole Bat, the Evening Bat, and the Mexican Free-tailed Bat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every year acoustic data show a correlation between native plant presence and the presence of bats at monitoring sites. Sites rich in native plants and native pollinator habitat recorded numerous species of bats, while sites without native plants or native pollinator habitat showed fewer species present, if any. Native plants matter to bats!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re interested in learning more about the Bat Acoustic Monitoring Project, contact Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter member Monica Taylor, program lead for the Bat Acoustics Monitoring project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Bat Acoustic Monitoring Project identifies potential bat presence by recording ultrasonic echolocation calls over a period of time. Several species of bats have been recorded in the Coastal Plain, including four different species at Seabourne Creek Nature Park in Rosenberg, Texas. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1450,"featured_media":122427,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122418","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?fit=1004%2C877&ssl=1",1004,877,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=150%2C400&ssl=1",150,400,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?fit=300%2C262&ssl=1",300,262,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?fit=768%2C671&ssl=1",768,671,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?fit=1004%2C877&ssl=1",1004,877,true],"landing-template-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=1004%2C576&ssl=1",1004,576,true],"landing-template-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=483%2C272&ssl=1",483,272,true],"template-flexcolumns-2":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=554%2C332&ssl=1",554,332,true],"template-flexcolumns-3":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=370%2C222&ssl=1",370,222,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?fit=1004%2C877&ssl=1",1004,877,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?fit=1004%2C877&ssl=1",1004,877,true],"archive":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1",400,225,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1",600,600,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Newsletter Team","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/author\/webadmin3\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Bat Acoustic Monitoring Project identifies potential bat presence by recording ultrasonic echolocation calls over a period of time. Several species of bats have been recorded in the Coastal Plain, including four different species at Seabourne Creek Nature Park in Rosenberg, Texas.","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2qpz-vQu","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Southern-Yellow-Bat-Yuri-Aguirre-iNat-edited.jpg?fit=1004%2C877&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122418","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122418"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122418\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122427"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122418"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122418"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122418"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":122375,"date":"2026-08-25T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122375"},"modified":"2026-08-24T08:19:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:19:09","slug":"cullinan-park-ploggers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/cullinan-park-ploggers\/","title":{"rendered":"Cullinan Park Ploggers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Diane Johnston<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4fc3f8e1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It happened in a land far, far away\u2026a long, long time ago\u2026well, it wasn\u2019t a land <em>that<\/em> far away, it was Cullinan Park in Sugar Land. It wasn\u2019t <em>that<\/em> long ago, it happened shortly after the 2025 Spring and Fall Texas Master Naturalists classes. The real mystery is how a group of eccentric\u2026I mean <em>knowledgeable<\/em> Texas Master Naturalists came together to become a team for the beneficial management of natural resources at Cullinan Park.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3280-1024x768.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768\" alt=\"Cullinan Ploggers\" class=\"wp-image-122372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3280.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3280.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3280.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3280.jpeg?w=1142&amp;ssl=1 1142w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cullinan Ploggers, Photo by Diane Johnston<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_1774-1024x768.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768\" alt=\"Cullinan Ploggers\" class=\"wp-image-122374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_1774.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_1774.jpeg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_1774.jpeg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_1774.jpeg?w=1142&amp;ssl=1 1142w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cullinan Ploggers, Photo by Paula Lenhart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210-768x1024.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024\" alt=\"Cullinan Ploggers\" class=\"wp-image-122373\" style=\"width:370px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=768%2C1023&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=300%2C400&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?w=857&amp;ssl=1 857w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Cullinan Ploggers, Photo by Paula Lenhart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As with all Texas Master Naturalists classes, a class project was needed. Due to Cullinan Park\u2019s location, a group of TMNs began working there one day each week. Initially, this group worked on removing invasive plants and non-native vegetation from a small area identified as the pollinator extension garden, which subsequently became a class project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the weeks rolled by, the pollinator extension garden required less attention. While working in the park the team noticed the amount of litter around trash cans (inquisitive raccoons) and other areas of the park (unruly people) had increased. Based on these weekly observations of litter scattered about the park, the group came together and initiated what they termed the \u201cplogging\u201d movement. What is \u201cplogging\u201d? Plogging combines the action of jogging or running with the Swedish phrase \u201cplocka upp,\u201d which means \u201cto pick up.\u201d We don\u2019t jog or run; rather, we walk around the park and the park lake \u201cpicking up\u201d litter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We are amazed by the amount of litter we pick up in just a couple of hours. It is very satisfying knowing that we are keeping litter out of the park lake and adjacent waterways. During these walks, master naturalist topics are discussed, including plant identification and insect facts and occurrences. It is a great way to learn about natural resource conservation and how to identify plants and critters. If you want to get outside at Cullinan Park, join us! Or, start your own plogging group in a park or natural area near you!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how a group of Texas Master Naturalists from the Coastal Prairie Chapter came together to improve the visitor experience at Cullinan Park in Sugar Land. What is a plogger and what do the Cullinan Ploggers do weekly at Cullinan Park? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1450,"featured_media":122373,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":true},"categories":[74787,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cullinan-park","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?fit=857%2C1142&ssl=1",857,1142,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=150%2C400&ssl=1",150,400,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?fit=300%2C400&ssl=1",300,400,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?fit=768%2C1023&ssl=1",768,1023,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?fit=768%2C1024&ssl=1",768,1024,true],"landing-template-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=857%2C576&ssl=1",857,576,true],"landing-template-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=483%2C272&ssl=1",483,272,true],"template-flexcolumns-2":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=554%2C332&ssl=1",554,332,true],"template-flexcolumns-3":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=370%2C222&ssl=1",370,222,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?fit=857%2C1142&ssl=1",857,1142,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?fit=857%2C1142&ssl=1",857,1142,true],"archive":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1",400,225,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1",600,600,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Newsletter Team","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/author\/webadmin3\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Learn how a group of Texas Master Naturalists from the Coastal Prairie Chapter came together to improve the visitor experience at Cullinan Park in Sugar Land. What is a plogger and what do the Cullinan Ploggers do weekly at Cullinan Park?","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2qpz-vPN","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_3210.jpeg?fit=857%2C1142&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122375"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122375\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":122337,"date":"2026-08-25T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122337"},"modified":"2026-08-24T08:15:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:15:31","slug":"texas-master-naturalist-outreach-at-hmns-sugar-land","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/texas-master-naturalist-outreach-at-hmns-sugar-land\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas Master Naturalist Outreach at HMNS\u2013Sugar Land"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sugar Land: Inspiring Young Conservationists<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Katie Sallean<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:80px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"704\" height=\"528\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=704%2C528\" alt=\"TMN Volunteer at Houston Museum of Natural Science - Sugar Land\" class=\"wp-image-122333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?w=704&amp;ssl=1 704w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">TMN Volunteer at Houston Museum of Natural Science &#8211; Sugar Land, Photo by Lisa Sanders<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"710\" height=\"454\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture2.png?resize=710%2C454\" alt=\"TMN Volunteer at Houston Museum of Natural Science - Sugar Land\" class=\"wp-image-122334\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture2.png?w=710&amp;ssl=1 710w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture2.png?resize=300%2C192&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 710px) 100vw, 710px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">TMN Volunteer at Houston Museum of Natural Science &#8211; Sugar Land, Photo by Lisa Sanders<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Texas Master Naturalist program continued its strong community engagement this summer with our Saturday outreach series at the Houston Museum of Natural Science\u2013Sugar Land. Volunteers reached more than 450 visitors in June and July, sharing hands-on activities that connected families to nature, science, and conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lead volunteer Lisa Sanders, with the help of Lynne Woods, guided \u201cTurn Down the Lights, Turn Up the Stars\u201d on June 13 and 27. Museum visitors explored the importance of dark skies and how light pollution affects wildlife, bird migration, and human health. Families snapped photos at the astronaut selfie station, listened to deep space sounds, and created their own constellation compass to help locate the North Star. Visitors also learned about space weather, viewed light spectrum prisms, and discovered where true International Dark Sky designated locations can still be found in Texas. The activities sparked curiosity and encouraged families to think about how everyday lighting choices impact the natural world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:20% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"542\" height=\"774\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture4a.png?resize=542%2C774\" alt=\"Volunteer at Houston Museum of Natural Science - Sugar Land\" class=\"wp-image-122339 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture4a.png?w=542&amp;ssl=1 542w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture4a.png?resize=300%2C428&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 542px) 100vw, 542px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Debby Wendt led \u201cThink Green, Act Clean: Kids Leading the Change!\u201d on July 11 and 25. Children and families learned practical ways to reduce plastic use and shrink their carbon footprint through simple daily actions. Interactive recycling games empowered kids to become environmental leaders in their own homes and communities, by showing them how small choices can create big environmental impacts. Kids also learned to repurpose old materials by creating upcycled tote bags made from donated T-shirts, turning everyday items into practical, plastic-free alternatives while reinforcing the idea that creativity and conservation can go hand in hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These events highlight the Texas Master Naturalist commitment to education, stewardship, and inspiring the next generation of conservation-minded Texans. Special thanks to Lisa and Debby for all of their hard work putting content together for our outreach!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">TMN Volunteer at Houston Museum of Natural Science &#8211; Sugar Land<\/p>\n\n\n\n<script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Texas Master Naturalist program continued its strong community engagement this summer with our Saturday outreach series at the Houston Museum of Natural Science\u2013Sugar Land. Volunteers reached more than 450 visitors in June and July, sharing hands-on activities that connected families to nature, science, and conservation. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1450,"featured_media":122333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"full-width-content","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":true},"categories":[74785,40424,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-122337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston-museum-of-natural-science-sugar-land","category-volunteers","category-news","entry"],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?fit=704%2C528&ssl=1",704,528,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=150%2C400&ssl=1",150,400,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?fit=300%2C225&ssl=1",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?fit=704%2C528&ssl=1",704,528,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?fit=704%2C528&ssl=1",704,528,true],"landing-template-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=704%2C528&ssl=1",704,528,true],"landing-template-thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=483%2C272&ssl=1",483,272,true],"template-flexcolumns-2":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=554%2C332&ssl=1",554,332,true],"template-flexcolumns-3":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=370%2C222&ssl=1",370,222,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?fit=704%2C528&ssl=1",704,528,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?fit=704%2C528&ssl=1",704,528,true],"archive":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1",400,225,true],"gform-image-choice-sm":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"gform-image-choice-md":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=400%2C400&ssl=1",400,400,true],"gform-image-choice-lg":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?resize=600%2C528&ssl=1",600,528,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Newsletter Team","author_link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/author\/webadmin3\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The Texas Master Naturalist program continued its strong community engagement this summer with our Saturday outreach series at the Houston Museum of Natural Science\u2013Sugar Land. Volunteers reached more than 450 visitors in June and July, sharing hands-on activities that connected families to nature, science, and conservation.","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph2qpz-vPb","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/HMNS-Picture1.png?fit=704%2C528&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1450"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122337"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122337\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":122407,"date":"2026-08-24T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/?p=122407"},"modified":"2026-08-23T18:32:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T23:32:00","slug":"illuminating-the-night-national-moth-week-2026-at-monarch-woods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/txmn.org\/coastal\/illuminating-the-night-national-moth-week-2026-at-monarch-woods\/","title":{"rendered":"Illuminating the Night: National Moth Week 2026 at Monarch Woods"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By Sari Garfinkle<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-bottom is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1008\" height=\"756\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_2110.illuminating-the-night.jeanstipelcovitch-pic-of-mary-spolyar-at-sheet.jpg?resize=1008%2C756\" alt=\"Texas Master Naturalist Mothing\" class=\"wp-image-122400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_2110.illuminating-the-night.jeanstipelcovitch-pic-of-mary-spolyar-at-sheet.jpg?w=1008&amp;ssl=1 1008w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_2110.illuminating-the-night.jeanstipelcovitch-pic-of-mary-spolyar-at-sheet.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/IMG_2110.illuminating-the-night.jeanstipelcovitch-pic-of-mary-spolyar-at-sheet.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Texas Master Naturalist Mothing, Photo by Jean Stipelcovich<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We humans live cyclical lives. Spring shades into summer, summer into fall, fall into winter, and then it\u2019s spring once again. Birthdays, anniversaries, religious and secular holidays occur at the expected times. So, too, are seasonal bioblitzes, short-term projects that provide researchers with a snapshot in time for specified organisms. In summer, July\u2019s big bioblitz is National Moth Week. This event is an invitation to people around the globe to observe, photograph, and post the moths they encounter over one week to the citizen scientist application iNaturalist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moths \u2014 close relatives to butterflies \u2014 tend to be nocturnal, and their life histories are less well understood than those of their beautiful cousins. At the same time, researchers are finding them to be excellent and very efficient pollinators. Some moths seem to be everywhere (Dusky Herpetogramma, anyone?). Others choose very specific habitats as their young will dine only on certain species of plants. Some come to bright, white light, but an even larger number are attracted to ultraviolet light, also known as black light.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter is lucky to have members living in six counties: urban, rural, and everywhere in between. Last year, Texas Master Naturalists Bert and Jean Stipelcovich generously invited Chapter members to join them in a bioblitz at Monarch Woods, their home in rural Weimar, Texas. That night in 2025 was a huge success for mothing and inspired them to open their home once again as hosts for National Moth Week 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So the mothing enthusiasts came, bedecked in long pants, long sleeves, boots, scarves, and headlamps, slathered with bug spray. A couple of graduate students studying entomology joined a merry group of Texas Master Naturalists at the Stipelcovich home. Hostess Jean pulled out a map and together they chose sites where black lights would best illuminate the night. Mothing sheets and attracting ultraviolet lights were set up, and once installed and in place, the naturalists waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the sun fell below the horizon, the first critters attracted to the lights were caddisflies and ants. Leafhoppers followed, and then the moths began to arrive. And the beetles. And even antlions and dragonflies. Gulf Coast toads and praying mantises accompanied the observers wherever they went.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"952\" height=\"951\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06344.monarchwoodshosts.sarigarfinkle.jpg?resize=952%2C951\" alt=\"TMN Mothing Night Host, Bert and Jean Stipelcovich\" class=\"wp-image-122402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06344.monarchwoodshosts.sarigarfinkle.jpg?w=952&amp;ssl=1 952w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06344.monarchwoodshosts.sarigarfinkle.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06344.monarchwoodshosts.sarigarfinkle.jpg?resize=768%2C767&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 952px) 100vw, 952px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">TMN Mothing Night Hosts, Bert and Jean Stipelcovich, Photo by Sari Garfinkle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"657\" height=\"657\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06171.texas-leafcutter.sari-garfinkle.jpg?resize=657%2C657\" alt=\"Leafcutter Bee\" class=\"wp-image-122410\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06171.texas-leafcutter.sari-garfinkle.jpg?w=657&amp;ssl=1 657w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06171.texas-leafcutter.sari-garfinkle.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 657px) 100vw, 657px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Leafcutter Bee, Photo by Sari Garfinkle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"872\" height=\"765\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/gracile-palpita-susie-doe-a.jpg?resize=872%2C765\" alt=\"Gracile Palpita Moth\" class=\"wp-image-122413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/gracile-palpita-susie-doe-a.jpg?w=872&amp;ssl=1 872w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/gracile-palpita-susie-doe-a.jpg?resize=300%2C263&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/gracile-palpita-susie-doe-a.jpg?resize=768%2C674&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 872px) 100vw, 872px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gracile Palpita Moth, Photo by Susie Doe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"798\" height=\"798\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Eustictus-knighti-susie-doe-a.jpg?resize=798%2C798\" alt=\"Plant Bug\" class=\"wp-image-122412\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Eustictus-knighti-susie-doe-a.jpg?w=798&amp;ssl=1 798w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Eustictus-knighti-susie-doe-a.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/Eustictus-knighti-susie-doe-a.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Plant Bug, Photo by Susie Doe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By early morning, 347 species had been logged visiting the lights overnight, of which 133 were moths. At least five species were new additions to both the county list and to Monarch Woods. One was <em>Coelioxys texanus<\/em>, a leafcutter cuckoo bee. Jean had planted frogfruit next to the barn. The frogfruit was fruitful and had multiplied greatly. <em>C. texanus<\/em> ignored our presence as it supped nectar from the flowers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the sheets, <em>Palpita atrisquamalis<\/em>, the exquisitely patterned Gracile Palpita moth, posed for pictures while two new species of water scavenger beetles, <em>Helobata larvalis<\/em> and <em>Berosus pantherinus<\/em>, waited in the wings. The last newcomer, <em>Eustictus<\/em>, a plant bug, has yet to be identified. There are two species which are very, very similar; either would be a new addition to the lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"767\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06467.TMNs-mothing.jean-stipelcovich-JPG-1024x767.jpg?resize=1024%2C767\" alt=\"TMNs Mothing\" class=\"wp-image-122403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06467.TMNs-mothing.jean-stipelcovich-JPG.jpg?resize=1024%2C767&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06467.TMNs-mothing.jean-stipelcovich-JPG.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06467.TMNs-mothing.jean-stipelcovich-JPG.jpg?resize=768%2C575&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/txmn.org\/coastal\/files\/2026\/08\/DSC06467.TMNs-mothing.jean-stipelcovich-JPG.jpg?w=1042&amp;ssl=1 1042w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">TMNs Mothing, Photo by Sari Garfinkle<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Headlamps began to dim early in the morning. Moth night ended officially at 2 a.m. when the last photo was taken and the last black light was put away. In the morning, Jean and Bert put out a lovely breakfast spread, offering sustenance and caffeine to those who had stayed the night. We laughed, compared notes and shared stories. Like fishermen, we lamented the one that got away! Jean led a guided nature walk for the last of us around the lake, pointing out flora and fauna unique to her ecoregion, which is very different from coastal prairie. At last we packed up, said our thank-yous and goodbyes before heading home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Plans are already afoot for another moth night during National Moth Week 2027. If Jean and Bert decide to host again, anyone who has been there will tell you it is worth the drive to rural Weimar, Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">See you next July!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/subscribe-forms.beehiiv.com\/v3\/loader.js\" data-beehiiv-form=\"842880fd-70c5-4c01-b700-8b45c5576863\"><\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Citizen scientists and mothing enthusiasts meet in the dark in rural Texas during National Moth Week in July, 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