This calendar includes Heartwood’s scheduled chapter, volunteer, and training events.
For a list of unscheduled (work at your own pace) volunteer activities, check out the approved chapter activities: Heartwood Volunteer Projects
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Nurdle Patrol Citizen Science Project
July 2 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Golden Triangle Sierra Club Group
July Group Meeting
Tuesday, July 2, 2024 6:00 PM
This presentation will cover a brief overview of the citizen science program called Nurdle Patrol. Nurdle Patrol has recorded plastic pellet concentrations along beaches, lake shorelines, riverbanks, and railroads from volunteers conducting 10-minute surveys. Over 10,000 volunteers have collected over 20,000 surveys at over 9,000 sites across the United States, Mexico, and 24 other countries to help identify possible sources of the plastic pellets (nurdles). Nurdles are small plastic pellets that are the basis of almost everything plastic. Nurdles look like food to animals causing possible intestinal blockage and/or starvation if eaten, and they absorb harmful chemicals in the environment that are known to have negative impacts on fish and wildlife. Other benefits to the Nurdle Patrol program include removal of nurdles from the environment, creating an awareness about the nurdle issue, and using citizen science data in management decisions. This presentation will focus on Nurdle Patrol efforts by citizen scientists along the Gulf of Mexico, what the data is showing, and future direction of the program in changing policy about plastics reaching the ocean.
Jace Tunnell is the director of community engagement at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. Jace is the founder of a citizen science project called Nurdle Patrol that tracks plastic pellet concentrations internationally to create awareness of plastics in the ocean and develop new policy based on the data. He also directs and produces a video series called Beachcombing about items washing up along the Gulf of Mexico beaches to help promote awareness on Gulf processes and interesting creatures in the ocean. His conservation efforts include educating the public about plastic pollution, marine science, and protection of our natural resources. Jace received a Master’s degree in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi in 2001.
In-person: Cafe del Rio, 2830 I10E, Beaumont, TX
Virtual: Join the Meeting To join the meeting with audio-only by phone: +13462487799 (Meeting ID 963 4769 0655)
VMS: AT: Single Presentation (Sierra Club- Nurdle Patrol)
