Volunteers at Blanco State Park – Third Grade Park Program
On May 3rd, 2024, Blanco S.P. hosted a great outdoors program for the BISD 3rd graders, sponsored by the Friends of BSP. All the stations were on HLMN chapter plus the Bats station presenters were from Lost Maples SP. This was held in BSP for several years until Covid disrupted the event for several years. This is a memorable event that is the end of the school year highlight that the upcoming 2nd graders always look forward to.
Photos by Al Lillis
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Kim Jungkind, Class of 2024 at the Children’s Art Program at Marble Falls Highland Arts Guild and Gallery. Photo by Martelle Luedecke
Class of 2024 Graduation
Burnet Bulletin
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Editor’s note: captions are reversed
Photos by Martelle Luedecke
Free Family Fishing Day at Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery
Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge – Bridges to Birding
by Cathy Houston
Members from Highland Lakes, Goodwater and Capitol Area Master Naturalist Chapters, along with Friends of Balcones volunteers, participated in Bridges to Birding Field Trips at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Reserve in March. Third through fifth grade students learned about birds by participating in activities at Doeskin Ranch. These activities included bird calls, habitats, migration, nesting, how to use a field guide, how to use binoculars and a lesson on the basic biology of birds. Students were also able to participate in a short hike. The students all seemed to have a great time enjoying being outside and learning about nature. All of the field trips are greeted by Goldie the Golden Cheeked Warbler upon their arrival at Doeskin Ranch. Several additional field trips are scheduled in April and May.
Photos were taken by Stephanie Jones from BCNWR and Paula Richards.
Jerry Stacy Awarded 10,000 Volunteer Hour Milestone
Jerry Stacy’s dedication to volunteer service is truly remarkable. His journey began in 2006 when he joined the Highland Lakes Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist Program. By 2014, he had already accumulated 4,000 volunteer service hours, a feat achieved by only four other members. His commitment didn’t stop there. In 2016, he reached the 5,000-hour mark.
As of March 2024, Jerry has amassed an impressive 10,057 volunteer service hours and 683 advanced training hours. This achievement earned him an emerald-studded dragonfly pin, making him the first member of the Highland Lakes Chapter to reach the 10,000-hour volunteer milestone.
Jerry’s path to this milestone was paved with diversity. He led interpretive hikes at Inks Dam National Fish Hatchery, emphasizing edible plants. He also contributed to outreach education and maintained trails and pollinator gardens at the hatchery. Jerry played a crucial role in building the Wildlife Viewing Stations at Inks Lake State Park and Granite Shoals, and his expertise has been sought by other organizations for similar projects.
Jerry’s volunteer efforts extend to several other locations, including Balcones Canyonlands Wildlife Refuge, Blanco State Park, and Upper Highland Lakes Nature Center. His activities range from Wood Duck Box monitoring and LCRA water quality monitoring to conducting surveys of Quillwort, Quail, and Golden-cheeked Warblers. He also works with the Land Management Assistance Program team, providing landowners with assessments of their property’s plant life and land management goals. Furthermore, Jerry leads and trains for Fishing Events and the Great Outdoor Project and Hatchery Outdoor Project for local school children.
If you find yourself at one of these events or parks, you’ll likely see Jerry, hard at work. And who knows? He might just be working towards his next milestone: 15,000 volunteer service hours.