Mission: As certified Master Naturalists, our mission is to provide education, public outreach, and volunteer service in support of our area’s natural resources. Our chapter is dedicated to exploring diversity, equity & inclusion opportunities in our natural resource and conservation community. Just as the natural world thrives with biodiversity, our Texas Master Naturalist Program is dedicated to engaging all audiences in conservation, education and stewardship.
NEWSLETTER
MONTHLY CHAPTER BUSINESS MEETING & ADVANCED TRAINING
9:00 AM 2nd Wednesday
October 13,2021
In lieu of General Monthly Meeting, we will have a
Field Day at Cannan Bend Recreation Area.
FEATURED ADDITION:
Cultural History Page
A Geophysical Investigation of the Old Velasco Site, Surfside Beach, Brazoria County – by Jeremy W Pye, PhD, Contributor Chris Kneupper
Cultural Resource Analysts, Inc. (CRA) and the Cradle of Texas Conservancy (CTC) jointly announce the release of a historical/archaeology report entitled “A Geophysical Investigation of an Approximately 1.95 Acre Portion of the Old Velasco Site (41BO125), Village of Surfside Beach, Brazoria County, Texas – Texas Antiquities Permit No. 9419”.
The report covers a remote-sensing survey near the old mouth of the Brazos River, as part of a decades-long search for remnants of the several forts built there. Fieldwork was done in June-2020 involving ground-penetrating radar, magnetic gradiometry and electric resistance, followed by analysis and minor ground-truthing (selective excavations) through January-2021. The report also contains significant archival research done in the period since August-2019, revealing new details about the 1832 Fort Velasco location, the townsite of (old) Velasco, a Republic of Texas battery, and two Civil-War-era forts. Based on the geophysical results, it is thought that the data shows strong evidence for the presence of the rear bastion of the 1863 (Civil War era) Fort Velasco, as well as almost the entirety of the 1832 Fort Velasco. No definitive geophysical evidence was found to suggest that graves, associated with casualties in the 1832 Battle of Velasco, were present in the surveyed area.
A digital copy of the report in PDF/A format (61.3 MB, 174 pages) is now available for viewing or download at this link:
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SQFK7Yn-OAt-4WklHaxZb7HYJRAnGHS8/view?usp=sharing>.
Please feel free to forward to other interested parties, circulate or print the report. Libraries and archives can choose any option that best suits the needs of their particular facility.
Recent additions to Website:
Intern Training Page: Added Updated Info
Great Texas Wildlife Trails – Upper Texas Coast Interactive Map
VMS Guidelines for Citizen Science Projects
COVID Considerations
More Covid Considerations
NEWS / Partners
For updated guidance information on the Texas Master Naturalist Program policy on COVID-19 click here.
For information from the Brazoria County Health Department on COVID-19, click here.
Touch. See. Explore.
Schedule a Hatchery Tour
Call: 979-292-0100 ext. 221 or Email: seacenter@tpwd.texas.gov
Brazoria County Parks Dept:
From miles of sandy beaches, pristine bays and bayous, to bottomland hardwood forests, come experience the diverse and beautiful landscapes that Brazoria County has to offer. Also, there’s great fishing, camping, paddling, and birding – all of which you can find within Brazoria County Parks.
Included in our park system are 10 parks, 23 miles of sandy beaches, 21 boat ramps, two RV campgrounds, historical homes, interpretive centers, day use facilities, playgrounds, horseshoe and volleyball pits, and picnic areas. We also offer meeting room, cabin, dormitory, pavilion, and chapel rentals.
Brazoria County Parks
Texas Midcoast National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Big Slough – Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
More Water Than Land – Incoming tides of this coastal refuge combine life-giving nourishment from the Gulf with fresh river waters to create one of the most biologically rich environments in Texas. Because of its importance to birds, the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge and its companion refuges, San Bernard and Big Boggy, were designated an Internationally Significant Shorebird Site by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network.
Southwest Region National Wildlife Refuge System
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Wildlife & You Resource Management
Texas Master Naturalist Program – Cradle of Texas Chapter
Our organization is supported by annual membership dues and by donations from generous individuals and corporations. Contributions make it possible for us to continue to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within our community and the State of Texas. As a registered 501(c), all donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Thank you for your support. Ways to contribute: Donate Online Here or by mailing a check payable to TMNCOT to our office:
Texas Master Naturalist Program
Cradle of Texas Chapter
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
21017 County Road 171
Angleton, TX 77515-8903