- Help restore habitats at Rio Bosque and other sites
- Rescue native plants and animals in areas undergoing commercial development
- Help with projects at El Paso zoo and El Paso Water Utilities TECH2O Center
- Present programs on environment to school students
- Participate in bird banding and similar projects
- Maintain nature trails and exhibits in State and local parks
- Present interpretative programs during our annual celebration of the mountains
- Participate in Trans-Mountain adopt a highway and Rio Grande adopt a river clean up
Images from Trans Mountain Cleanup
I hope that you are all well and that your coolers are working.
The state-wide Urban Biologists are now organizing the 4th International Urban Wildlife Planning and Management Conference. We have already secured the date and location at the Hyatt Hotel and conference Center in Austin, TX, May 22-25, 2011. I am in need of your help to accomplish this challenging project. Are you interested in helping with this conference?
As you all know, today’s urban wildlife management is much more than just controlling rats or grackles. We are interested in promoting and educating on ecologically functional planning. The new challenges are in finding ways to integrate science and ecology into the design and planning of urban growth. It is much more efficient to build it in the first place than to try and retrofit it into existing infra-structure later. Our goal is to not only provide green space but also to alleviate non-native and invasive species and provide desirable places that benefit wildlife, increase economic value and allow urbanites to reconnect with nature.
We are in the planning stages and are looking for participants to help as potential attendees, presenters, Keynote speakers, exhibitors and sponsors. Each of the Urban Biologist is charged with recruiting financial sponsors. We have to raise $91,000.00 to accomplish this project.
Are there any Master Naturalists that are talented at and enjoy fundraising and schmoozing? Would you please help me make this conference a success?
I’m attaching a flyer and some information about this conference. Please disperse the info as appropriate and contact myself or Mary E. Anderson if you can help out.
Lois Balin, Urban Wildlife Biologist
Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
200 N. Clark Drive
El Paso, TX 79905
915-774-9603
The most pressing need we have this summer is to use a “weed wacker” to cut down the grasses and other small plants in an area of about one acre where our archaeology campers (ages 6-12) survey to look for artifacts. The small plants make it difficult to see the artifacts. We have two weed wackers. The newer one works better than the older one.
A group of people who have their own equipment could make quick work of this area. I know that the best time for this is early morning. We can arrange for that access. We would like to have the work done by July 14.
We also need ongoing help with maintenance our our Chihuahuan Desert garden throughout the year.
Anyone who would like to help can contact me at 755-4332 or guidamr@elpasotexas.gov.
Keith Rihn has been a regular garden and grounds volunteer here for over a decade. Anyone who knows him can find out more about our needs by speaking with him. He needs help!
Thank you,
All the best,
Marilyn Guida
Curator of Education
El Paso Museum of Archaeology
4301 Transmountain Road
El Paso Texas 79924
915-755-4332
www.elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum
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