HEARTWOOD CHAPTER

The first commitment to becoming a Certified Texas Master Naturalist is to take the new volunteer training, a minimum commitment of 40 hours. The training this group received exceeded the minimum requirement. The group who started in the 2010 Fall Session finished up with flying colors on November 1, 2010 with a nature scavenger hunt and a picnic in our outdoor classroom at the W.G. Jones Forest.

Photo was taken at the field trip to Matagorda Bay to study Water Ecology.

New Volunteers Share The Credit

Our new volunteers have already shown the Master Naturalist spirit before the first session. Since most of the speakers are taking time away from their regular duties, we try to provide a minimum audience for them so they can justify the time spent. This was the first time that we had trouble filling the minimum. Perhaps the economy has people hesitant to spend money for the fee? We do not know. We shared our concern with our new volunteers and they pitched in to help by asking everyone they knew to join. We made the goal and the crisis was over.

Intro to TMN Program

We all introduced ourselves. Mike Heimer, Don Schwarzkopf, and Sonny Arnold were on hand. Sonny presented the history and overview. I wish we had taken a group photo of the new volunteers with him. Make a note to do that next time. The new volunteers have previously lived in many sections of the US. Jill is from Canada. The most prevalent desire each had was to learn about the environment in this region.

I broke out the hula hoops and we did the observation exercise to count the species in the circle. The average was 17 species. These guys are great observers. Due to the last minute save of the session, I didn't have a prize for most species counted. I am bringing something for each of them at the next session. They are all winners.

Jennifer Lorenz of Legacy Land Trust was a guest speaker. She explained how Conservation Land Trusts work, why they are needed, and how our volunteers could help with the Greenway Project.

The van lecture-discussion was about the types of activities and tracking the hours.

Herpetology

Mike Howlett at the Jesse Jones Nature Center offered a classroom presentation on snakes, toads, frogs, and salamanders. Each time I hear this presentation, I learn something new. Then, we went outside for an observation walk to look for reptiles and amphibians. This was my new learning experience. I like to look at logs and under logs. Mike advised us to always roll the log away from you. If a snake is underneath, it has a chance to escape and slide away from you; it will not feel cornered or endangered as much as if it is moving toward your feet.

Matagorda Bay Nature Park

Our new volunteers took a long ride to get there; but the environment and the speakers were worth it. The Nature Center manages the estuary habitat and is focused on educating others. We would like to applaud Betsy Terrell (LRCA), Linda Serrill (TMN), and John O'Connell (Agriife Extension Service) for their work at this site. John is also the volunteer coordinator for the Monofilment Recovery & Recycling Project that helps prevent fishing line from damaging the wildlife, the boats, and the waters of Texas. Visit the web site to learn more and volunteer - http://mrrp.tamu.edu/.

Lake Houston Park

Veteran birder, Glen Olsen, gave a lecture before we left on selecting binoculars. For birding, he recommends 7x35. It's a weight that you can hold steady in your hands and the depth of field is good for our area.  In the van, the lecture continued about the migrating birds and the paths they take through Texas: most follow the coast; many fly straight across the Gulf of Mexico to the nearest peninsula; while some fly the route close to San Antonio. We focused on neo-tropical birds: a bird that breeds in Canada and the United States during our summer and spends our winter in Mexico, Central America, South America or the Caribbean islands. Learn more: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/MigratoryBirds/Fact_Sheets/default.cfm?fx...

After arriving at Lake Houston Park we got out our binoculars and learned to focus the lens. Here's how it is done: http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/optics/how_focus_binocs.aspx

We kept a list of our species sighted. Whoever kept the list, will you add it to this section?

We browsed the excellent exhibits at the Lake Houston Park Visitor Center. It would have normally been closed because...guess what? One of our Interns, Lauren, is the manager of the Visitor Center. On her day off she is with us.

A leisurely lunch at the park. A few deer grazed their way across the park as we grazed at the picnic tables.

Back at Jones State Forest

We jumped on the hay wagon and went down the road to view the endangered species, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the management techniques used to control the habitat for the species -mulching, prescribed burns, and herbicides, native roost trees and artificial roost cavity nests added last year to assist the breeding pairs to spend less time creating a nest so they can breed sooner. Prescribed burns are the best method of brush control, but due to the subdivisions being built on the fence line, it is becoming almost impossible to burn any longer. We worry the birds' habitat will become an urban island and no longer be able to support the species needs.

Linda Crum was out putting up some nesting boxes. She stopped to tell everyone about the volunteer opportunity to help monitor the nest boxes.

Migrant Caterpillars

Lauren got excited about our swallowtail caterpillars in the Backyard Habitat Garden. Since they had ate almost all the fennel, she took several caterpillars back to her Nature Center to feed, observe the chrysalis process, and release the butterflys. That's what Naturalists do -observe and record and share what they discover. She couldn't find fennel, but some parsley plants were provided and worked out just fine. Learn more about Swallowtail butterflies and how to attract them to your yard at the Agriife Extension Service's on-line Entomolgy field guide: http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg266.html

Mercer Arboretum

Botanist and Master Naturalist, Anita Tiller, explained the scientists use the Latin names to reduce confusion. Regional names and names in other languages can vary even if you go a few miles away. She then walked us through how to use a field guide key to identify plants. On Thursday evening they have a group of volunteers and botanists who sit around the table and identify species they have found or samples that local residents have brought to them for identification.

She passed out dissecting kits and we learned the parts of the flower by viewing the handout and by taking the flowers apart. It made the lesson very real and it stuck with me to do the hands on activity. The most amazing sight was when we observed a teensy weensy piece of the flower under the microsope. So much detail, intricate parts, and beauty in that small piece.

Our volunteers were invited to come out any time to maintain the Heartwood Adopt a Trail beside the bog garden. They have identification cards for the volunteers so you can recognize the endangered species and remove them.

National Weather Service

while driving to Dickinson to the National Weather Service, we ate our lunch and discussed a variety of volunteer projects; plus, how and when you need approval for an activity to earn TMN Certification credit. And, I shared my interest in how lichen developes; how it is being monitored as an air quality species. Find out about lichens at http://www.backyardnature.net/lichens.htm.

Dan Reilly greeted us at the door of the weather service and took us on a tour of the building. It is a disaster control site. The one room looks like NASA's Mission Control. A wall of screens and rows of computer monitors for every local to national agency that would be involved. The building is set up for long term stays. When a hurricane is on the way, no one goes home.

As Dan said, his lecture had to encapsulate his 4 years of college into a 2 hour lecture. He did great at making the science be easy to understand. My favorite statement was "to think of the air currents as ocean currents in the air." Did you know that weather is what is happening now and climate is the long term measurement of the weather? Download a free PDF on-line booklet to learn more about clouds, climate, weather, and keeping a nature journal at http://www.takeawalk.com/cloud-walk/.

Study Storms -Volunteer to monitor and record data to be used by scientists around the globe: http://www.cocorahs.org/.

Sheldon Lake State Park

Our entire day will be spent at this totally different eco-system. We all live in the areas of wooded underbrush or scraped clear subdivisions. This park is known for their prairie and wetlands preservation and restoration projects.

The native prairie grasses -an entire prairie restored by volunteers. It is a fascinating diversity of plants. The Texas Coastal Prairie is all within 100 miles of the coast. Mow your prairie grasses around February to 6-9 inches. We have to mow because the migrating grazers, such as the buffalo, are no longer free to roam. Tom Solomon and Heartwood TMN Jim Branch took us on a tour to hands on identify the tall grasses.

Bonus: We saw 8 Monarch butterflies along the edge of the field.

Texas Tall Grasses

You can see an example of the first three species at the Jones Forest Habitat Garden. We also have Gulf Muhly and Inland Sea Oats specimens.

1. Big blue stem
   Roots in a mat.
   Prefers drier areas.
   Seed head extends only at top.
   Seed head looks like a turkey foot -3 prongs.
   Purplish color stalks
2. Little blue stem
   Seed heads extend from bottom to top.
   Purplish color stalks.
3. Switch grass
   Roots downward.
   Prefers damper areas.
4. Yellow Indian grass
   Gorgeous golden yellow seed head.
5. Side Oats Grama
   Roots spread.
   Seed heads grow to one side of the stalk.
   The Texas State Grass.

Learn more about the grasses and prairies and find volunteer projects you can do:

• http://www.coastalprairiepartnership.org
• http://texasprairie.org
• Learn by doing. Volunteer at Sheldon State Park; on Tuesday the prairie volunteers take action to help; on Wednesday, the Wetlands volunteer group is outdoors ready to share what they know with you in exchange for a few hours of donated labor.

Landscaping with native plants

Laura took us for a tour of her native scape educational demonstration gardens. The plants are nicely labeled with the scientific and common names. You can see understory, bog, wildflowers, and native grass plants. I would like to copy her shallow sloped pond design at our Jones Forest habitat garden.

Lunch with an Alligator

We had a quiet lunch along the pond. A 4 foot alligator resting in the middle of the pond soon made it's way to the bank. It stayed in the water, but came within 4 feet of the bank right where we were sitting. Close enough we could see a dragonfly sitting on his head.

12 Eco-Regions

Texas is so expansive that the soils and geology change extensively throughout the state. The soils and weather create a niche for different flora and fauna. An ecoregion is a relatively large area of land and water defined by climate, geography, topography and the plants and animals that live there. Keith Crenshaw defined 12 eco-regions in Texas and explained how each is unique. Learn more: http://www.goodsearch.com/search.aspx?keywords=texas+eco-regions

Concrete effects water, soil, weather, animals, plants

Next up was Diana Foss, urban biologist and our Chapter Advisor. We discussed the effects of urbanization and possible solutions, like encouraging developers and home owners to construct green corridors and backyard habitats and natural golf courses and retail buildings that landscape with native plants.  It was interesting how many of the animals have adapted to the concrete and urban housing developments. I always enjoy her teaching trunk with the animal pelts and skulls you can touch and see up close.

Session 6: Journaling, Fungi, Rainwater Harvesting

Teri MacArthur led a nature walk at the Jones Forest. Due to the dry conditions, the fungi observations were few. We did discuss the types of local fungi and their purpose in the habitat.

During the journaling segment, she did several exercises to demonstrate the use of all the senses -how to record what you hear, smell, see above, see below, and see at eye level.

I got an emergency call and had to return home. I invite any other members in the group to write about the rest of the day.

They proceeded to walk to the Sweetleaf Nature Trail. In the afternoon, Bob Dailey discussed xeriscaping and rainwater collection systems.

Geology and Soils

Lexy Bieneke, Professor, Educator, Master Naturalist, and member of the Houston Gem and Mineral Society, talked to us in numbers we seldom need to contemplate -millions of years. We discussed how and why the oceans had covered our part of Texas prior to the Ice Age. There were no polar ice caps. All the water was liquid.

We discussed why scientists study fossils and what creates a fossil.

Then, we drove to the Stone City Formation on the Brazos River near Bryan-College Station and dug in the soil. We could see the layers of time in the river bank and several different soils: sand, clay, sediment, rock. The bare roots of treess were visible several places. The water was fairly clear. I could see the rocks under the water while walking along the river edge.

Everyone found fossils. Evidence of sea life along the now fresh water river. Lauren found a shark tooth; John found a large accretion.

When we got back to the Forest we washed off our finds and used the identification sheets Lexy furnished us to identify the once living animals. Everything was categorized, labeled, dated, and marked with the location. It truly was a scientific expedition.

Interested in geology? Learn more on the topic, find out about field trips at the Houston Gem and Mineral Society web site -http://www.hgms.org/. Be sure to volunteer for their annual conference at the Humble Civic Center on Nov 12-14, 2010.

Photos