March 2, 2021 9:30am to 11:00am CST (Rescheduled from February 16, 2021 due to weather)
Backyard Water Features
To register, simply email arroyocoloradoaudubon@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 2, 2021 11am-12pm Eastern time
Get to Know Your Backyard Birds: Nest and Egg ID with NestWatch
Have you ever found a bird’s nest you couldn’t identify? It’s both an exciting and puzzling moment! On March 2 at 12 p.m. Eastern, join our conversation with NestWatch Project Leader Robyn Bailey and Project Assistant Holly Grant as they share tips and tricks for identifying common backyard nests and eggs. We’ll discuss how to safely monitor nests and baby birds and reveal features of a good birdhouse. Discover how you can turn your observations of nesting birds into scientific data with NestWatch.
Tuesday, March 2, 2021 7:30am to 7:45am CT
March events at Edinburg World Birding Center
https://edinburgwbc.org/calendar-of-events
March 3, 2021 2:00pm
Seaside Chats Texas Oyster MariCulture
March 4 & 5, 2021 8am to 4:30pm
3rd Annual TX Plastic Pollution Symposium
The third annual Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium will be held on March 4th and 5th, 2021 at the Beach Resort in South Padre Island, Texas. The purpose of this meeting is to bring scientists together to discuss plastic research being conducted in the state of Texas, and to bring awareness to plastics in the environment. March 4th will consist of research presentations and posters, and March 5th will include a cleanup on the beach and workshops related to plastics in the environment.
https://missionaransas.org/tx-plastic-pollution-symposium
March 5-7, 2021
Virtual Ocelot Festival
Join this FREE, virtual festival focused on ocelot outreach! Enjoy pre-recorded sessions featuring ocelot information, activities, research, and more!
Saturday, March 6, 2021 10am to 11am (Rescheduled to March 6th)
Coastal Shorebirds: World Travelers, Winter Texans
Learn which shorebirds winter on the Texas coast! Patsy Inglet, local birding enthusiast, Texas Master Naturalist, and President of Bexar Audubon Society leads this online work
Sat, March 06, 13, 20,27, 2021
Lake Corpus Christi Park Saturday Morning Sit Down 9am
Each week will feature a different location within the park and the opportunity to get your questions directly to a ranger.
https://www.facebook.com/LakeCorpusChristiStatePark/events/?ref=page_internal
Texas Butterfly Monitoring
Training is divided into 2 parts, a series of slide presentations and live Q&A. You watch the slide presentations on your own, then attend any one of the live Q&A sessions. The schedule for the first three live Q&As is below.
2 Slide presentations are on YouTube: Introduction and Using Google Maps to Create Your Route: (approx. 25 mins)
1 presentation is slides only: Recording data in PollardBase: (self-study, estimate 30 mins)
Live Q&A schedule on Zoom: Sun, Mar 7th 2:00-2:30 pm, Tue, Mar 9th 8:00-8:30 pm, Thu, Mar 11th 12:00 -12:30 pm
Estimate total 1.5 AT hours.
A refresher on iNaturalist might be necessary but the use of iNaturalist is optional and recommended to help with identifying the butterflies.
If interested, contact riograndevalleychapter.tmn@gmail.com.
March 9, 2021 9:30am to 11:00am (Added class due to interest from the February 9th session
Identifying the “Top Ten” RGV Speciality Birds
To register, simply email arroyocoloradoaudubon@gmail.com
TMN Tuesday, March 9, 2021 12 noon to 1:30pm Presented by Freya McGregor
Birdability: because birding is for everybody and every body!
Birding is an activity that can bring so much joy and empowerment to everybody, but not everybody is able to go birding easily. Birdability is a non-profit organization focused on removing barriers to access for birders with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, intellectual or developmental disabilities (including autism), mental illness, being Deaf or Hard of Hearing and other health concerns; and bringing the joy of birding to people with disabilities and other health concerns who aren’t yet birders. Learn about why this should matter to you (even if you don’t have an accessibility challenge), ways to be a more welcoming and inclusive birder, the Birdability Map (and how to submit a Birdability Site Review) and our resources for birders (and potential future birders) with accessibility challenges… because birding is for everybody and every body! Learn more and find resources at birdability.org
https://txmn.tamu.edu/tmntuesdays/#march
Tuesday, March 9 at 7:00pm to 8:40pm
RGV Chapter Meeting: Speaker Dr. Christopher Gabler
Studying the effects of climate change on our Coastal Ecosystem.
Thursday, March 11th at 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Arroyo Colorado Audubon Society monthly meeting. Speaker: TBD (1 hr AT)
Credit pending on Speaker topic.
https://www.facebook.com/Arroyo-Colorado-Audubon-Society-105945876118026
Creature Feature Lake Corpus Christi by TPWD
Sat, March 13, 2021 2:00p to 2:45p
Join a ranger at Lake Corpus Christi State Park to learn about a new park creature every second Saturday this year.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JECsA52qQ6u0m-GUbAOs3g
Mon, March 15, 6pm – 8pm
STBCTMN Chapter Meeting
Speaker TBD
Wednesday, March 17, 2pm – 3pm
Seaside Chats: Freeze Effects on Texas Fish, Texas Sea Grant’s Natural Resource Specialist Nicole Pilson
Restoring coastal habitats, planning for the next hurricane, and the cleaning up marine debris are just a few topics that we will tackle in our Seaside Chats. Join us as we take a deep dive into the successes, challenges, opportunities, and curiosities of the third coast.
Water Resources Conservation – This chat will discuss residential and landowner water resource conservation practices.
Register at tx.ag/SeasideChats
Thursday, March 18, 2021 6pm to 7pm Eco Expert Lecture Series
The Effects of Seasonal Prescribed Burns on Butterfly communities
Dr. Rideout-Hanzak is a certified senior wildlife fire ecologist and research scientist at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, a research facility at Texas A&M University – Kingsville. In one of her research projects, she is looking at the effects of prescribed burns during different seasons on the coastal Gulf cordgrass community and its usage by butterflies. So far, her research team has identified butterflies from 38 species! Join us to learn more about this great research project.
https://www.facebook.com/OsoBayWetlandsPreserveandLearningCenter/
Sunday, March 21, 2021 11:00am
Ask-the-Expert: Stick House Sanctuary (Wildlife Rehabilitators)
Have you ever found a baby animal or an injured animal and didn’t know what to do? This is your chance to learn the dos and don’ts when trying to help wildlife and to ask one of our local wildlife rehabilitators any questions you have.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/wyler-aerial-tramway/copy4_of_online-program-ask-the-expert
Sunday, March 21st, 9am to 11am
Edible Native Plants & Where to Find Them –
Fruits and flowers everywhere, but not a bite to eat? This class will help you reconnect with the land by learning foraging skills and how to ID native plants that are safe for your plate, such as prickly pear and Texas persimmon. Not only will you be primed to dress your salad and fill your snack bag with local native plants, but learning to forage will make your forays into nature richer as you tune in to the land around you.
Space is limited and registration is required. This virtual event will be held via Zoom.
Register for March 21
$25 per person (one session)
Members receive discounts on registration. Learn about membership here.
Note: Participants will receive an email with the link for the Zoom meeting prior to the event. Make sure you have Zoom installed and set up to participate.
https://www.wildflower.org/event/foraging-texas-virtual/2021-03-21
Tuesday, March 23, 2021 1pm to 2pm
2021 Monarch Conservation Webinar Series: Monarchs, Milkweed and Grassland Disturbance
When common milkweed is cut back during the growing season it produces new growth over the next few weeks. Research suggests these regenerating stems are very attractive to ovipositing monarchs, contain fewer monarch predators, and may be safer environments for first-instar caterpillars. This presentation will review research on this topic, including results from the ReGrow Milkweed for Monarchs community science project, and discuss prospects and uncertainties around using disturbance as a conservation tool for monarch recovery.
https://monarchjointventure.org/events
Wed, March 31, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Wetlands and Pollinators: How Water Quality Can Benefit Pollinators
Wetlands are vital–recognized for their importance in protecting water quality, enhancing agricultural production, strengthening community health, and providing wildlife habitat. This webinar highlights how wetland protection and restoration can also support pollinator and other beneficial insect conservation. We will discuss the habitat needs of pollinators, the critical role native plants play in wetland communities, and how to determine which plant species are appropriate for your region to enhance biodiversity and improve wildlife habitat. We will broadly review the use of Farm Bill programs to restore or preserve wetlands that can also create pollinator habitat and highlight successful, pollinator-friendly USDA projects on wetlands.
AT opportunities with Service Volunteer projects for TMN:
Invasive Species Surveys and Verification
Can brush up on the invasive species at these sites:
http://www.texasinvasives.org/invaders/
http://www.texasinvasives.org/invaders/toolkit.php
Manfreda Conservation Project
2 virtual meetings will be hosted by the National Butterfly Center in March to Educate and train volunteers. Dates to be announed. Register by contacting: 956.583.5400 or email Marianna@NationalButterflyCenter.org.