Volunteer Opportunities – Page 20 – Nature Along the El Camino Real

In the Media: Citizen Scientists

August 8, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

By Sue Ann Kendall

Do you get the Texas Co-op Power magazine? It’s actually one of my favorites. The writing is great, and I’m always learning something about rural Texas on its pages.

This month, I was excited to see “citizen scientists” right on the cover. Who could they be talking about? Sure enough, when I turned to page 8, there was a lovely article all about opportunities to contribute to science around the state.

Though the article talks about many opportunities, we’re in there, too. Some of our favorite projects, like CoCoRaHS, are mentioned, along with Nature Trackers and iNaturalist. There are photos of Tania Homayoun and Craig Hensley doing their stuff for Texas Parks and Wildlife and using iNaturalist.

Of course, there has to be a tie-in to electric co-ops. Who could be better than our own Linda Jo Conn! Yep, she gets quoted! We can charitably ignore the lack of capitalization when they mention Texas Master Naturalists.

So, if you get your electricity from one of the amazing Texas rural electric co-ops, don’t throw away your monthly magazine this month! If you don’t get the magazine, never fear. It’s online right here.

It makes you proud to be a citizen scientist, even though that’s not the preferred term for many people, who now say “community scientist” instead. Well, we know who we are.

Milam Wildscape New Acquisitions

August 7, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Catherine Johnson

Wholesalers are offering sales now, so new natives have been acquired for the Milam Wildscape. They include Mexican bush sage, Convent sage, Benny’s acanthus, Mexican flame vine, Dwarf Barbados cherry, and Fragrant mist flower.

Humidity is causing fungus on some plants, but most are thriving. We will have many native plants, seeds and cuttings to give away in the fall.

Please click on any photo to see the entire image.

So Many Moths, So Little Time

July 29, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Linda Jo Conn

Last week I turned on my porch light every night at “dark thirty” to attract moths I could photograph and submit to the National Moth Week 2021 project on iNaturalist.org. This year was a bit cooler and more moist than most of the past years, and also a bit brighter because of the full moon. Although I thought I did pretty well with my very basic mothing equipment and a “point-shoot-and-hope” camera, I was amazed by the quality and quantity of observations my Texas Master Naturalist / iNaturalist friends across the state of Texas submitted.

You can visit my moth week observations at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=103786&user_id=26296&verifiable=any.

If you are inclined to add an identification, comment, or correction, please feel free to do so.

One thing I have learned… There are so many, many moths and I will never have enough time to master the ID of even a small fraction.

El Camino Real Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists Holds Event for Girl Scouts

July 23, 2021July 21, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Carolyn Henderson, with additional photos from Linda Jo Conn

Young girls with boundless curiosity swarmed the Birds and Bees Wildscape Saturday, July 17, to perform public service in honor of the 100^th anniversary of the founding of Girl Scouts of the USA. The El Camino Real chapter of Texas Master Naturalists hosted the event.

*Girl Scout finds a monarch butterfly caterpillar*

Approximately 40 scouts and their leaders and parents attended the event. It started with talks given by Catherine Johnson, Donna Lewis and Alan Rudd. An additional 15 ECRMN members helped the girls.

Donna Lewis spoke to them about planting milkweed to help promote the continuation of monarch butterflies. Alan Rudd spoke about the control of mosquitos with a totally natural method. Many adults were particularly interested in controlling mosquitos. The scouts then put that information into practice by planting milkweed in several sections of the wildscape.

The girls and members were also excited to watch the release of many Bob-white quail into the pasture at the Bird and Bee Farm. The pasture is in the process of being returned to its natural state, and the quail were released to try to repopulate the area with a native bird that once was abundant in the area. They are rarely found east of I-35 now.

*A scout shows off the goodies she’s taking home.*

The girls also found stray eggs laid by other birds on the farm [guinea fowl], and monarch caterpillars that were already on the Milkweed plants that were to be planted Saturday. It was an informative and entertaining day for everyone and the scouts left with bags full of goodies and some native Texas plants to grow at home.

*Two scouts explore and come back with some treasures – a large egg and some feathers.*

So much went on! Enjoy more photos, as well as some taken by Linda Jo Conn. What a fun day! Click a photo to see it enlarged.

*Scouts and troop leaders plant Milkweed*

Belly Botany at Orchard Park

July 21, 2021July 20, 2021 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Linda Jo Conn

John Pruett, Connie Anderle, Ann Collins and I joined forces at Orchard Park in Cameron for a nature survey. Eric Neubauer arrived at the city park earlier to look for spiders and at the aerated pond and was leaving as we arrived. The park with its old pecan trees is neatly mowed. The paved walkway around the park was used by walkers and joggers during our visit. Several bordered rose beds, wildscape areas, and a huge purple martin house installed in the past are apparently not maintained as intended, but I envisioned a person or small group with the time, energy, and desire to add to the beauty and utility of the park volunteering their efforts here.

I was disappointed to learn that the Cameron City Manager is leaving for another position. During a conversation I had with him regarding the Great Texas Wildlife Trails Adopt A Loop Project, I was impressed with his vision and plans to incorporate more natural areas into the landscapes of the city parks.

Strolling around the park “at the speed of botany,” we did some “belly botany.” Most of the plants in bloom were below the height of the mower blades. One remarkable observation was the abundance of white widow’s tears (Commelina erecta). I observed only one blue dayflower during the visit. We were pleased to see straggler daisy (Calyptocarpus vialis) and turkey trot frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) carpeting the park. Wing pod purslane (Portulaca umbraticola) was in bloom and the tiny delicate flowers of erect spiderling (Boerhavia erecta) required a closer look.

Among the animals observed was a fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) checking out the future pecan crop and several crayfish mounds (Cambaridae family). While Connie was trying to point out some rice stink bugs (Oebalus pugnax) she had spotted, my eyes focused instead on a tiny sharpshooter (Draeculacephala sp.) on a blade of grass.

As a destination for your daily walk or to just sit and relax in the shade of the pecan trees, Orchard Park on East 6^th street across the railroad tracks from the Cameron Yards is a place to go.