Gulf Coast Bird Observatory | 299 Hwy 332 West, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566 |
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Adopt an Oystercatcher Pair and Keep Up With All the Mating Season Drama! |
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It’s time again folks! We found the first American Oystercatcher nests already! Don't miss your chance to keep up with all the drama. If you would like to support this project (and we hope you do!) you can adopt a pair of oystercatchers for a $100 donation. You will receive a certificate for each member of your pair with their banding data and Sue will update you monthly on your pair's progress throughout the nesting season. When possible she will send you photos of nests and chicks. You can adopt your pair here: adopt a pair of birds or call and talk to Tricia or Sue. Thanks everyone for your continued support of this important project!
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January's Waterfowl Class |
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In January, we had our first Bird ID Class: Waterfowl of the Upper Texas Coast with Ron Weeks.
Ron taught us about the 29 waterfowl species seen annually in the Greater Houston area in two zoom courses. Then we took to the field and spent almost twelve hours searching for ducks and geese! The field trip was a really fun time and we were able to see some awesome species like Greater Scaup, Redhead, Hooded Merganser, Common Goldeneye and Fulvous Whistling Ducks!
The class filled up very quickly, but don't worry if you missed out. We have more Bird ID classes on the horizon! We are planning a Shorebird Course with Bob Friedrichs in May, so stay tuned for more details on that!
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Learn About Our Research Through Our Videos! |
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We've busy making videos about our many research projects!
You can now learn about our Loggerhead Shrike study, Black Skimmer Project, American Oystercatcher Study, and more on our Youtube Page!
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Join us once again for Bird Banding on February 19th from 8 am - noon at our headquarters in Lake Jackson. Come see birds in the hand and learn about the science of bird banding. The earlier you arrive the more birds you'll see. This event is free of charge!
And while you're here, why not check out our native plant nursery and wander our trails too? We even have picnic tables set up for an outdoor lunch -- It's the perfect nature outing for the family!
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Welcome the New GCBO Interns and RV Volunteers! |
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We're fortunate to have a few new members on our team this month! We would like to welcome our new interns Adam and Kenlynn, as well as our new RV Volunteers Bill and Michelle. |
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Adam is from Southern California and received his B.S. in Zoology in 2019 from Humboldt State University.
He enjoys going on bird walks and is interested in learning more about the intelligence of crows and ravens, and, eventually, teaching ornithology at the university level.
As our Education Intern, he will be helping Celeste with all things Education and Outreach!
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Kenlynn, our research intern, is originally from San Antonio, but spent time growing up visiting family here in Lake Jackson. She is in her last term at Oregon State University, for a degree in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Science with a specialization in Marine Conservation and Genetics.
Over the past seven years, Kenlynn has worked with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as an interpretive intern, bird banding intern, and volunteer, helping with studies like the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) program, and the Winter Grassland Sparrow Research Project at Cibolo Preserve. Through her time with TPWD, Kenlynn has gained great experience, mentorship, and a passion for avian research.
Currently, Kenlynn is working on an undergraduate research project studying the foraging ecology of Adélie penguins using animal-borne video loggers. She is interested in the employment of environmental DNA in seabird research and conservation, and plans on working towards a graduate degree in the future.
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Bill and Michelle are our new RV volunteers and they've been helping GCBO with everything from feeding the birds in the mornings to tending the nursery.
Bill and Michelle have traveled down from their summer home in Ontario Canada to help us (and escape the cold!)
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Thanks so much to Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund for supporting our environmental education efforts!
Thanks to grants like this from our supporters, we can continue to reach out to our community and teach people about birds and conservation.
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Volunteer for Spring Fling |
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Our Spring Fling event is an amazing opportunity to see and celebrate the return of migratory birds as they arrive along the coast. This year, the event will run from April 9 - May 8.
We are now looking for volunteers for the 2022 Spring Fling season! Volunteers are tasked with setting up and manning the store booth, putting out oranges for the birds, and generally making sure that everything is in order at the sanctuary. To view available slots and sign up, click here.
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Make a SPLASh, Pick Up Trash! |
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Join us for two February SPLASh cleanups!
This month, we will be doing two beach cleanups with SPLASh TX. On Friday the 18th, we will be at Frenchtown Rd. in Bolivar and on the 19th, we will be cleaning up Surfside. Both of these cleanups will be heavily targeting fishing line, so bring your scissors or knife!
For more information or to sign up, click the registration links below.
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Come birding with GCBO and our Executive Director, Martin Hagne! Have a great time birding, exploring, enjoying some extraordinary scenery, dining on local cuisine, and of course seeing great birds! We always hook up with at least one local guide for the best experience. Here are our wonderful upcoming trips, but hurry, our trips are selling out fast!!
Our 2022 trips are all sold out! But we have just released our 2023 lineup! A few trips still needs more information posted, so stay tune on those, or email Martin [email protected] to be put on list for more info! You can also go to our website to check for trip information and to register.
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Boreal Winter Birding — Duluth, Minnesota
February 2023 - INFO TBA
Argentina Birding Exploration
March 2023 - INFO TBA
June 24 - July 1, 2023 - Fees TBA
October 12-24, 2023 – A Few Spaces Left!
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Every year, volunteers spend days on the water searching the Texas bays and shorelines for abandoned crab traps. When left in the water, these crab traps “ghost fish,” capturing crabs, fish, turtles, and all manner of aquatic life. This obviously negatively affects the ecosystem and makes it harder for birds to find food.
From Friday, Feb. 18 — Sunday, Feb. 27, Texas coastal waters will be closed to crabbing with wire mesh crab traps to facilitate the annual volunteer crab trap cleanup. Any traps left in bays — including traps tied to docks — will be assumed abandoned and considered “litter” under state law. This allows volunteers to legally remove any crab traps they find.
As always, volunteers are needed to assist in the coast-wide effort to remove the numerous traps that have been lost or abandoned since last year’s cleanup. To facilitate volunteer efforts, several sites along the coast will have clean-up events on Saturday, Feb. 19 from 8 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. To learn more and sign up for a cleanup, click the link below.
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Corporate Matching Programs |
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Did you know that many corporations have a donation matching program? Corporations can match their employees' volunteer hours and/or donations to nonprofit organizations like GCBO! These types of programs are great because they double your contributions to the causes that you care about! If you work (or are retired from) a corporation, ask them about their matching program today! |
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Recycle Your Old Technology and Help Birds |
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The Wireless Alliance is a company that recovers and recycles cell phones, smart phones, tablets, and other consumer recyclables.
We will be collecting these items for Wireless Alliance to keep them out of landfills as well as raise money for our conservation efforts. If you have old technology such as a phone, charger, tablet, or other accessories, consider bringing it to GCBO!
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You can help support GCBO's mission in several important ways!
Save a Tree and some $!
We are trying to go as paperless as we can to save some trees and quite a bit on printing and mailing costs. We would love if you would let us email you instead of snail mailing a hard copy of any correspondence, including your future copies of the Gulf Crossings. Please email or call Tricia to say: “Hey, GCBO, please start emailing me things! Here is my email…” Thanks!
DONATE NOW on our website to support our conservation programs.
BECOME A MEMBER and receive our twice a year newsletter and a 10% discount in our nature store.
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Make an in-kind donation to support our sanctuary needs. |
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Black Oil Sunflower Seed and Chicken Scratch
We feed year-round here at GCBO, and during migration at Quintana. We stock our GCBO feeders to help augment natural foods, and this also helps our monthly banding research project.
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Support GCBO When You Shop on Amazon! |
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Do you shop on Amazon? Did you know you can do that same shopping on Amazon Smile and support GCBO with every purchase?
Just go to the Amazon Smile website and select GCBO as your charity of choice and then shop, shop, shop!
GCBO will receive a donation for every purchase you make. Thanks so much!
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When you shop at Kroger, you can support GCBO! |
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GCBO is a registered charity through Kroger's Community Rewards Program. This means that you can register your Kroger Plus Card online and select GCBO as the organization of your choice. Every time you use your Kroger Plus Card, Kroger will donate a portion back to GCBO! This is an easy way to support GCBO while you shop - your donations help us continue to protect birds and birding habitat around the Gulf Coast and beyond. To register your Plus Card, click here. Our charity number is #DN782.
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