Society for Ecological Restoration

Texas Chapter 

 

      Restoration Update                        February, 2016



In This Issue

 

 

 

Quick Links

TXSER

Board of Directors 

 

President

Charlotte Reemts

 

Vice President

Kelly Lyons

 

Secretary

Leslie Dietz

 

Treasurer

Colin Shackelford

 

North Texas Rep.

Michelle Villafranca

 

East Texas Rep.

William Forbes

 

South Texas Rep.

Eric Grahmann

 

West Texas Rep.

Katherine Crosthwaite

 

Central Texas Rep.

Ingrid Karklins

 

Coastal Texas Rep.

Alejandro Fierro Cabo

 

Coastal Texas Rep.

Bradley Hoge

 

Chapter Director

Gwen Thomas

 

 

TXSER

info@txser.org 

(972) 768-8067 



 

 


Employment Opportunities 
& More
For up-to-date announcements of positions open in ecological restoration and environmental science,
visit our website at:
Job Postings


We also post a wide range of articles on ecological restoration issues as well as job and volunteer opportunities on our Facebook page at:
TXSER Facebook Page


South Rio Grande Valley
TXSER Newsflash

Dear TXSER Friends:

For those of you who enjoy this newsletter, we invite you to join TXSER and become more involved in the restoration dialogue in Texas and beyond. 
 
Founded in 1995, we have grown into a dynamic professional society dedicated to restoring the land and waterways in the State of Texas.  Our members, both individuals and organizations, are actively engaged in ecologically-sensitive repair and management of ecosystems through a broad array of experience and knowledge sets.  We facilitate dialogue among restorationists, encourage research, promote awareness and public support for restoration and restorative management, contribute to public policy discussions, recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to the field of restoration, and of course promote ecological restoration efforts throughout the State.
 
Conferences are the lifeblood of TXSER, where members can convene to exchange ideas and information, and participate in workshops, field trips, and other activities.  Each year, TXSER rotates its annual conference to different eco-regions within the state to draw in new perspectives and ideas.
 
Our newsletters Restoration Update and Restoration Field Notes, our working paper series Ecological Restoration Briefs, along with our website and facebook page continue to evolve as important forums for communication and outreach, and the exchange of vital information.
 
We hope that you will become a member of our organization and help further the ecological restoration dialogue in Texas and beyond.
 
Sincerely,
 
Gwen                        Click Here To Join Us!
 
Gwen Thomas
TXSER Chapter Director 
Member Spotlight
Ocotillo (
Fouquieria splendens)

Name:  Linda Brown, Ph.D.

City:  Webberville, Texas
 
Affiliation:  Texas Army National Guard, Natural Resource Program Manager
 
Briefly describe your ongoing efforts/interest in ecological restoration.   Restoring native landscapes on all TXARNG lands for both habitat  sustainability and Mission Support. Training missions on National Guard  lands are totally compatible with native vegetation since the Texas National  Guard has moved from Mounted Cavalry (Tanks) to Infantry. The restoration of  our military lands to proper functioning condition is essential to both our  readiness as soldiers and the wide variety of species located on our lands.

I am dedicated to preserving our vast heritage here in Texas by supporting  the use of ecological restoration on those lands that we manage. Outreach  and education to our military members, their families and our neighbors is  an important aspect of restoration and native species protection. I strive  to bring all those using our lands together at least yearly through fishing  derbies and education activities to share our goals and encourage others to  join us in preserving our native landscape.
 
Describe your favorite outdoor activity.  My favorite outdoor activity is riding my horses in the beautiful Texas  landscape.
 
What is your favorite Texas plant and/or animal?  
Favorite Plant - Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
Favorite Animal - Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)

Black-tailed Jackrabbit (Lepus californicus)
Good Folks Doing Good Work!  The Ongoing Reforestation of the Lost Pines in Bastrop County

By:  Leslie Dietz, TXSER Board Member, San Marcos, Texas
Volunteers reforest the Lost Pines.
Photo credit:  TreeFolks Staff

Labor day weekend 2011 in Bastrop County forever changed many Texans' lives, beginning a month long assault of wildfire, now known as the Bastrop Complex Fir e (BCF).  The fire was declared 100% contained on October 10, 2011 and had burned more than 34,000 acres and consumed more than 1,600 homes and took two lives (NPR, 2012).  The two factors that made the BCF so detrimental were extreme drought and high winds from Tropical Storm Lee.  This is the most destructive wildfire in Texas on record to date.

TreeFolks is a central Texas non-profit organization focused on urban forestry.  When Tree Folks was approached by the Lost Pines Recovery team, the Texas A&M Forest Service and Bastrop County, Executive Director Thaïs Perkins knew that the only appropriate response in light of this catastrophic event was action.  As a result, TreeFolks has become the face of reforestation in Bastrop County, working one-on-one with landowners to discuss their individual needs with regard to their property, walking the property and then creating a plan that details these needs as discussed.  The recovery plan for a landowner's property involves multiple site visits and a replanting event using TreeFolks staff and a corporate sponsor.  The corporate sponsor supplies the volunteers and the landowner is on-site the day of planting.

The Loblolly Pines (Pinus taeda) located in the Lost Pines region of Texas are ecologically and genetically distinct from the east Texas Loblolly pine trees as well as the eastern US Loblolly pine trees (Al-Rabab'ah and Williams, 2003). It was important to establish the seed stock to begin the nursery for what would become a two million tree planting goal. To date, more than 1.7 million trees have been planted.  Because Texas had never before experienced a wildfire of that magnitude, the BCF received much publicity and outpouring of community support.
Although TreeFolks has been operating for 25 years, the reforestation of Bastrop County is only funded for a 5 year term.  To continue to grow the next generation of stewards, funding must also continue.  In addition to the BFC reforestation effort, TreeFolks offers other programs for education, enhancement and restoration.
Author, Leslie Dietz, assists TreeFolks Reforestation Manager, Matt Mears,
with planting.

Photo Credit:  TreeFolks Staff 

The mission of TreeFolks is to empower Central Texans to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees. Educational programs are central to TreeFolks mission. In partnership with the Texas A&M Forest Service, A Certified Arborist Prep Course is offered to provide foundational knowledge in arboriculture.  Another program offered by TreeFolks (through partnership with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and the National Wildlife Foundation), is the Urban Forest Steward & Habitat Steward Training which educates about Austin's wildlife, urban forests and teaches stewardship.  Best of all, TreeFolks has a citizen scientist program that teaches tree identification and mapping using scientific keys and GPS units.

Like the Bastrop reforestation program, a response to disaster relief, a similar program, the Blanco River Reforestation Program, was recently started to revegetate areas devastated by historic flooding events. This program that coordinates with local community partners and volunteers to plant trees on public lands, in parks and on right-of-ways.  

Information on upcoming events, TreeFolks' class offering, opportunities to donate, as well as a program to receive free fruit and ornamental trees from TreeFolks, can be found on their website at www.treefolks.org 

Literature Cited:

Al-Rabab'ah, Mohammad and Williams, Claire. An ancient bottleneck in the Lost Pines of Central Texas. Department of Forensic Science, Texas A&M University. 2004 Blackwell Publishing Ltd., Molecular Ecology, 13, 1075-1084.

State Impact Texas. National Public Radio (NPR). KUT Austin, TX,   Aired 4 Sept. 2012.  Radio spot link.  Accessed 10 February 2016.
 
New seedling takes hold in the shadow of the old.   Photo credit:  TreeFolks Staff

___________________________________


News You Can Use

1.  International Network for Seed-Based Restoration

SER launches the International Network for Seed-Based Restoration (INSR).  The INSR site will have an interactive web page and discussion forums linking seed-based restoration ecologists around the world.  This network is free to SER/TXSER members.

For more information, click INSR Network 


2.  TNC Science Article Database

The Nature Conservancy has a massive new science article database.  The database is a searchable list of over 2,000 articles and book chapters authored by TNC scientists.  Better yet, it is accessible to all.  

Click on the link to check it out -  TNC Science Article Database .

   __________________________________

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Upcoming Events

1.  Restoration Webinar Series - Forb and Woody Species Restoration in the Texas Hill Country:  A Sequential Approach

Presented by:  David Mahler, Environmental Survey Consulting

Thursday, February 25th 1-2pm

For more information, or to sign up, click here - Restoration Webinar Series


2.  Longleaf Pine Centennial Forest -  Big Thicket National Preserve

Help reforest a 300 acre area of longleaf pine habitat in the Big Sandy Creek Unit  by planting 100,000 seedlings in 2016.

Planting Event Date:

Saturday March 12, 2016

To volunteer please contact:   Big Thicket Visitor Center at 409-951-6700  or  Ken Hyde:   ken.hyde@nps.gov.  Website:   www.nps.gov/bith


3.  Texas Pollinator PowWow

Learn about Texas plants and pollinators, the conservation challenges they are facing, and how you can help.  Topics range from native plants and bees to monarchs and bats to best management practices for urban and rural landowners.  

Museum of Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX

April 22-24, 2016

For more information visit:   www.texaspollinatorpowwow.org/


A Heartfelt Thanks to the Following Organizations & Individuals for their Generous Support  of our
2015 20th Anniversary Conference!!



                   

 

                                       
              


Charlotte Reemts           Suzanne Tuttle

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Please Take a Moment to Click on the Above Logos
& Check Out Our Sponsors' Websites.


  


The Society for Ecological Restoration, Texas Chapter promotes ecological restoration as a means of sustaining the diversity of life on Earth and

re-establishing an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture. 

 

 

 Become a member today!                            Click Here to Join Us! 

 

Join the Texas Chapter of the Society for Ecological Restoration.  Chapter members receive valuable benefits including:

  • the opportunity to network with restoration practitioners and enthusiasts;
  • discounts to our Annual Conference, an opportunity to share and learn;
  • invitations to attend talks, ER Discussion Groups, and volunteer workdays around the state; and,
  • monthly updates and quarterly newsletters with articles and notices about regional events that allow you to connect to the local restoration community.

Chapter membership fees of $15 support chapter administration.  The TXSER Board of Directors consists of volunteers who share a passion for furthering ecological restoration in Texas.

 

Joining SER links you with a global restoration network.  SER member benefits include:

  • SERNews bi-monthly newsletter;
  • discounts on journal publications;
  • discounts to SER World Conferences;
  • discounts on SER Career Center;
  • access to a searchable, online member directory;
  • access to SER's Global Restoration Network; and,
  • promotional opportunities through the SER Calendar of Events and Restoration Project Showcase.

To become a member visit:  www.ser.org/membership

 

Be sure to click the Texas Chapter as your Chapter Affiliate.  We look forward to having you join us!