Page 1 of 16 Coastal Prairie Courier February 28th, 2018 00000000000000000000111111100000000000Coastal Prairie Chapter Courier 00000Volume 6, Issue 2 We are a group of trained volunteers who share our appreciation and

knowledge of nature with the community through outreach, education and conservation/restoration projects

Jaime Talks About Being Media-Savvy” By Diane Russell Table of Contents : 2 Jaime Talks Media………1 Field Trip….…….………..2 Jaime’s Resources……...3 Certifications/Milestones..4 Seabourne Honored…….5 Volunteer Projects..……..6 Native Plants…….………9 Plants of the Month……10 Our Own Backyards..….11 Photo by Diane Russell Miscellaneous.…...…….12 Rick Adams………….....13 Jaime Gonzalez, Community Conservation Director, Katy Prairie Conservancy, Book Corner…...…….…14 spoke to us at our February 1st Program about how our organization can have Lighter Side………....….15 more of a media impact. Why should we concern ourselves with this? Because, Propagation Program....16 as the saying goes, “If you do something and tell no one, you didn’t do it.” He stressed the importance of telling stories that are memorable, not just relaying

Chapter events and information and disconnected facts. Humans have always communicated

nature-related through the power of storytelling since earliest times. It’s important to tell articles, photos, and people the story of what you’re doing and to make your story known. This is items of interest to how you engage the public to help you do what you do.

the chapter need to be sent to Lynn by the You must ask yourself what your goals are in engaging the public. Is it to:

25th of the month. Suggestions for the ▪ Inform? newsletter are also ▪ Entertain? welcome. Thanks. ▪ Change behavior? ▪ Get people to donate? Lynn Trenta, ▪ Get people to support your work? Courier Editor ▪ Change habits?

Remember, information alone rarely, if ever, changes behavior. You must appeal to the emotions, as described in TED talks by Simon Sinek, who relates proven approaches to being good leaders and attracting loyalty. See one of his talks at https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

Continued on next page

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Jaime Talks About Being Media-Savvy (continued)

Other valuable hints on how to engage the public included: • Know why you are doing what you are doing and what your core beliefs are, as discussed by Sinek. • Don’t complicate your story. As an example, instead of overwhelming people with all the native plants they could be using in their yards, he focuses on Nine Natives, which he then describes as “gateway drugs” to hook people. • Be surprising. Use mysterious titles and novelty whenever possible. • Use video! And please us a tripod to avoid shaking. Good audio is really important. Keep it brief.

Social media is important for getting out your message - Instagram, Facebook, Canva (free social media graphics), neighborhood circulars - as is cultivating a real relationship with your local newspaper.

Books that he highly recommended are “Fostering Sustainable Behavior”, “Across the Spectrum”, and “Influencing Conservation Action”.

March Field Trip on Saturday, March 17th

March 17th we are going on our chapter field trip to the Matagorda County Birding Nature Center located on the beautiful Colorado River with 34 acres and six beautiful botanical gardens to explore! https://www.facebook.com/pg/natureandbirds/about/?ref=page_inter nal.

We plan to head to Matagorda Bay first, then on to the Nature Center after a brown bag lunch. Those wishing to carpool, please meet up at the Ag Extension Office at 9 am instead of the previously mentioned noon.

We will meet at 1025 TX 35, Bay City at 10:30. There will be a $3 per person or $5 per carload entry fee to the park when we return there after our tour of Matagorda Bay.

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Jaime Gonzalez ‘s Resources about Communications

Hello Master Naturalists,

Thank you once again for inviting me to speak to your group about communications. As promised I am sending you some resources that I think that may be valuable to your members

--YouTube link to my talk Click here

--Telling good stories and the value of stories

• The Story Telling Animal • Simon Sinek's Talk on the Golden Circle - Getting to the 'Why' in your story or your organization

--Learning about Environmental Education

• Across the Spectrum: Varieties and outcomes of environmental education

--Changing Conservation Behaviors

• Influencing Conservation Action • Branding Biodiversity • Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-based Social Marketing

--A Quick and Dirty Video Kit You can spend thousands and thousands of dollars on great video equipment but if you spend just a few hundred dollars you can assemble a simple and effective video kit that you can use to film lectures, do live broadcasts, etc.

--Equipment list

• Smartphone with good video capability • A tripod: There are many inexpensive tripods that will work. You will probably want something light weight (consider carbon fiber vs. metal). If you want to take it up a notch get a tripod with a fluid video head that will allow for smooth panning. Something like this would be fine but you can find cheaper versions if you are on a tight budget. • A wireless microphone: Remember that audio is king! So, get an inexpensive, smartphone compatible wireless microphone system. I use this model and it cost under $100. • A Spotlight and Lampstand: For low light conditions you'll want to have a light such as this one and a lampstand with a swivel head. This is particularly important for filming talks in low light.

Jaime González, Community Conservation Director, Katy Prairie Conservancy 5615 Kirby Drive, Suite 867, , Texas 77005-2458 Phone: 713.523.6135 ext. 400, Fax: 713.583.0683, Cell: 281.660.6683 [email protected]

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Chapter Milestones Certifications and Recertifications By Michelle Sullivan

2018 RE-CERTIFICATIONS - Jerry Trenta

MILESTONES 2017

4000 hours - Diane Russell, Jim Butcher 2500 hours - Lynn Trenta 1000 hours - Penny Johnson, Susan Walther, Michelle Sullivan 500 hours- Margo Johnson, Amber Leung 250 hours - Carol Hawkins, Sal Cardenas, Rick Davison, Lea Hyman, Jerry Trenta, Debby Wendt

INITIAL CERTIFICATIONS 2017

Teckla Coven Garrett Engelhardt Kevin Engelhardt Terri Hurley Rhonda Kuykendall Pradip Sethi Pauline Zinn

2017 RECERTIFICATIONS

Karl Baumgartner Carol Hawkins Kathy Moore Michelle Sullivan Jim Butcher Nancy Huffman Mark Morgenstern Jerry Trenta Rick Davison C.J. McDaniel Donna Pisani Lynn Trenta Stella Davison Don Johnson Wayne Poorman Susan Walther Susie Doe Kristi Johnson Linda Rippert Jeff Wellman Jaci Elliott Margo Johnson Linda Rude Debby Wendt Garrett Engelhardt Penny Johnson Diane Russell Erik Wolf Jamie Fairchild Bill Johnson Carol Schwartz Pauline Zinn Jean Greenhalgh Amber Leung Gloria Scheel Roger Hathorn Linda Lourim Bob Schwartz

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Seabourne Volunteers Honored by the City of Rosenberg rip

February 15th, Chapter volunteers assembled at the Rosenberg Volunteer Appreciation Dinner to receive recognition of the chapter’s work at Seabourne Creek Nature Park. In attendance, receiving their Certificates of Appreciation were: Jimmy Brannon, Bill Archer, Jerry Trenta, Susan Archer, Karl Baumgartner, Roger Hathorn, Mark Morgenstern, Lea Hyman, Sal Cardenas, Ramona Ridge, Jim Butcher, Gloria Scheel, Linda Lourim, Pauline Zinn, Linda Rippert, Wayne Poorman, Amber Leung, Keven Engelhardt, Diane Russell, Carol Hawkins, Garrett Engelhardt, and Lynn Trenta.

Congratulations to all Coastal Prairie Chapter Volunteers, those who volunteer at Seabourne and those who volunteer in other areas of the community!

Our volunteers put in many hours for our chapter’s administration and for the community. They are our most valuable asset!!

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Volunteer Projects

Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Spring Fling By Jean Greenhalgh

One of the volunteer opportunities for us every year is at the Spring Fling at Quintana. At least four of us volunteered in 2017 - Bill and Margot Johnson, Debby Wendt and Jean Greenhalgh.

Bird migration on the Texas Coast is famous world-wide with birders. Some foreign and American birding tour companies operate tours to see the spectacle. We are lucky at CPTMN to have a front row seat. Each year billions of birds, from hummingbirds to hawks, fly from their wintering grounds in Central and South America to breed in the USA and Canada. The majority cross the Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula or fly around it along the Mexico coast.

There are many famous locations along the Gulf Coast to witness this, including High Island, Galveston Island and South Padre Island. The closest to Rosenberg is at Quintana, Brazoria County. The Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary is located there, and it has a bird list of 329 species in ebird.

This year GCBO will be hosting Spring Fling from 7th April to 5th May. They have a cabin, called the hosting station, which is open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm every day in April. It is located across the street from the Neotropical Bird Sanctuary. This cabin is hosted by volunteers and staff to answer questions, keep a daily list of bird sightings, and sell water, snacks, T-shirts and field guides. In addition, this year, GCBO will be holding a Spring Fling Auction in aid of GCBO. Photographs of the auction items will be at the Quintana hosting station. We also ask visitors to sign in, and a record is kept of where they come from.

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Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Spring Fling (continued)

This gives us an opportunity to interact with birders and photographers from around the USA and foreign counties. In 2017 163 species were seen; 961 visitors were logged visiting from 27 US states (including Texas) and 10 foreign countries. There were 38 on-site volunteers who volunteered 430 hosting hours. One of the people I met in 2016 was Laura Keene, who was doing a big year. She became the first woman to see at least 750 species in one year in the American Birding Association region (at that time the ABA region, which is the USA and Canada, did not include Hawaii).

There are always two volunteers on duty, so we can either sit at the hosting station or walk around the Sanctuary. This gives an opportunity to answer bird identification questions, especially from photographers who spend many hours at the two water features. Although useful, birding skills are not a prerequisite for volunteering. Shifts are from 9 – 1 and from 1 to 4 and many work both shifts. Training sessions are held at the beginning of April and is AT. Volunteer hours are VSP. Quintana is 60 miles from Rosenberg down Hwy 36. Travel time from Rosenberg is approximately 1.5 hours one way.

Help our Chapter’s Website!

We are in the process of locating a web developer to help improve our website. We will need someone to help manage it and work with the developer on getting our WordPress website in shape. The website is a Texas A&M AgriLife site, but we have access to it without a cost to us.

Please notify Margo Johnson or Lynn Trenta if you are interested in helping with this!

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Chapter Members Go to Texas Cultural Day

Chapter members Jim Butcher, Natalya Crawford and Rhonda Kuykendall introduced the EnviroScape® Watershed/Non-Point Source Model to students K through 8th grade at Holy Rosary Catholic School’s Texas Cultural Day in Rosenberg on February 2nd.

Over the course of the event, they presented the model to 113 students. This model provides a hands-on, interactive demonstration of the sources and effects of water pollution -- and allows a demonstration of ways to prevent it. It demonstrates how storm water runoff carries pollutants through the watershed to a pond, lake, river, bay, or ocean – and the best management practices to prevent this type of pollution from occurring.

Thanks to these outreach volunteers!

Nesting Boxes for Birds from National Wildlife Federation

Wild Bird Nesting Box Right Box for the Basics Right Bird By mid-February, winter-resident birds are

beginning to gear up for egg-laying season Getting wild birds to use a nesting box and are scouting out potential nesting is all about getting the specs right for spots. Migratory species will be arriving the species you're trying to attract. before you know it looking for places to nest. Now is the time to get nesting boxes Get our expert tips on the proper ready and out in your wildlife habitat nesting box design for some of the garden. most beloved backyard bird species.

Learn all the basic of how to properly provide nesting boxes for cavity-nesting wild birds.

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Native Plants Attract Wildlife in Seabourne Gardens

Spring is fast approaching, and it is getting time to prepare gardens for planting. Seabourne Creek Nature Park has 2 gardens managed by chapter members, both of which contain native plants. Our butterfly garden is managed by Linda Rippert and Diane Russell. The prairie demo garden is managed by Lynn Trenta. A new interpretive sign will soon be installed in front of the prairie demo garden. Chapter members who contributed to the information for the sign are Kim Farou, Jade Hems, Terri Hurley, and Lynn Trenta. Good work to all of the garden ladies! Photos by Wayne Poorman

The reasons we use native plants in our gardens are many. Native plant gardens supply food, water, shelter and space for wildlife. By growing native plant gardens, we can provide support for birds, bees, butterflies and other pollinators. These animals pollinate many plants and enable food production, both agriculturally and for wildlife. Native plants have an evolutionary relationship with insects, which are necessary to support life as we know it. An excellent resource can be found at https://houstonarboretum.org/2016/03/planting-for-pollinators/

Native plants provide birds with food as well as shelter. Common plants that attract birds are sunflowers, coneflowers and native grasses. Grasses also provide places for birds to nest and hide. Savannah sparrows, meadowlarks and quail can often be found among grasses in prairies.

Hummingbirds migrate through this area in the spring and fall, feeding on nectar and flowering plants. They are attracted to red, tubular flowers. Native prairie plants that attract hummingbirds are red salvia, Photo by Nina Ehmer blazing star, and passion vine.

Some butterflies, such as the Painted Lady, use several different host plants for raising their caterpillars. Other butterflies use only a specific host plant. Fritillary butterfly and zebra longwing caterpillars feed only on passion vine. Monarch butterfly caterpillars only feed on milkweed. Among the many plants that provide nectar for butterflies are native lantana and mistflower

Many local native bees are solitary and do not live in hives, as do the honey bees. As native bees are attracted to many different flower colors, shapes and sizes, native gardens need to supply a variety of flowering Photo by Lynn Trenta plants. Beebalm, partridge pea, mistflower, and rattlesnake master are good plants for a bee garden.

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By Mark Morgenstern Plant of the Month, Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa)

This months featured plant is Texas Indian Paintbrush with a scientific name of Castilleja indivisa. This annual recently started blooming along roadsides. Bloom time from wildflower.org is March April and May. The red color is actually bracts grouped around and under each inconspicuous flower. They grow 6 to 16” tall and are the larval host for Buckeye butterflies. They also attract hummingbirds and nectar seeking insects. They range from Texas to , Oklahoma and Arkansas. The seeds are small-4 million per pound!

I grew some from seed a while back, separated and planted in a flower bed. Then I watched them all die. After some research I discovered they are a grass parasite. The roots grow until contacting other plant roots, penetrating them and obtaining some of their nutrients. The word parasite has negative connotations but not in this case. It’s just another example of how amazing mother nature is in the plant world! Propagation has to involve laying seeds out and not germinating in a flat. The blooms of this beauty are a sign we have finally turned the corner on winter!

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In Our Own Backyards and Other Places

Robins & Cedar Waxwings By Diane Eismont

Chapter Outreach at the Fort Bend

PhotographyThis is the time of year Club to see flocks of American Robins, before they migrate north, eating berries on Hackberry trees & other fruit-bearing trees & shrubs in your yard & elsewhere.

We have 4 large Hackberries around the house which were covered by Robins from around 8 am to mid-morning last week. Look closely & you might also see Cedar Waxwings which like to feed with these flocks.

Blood Moon and Eclipse Photos by Garrett Engelhardt

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The Texas Parks and Wildlife Official Guide App

Soon the weather will be warming up, the wildflowers will be blooming, and the birds will be singing. So now is the perfect time to begin planning your next state park getaway. Make it easy with the app, the Texas State Parks Official Guide. The app lets you search for parks by activities or types of facilities. Look at photos and videos of each park. Then you can view a map to find a park near you and get driving directions. Watch this video to see the how it works.

Chapter-Only Facebook Site

We have a Chapter-only Facebook Page that allows chapter members to post items. You can join by going to the website below and clicking on “Join”. The administrator will allow you access. This is strictly for chapter members.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/18827346486 62315/?ref=bookmarks

Carrie Sample Talks about Gardening for Wildlife

Chapter member Carrie Sample is giving a program to the Sugar Land Garden Club.

Time: 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 20. Where: 702 Burney Road in Sugar Land. What: The topic is be attracting wildlife to your backyard.

Photo by Nina Ehmer She would love to see some chapter members to come!

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Many Thanks to Rick Adams By Lynn Trenta

We thank Rick Adams for his many years of working with Eagle Scouts at Seabourne Creek Nature Park. There are so many Eagle Scout Projects at the park it is difficult to name them all. A few of them are: owl boxes, bluebird boxes, a chimney swift tower, numerous benches, tree plantings, the prairie restoration work area, many picnic tables, including the covered ones on the north side of the lake and the prairie restoration planting table.

Many thanks to you, Rick!

Photo by Wayne Poorman

Photo by Rick Adams

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Book Corner Michael Eason is a freelance botanist who performs plant surveys and inventories on both private and public lands throughout Texas. Additionally, he is on staff at Botanical Gardens, where he heads their Rare Plant Research and Conservation Program. Previously he worked for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center as their Conservation Program Manager, a position he held from 2003-2012. During this time, he managed such projects as the Millennium Seed Bank, Ferns of the Trans-Pecos, and Vegetation Survey of National Park.

Wildflowers of Texas, published by Timber Press, is a field guide covering 1170 taxa of both native and naturalized species, and primarily covers herbaceous flowering plants. The book contains common, uncommon and rare plants found within the borders of Texas. During the course of this project, and after tens of thousands of road miles, and thousands of hiking miles, numerous range extensions were recorded, a few new species for Texas and the rediscovery of a water lily (Nymphaea ampla). While Wildflowers of Texas the book contains species found in other field guides, many of the

plants within have never been included in other Texas field guides By Michael Eason and some of the plants never properly, if ever, photographed.

Flo Hannah, Prairie Champion, Remembered

CPP's co-founder and prairie champion Flo Hannah has passed away. We at CPP remember Flo's dedication to her family and to the cause of conservation. Her work exemplified what all great conservationists share, a vision of a future where nature is protected and celebrated.

We are forever indebted to her for inspiring, teaching, and leading us. During her time at Houston Audubon she taught many to love native plants, to steward wild places, and to simply enjoy nature. She may be gone but her work will endure through the work of those she trained and nurtured. Her spirit will also endure wherever her beloved plants thrive and on preserves she helped to conserve such at the Lawther-Deer Park Prairie.

Read Flo Hannah’s obituary.

Flo Hannah in Texas Coneflowers Photo by Don Verser

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The Lighter Side

Thanks to Terri Hurley (Facebook)

Thanks to John Donaho (Facebook)

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CPTMN 2018 HNPAT Prairie Plant Propagation Board Members Workshop at Brazos Bend State Park

2018 Officers

President Amber Leung Vice President Debby Wendt

Secretary Pauline Zinn

Treasurer Jamie Fairchild

2018 Committee Directors

• Past-President Diane Russell Please join HNPAT, Morningstar Nursery and Monarch

• Programs Debby Wendt Gateway to learn prairie plant propagation for

• Communication/Publicity Margo Johnson pollinators.

• Volunteer Service Projects Cheryl Garcia

• Advanced Training Ramona Ridge When: Sunday, March 4, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

• Membership Michelle Sullivan

• New Class C.J. McDaniel Where: Brazos Bend State Park Dining Hall

• New Class Representative Carol Hawkins

• State Representative Carol Schwartz Contact: Mark Morgenstern

. HNPAT, Morning Star Nursery, Monarch Gateway 713-446-2509 [email protected] 21901 FM 762 Rd, Needville, TX 77461

We’re on the Web!

See us at: To register go to:

https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/m?oeid http://txmn.org/coastal k=a07ef5qvziv3fff85a2&oseq=&c=&ch=

Chapter members Mark Morgenstern and Barbara Willy Check out our Facebook will be the speakers.

Page at TXMN Coastal Prairie Chapter Facebook

To post photos and information,

email COASTAL PRAIRIE CHAPTER OF THE John Donaho TEXAS MASTER NATURALISTS 1402 Band Rd Also, share our chapter Facebook Extension Office entries with your friends on your Rosenberg, TX 77471—8678 Facebook Page Phone: 281-633-7033