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Gulf Coast Bird Observatory | 299 Hwy 332 West,
Lake Jackson, Texas 77566
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Meet GCBO's new Outreach and Education Manager, Emma Shelly! Emma comes to us from Hawaii where she spent most of her childhood. She received her Masters in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut in 2015. Emma has assisted with ornithological research around the world, including projects in Peru, Hawaii, Canada, and Costa Rica, and has a special fondness for coastal and marine birds. In 2016, Emma completed an Interpretive Naturalist internship at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin and became a certified Interpretive Guide. She has a growing passion for environmental education, and believes that birds are some of the best species to serve as ambassadors for connecting children with nature. She has experience with curriculum development, outreach, event planning, and enjoys incorporating art, games, storytelling, and hands-on experience into education. Come by and say hi and welcome her on board.
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Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza
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XHX is coming! It's that time again. The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have already begun arriving as they make their way south for the winter, so get those feeders out. We will hold our Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza at the peak of their migration on Saturday, September 16th and Saturday, September 23rd from 8am-12pm. Don’t miss your chance to see hummingbirds up close and in the hand! The success of this event depends greatly on volunteer participation so if you want to volunteer, contact Emma.
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Hummingbird Photography Workshop
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Learn to photograph hummingbirds with Kathy Adams Clark! There should be 30-50 hummingbirds in the garden if conditions are right. Participants will receive instruction on hummingbird photography and hummingbird behavior. Stop-action photo studio will be available for use based on the number of people in the class and shooting conditions. Classes are limited to 10 people and will be held in north Houston from 9:30 to 12:30 on September 19th and at GCBO from 1:30 to 4:30 on September 21st.
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Sunday, October 14, 2017
Celebrate GCBO's 20th anniversary with us at Brew on The Bayou! Join us this October for a fun evening on the GCBO’s wooded grounds located along the Buffalo Camp Bayou in Lake Jackson. A beer tasting event and celebration rolled into one! There will be many Texas specialty brews to try out, live music, good food, and much fun in our beautiful, natural setting. Please join us for the festivities on Sunday, October 14 from 4:00am - 8:00pm.
Tickets are $25 per person.
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Raptors
in Flight Workshop
at GCBO & Smith Point
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Bill Clark will be hosting a raptor identification workshop at GCBO in October! On
Saturday, October 7th
, he will present a series of lectures on how to identify raptors in flight! On
Sunday, October 8th
, participants will spend the day at the Smith Point Hawk Watch putting everything they have learned to use in the field. In addition, Robert and Kay Lookingbill will catch live raptors to show participants at Smith Point. What a great deal! The cost is $150/participant and there are only 8 spots still available! Call Tricia today to sign up at
979-480-0999
.
For more information please
check our website
here
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Bill Clark Raptors of Mexico and Central America
Talk
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On
Friday, October 6, 2017 at 7:30pm
, join us to hear Bill Clark speak on the raptors of Mexico and Central America at GCBO. Bill will describe his new field guide, show all of the color plates, and discuss the various parts of the guide, including the species accounts.
We will have Bill's book on hand so you can purchase a copy and get it signed. A $5 donation is suggested for attending the event. For more information on this talk, please contact
Sue.
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Volunteer Crews Making a Difference
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We recently held several work days at our headquarters sanctuary. Volunteers from local companies came out and worked hard! A group of Olin engineers helped us build trail bridges and did nursery work. Phillip 66 staff and interns came out and trimmed all of the trails. Staff and interns from Dow Chemical came out and trimmed trees, weeded gardens, and helped in the nursery. Thanks for all
your hard work!
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With GCBO’s 20th anniversary on the horizon, it is an exciting time to be a part of our organization. Looking back on the last 20 years, it’s clear that our mission to protect all birds and their habitats, not only on the Gulf Coast but also south into the tropics, is more relevant today than ever. In fact, with increasing pressure from habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbance, our work and your support is crucial to maintaining bird populations. How can you help us further? We humbly ask for your support, particularly for the programs outlined in our
mid-year appeal
, but appreciate any donation you wish to direct to any of our programs. Unfortunately we are currently unable to accept program specific donations via our web portal, but we don’t want to miss your valuable contributions! Please call our office with your donation request or print the
form here
and mail it. Thanks so much for your support!
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Take a look at our wishlist and see if you can donate any of these items. We will be happy to provide you with a tax donation letter for your efforts! Thanks so much.
- bags of black oil sunflower seed
- bags of chicken scratch
- one gallon black plastic pots, used or new
- flammable storage cabinet for our gas cans
- heavy duty 55 gallon plastic garbage can
- heavy duty 55 gallon plastic garbage bags
- sugar for hummingbird feeders
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In July we caught this young Tufted Titmouse who was full of spite for our intrusion to its daily rounds. In August, we’ll be back to our regular schedule with bird banding on the third Saturday of the month (August 19th) from 8:00am until noon. Remember, the birds get up early so the earlier you are here, the more you'll see. Seeing birds in the hand is a great way to get kids, young and old, excited about wildlife. See the map on our webpage for directions or use your GPS to take you to 299 Hwy 332 West, Lake Jackson, TX.
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All photographs are courtesy of GCBO staff unless otherwise noted.
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