Gulf Coast Bird Observatory | 299 Hwy 332 West, Lake Jackson, Texas 77566
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COVID UPDATE
Bird Banding is still closed to the public but will REOPEN on June 19, 2021.
GCBO Headquarters and Plant Nursery is still NOT open to the public, but our trails are open 8:30-4:30 Mon-Fri and our nursery is on our online store. We will be reopening on June 1.
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Thanks to our RV volunteers!
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Tom and Karyn Schmitz have been helping us maintain our property for months as our RV volunteers. They fed the birds, tended the nursery plants, cleaned up our trails, and much more! Now they're headed back home to Wisconsin and we wish them safe and happy travels.
Thank you Tom and Karyn!
And welcome to our new RV volunteers, Sonny Brannon & Peggy Hall! We are happy to have you on our team!
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Spring Fling ends May 8! During spring migration, millions of birds migrate thousands of miles between breeding and wintering grounds, stopping in route to refuel at coastal stopover sites. At GCBO we manage, in cooperation with the Town of Quintana, our own patch of stopover habitat, the bird sanctuaries at Quintana, just ten miles south of our Lake Jackson headquarters.
We host a month-long Visitor Station each spring, where GCBO volunteers assist with bird identification, sell snacks, field guides, t-shirts and hats, and post a daily bird list. We require all visitors and volunteers to wear masks and social distance in the sanctuary, parking lot, and at the visitor station. The visitor station will be selling only a select few items and only the volunteers will be allowed inside the structure. When visiting, please follow all of these rules to make this a safe sanctuary for birders as well as the birds!
Spring Fling will be happening April 3 - May 8, 2021 9:00am – 4:00pm daily. We hope to see you there!
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Spring Fling is Sponsored by
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Bird Camp is a nature day camp where children explore outdoors and learn about the birds that call the Gulf Coast home! This day camp is for children ages 8-11 and runs from July 12th-16th, 2021. Each day features a different curriculum, including a beach day, bird banding, and wildlife rehabilitation.
Email info@gcbo.org or call us at 979-480-0999 to sign your child up for Bird Camp today! And ask us about our Bird Camp scholarships to see if you apply.
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Thanks to Our Spring Fling Volunteers!
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Our annual Spring Fling at the Quintana sanctuaries would not be possible without our wonderful volunteers. Each day, they feed the birds, sell merchandise, and help visitors.
We are particularly grateful to Regina Tippett, who organized Spring Fling and who's hard work made the event a success. Thanks for the help everyone!
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Calling all Texans! Help protect migrating birds this spring by turning Lights Out, across Texas! Here’s how you can help: turn out all non-essential lights from 11 pm - 6 am every night through June 15, especially during the peak migration period of April 19 - May 7, when half of the total spring bird migration traffic passes through Texas. Join in and spread this message far and wide to help protect the approximately one billion birds that travel through the Lone Star State. Learn more and sign up for bird migration alerts: bit.ly/LightsOutTexas
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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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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!! You can get more information on or website or send Martin an email.
For all trips below with availability, please go to our website for trip information and to register.
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August 16-23, 2021 - SOLD OUT!
October 14-25, 2021 - SOLD OUT!
February 2-7, 2022 - SOLD OUT!
March 5-13, 2022 with Tikal Extension March 13-16 2022
June 2022 – SOLD OUT!
Oaxaca, Mexico
November or December 2022
Trip info to be published soon
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Help keep Texas's Whooping Cranes safe!
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This year, for the first time in recent history, two pairs of Whooping Cranes are nesting in East Texas. The Whooping Cranes are part of a non-migratory population originally reintroduced in Louisiana. The population has grown to about 75 individuals over the past 10 years, but they still face serious threats to their survival.
Each of us can do our part to ensure the future of these majestic birds in Texas and give these pairs the chance they need to successfully hatch and rear their young. If you encounter a Whooping Crane in the wild, please give them the respect and distance they need.
-Keep your distance, at least 1,000 ft between you and the birds.
-Stay in your vehicle on public roadways if you see a crane.
-If you see someone harassing, disturbing, or poaching Whooping Cranes, call the Operation Game Thief Hotline: 800-792-GAME (4263). To report trespassing that isn't harassment or disturbance to the cranes, contact local law enforcement.
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Spring Migration is here, folks, and we at GCBO are preparing for the visiting birds. Every spring, we stock our Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary with tons of seeds and oranges for the birds. Some of them have been flying for miles (sometimes across the gulf) without rest and they need to refuel! We provide them with food, water, and a safe place to rest. If you would like to help us, please donate black oil sunflower seed, wild bird seed mix and oranges now! Thanks!
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Bird Banding Canceled for May
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Due to Covid 19, Bird Banding has been canceled this month. We apologize for any inconvenience.
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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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Yellowstone National Park Interpretive Survey
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Thomas Eck, a PhD candidate in the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences at Texas A&M, would like to ask you to help him with a research project. You can participate by clicking the link below, where you will be directed to a survey questionnaire. The website describes geysers and hot springs at Yellowstone National Park. On that website, you will view environmental interpretation. Then, you will be asked a few questions. You can finish the questionnaire by providing feedback about your experience.
If you decide to respond to this survey questionnaire, please attempt to fully participate in the study. Following the directions is very important. The first 100 participants to complete the survey questionnaire will receive a $5.00 gift card. To claim the gift card, you will need to share a valid email address. It is expected that gift cards will be emailed within two weeks of survey completion. It is estimated that the study will take approximately 8-10 minutes to complete. You can stop at any time.
-Thomas Eck, PhD Candidate, Texas A&M University Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences, e-mail address: teck@tamu.edu.
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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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Chest Freezer
We need a new or used (in good working order) chest freezer to hold oranges for the birds and subjects for study and taxidermy. Ideally around 10 cubic feet. Thanks!
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.
One Gallon Plastic Pots
We can use your used 1 gallon nursery plant pots for the Growery. We go through a lot of 1 gallon pots when potting up new plants. Let’s recycle them here. We’ll take one or a hundred!
Five Gallon Buckets
We could also use a handful of 5 gallon plastic buckets with handle in good shape.
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Have you updated your email preferences yet?
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Get emails that matter to you. At the very bottom of this email there is an "update profile" or "unsubscribe" link that will take you to a page where you can make your selections. We now have specific lists for things like volunteering, events, bird of the month, and more. Please take a moment to update your preferences if you haven't already.
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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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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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