BioBlitz in Austin -- Decker Tallgrass Prairie Preserve!!! May 21!
What are you doing on Saturday, May 21?!? Well, I'll be down in Austin helping out with a bioblitz at Decker Tallgrass Prairie Preserve!!! Wanna join me?!?
@jdavisz is putting in a lot of work to document as much as possible on this peninsula of Lake Walter E. Long in east Austin (around 350 acres) -- there will be a public portion from 9 to noon, and then a 'hardcore iNatter document everything possible' after that. The preserve is normally not open to the public, but we'll have some special permission to access it. :) It's just north of the Walter Long Metropolitan Park and access will be through the Decker Creek Power Station.
Map here:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Decker+Tallgrass+Prairie+Preserve/@30.298537,-97.6098819,2501m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x8644b80379bbac03:0x82bb194bd5494c10!8m2!3d30.2979712!4d-97.6065626
There will be some black-lighting here in the evening too -- super excited!
Register to come here: https://www.givepulse.com/event/292494-Decker-Preserve-Bio-Blitz%21
If you're interested, let me know -- hoping to run into lots of Austin folks (as well as anyone else that wants to come over for some iNatting)! More nitty gritty details coming up soon -- but mark the calendar if you want to come!
Kommentit
Tagging a few folks -- tag others if you know them!
@franpfer @lswift @calebhelsel @jeffmci9 @victorengel @rkostecke @pufferchung @connlindajo @cmeckerman @tylercannon @jbecky @ecarpe @mgsikes @gcwarbler @aprilsee @georgeafghan @adrianj @lorimalloy @plectrudis @gstclair @gpstewart @cindychrisler @ncowey @centratex @mikef451 @jgw_atx @honeymushroom @knightericm @rlhardin @jcochran706 @clairesorenson @mikaelb @butterflies4fun @ @waltermellon @ashwinvn2 @sawwhet @williamedwards @sheliahargis @currenfrasch @eaneubauer @oz4caster @lovebirder @annikaml @charley @austinrkelly @oddfitz @brentano @tadamcochran @mako252 @tdavenport @amzapp @beschwar @gwaithir @baxter-slye @elytrid @sam_moore_ @k8thegr8 @entomike @owenmoorhead @earthgrazer @haleydaniels @bacchusrock @pfau_tarleton @brandonwoo @bosqueaaron @cosmiccat @wildcarrot @lulubelle @bcfl14 @scottbuckel
I'm in, I think! Sounds great.
Definitely interested. I've been interested in that place even though I knew it was off limits. :) Never thought I'd have an opportunity. Too bad it's probably going to be hot then.
@victorengel , I will bring a mini-battery-powered fan to cool us all down. ;) The mothing should be great!
I'll definitely put it on my calendar.
Dang! I'll be out of town for this event. I was so hoping to help out.
By the way: CAUTION is advised in that peninsula east of the power plant. In years gone by, it was known to have a very high density of Diamondback Rattlesnakes! That was some years ago, so I don't know how the population is doing now.
I'm interested if possible. Be hard to get away that weekend but I will see what I can do.
It is on my calendar!!!
I'll be there, plus it's only 5 miles from my house!
Sounds likely for me if I am in town. I've been trying to access that property for moth surveys, but have been rejected by the city so might be interesting. Chuck is right...rattlers are common; just pay attention.
Noooo! I will be out of state! So disappointed I'll miss this!
Thanks for the invite, but Ill be on that summer fellowship in CO this summer :/
Sorry no dog allowed so I can’t go. Thanks for the invite. 😊
Close to home, I believe this is doable and I would love to meet y'all.
Sounds great! Looking forward to it. @paige186 @mammelton50
I should be around. adding to my calendar :)
I'll be out of town unfortunately. One of these days!!!
I would love to make it! I'll try my best to get there but can't say with any certainty yet.
I'll be there! @paige186 let me know if you're going
Tagging some "local folks" about a chance to attend a nearby iNat gathering and meet some great folks and do some iNat-ing: @birdladymilam @bananalady @lovelace_s @andygo1 @sunasak @chenderson @marianmarie @timarcus (Tim. it's a prairie!) @mpmeuth @arnanthescout @potterswasp @dsorenson @craighensley @taniahomayoun
I'm in! I probably won't be there right at 9--will that cause a problem with access?
Unfortunately, I work that weekend. Can't wait to see the results though!
It sounds good. We were looking at doing something similar at Louis Rene' Barrera Indiangrass Preserve with the Austin Park Rangers. With all the ups and downs with COVID we put it on hold. This will make a good foundation for anything we do over there.
Sounds like fun - count me in!
I'll try to make it!
Putting on my radar.
@gstclair , I'd love to partner with the Rangers over at Indiangrass too!
@jbecky showing up later shouldn't be a problem. Folks will be there all day. The "general public" (ie NOT iNat pros) window is 9-noon. The iNat power users who are in this conversation are welcome to be out all day and into the evening for hard core blitzing.
Good to hear. My waking hours are more 2nd shift than 1st shift
Oh man, I will be out of town! @gstclair if you do something for the Barrera Indiangrass preserve I would be very interested too!
I am definitely interested!
Oh no! Have to be somewhere that weekend... hopefully next time!
Yes, please! I'm looking forward to helping document the peninsula.
@jbecky, that shouldn't be an issue.
All,
I am very excited to have so many hard core iNatters coming! If you could do me a favor and register at this link, it would help us plan for number of cars on site, etc. Here is the link:
https://www.givepulse.com/event/292494-Decker-Preserve-Bio-Blitz%21
Oh gosh, my calendar that Saturday is completely booked until at least 5pm, and i am likely to be pretty tired after that. How late can we join the search party?
@jgw_atx wanna show off your mad blacklight ID skills?
Hey all,
Just as an FYI -- when you register, it says "9 to noon" on that day. Don't worry about that time frame -- come and go as you'd like! The 9 to noon part is more for the general public, but us hardcore iNatters will be out there as much as we'd like.
I'm planning on being there from around 8:30 AM to late into the night (11 PM?), with the occasional exits to get some food. I'll bring my black-lighting gear too! I'll also have some extra bug nets, some petri dishes, and a few other collecting tools. Super excited for this upcoming weekend!!!
As of today (one week away), temps in the mid to high 90's, partly cloudy with some wind. Bring water! :)
Also, just so you have it, here's my # 214 215 5605 -- be sure to toss it in your cell/contacts.
Yes it is hot. Just got home from my grandson's baseball game in Lee County. The sun is brutal!
All, if the weather holds... it looks like we may catch a break from the heat! The event is "rain or shine" and it currently looks like the temps may stay in the 80s for most of the day with some cloud cover and a 30% chance of the life-giving "sky water" that we so desperately need! So, hopefully it won't be too hot on Saturday!!!
Plans changed, I'll be there noonish. =D
Hoping to attend, depending on automobile situation. For those not making it to the morning event, is there any fixed rallying point for meeting up later in the day or black lighting?
Mothing may be out, if the forecast is right. We always need the rain though...
Can I still get my in? The guard is gone
I’m in.
The chance of rain, of course, dropped as soon as I made alternate plans.
Heheh - seeing tha guard comment, when I arrived this morning, I looked and didn't see a guard, so I parked, then walked over to the guard shack and opened the door, startling the guard. ROFL. He said I was supposed to stop in front of the shack (which I had done). It's not so obvious if there's a guard actually present. Maybe a car being there implies there's a guard.
Ugh. Looks like the rain went "poof!" not long after we called it. So it goes.
Yeah... that was a bummer. The radar looked like we were about to get hammered hard, but it didn't rain at my house in Kyle until about midnight... @sambiology had a great idea that we could just do a "moth night" out there since there was so much interest! To those of you who know moths, will they stay active into the summer or would it be best to try to do it sooner rather than later in the summer?
Thanks John for all the effort and safety concerns! Mothing should be good through October.
@mikef451 it was a good day and was great meeting everyone! We will do more of this, I'm sure.
John, many thanks for putting this thing together. Absolutely enjoyed the great place, seeing old friends, and making new friends. It was great to see the public come out for nature, too.
A moth night at Decker would be fantastic! Moths love heat and humidity and dark, but don't like wind much. Sam (and some others) may be completely tied up in events already during National Moth Week, but if not, perhaps that would be a good time for a Decker moth night.
https://nationalmothweek.org/
Though I only spent a few hours here in the afternoon I thought this place has great potential. I am definitely in for a moth night this year. I hope this location becomes an annual or twice a year event. Thank you all! It was great meeting a few new faces. iNaturalists are definitely my breed of wildlife.
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