Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Dec
30

Time for reflection

Posted by in Uncategorized,What You Can Do

Let’s end this year with a final quote,  shall we…

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”  Jane Goodall

How will you impact the world around you? Try one simple thing to start; recycle a cell phone, recycle at home, turn off a light, use less water, carpool when you can, turn off your computer at night, use green energy (yes – it can be cheaper), turn down your thermostat 1 degree in winter / up 1 degree in summer, pay bills online, wash clothes in cold water, adopt a shelter dog or cat, stop receiving junk mail, switch your lights to compact flourescents, use rechargeable batteries, turn off the light when out of a room, inflate your tires properly (it helps save gas), install a tankless water heater, install a programmable thermostat at home, support your favorite wildlife causes …all simple things you can do to impact the world around you.

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Dec
03

Flamingo Flocking to raise funds for the Philippine Eagle Foundation, by Megan Neal, Bird Keeper

Posted by in Conservation,Endangered Species,Field Research,Uncategorized,What You Can Do

 

You've Been Flocked!

Megan and her flamingos

It should come as no surprise that many zoo employees have animal related hobbies outside of our daily zoo jobs.  Some of us rescue large dog breeds, or search for reptiles and amphibians in the middle of the night.  We train pets, hunt with birds of prey, and some of us are avid bird watchers.  I am no exception to this trend.  In the late hours of the evening, under the cover of darkness, I sneak around the yards of unsuspecting Houstonians and litter their lawns with pink plastic flamingos.  I am flamingo flocker.
Flamingo Flocking is a conservation fundraising program developed by the Houston Zoo’s Bird Department staff to raise money for avian conservation.  It is a very simple concept that has taken many Houston neighborhoods by storm.  If a person wants to surprise their family, friends or neighbors with a flock of approximately 50 pink plastic flamingos, they contact us with the pertinent information, and we take care of the rest.  

Flocking destinations

As with any hobby, flamingo flocking requires passion for the subject, and most importantly, patience.  It is not always easy to drive twenty minutes to a flocking destination, only to have to wait another 45 minutes for someone to stop working on their boat and close the garage door so we can place those flamingos in their yard, unseen. It is sometimes difficult to maintain a smile when you realize that the funeral home on “Peach Meadow Lane” is far different from the house you are supposed to flock on “Peachmeadow Lane”.  It’s a 20 mile difference, in fact. 
While none of our staff have a particular passion for pink plastic lawn kitsch, we all share a desire to make a difference in our natural world through conservation.  We chose to designate our Flamingo Flocking earnings to the Philippine Eagle Foundation in Davao City, Philippines because of their dedication to saving one of the most magnificent, powerful and endangered eagles in the world, the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi).  Championed by such great figures as Charles Lindberg and Robert S. Kennedy since the late 1960s, the effort to preserve the Philippine Eagle resulted in the formation of the Philippine Eagle Foundation in 1987.  During this time, staff demonstrated their dedication, waiving their salaries for a year due to financial constraints, in order for the important work of the foundation to continue.  That is something I remind myself of when the yard sprinklers turn on and I get soaked to the core while I am flocking a house. 
In 2010, the Bird Department at the Houston Zoo raised over $5,500 through the Flamingo Flocking program for the Philippine Eagle Foundation.  To give you an idea of what that entailed, check out the map of our flocking locations for the year (insert map picture). 
With these funds, the Philippine Eagle Foundation has been able to purchase three radio transmitters for their satellite telemetry project, which is investigating movement and dispersal patterns in young eagles, a previously unstudied subject. 
The Flamingo Flocking funds have also purchased a laptop for the Foundation’s education program, allowing staff to bring dynamic eagle conservation education to 2,200 students in 22 elementary schools. 
Due to the wonderful success of Flamingo Flocking this year, our funds have extended to supporting general community education in these 22 locations, as they surround at least 25 active eagle nesting sites, and as Philippine Eagles are loyal to their nest locations, the education of the people living around these nests is crucial to ensuring continued eagle hatchings and the safety of nesting birds into the future. These education programs were meant to be shut down in 2010 due to lack of funds, but were saved by Flamingo Flocking donations.
All in all, it is a pretty impressive feat for a motley crew of several zookeepers and their plastic flamingos.  As we close out this banner year, the Bird Department would like to thank all of our 2010 supporters, and invite you all to join us again in 2011 to continue making a huge difference in saving the critically endangered Philippine Eagle.

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Sep
06

Got Fish? Home Aquariums that is…

Posted by in Featured,Texas,Uncategorized,What You Can Do

Many American households own an aquarium. They are beautiful, fun to watch and exotic in that most aquarium fish are originally from other countries. Unfortunately, sometimes a person’s circumstances change and he or she can no longer keep an aquarium. Sometimes a particular fish, that has grown too large or becomes too aggressive, must be given up. These can be difficult decisions and people want the best for their pets. How they define what is best varies. For some people, it means giving the fish to friends. For other people, it means releasing it to the wild. Researchers are interested in understanding how people make this difficult decision and what impact it might have on fish conservation in Texas and elsewhere.  You can help by taking this survey and giving us your views about fish and aquarium keeping.  Check back in a couple of months to find out the results of the study.

http://survey.harconline.net/dynamicsurvey/1/start.php?survey=fish2&dgfb=1

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Aug
13

Why did the turtle cross the road?

Posted by in Field Research,Texas,Uncategorized

Female Missouri River Cooter

Like the chicken of legend and lore, the answer to the question is to get to the other side.  But in the process, turtles crossing one East Texas highway are finding the journey fraught with peril and one that could change the very make up of their population and irrevocably alter their future.

Each spring, prehistoric, bony plated animals begin an arduous journey in Texas.  The journey, one that has occurred since the time of the dinosaurs, is undertaken by a determined and tenacious animal – the female fresh water turtle.

Since the summer of 2008, researchers from the Houston Zoo have been conducting road mortality surveys for wildlife on approximately 2 miles of State Highway 190 crossing Steinhagen Lake between Jasper and Tyler counties.  So far, Zoo researchers have counted  over 500 dead turtles, most of which are female Red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) and Missouri river cooters (Pseudemys concinna metteri) that are crossing the road to nest alongside the highway.

Houston Zoo Biologists

The rate of mortality in the first year of our research equals to approximately 115 turtles killed per mile per year on this stretch of road, making the area near Steinhagen Lake second on the list of the top 5 highest mortality spots for turtles in North America. According to published findings at other locations similar to the highway near Steinhagen Lake, research indicates this type of road mortality is not sustainable and will eventually result in a male biased population resulting in the eventual decline of the turtle population in the lake.

Turtle road mortality

The Houston Zoo is currently working with partners to identify possible solutions to reduce the number of turtle deaths. The most likely solution would be a 2-mile fence running along side State Highway 190 to prevent the female turtles from crossing the road.  Such fences have reduced mortality up to 98% in other high mortality locations.

Hatchling Turtles

To learn more about freshwater turtles and get savvy on turtle facts and myths, click here.

Jun
10

Kemp’s ridley sea turtle on beach yesterday!

Posted by in Endangered Species,Featured,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Texas,Uncategorized

While on my sea turtle patrol yesterday I intercepted this female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle awkwardly flapping and slowly inching her way along the beach to the dunes to nest and deposit her eggs. What an experience to share space and be alone with this magnificent sea dwelling animal on a sunny June afternoon! At a time of so much frustration and worry for the Gulf and all of it’s inhabitants-it is so hopeful & special to see one of the most endangered animals in the world both surviving, and thankfully, recovering from near extinction only a few decades ago.

 

She must have been a picky mom because she dug a few holes and went back into the water without depositing her eggs. She was looking for just the right spot. A shot of her making her way back to the sea…

 

There’s nothing like the cool and refreshing splatter of the ocean water after baking in the hot sun! 

Find out more about sea turtle conservation at the Houston Zoo and in Texas!

Would you please share with me and other Houston Zoo blog readers one of your most memorable wildlife experiences?

May
25

Sea turtles nest on upper Texas coast!

Posted by in Endangered Species,Field Research,Sea Turtles,Texas,Uncategorized

Fabulous news people.

6 Kemps ridley sea turtle nests have been detected on the upper Texas coast and a total of 82 nests statewide!

The first four nests from our neck of the woods came last Wednesday, 3 female ridleys were subsequently satellite tagged and released back in the Gulf.

Do you want to hear even more fabulous news?

After many patrols over the last several years and sand in really weird places, all of the patience & grittiness finally paid off…

ONE OF THE SEA TURTLES WAS FOUND ON MY PATROL!!!!!! Sorry, could not hold it in any longer. :)

Below is a picture of the beautiful girl found on Surfside beach! She did attempt to evade me of course. About 1 hour after I passed this area on my ATV, she crawled out of the water and two beachgoers watched her crawl up to the dunes, dig a hole, and begin to nest. They did the right thing and called 1-866-TURTLE5 and I was contacted by a NOAA biologist to respond- I flew like I have never flew before and came upon a most delightful sight, one of the most magnificent and endagered sea turtles on the planet. Everyone on the beach that day was awe-struck and thankful to be in the right place, at the right time and to be able to sneak a peek at such an amazing wild animal.

Truly a once and a lifetime experience!

We covered her with wet towels to keep her nice and cool until students from Texas A&M Galveston came to excavate her eggs and tag her.

102 eggs were excavated from her nest. Good mamma!

Release of the three Kemps ridley sea turtles. I bet it felt great to be back in the water.

You can track the movement of tagged ridley turtles by visiting the following link. The ladies tagged last week should be up soon.

REMEMBER, IF YOU ARE ON THE BEACH AND SEE A LIVE OR DEAD SEA TURTLE, HATCHLINGS, OR A NEST CALL 1-866-TURTLE5

May
07

Devoted Frog Moms

Posted by in Uncategorized

Marsupial Frog

With Mother’s day fast approaching I thought I would stay within the theme and spotlight some frog Moms that deserve recognition.  Warning – don’t try any of these mothering techniques at home!

Frogs can lay thousands of eggs; most species lay them and leave them for natural selection to take its course.  But there are a few dedicated mothers that take great care in keeping their eggs safe.  The marsupial frog keeps her eggs in a pouch. When the eggs hatch into tadpoles, she opens the pouch with her toes. A Surinam toad carries her young embedded in the skin of her back, where they develop until hatching fully formed.  The gastric brooding frog of Australia swallows her fertilized eggs. The tadpoles remain in her stomach for up to 8 weeks, until finally hopping out of her mouth as little frogs. During the brooding period, gastric secretions cease so that she won’t digest her own offspring.  What a frog Mom won’t do for her offspring!

Apr
26

First 2010 Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nest in Texas!

Posted by in Uncategorized

Woohoo! We have the first Kemp’s ridley sea turtle nest confirmed on the Texas coast during
2010.  It was located at Padre Island National Seashore on the morning of April 24th, 2010.

Breakdown:

KEMP’S RIDLEY TURTLE

So far this year, 1 Kemp’s ridley nest has been confirmed on the Texas
coast including (north to south in state):
Bolivar Peninsula 0
Galveston Island 0
Brazoria County, just north of Surfside 0
Surfside Beach 0
Quintana Beach 0
Bryan Beach 0
Matagorda Peninsula 0
Matagorda Island 0
San Jose Island 0
Mustang Island 0
North Padre Island 1, including 1 at Padre Island National Seashore
South Padre Island 0
Boca Chica Beach 0

The Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is one of the most endangered sea turtles in the world and nests on Texas beaches from April – July. They are the only sea turtle species to nest during the day!

REMEMBER: If you are at the beach and see a sea turtle call 1-866-TURTLE-5!

To learn more about sea turtle conservation efforts at the Houston Zoo click here.

Apr
23

Container for Panamanian amphibian conservation makes a pit stop at the Houston Zoo!

Posted by in Uncategorized

Do you think it’s easy to get a 40 foot shipping container delivered and parked at  the Houston Zoo behind the cheetah exhibit on a Friday afternoon in the middle of the medical center and Hermann Park?

Do you want the short answer? The answer is, no.

You may ask why we would insist on attempting such an unlikely and stressful action. Do you want the short answer?

It’s for the frogs. Panamanian golden frogs to be exact.

Because of a generous shipping container donation from  APL  and with financial assistance provided by Project Golden Frog & an Atelopus Conservation Trust grant, this container will end up at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in Panama and will be the new home for the extremely rare Panamanian golden frog, a cultural icon which is believed by some to now be extint in the wild.

This container will be transformed into a romantic spa getaway, amphibian style, with hopes of breeding many golden frogs that can hopefully be returned to their native streams in Panama once a solution to the deadly chytrid fungus can be found.

The container will likely live at the Houston Zoo for the next 6 weeks while it is equipped with needed materials and supplies, then away it goes on a journey to Central America.

Learn more about Amphibian conservation projects that the Houston Zoo is involved with both in Texas and in Panama.

For more information on shipping containers used in amphibian conservation.

Panamanian golden frog

Apr
22

Green Tip for Earth Day week! Save the Neches River by reducing your water consumption!

Posted by in Uncategorized

Ever wonder how conserving water at home or work really does have a direct impact on Texas wildlife and habitats?

 The more water we use…the more reservoirs need to be created…the more we loose massive chunks of scenic rivers like the Neches…and the more pristine bottomland forest habitat is flooded that the amazing diversity of east Texas wildlife needs to survive…

Texas Monthly is featuring the beautiful Neches River with a 7-minute video and also with a piece in the May magazine. Texas Monthly tells about the Neches and efforts to have it designated as a National Wild and Scenic River.

 A few tips on what you can do to help save wild Texas rivers like the Neches:

 -Turn off the water when you brush your teeth!

-Only run full loads of dishes and clothing!

-Water your lawn in the early evening on late afternoon!

-Go native (I don’t mean streak naked through your lawn, but instead plant native plants) They require less water, are less susceptible to disease and attract native wildlife like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

-Limit baths, take shorter showers!

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