About
Wildlife Field Research is a week long bioblitz conducted every spring and fall at the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm. During this research event, teams of Citizen Scientists combine their experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to survey the nature center's ecology.
Citizen Science engages citizens in the task of recording observations of the environment and its many inhabitants. These observations are used to make scientific assessments that inform land management and human behaviors that impact our world. New participants are trained by Team Leaders who provide instruction and guidance on how to conduct the surveys and record information.
Master Naturalists, college students, teenagers, parents and young kids and other nature enthusiasts participate in this event, each bringing their own interests to the mix to create a colorful and fun citizen science community. For some, the camaraderie and fun that is had during Wildlife Field Research brings them back year after year.
Surveys include: Ants, Amphibian, Aquatic, Butterfly, Dragonfly & Damselfly, Breeding Bird Counts, Prairie Vegetation Photopoints, Prairie Vegetation Survey, Riparian Woody Plants, Small Mammal, Reptiles and Watersnakes
Shifts (28)
Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | Registrants Needed | |
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Butterfly Incidental Survey | 9:00am (CT) | 3:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | During the butterfly survey, citizen scientists walk a steady pace throughout the nature center's four habitats: prairie, marsh, riparian and woodland along with an experienced team leader and document the species observed as well as what plants they are associating with. Willingness to learn. Must be able to walk unaided... | 9/14 | Over |
iNaturalist Wildlife Field Research Bioblitz | 9:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 Use iNaturalist app anywhere on the Cibolo Nature Center to record observations of flora or fauna | Monday 9a - Saturday 12p. The Wildlife Field Research iNaturalist Bioblitz is a "on your own" survey intended to fill in the gaps of species not included in our Wildlife Field Research formalized surveys. Participants are invited to submit observations of any critters or plants of interest at any time... | 5/25 | Over |
Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | Registrants Needed | |
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Prairie Vegetation Photo Points | 10:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | A team of photographers and nature enthusiasts take photos to document changes in the prairie structure over time. By comparing photos from successive years, CNC land managers and researchers have a visual reference that help to inform management practices and data interpretation. | 4/4 | Over |
Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | Registrants Needed | |
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Prairie Vegetation Plant Review | 9:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 Meet at the pavilion near the parking lot. | The Prairie Vegetation Review is intended to give a brief overview of the protocol used in the Prairie Vegetation Survey and to introduce the target species that are evaluated in the survey. Participants will learn the characteristics of the plant species expected to be encountered and will learn identification tips... | 10/15 | Over |
Monarch Larval Monitoring Field Training | 9:30am (CT) | 11:00am (CT) | 33 Herff Road Boerne, TX 78006 Meet in the main parking lot of Herff Farm | Volunteers will walk areas of the Herff Farm to flag and count milkweed plants as well as search for monarch eggs and larvae. Must be able to walk unaided on uneven terrain and withstand exposure to some inclement weather (hot, cold, windy etc.) Sign-up required. Training provided on-site. Team meets... | 5/10 | Over |
Ant Survey | 1:00pm (CT) | 4:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | To survey ants, Citizen Scientists place bait on small plastic dishes along a transect. This bait is left out for a minimum of 30 minutes up to several hours. The trays are then collected in plastic bags and then refrigerated. The ants are then taken to the lab where they... | 7/10 | Over |
Dragonfly & Damselfly Photo Survey | 2:30pm (CT) | 4:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Participants in the Dragonfly and Damselfly (Odonate) Survey, will walk in specified areas looking for odonates to photograph for later identification. Photos are submitted to WFR data manager after the event. The photos should not be enhanced or modified in any way and are considered raw data. Experienced nature photographers... | 2/10 | Over |
Reptile Search | 4:00pm (CT) | 6:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Citizen Scientists search for reptiles under rocks, within tall grass, throughout the woodland and in Cibolo Creek. Anoles, skinks, whiptails, and other lizards, as well as ribbon snakes, blotched and diamond back watersnakes and many other species are recorded during this survey. The water snakes are caught when possible, then... | 10/16 | Over |
Small Mammal Survey | 4:00pm (CT) | 6:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Citizen Scientists set and bait small (Sherman live) traps along transects in the tall grass prairie and woodland at the Nature Center. The following morning, the traps are checked for small mammals. Captured mammals are documented and a small clipping of hair is removed from the animal to mark that... | 11/12 | Over |
Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | Registrants Needed | |
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Sustenance Managment | 7:30am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 Coordinated by Suzanne Young | The Sustenance management team is responsible for feeding the citizen science teams on Thursday,Friday and Saturday of the WFR event. Breakfast and Lunch on Thursday and Friday, and breakfast only on Saturday. | 2/4 | Over |
Exotic plant removal | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | The exotic plant removal team will remove exotic invasive and sometimes opportunistic native plants that are encroaching areas where they don't belong. Bring Lopers if you have them. Other tools may be requested by the team leaders. Must be able to walk over rough terrain while carrying equipment that will... | 2/15 | Over |
Prairie Vegetation Survey | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Plant enthusiasts and beginners alike survey several transects in the prairie to determine vegetation type, including forbs and grasses, and to assess ground cover. Using this data, researchers can assess changes in plant composition over time. Requirements: None, however it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that participants attend the Prairie Vegetation Review... | 6/15 | Over |
Small mammal survey | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Citizen Scientists set and bait small (Sherman live) traps along transects in the tall grass prairie and woodland at the Nature Center. The following morning, the traps are checked for small mammals. Captured mammals are documented and a small clipping of hair is removed from the animal to mark that... | 3/10 | Over |
Water snake survey (time-constrained search) | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Citizen Scientists search for blotched and diamond back watersnakes. The water snakes are caught when possible, then pit-tagged and released on Saturday. This survey helps researchers monitor the diversity, dispersion and health of the watersnake population. Requirements: None. If you have a fear of snakes, this survey will help you... | 3/15 | Over |
Woody Riparian Survey | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 Dress ready for work in the woods and crossing creek if necessary. | Riparian woody vegetation assessments are conducted in the fall along transects crossing Cibolo Creek. Woody plants are identified and their trunks are measured using large calipers to assess basal diameter. The data from this survey helps to assess changes in riparian woody plant diversity and facilitates invasive plant occurrence tracking... | 6/10 | Over |
Ant survey | 1:00pm (CT) | 4:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | To survey ants, Citizen Scientists place bait on small plastic dishes along a transect. This bait is left out for a minimum of 30 minutes up to several hours. The trays are collected in plastic bags and then refrigerated. The ants are then taken to the lab where they are... | 8/10 | Over |
Water snake survey (time-constrained search) | 2:00pm (CT) | 4:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Citizen Scientists search for blotched and diamond back watersnakes. The water snakes are caught when possible, then pit-tagged and released on Saturday. This survey helps researchers monitor the diversity, dispersion and health of the watersnake population. Requirements: None. If you have a fear of snakes, this survey will help you... | 12/15 | Over |
Amphibian Watch | 7:00pm (CT) | 9:30pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 Meet on the back porch, behind the Visitor's center | To conduct this survey, a group of Citizen Scientists head out to the creek after dusk to listen to frog calls, identify the species present and rank the chorus according to the quantity of calls that are heard. This helps researchers monitor amphibian populations, which also provide an indication of... | 7/12 | Over |
Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | Registrants Needed | |
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Aquatic survey; Fish, flow and macro-invertebrates | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 To assist | A team of Citizen Scientists assess stream flow and sample macro-invertebrates, fish and other aquatic organisms alongside biologists from the San Antonio River Authority (SARA). The macro-invertebrate samples are taken to the CNC lab where they are identified and counted using microscopes at a later date. Macro-invertebrates are biological indicators... | 6/10 | Over |
Exotic plant removal | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | The exotic plant removal team will remove exotic invasive and sometimes opportunistic native plants that are encroaching areas where they don't belong. Bring Lopers if you have them. Other tools may be requested by the team leaders. Must be able to walk over rough terrain while carrying equipment that will... | 1/15 | Over |
Prairie Vegetation Survey | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Plant enthusiasts and beginners alike survey several transects in the prairie to determine vegetation type, including forbs and grasses, and to assess ground cover. Using this data, researchers can assess changes in plant composition over time. Requirements: None, however it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED that participants attend the Prairie Vegetation Review... | 2/15 | Over |
Small mammal survey | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Citizen Scientists set and bait small (Sherman live) traps along transects in the tall grass prairie and woodland at the Nature Center. The following morning, the traps are checked for small mammals. Captured mammals are documented and a small clipping of hair is removed from the animal to mark that... | 6/10 | Over |
Water snake survey | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Citizen Scientists search for blotched and diamond back watersnakes. The water snakes are caught when possible, then pit-tagged and released on Saturday. This survey helps researchers monitor the diversity, dispersion and health of the reptile population. None. If you have a fear of snakes, this survey will help you to... | 2/15 | Over |
Woody Riparian Survey | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Riparian woody vegetation assessments are conducted in the fall along transects crossing Cibolo Creek. Woody plants are identified and their trunks are measured using large calipers to assess basal diameter. The data from this survey helps to assess changes in riparian woody plant diversity and facilitates invasive plant occurrence tracking... | 6/10 | Over |
Ant survey Identification | 1:00pm (CT) | 2:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Team will identify and count the ant species retrieved during the Wednesday and Thursday collections. | 5/5 | Over |
Water Snake Survey (time-constrained search) | 2:00pm (CT) | 4:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Citizen Scientists search for blotched and diamond back watersnakes. The water snakes are caught when possible, then pit-tagged and released on Saturday. This survey helps researchers monitor the diversity, dispersion and health of the watersnake population. Requirements: None. If you have a fear of snakes, this survey will help you... | 9/15 | Over |
Shift | Start Time | End Time | Address | Description | Registrants Needed | |
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Small mammal survey | 8:00am (CT) | 10:00am (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 | Citizen Scientists will check traps for small mammals. Captured mammals are documented and released unharmed. As the last date of this survey, the traps will be picked up and returned to storage. This survey enables researchers to monitor the diversity and health of the small mammal population. Must be able... | 15/15 | Over |
Texas Nature Trackers / iNaturalist Training & mini-bioblitz | 8:00am (CT) | 12:00pm (CT) | 140 City Park Road Boerne, TX 78006 Will take place in the Cibolo Nature Center Auditorium followed by time in the habitats of the nature center. | Craig Hensley, the Texas Nature Trackers Biologist for Texas parks and Wildlife Department will teach attendees how to use the smartphone app iNaturalist to observe and record flora and fauna. We will spend the first 90 minutes or so indoors learning about the Texas Nature Trackers program and introducing the... | 8/30 | Over |
Wall
Donna Taylor wrote on October 11th, 2019
Fridays events are a GO. Cooler and very windy but no significant rain. See everyone on todays schedule soon. Breakfast starts around 7:30 so arrive earlier to enjoy some good stuff.
Donna