Put it in your calendar! April 5 - 8 in Del Rio, Texas...

Friends, mark your calendars. April 5 - 8 (roughly -- maybe longer, if folks want) around Del Rio, Texas -- bioblitz/gathering!

I'm still working on the details, but after talking to some folks, it looks like April 5 - 8 is going to be the target time... Hopefully we get some winter rains that will cause the plants to bloom and bugs to come out. :)

Looking at a few places around Del Rio that we may go:
Amistad National Recreational Area: https://www.nps.gov/amis/index.htm
Devils River State Natural Area: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/devils-river
Seminole Canyon State Park: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/seminole-canyon
Kickapoo Cavern State Park: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/kickapoo-cavern

Again, I'm still working on details of stuff, but mark your calendar if you think you might be interested in gathering with some fellow iNatters for camaraderie and seeing lots of cool things.

Posted on 25 September, 2017 03:15 by sambiology sambiology

Comments

Definitely, keep me posted as it gets closer. It's too far away to consider right now, but would be fun if I can make it work.

Posted by nathantaylor over 6 years ago

Definitely interested - I will put a little parentheses around these dates. @tui

Posted by gyrrlfalcon over 6 years ago

Only 192 days to go!!

Posted by kimberlietx over 6 years ago

This sounds great! Marked on my calendar.

Posted by naturemom over 6 years ago

"I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it!" (Quoted from the Pointer Sisters song, back from my younger days when the music was really good.)

Such great areas to explore that I have heard about but have yet to visit!

Posted by connlindajo over 6 years ago

Yep...Far as I know I can do this one as well. There are some interesting areas there.

Posted by greglasley over 6 years ago

One of my favorite parts of Texas, particularly because it's under-explored. Caution, Sam: Your set of destinations are rather spread out--considerable travel distances--and couldn't possibly be done justice in one BioBlitz. I'd suggest picking one or two destinations and doing them thoroughly.

Posted by gcwarbler over 6 years ago

Yeah, I agree with Chuck. There are lots of places right in town as well along the river.

Posted by greglasley over 6 years ago
Posted by greglasley over 6 years ago

Sounds like fun, I think I can join in.

Posted by scottbuckel over 6 years ago

Seminole Canyon was absolutely stunning when we visited earlier this year. The camping facilities were very good, trails well marked, etc. I noticed lots of tent camping with good shelters. For what looked like a moonscape when we first drove up in the late afternoon, became gloriously populated with birds and blooms when the heat wore off and the wind died down.

Posted by itmndeborah over 6 years ago

For those interested, Jackie Poole (1st author of Rare Plants of Texas) created an inventory of the Amistad National Recreation Area: http://w3.biosci.utexas.edu/prc/pdfs/Poole-Lundellia16.pdf. I think Wendy Weckesser has added some species since then, but it should be a very good resource for anyone interested in the plants. I couldn't find a checklist for any of the other spots, but the vegetation should be pretty similar.

Posted by nathantaylor over 6 years ago

Sam, keep me in the loop if you want a bad influence to join ya.

Posted by finatic over 6 years ago

I want to be kept in the loop on this one too. I once had a 6-month job on the Black-capped Vireo along the Devils River and fell in love with the area. Awesome biodiversity.

Posted by pileated over 6 years ago

Sounds like fun.

Posted by james5 over 6 years ago

Don't know if I can join, but adding my comment here to stay informed! Thanks Sam.

Posted by muir over 6 years ago

Oh yes! I went to Kickapoo in the pre-iNat days and vowed to go back to photograph EVERYTHING. Strange, cave tour guide found a scorpion and I was the only person who ran up to see it! Glowing under blacklight and everything. That's the trip I broke my favorite camera on (ironically enough, not until after getting back to the campsite after caving)!

Posted by nanofishology over 6 years ago

Putting it on my calendar! I hope to be able to go. I've got another trip at the end of April.

Posted by tadamcochran over 6 years ago

It's on my calendar, will do everything possible to come.

Posted by alisonnorthup over 6 years ago

It's on my calendar now. Always wanted to go to Devil's River. So that gets my vote for focal point.

Posted by brentano over 6 years ago

I have it set on my calendar. I'm also planning on visiting Big Bend either on the way there or on the return home. Anyone else is free to tag along too.
@robberfly @nathantaylor7583 @gyrrlfalcon @tui @jaykeller

Posted by finatic over 6 years ago

Falls right into Mission Blue monitoring but this kinda of notice is great. Will get it in planner. Thanks, folks..

Posted by robberfly over 6 years ago

I added it to my calendar, thanks to a nudge from @kimberlietx . Better late than never!

Posted by amzapp over 6 years ago
Posted by cosmiccat over 6 years ago

That sounds exciting! I've never been to that part of Texas. I'm going to forward this to my TMN chapter in case anyone else wants to go.

Anyway, my vote is for Devil's River.

Posted by cosmiccat over 6 years ago

Awesome area. Hope to make it there for the even. It is on my calendar.

Posted by mikegras over 6 years ago

Got my Airline tickets.

Posted by james5 over 6 years ago

Just heard about this from @greglasley. Not sure how I missed it earlier! Please include me and keep me posted. :-)

Posted by beschwar over 6 years ago

I would definitely love to join!

Posted by birdsandbugs27 over 6 years ago

Hey friends,

Just wanted to give a little update on this. I'm in talks with folks at Amistad NRA and Devil's River SNA's. Stay tuned to some more details in another journal post as I try to get some more things ironed out. :)

HUGE thanks to @gcwarbler , @greglasley , and @beschwar for scouting locations and not already observing ALL of the organisms out there... They did leave us some to find. ;) Special thanks to Chuck for a detailed write-up of potential gathering locations. There are lots of good spots around Del Rio (all of which will be new for me!). Just an FYI -- it seems like there are VERY few amenities around these locations. You may want to read up on the proper ways to go potty in nature. ;)

I hear that some folks are planning to go to Big Bend either before or after this event too. As I find out info here, I'll let folks know (if they want company).

Also, I'm making new iNat shirts for this event. Incentive for you to come!!! :-D

Posted by sambiology over 6 years ago

Marked it on my calendar so hopefully nothing from work comes up and conflicts with it. @finatic I'd definitely like to tag along with you guys at Big Bend if I'm able to make it. I've really wanted to go there for a long time.

Posted by matthew_salkiewicz over 6 years ago

Following

Posted by coreyjlange over 6 years ago

Marking in on the calendar, really looking forward to a chance to meet folks in person!

Posted by neotomastolemykeys over 6 years ago

I'm interested... Just wanted to put my name on this so you don't forget me.

Posted by butterflies4fun over 6 years ago

Sam.... are April 5-8 definite dates?

Posted by connlindajo over 6 years ago

pinging @hydaticus
Anybody else we're missing?

Posted by nanofishology over 6 years ago

Awesome! I think I'll be free for those dates. I've been to Devils River SNA several times--it's always a blast, but getting out there can be difficult. Does anyone have any contacts for caving? There are tons of cool karst inverts that I'd love to see. That area is the only place in TX to see both Amblypygi and Schizomida.

Posted by hydaticus over 6 years ago

I'm interested! Now hopefully school won't get in the way :)

Posted by wildcarrot over 6 years ago

Still interested, but April's getting busy...@finatic stay in touch about Big Bend, as I may be in good enough shape to make the Colima Warbler hike now!

Posted by gyrrlfalcon over 6 years ago

Jenn, the switchbacks to the summit are easily graded, just constant. Take it from your Non-birder pal, you can do it.

Posted by robberfly over 6 years ago
Posted by beschwar over 6 years ago

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