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!

Posted on 16 April, 2022 01:18 by sambiology sambiology

Comments

I'm in, I think! Sounds great.

Posted by jcochran706 almost 2 years ago

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.

Posted by victorengel almost 2 years ago

@victorengel , I will bring a mini-battery-powered fan to cool us all down. ;) The mothing should be great!

Posted by sambiology almost 2 years ago

I'll definitely put it on my calendar.

Posted by cmeckerman almost 2 years ago

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.

Posted by gcwarbler almost 2 years ago

I'm interested if possible. Be hard to get away that weekend but I will see what I can do.

Posted by brentano almost 2 years ago

It is on my calendar!!!

Posted by connlindajo almost 2 years ago

I'll be there, plus it's only 5 miles from my house!

Posted by currenfrasch almost 2 years ago

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.

Posted by jeffmci9 almost 2 years ago

Noooo! I will be out of state! So disappointed I'll miss this!

Posted by annikaml almost 2 years ago

Thanks for the invite, but Ill be on that summer fellowship in CO this summer :/

Posted by gwaithir almost 2 years ago

Sorry no dog allowed so I can’t go. Thanks for the invite. 😊

Posted by pufferchung almost 2 years ago

Close to home, I believe this is doable and I would love to meet y'all.

Posted by sawwhet almost 2 years ago

Sounds great! Looking forward to it. @paige186 @mammelton50

Posted by mikef451 almost 2 years ago

I should be around. adding to my calendar :)

Posted by knightericm almost 2 years ago

I'll be out of town unfortunately. One of these days!!!

Posted by mikaelb almost 2 years ago

I would love to make it! I'll try my best to get there but can't say with any certainty yet.

Posted by elytrid almost 2 years ago

I'll be there! @paige186 let me know if you're going

Posted by cindychrisler almost 2 years ago

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

Posted by connlindajo almost 2 years ago

I'm in! I probably won't be there right at 9--will that cause a problem with access?

Posted by jbecky almost 2 years ago

Unfortunately, I work that weekend. Can't wait to see the results though!

Posted by lulubelle almost 2 years ago

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.

Posted by gstclair almost 2 years ago

Sounds like fun - count me in!

Posted by plectrudis almost 2 years ago

I'll try to make it!

Posted by bosqueaaron almost 2 years ago

Putting on my radar.

Posted by rymcdaniel almost 2 years ago

@gstclair , I'd love to partner with the Rangers over at Indiangrass too!

Posted by jdavisz almost 2 years ago

@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.

Posted by jdavisz almost 2 years ago

Good to hear. My waking hours are more 2nd shift than 1st shift

Posted by rymcdaniel almost 2 years ago

Oh man, I will be out of town! @gstclair if you do something for the Barrera Indiangrass preserve I would be very interested too!

Posted by m_lay almost 2 years ago

I am definitely interested!

Posted by sam_moore_ almost 2 years ago

Oh no! Have to be somewhere that weekend... hopefully next time!

Posted by k8thegr8 almost 2 years ago

Yes, please! I'm looking forward to helping document the peninsula.

Posted by aprilsee almost 2 years ago

@jbecky, that shouldn't be an issue.

Posted by jdavisz almost 2 years ago

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

Posted by jdavisz almost 2 years ago

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?

Posted by aenglandbiol almost 2 years ago

@jgw_atx wanna show off your mad blacklight ID skills?

Posted by aenglandbiol almost 2 years ago

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.

Posted by sambiology almost 2 years ago

Yes it is hot. Just got home from my grandson's baseball game in Lee County. The sun is brutal!

Posted by connlindajo almost 2 years ago

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!!!

Posted by jdavisz almost 2 years ago

Plans changed, I'll be there noonish. =D

Posted by k8thegr8 almost 2 years ago

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?

Posted by rymcdaniel almost 2 years ago

Mothing may be out, if the forecast is right. We always need the rain though...

Posted by k8thegr8 almost 2 years ago

Can I still get my in? The guard is gone

Posted by jbecky almost 2 years ago

I’m in.

Posted by jbecky almost 2 years ago

The chance of rain, of course, dropped as soon as I made alternate plans.

Posted by victorengel almost 2 years ago

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.

Posted by victorengel almost 2 years ago

Ugh. Looks like the rain went "poof!" not long after we called it. So it goes.

Posted by rymcdaniel almost 2 years ago

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?

Posted by jdavisz almost 2 years ago

Thanks John for all the effort and safety concerns! Mothing should be good through October.

Posted by mikef451 almost 2 years ago

@mikef451 it was a good day and was great meeting everyone! We will do more of this, I'm sure.

Posted by jdavisz almost 2 years ago

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/

Posted by jcochran706 almost 2 years ago

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.

Posted by sawwhet almost 2 years ago

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