NRI is featured in the December Texan by Nature Conservation Partner Round-Up where conservation efforts and events from across the Lone Star State are highlighted.
In the December issue, we're revealing more information for landowners reporting on wild pigs, recapping influential events and updating readers on a few impactful conservation projects. Subscribe here to stay in the know on all things moving the needle for research-driven conservation.
AgriLife Today publishes new article on NRI's first-of-its-kind wild pig reporting tool.
Tyler Paper: With 79 percent of the state considered potential habitat wild pigs have become a costly problem in both rural and urban areas of Texas. Texas A&M’s Natural Resources Institute has created a website to help better map the problem.
National Hog Farmer: Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute has released a new online tool to help in the growing effort to control the feral hog population in the state. The wild pig website offers Texas landowners and homeowners an easy-to-use tool to report sightings of feral hogs and the damage that may have occurred from them.
KETR: The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute is making it easier to report wild hog sightings in the state. The NRI has a new webpage where Texas residents can provide details of how many hogs they saw, where they saw them, and what kind of damage the animals cause – such as crop or fence damage, wallowing, or rubbing.
News Wise: Multi-year grant focuses on integrated disease management of white-nose syndrome in bats
KLTV: A new online tool from the Texas A&M National Resource Institute may aide in the growing effort to control the feral hog population in East Texas. They say it will help them locate areas of high activity as well as manage the growing population in the state.
This edition discusses aerial gunning as a tool for wild pig control as well as available options for Texas landowners and wildlife managers. Also addressed is research related to various baiting and head gate options for trapping wild pigs.
In a two-day event organized by the Texas Tribune, more than 200 officials, agriculture stakeholders including NRI's director Dr. Roel Lopez, and residents from across the state gathered to discuss and answer questions about challenges and opportunities facing rural Texans.
Community Impact Newspaper: As growth continues, local entities look to protect land from overdevelopment, flooding
Thanks to Texas Farm Bureau's Gary Joiner and team for helping share the news on the Texas Wildlife Radio Show about the new reporting tool for Texans with NRI's Dr. Jim Cathey. Listen to learn more about what our wildlife and state researchers are working on to understand the scope and size of the wild pig problem in Texas.
What do climate change, forest restoration and a yellow rose have in common? They're all featured in the November Conservation Matters.
Each year the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts recognize and honor individuals that dedicate themselves to the conservation and management of renewable natural resources. The 2018 Friend of Conservation was awarded to M.J. Hanna Trust.
Happy hunting! Quail season started on October 27th, but be warned: Texas Quail Index data, as well as other sources, suggest there may be fewer birds this year. Look for a full write-up on the TQI in the next month.
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in partnership with the Avangrid Foundation, Southern Company, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service, announced the 2018 round of funding for the Bats for the Future Fund. Four grants totaling $1.1 million were awarded to prevent and slow the spread of white-nose syndrome (WNS), advance management tools and treatments to minimize WNS, promote the survival and recovery of WNS-affected bats, and support innovative research leading to lasting management solutions.
The Yellow Rose of Texas is the highest award presented to women in Texas. The commission is given by the Texas Governor in honor of Texas women who have demonstrated exceptional volunteer and community service.
Several SERPPAS partners appear in the Fall 2018 edition of The Longleaf Alliance’s The Longleaf Leader, “Longing for Longleaf: A Tale of Forest Restoration.” The article focuses extensively on how partnerships between conservation groups, state and federal agencies, and private landowners are working together to restore an important endangered ecosystem, as well as why this successful model of cooperation can be used for other at-risk habitats.
The SERPPAS Circular is a bimonthly collection of media coverage, funding opportunities and upcoming events/webinars from SERPPAS Partners across the Southeast. Updates are collected from websites, press releases, and newsletters, and organized according to the focus areas outlined in the 2018 – 2020 SERPPAS Strategic Plan.
LUBBOCK – Andy Holloway, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agriculture and natural resources agent in Hemphill County, received the Grass Roots Award – Extension Agent given by NRI's Brian Hays, president of the Texas Section Society for Range Management.
Highlighting conservation efforts and events from across the Lone Star State, October's newsletter includes NRI in a momentous month for conservation. See the more than 20 feats happening right now in Texas.
In the October issue, we're launching a brand new UAV short course, discussing a recent bipartisan bill in congress and celebrating more than 800 gopher tortoise rescues. Subscribe today to stay in the know on all things moving the needle for discovery, conservation and applied science.
This just in—southeast relocation efforts reported reaching 800 gopher tortoise rescues on October 4, 2018.
We hope you've been the beneficiary of some rain this past month! In addition to celebrating the cooler, wetter weather, we have several new QuailMasters to congratulate, a new article, and more webisodes on the horizon.
Many hunters in Europe have been skeptical about the effectiveness of non-lead shot for hunting/shooting purposes and compliance, when measured, is often poor. However, read more to find out how NRI's Dr. Brian Pierce's field trials solve the case.
By the end of September, the gopher tortoise research and relocation team reported reaching a significant benchmark in rescues.
We're excited to be expanding our work into the field of UAVs and we're looking forward to the ways we can continually educate land owners and conservationists alike. Read more to find out how UAVs are shaping the vantage points of our research.
In August, members of the NRI policy team attended the 2018 Sustaining Military Readiness Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. The conference, sponsored by the Department of Defense and held for the first time since 2011, was designed to provide a forum to encourage beneficial discussions and connections with thought-provoking panel sessions and workshops to support the future of military readiness through partnerships and planning.
Meet the newest member of the quail decline initiative team!
NRI's Mike Marshall, Tad McCall, Stephanie Hertz and others involved in conservation efforts are featured in the Department of Defense's Summer 2018 edition of Natural Selections, DoD's top-tier communication vehicle for natural resources.
Vice Chancellor Dr. Stover, who joined Texas A&M in March and was also sole finalist for director of Texas A&M AgriLife Research, met with Dallas Center and NRI leadership late August on a two-day tour of the construction and integral initiatives within the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas.
The Summer Wild Pig Newsletter is here! In this issue, we discuss the place unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have in wild pig management, the many functions of wallowing, our brand new website and much more!
In the August issue, we're uncovering the ways sea-level rise affects the habitat of focal species, sharing quick access to apps in the field, celebrating NRI scientists appointed to TPWD advisory committees and more.
Three NRI employees have recently been appointed to Advisory Committees to support the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission.
Through the TxN Monthly Round-Up, we highlight conservation events, milestones, and updates from across Texas. See NRI's highlight on our recent predation theories for key vulnerable or endangered species.
What are bat wings made of? How are bats different from birds? What is the oldest bat in the world?
These were some of the questions Melissa Meierhofer, research associate with Texas A&M AgriLife Research based in College Station, was asked recently by a third-grade class at Wells Elementary School in Wells, Nevada, during her first Skype a Scientist experience.
In the July issue, we're uncovering the ways researchers are connecting their work with communities for good, the importance of knowing your animals, the unlikely suspects devastating research sites, mobile apps for private land stewardship and more.
Through the TxN Monthly Round-Up, we highlight conservation events, milestones, and updates from across Texas. See what NRI and other conservation partners are up to this month!
Reversing the Quail Decline's monthly newsletter is here! This past month, they focused on the future of quail conservation by participating in both the North and South Bobwhite Brigades leadership camps!
KXVA Fox15 in Abilene talked with Josh Helcel about new traps used to combat the millions of wild pig negatively impacting Texas.
In the June issue, we cover innovative techniques built by NRI researchers that are changing the game for collecting data in the field—not to mention a few other phone apps that will take private land stewardship to the next level. In addition to technology, we're reviewing where conservation meets policy, pollinators, Texas Land Trends, alligators and energy.
See highlights from QuailMasters Part 2 and Quail Appreciation Day: Dallas. Plus a new article about invasive species, a classic resource for quail management, and an upcoming appearance at the TWA Convention.
The American alligator has existed in its current form for tens of millions of years, but what does its future look like when faced with rapid climate change? Researchers provide insight in this new publication.
While coordinating the SERPPAS Principals meeting in May, Colonel Schuliger, Commander of the 96th Civil Engineer Group at Eglin AFB and Mr. Tad Davis, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment and current DoD Principal Co-Chair for SERPPAS, honored Addie Thornton with two challenge coins for her work coordinating SERPPAS, and for the successful tour of Eglin Air Force Base.
Recent research compared how different land use activities alter the landscape, including oil and gas, agriculture, and renewable energy operations. Read the results in the full article.
QuailMasters Session 1 aftermath, a successful Earth Day appearance, new resources and an upcoming Quail Appreciation Day!
A recent publication reveals the genetic differences between spot-tailed earless lizard subspecies and explains what those differences tell us about changes in their distributions over time. Read more in the full article.
Lieutenant General Jeffrey Buchanan Commander, U.S. Army North and Fort Sam Houston presented NRI's program manager Findley Brewster with the Distinguished Quartermaster award for lifelong support of the U.S. Army, military personnel and military families. The Distinguished Quartermaster program recognizes the efforts of private citizens in the communities surrounding Fort Sam Houston for enhancing the quality of life for soldiers and their families.
In the May issue, we discuss key indicators of ecosystem health and why knowing plants is essential to private land stewardship. Also included are updates on vital research happening in Texas for white-nose syndrome and how the gopher tortoise is teaching us about endangered species conservation. There are plenty of upcoming events you won't want to miss!
Two NRI affiliated students, Shelby McCay and Danielle Walkup, have been recognized as outstanding M.S. and Ph.D. students (respectively) by Texas A&M's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences.
NRI Associate Josh Helcel was recently interviewed about the severe feral hog problem in the state of Texas.
NRI partnered with other organizations like the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board and the Texas Wildlife Association to promote statewide land stewardship by launching a new campaign themed The Importance of Pollinators to Soil and Water Conservation in Texas.
"...according to the Texas A&M Texas Land Trends study, we are losing our agricultural lands at one of the fastest rates in the country."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has officially announced the de-listing of the black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla) from protections under the Endangered Species Act.
In this issue, readers will learn about the effects of abatement efforts on wild pig behavior, the impact wild pigs have on water quality, and get the opportunity to read trending articles and much more!
In the Quail Decline Initiative April newsletter we look back on a successful Fort Worth Quail Appreciation Day and share our new resources that will help you learn more about a lesser-known Texas quail species, the many plants that quail utilize for food and shelter, and how to conduct spring call counts with our video of the month. Coming up: Dallas Quail Appreciation Day in May!
The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome, a deadly disease for bats, has been detected for the first time in central Texas counties. Learn more about the disease and efforts to study it here.
Mike Brennan, director of the Wildlife Conservation and Mitigation Program at Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute gives insights on the Endangered Species Act and candidate species policy and conservation in a new article titled “Lesson from a Tortoise.”
In the April issue, we recognize the winners of the 2018 Texas Environmental Excellence Award in education, reflect on a year of accomplishments in our 2017 Annual Report, and highlight new resources about the importance of soils, irrigation, and riparian restoration in land stewardship. Also included are updates from our partner organizations and plenty of upcoming events you won't want to miss!
The Texas Natural Resource Institute has published its annual report for 2017! Join us as we take a look back on some of our major accomplishments in research, stewardship, conservation, engagement, and more.
Texas is home to the largest feral hog population in the United States, with an estimated 4 million hogs statewide. The Houston Chronicle shares local land owners' difficulty with wild pigs and resources from Texas A&M AgriLife.
Check out the 2018 Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI) Report to Congress, which highlights the accomplishments of the REPI program this year.
The "SERPPAS Circular" contains information on the latest media coverage, funding opportunities and upcoming events/webinars on sustainability and conservation.
The Fort Worth "Quail Appreciation Day" on March 29 aims to inform North Texans about the value of one of the state’s most popular game birds and what people can do to help reverse declining quail populations. Learn about quail anatomy, ecology and habitat, and interact with a live northern bobwhite quail!
In the March 2018 edition, read about Texas' first federally endangered mussel species and what it means for the future of freshwater mussel conservation. Save the date for several upcoming programs and learn more about the economics of hunting, urban growth in Texas, and a talented wildlife artist taking up her mentor's mantle.
Texas A&M AgriLife scientists are working to better understand the ecology and taxonomy of Texas freshwater mussels. These mussels play critically important roles in freshwater ecosystems and have beneficial impacts on human health, making them a high priority for conservation. Fifteen species have previously been classified as "threatened," and now one--the Texas hornshell mussel--is officially listed as "endangered."
In the February 2018 edition, read about a treasured herpetology tradition, how Kirby the quail is helping youth learn about stewardship, a few honorable mentions including an induction into the Texas Conservation Hall of Fame, a new generation of natural resource heroes and much more!
Congratulations to Forrest Cobb on his acceptance as a 2018 James Teer Conservation Leadership Institute Fellow! His application was accepted because of the leadership potential he's demonstrated through professional endeavors and commitment to improving the natural resources of Texas.
Listing an animal or plant as “threatened” or “endangered” under federal law can impact the lives of landowners, ranchers, and farmers. Unlike states where much of the land is publicly owned, Texas is roughly 97 percent privately owned. For this reason, successful conservation efforts in Texas require private landowners and government agencies to work together.
One of the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute’s most popular “spokespersons” for quail appreciation and conservation isn’t a person at all, but a sociable 6-inch-tall northern bobwhite named Kirby...
Nine NRI research projects will take the stage at this year's Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting in Dallas February 9-11.
NRI's Jim Kidda and Long Acres Ranch near Richmond recently hosted four groups of fourth- and fifth-grade students from Lamar Consolidated Independent School District, providing firsthand instruction on soil erosion and its effect on the environment.
Read up on associate director Jim Cathey's insight for The Eagle on College Station's feral hog residents—some of Texas' most formidable foes have taken their destructive tendencies to the College Station Memorial Cemetery and Aggie Field of Honor.
Dr. Rollins is being honored for a lifetime of conservation achievements, including the development of the Bobwhite Brigade youth program, which has evolved into a statewide program called Texas Brigades.
As prescribed fire gains popularity as a range management tool, so does the need for up-to-the-minute information.
To meet the growing need, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service developed a prescribed burning handbook funded by the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute.
Hear from NRI's Stephanie Hertz in The Longleaf Leader Winter 2018 on what inspires her to be among the next generation of longleaf leaders.
Leopoldo Miranda, Assistant Regional Director for Ecological Services of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Southeast Region, signed the Framework Programmatic Conference Opinion for the Department of Defense (DoD) Gopher Tortoise Conservation and Crediting Strategy (Strategy).
We're excited to announce that Bryan/College Station is home to the newest Stewards of the Wild chapter!
Stewards of the Wild is a young professionals program supporting the mission of Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. With member-led chapters in major cities throughout the state, Stewards of the Wild engages 21 to 45-year-old outdoor enthusiasts by providing exclusive access to Texas’ great conservation heroes and success stories. Every day, Stewards of the Wild across the state are connecting with thousands of their peers and building a community built on a shared love for Texas’ wild things and wild places.
