By Richard Schaffhausen
The Brazoria chapter of Texas Master Naturalist held its monthly meeting Wednesday morning, April 11, at the AgriLife building in Angleton. Melanie Hollenshead, intern training director, reported that the summer intern class would tentatively begin June 8 at the AgriLife building.
For more information, please contact the Training Director, Melanie Hollenshead, at theladyspath@hotmail.com or 979-292-5084.
John Boettiger, membership, reported the following members recertified: David Brandes, Mickey Dufilho, Amanda Gabehart, Karen Mosis, Debbie Nance, Larry Peterson, Mary Schwartz, Regina Tippett, and Janet Townsend. Barbara Whaley attained 250 volunteer service hours and was recertified.
Members must have eight hours of advanced training and 40 volunteer hours to recertify.
Through March, members impacted 921 adults and 2,087 youth through outreach programs and educational programs such as the “Birds of Prey” programs presented at area schools, Brazoria County Summer Library Programs, and the Discovery Environmental Education Program for area 4th and 7th graders at Brazoria NWR.
The April speaker was Craig Hensley, Texas Nature Trackers Biologist, whose topic was “Acoustic Monitoring for Bat Conservation and Understanding in Texas Parks and Wildlife.” Hensley stated there are over 1,400 species of bats worldwide; 150 are in North America, and 30 are in Texas.
All Texas bats are Micro Bats, and all Echolocate. He covered bat myths and facts. One fact is bats are among the cleanest of mammals. Bats live up to 15 years old. The oldest on record is 41 years old.
The Mexican Free-tailed bat is the bat most common in Texas. An estimated 100 million live in the Texas Hill country, and the largest concentration of mammals is the Bracken Cave in San Antonio.
Mexican Free-tailed bats eat an estimated 40 large moths each evening, can fly up to 10,000 feet in elevation, and feed 20-40 miles from roost sites each evening.
The Mexican Free-tailed bats from Bracken Cave can eat up to 250 tons of insects each night.
The next meeting is at 6 pm on May 8 at the AgriLife building, 21017 County Road 171, Angleton. The public is welcome to attend.
