Nov. 13 webinar to focus on waterbird conservation along Texas coast
Free AgriLife Extension event to highlight role of prescribed fire in sustaining marsh habitats
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Prescribed Burn Alliance of Texas will host a free webinar exploring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s, NOAA, FireBird Project on Nov. 13 at 10 a.m.
Registration is required at https://tx.ag/PBAFireBird.
“The NOAA FireBird Project brings together diverse stakeholders to address waterbird conservation and understand how prescribed fire affects those bird populations,” said David Brooke, AgriLife Extension statewide prescribed fire coordinator, San Angelo.
Specifically, the project focuses on black and yellow rails and mottled ducks in high marshes across the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
About the webinar
The webinar is designed for community members, landowners, prescribed burn practitioners and conservation partners interested in enhancing marsh habitats and supporting wildlife along the Gulf Coast.
The featured speaker will be Chris Butler, Ph.D., instructional associate professor in the Texas A&M Department of Biology. Butler’s work focuses largely on avian ecology. For the last five years, he has been involved with the NOAA FireBird Project exploring how prescribed fire practices in coastal salt marshes impact bird populations.
Brooke said attendees will receive updates on the FireBird Project, gain guidance on land management best practices, and learn how to be part of the growing efforts to create healthier marshes and more resilient communities across coastal Texas.
“Participants will learn about the benefits of prescribed fire for marsh bird species, research-based habitat management strategies, local conservation efforts, as well as the newly formed Gulf Coast Prescribed Burn Association,” Brooke said.
For more information, contact Brooke at [email protected] or 512-623-0543.
