Cibolo Preserve

THE CIBOLO PRESERVE, A NATURAL HABITAT LABORATORY, CONTINUED TO BE USED BY THE CIBOLO NATURE CENTER TO CONDUCT ITS LONG-TERM GREAT BLUE HERON ROOKERY MONITORING PROJECT. THE WEEKLY RESEARCH WAS CONDUCTED FROM A UNIQUE OBSERVATION BLIND BY DEDICATED TEAMS OF MASTER NATURALIST VOLUNTEERS FROM JANUARY 18, 2022 THROUGH JULY 5, 2022. USING HIGH POWERED SPOTTING SCOPES, THE TEAMS OBSERVED AND DOCUMENTED NEST BUILDING, MATING RITUALS, INCUBATION, AND FEEDING OF YOUNG HERONS UNTIL THEY FLEDGED FROM THEIR NESTS. THE DATA COMPILED IS SHARED WITH OTHER SCIENTISTS, AND A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT IS PREPARED BY THE MONITORS AND THE CIBOLO NATURE CENTER FOR PRESENTATION TO THE CIBOLO PRESERVE EACH YEAR.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO CONDUCTED FOUR STUDIES ON CIBOLO CREEK DURING THE 2022 CALENDAR YEAR. THE STUDIES INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: 1) BIOLOGY OF THE TEXAS CICHLID AND CLIMATE CHANGE2) WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT EFFLUENT INFLUENCE ON MICROBIAL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION 3) CHARACTERIZE EPIKARST SPRINGS IN CIBOLO PRESERVE4) AQUATIC ECOLOGY

TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY: THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE CLEAN RIVERS MONITORING PROGRAM THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY IMPLEMENTED BY THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY. WATER SAMPLES ARE COLLECTED QUARTERLY AND ANALYZED FOR MULTIPLE WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS. THE DATA IS THEN ENTERED INTO THE TCEQ SWIQM DATABASES.

TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENTS: IN DECEMBER 2020 THIS STUDY WAS STARTED WITH THE AIM OF EXAMINING THE DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE, AND DIVERSITY OF OVERWINTERING GRASSLAND SPARROWS IN MULTIPLE OPEN FIELDS AT CIBOLO PRESERVE. THIS CONTINUED INTO 2022 AS IT WAS IMPLEMENTED AS A THREE-YEAR STUDY. RESEARCH ON GRASSLAND SPARROWS HAS SHOWN CONSISTENT AND TROUBLING DECLINES IN GRASSLAND BIRDS ON THEIR BREEDING GROUNDS FOR MANY YEARS. WHILE NOT UNIVERSAL OR ACROSS THE ENTIRE RANGE OF MOST SPECIES, DECLINES DUE TO HABITAT LOSS OR ALTERATION AND PESTICIDE POISONING REVEAL THAT THE LOSSES ARE REAL, AND IN MOST CASES, CONTINUING.