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Riffles & Reeds Newsletter - January 2025

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ISSUE 7 - JANUARY 2025

Director's Report

By Dr. Sandra Metoyer, Executive Director

The Environmental Institute of Houston has been bustling with activity, and I’m thrilled to share some highlights. In December, I had the privilege of leading a geocaching activity at the "Becoming an Outdoors Girl" event at Sheldon Lake State Park. Despite the cold and rainy weather, the girls' enthusiasm was evident as they navigated with GPS to locate hidden treasures throughout the park. It was rewarding to witness their curiosity and excitement, reminding me of the importance of creating opportunities for young people to connect with nature. I was equally impressed by our environmental education team, who adapted seamlessly to the challenging conditions—keeping the girls engaged, safe, and learning through it all.

Three people looking at handheld GPS units while on a nature trail.
EIH's Executive Director Dr. Sandra Metoyer (center) guides a geocaching activity at the "Becoming an Outdoors Girl" event held at Sheldon Lake State Park on December 7, 2024.

A group of young people gathered around a geoache.

A young person squats near an inactive fire pit while holding a note found in a log-shaped geocache.

Modeled after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman,” our program empowers girls in grades 6 through 12 to learn outdoor skills in a supportive environment. Funded by a TPWD CO-OP grant, it’s offered at no cost and strongly encourages participation from historically underserved students. If you missed the November and December events, don't worry—we have two more sessions this winter! On February 1, we'll be at Brazos Bend State Park, where all attendees will participate in bicycling, birding, an alligator program, and nature journaling. The final session will take place on March 1 at UH-Clear Lake, offering girls the chance to choose four of eight activities. For more details and registration, visit our website.
 
In addition to this program, we’ve celebrated some noteworthy successes. At “Snapperpalooza,” one of our graduate students gained valuable fieldwork experience handling alligator snapping turtles—an unforgettable opportunity! Meanwhile, our Bluebird NestWatch project continues to empower citizen scientists to protect and monitor these beautiful birds, helping to strengthen their population on campus and beyond. We’re incredibly grateful to the volunteers who dedicate their time to supporting EIH and UHCL initiatives.
 
These events and programs reflect the hard work and dedication of our entire team. I’m proud to be part of such meaningful efforts and look forward to the opportunities ahead to inspire more connections to nature.

Research Notes

By Gabbi Hammerbach, Graduate Research Assistant

Since 2021, the Environmental Institute of Houston has collaborated on a population assessment for alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) with project partners Texas Turtles. This past September, UHCL graduate students and staff joined the Texas Turtles crew to continue their long-term mark-recapture study. They also supported filming a segment to be featured in the upcoming documentary Deep in the Heart Part II: A Texas River Story by Fin & Fur Films.

READ MORE

A person holds a juvenile alligator snapping turtle.

Education Notes

By Debbie Bush, Web Assistant, and Ralph Faxel, Texas Master Naturalist

A bluebird perches on a twig.

The inaugural Bluebird NestWatch project at the Environmental Institute of Houston was a success. Seven volunteers tracked six nest boxes, documenting 29 eggs and 22 fledglings from four active boxes. The season faced challenges, including Hurricane Beryl and technical difficulties, but valuable data were collected, allowing the team to address issues in real time. Volunteers are encouraged to participate in the upcoming season, with a workshop scheduled for January 28.

READ MORE

Student Highlight

By Jinx Uribe, Student Research Assistant

Loralei Miller, a senior at UHCL majoring in environmental science, will graduate this spring. Referred by a classmate, she joined the Environmental Institute of Houston to pursue her passion for environmental education and to gain experience in fieldwork and habitat restoration. While at EIH, she discovered a new passion—native plants and prairie restoration. In this interview, Loralei shares her thoughts about her time as an intern with EIH.

READ MORE

A person stands in front of a field of tall yellow flowers.

Upcoming EIH Events

For details about how to register for our events, visit the links or contact EIH@uhcl.edu.

ONGOING
Habitat Work Day – every Tuesday from 9-11 a.m. at EIH
Clear Lake Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas Monthly Meeting - second Monday at 6:45 p.m., in-person at UHCL and online
Youth Birding Club – third Saturday at 9 a.m., location varies
UHCL Bird Count – third Tuesda at 7 a.m. from the EIH parking lot
JANUARY
28 Bluebird Basics & NestWatch Monitoring Workshop, 10-11:30 a.m., North Office Annex I, UHCL
FEBRUARY
1 Becoming an Outdoors Girl, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Brazos Bend State Park
10 Early-bird registration for EIH’s Surface Water Quality Monitoring Training ends
15 Texas Envirothon Workshop, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Long Acres Ranch, Richmond
19-21 Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Denton
MARCH
1 Becoming an Outdoors Girl, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., UHCL
2 Registration for EIH’s Surface Water Quality Monitoring Training closes
17-19 Birding Camp '25. Contact Rowena McDermid for information.
17-20 Surface Water Quality Monitoring Training, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., UHCL
17–21 Spring Break (university remains open; no classes)
20–21 2025 Ecological Integration Symposium, College Station
APRIL
3 7th Annual Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium, Houston
5-7 Texas Envirothon, Long Acres Ranch, Richmond
11 Spring Native Plant Sale, 4-7 p.m., North Office Annex I, UHCL
19 Great Texas Birding Classic, all day, various sites. Contact Rowena McDermid for information.
23-24 Texas Bays and Estuaries Meeting, Port Aransas
26 Alternate date for Great Texas Birding Classic
MAY
5-8 Gulf of Mexico Alliance All Hands Meeting, Biloxi, Miss.
26 University closed in observance of Memorial Day
There are many ways to learn and get involved with community environmental activities this spring. Below are some events from our colleagues around the Bay.

If you would like to share an event for the next issue of Riffles and Reeds, please email us at EIH@uhcl.edu.

Check out everything we accomplished this fall!

EIH in the News

Cornell Wildlife Health Lab: Meet Alfie – How One Turtle Created a Conservation Connection

Publications and Reports

Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program October 2024 Newsletter

Gordon, M., Mokrech, M., Reistle, W., Oakley, J.W., McDermid, R., Hammerbach, G., and DeChellis, D. 2024. Microplastic distribution and impacts to diamond-backed terrapin, highlighting public education and future effects of sea-level rise. Quarterly Progress Report FY24, Quarter 4. EIH Report 25-001. 10 pp.

Oakley, J.W., Guillen, G., Steinhaus, J., Cox, E., Sager, M., and Huette, M. 2024. Microplastics in the Galveston Bay watershed: the big impacts of tiny pollution. Final report. Prepared for the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, Contract 582-21-10096. EIH Report 24-002, 57 pp.

Presentations

Gordon, M., Krohn, A.R., Rosenbaum, D., Munscher, E., Ricardez, V., Franklin, C.J., Apodaca, J.J., Collins, L., Guillen, G.J., Oakley, J.W., Saenz, D., Sankey, T., Schalk, C.M., Scibetta, S., and Tuggle, A. 2024. Strong interpopulation divergence and low effective population sizes in Texas alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii). The Wildlife Society 31st Annual Conference, Baltimore, MD. Presentation.

Johnson, H. 2024. Plant of the month: Barbados cherry. Native Plant Society of Texas, Clear Lake Chapter Meeting, Houston, TX. Virtual presentation.

McDaniel, S. 2024. Galveston Bay Dolphin Research Program. Explorers Club Meeting, Seabrook, TX. Presentation.

McDermid, R. 2024. P is for Prairie. UHCL Friday Morning Continuing Education Series, Houston, TX. Presentation.

Miller, L. 2025. Plant of the month: Peppervine. Native Plant Society of Texas, Clear Lake Chapter Meeting, Houston, TX. Virtual presentation.

Mokrech, M. 2024. Unmanned Aircraft Systems – Overview and Use. Galveston Bay Council. Friendswood, TX. Presentation.

Oakley, J. 2024. Dermo in quarantined shell cultch; informing oyster restoration. Galveston Bay Oyster Restoration Workgroup. Virtual presentation.

Trevino, K. 2024 Plant of the month: post oak. Native Plant Society of Texas, Clear Lake Chapter Meeting, Houston, TX. Virtual presentation.

Events

Hosted Becoming an Outdoors Girl events at the University of Houston-Clear Lake on November 9 and at Sheldon Lake State Park on December 7.

Recent Graduates

Danielle DeChellis, M.S. Environmental Science

What's New?

New Students

Carmen Gonzalez, Undergraduate Research Practicum
Tiffany Goldstein, Undergraduate Research Practicum

New Employees

Tiernan Pytlak, Graduate Research Assistant
Neirra Reese, Undergraduate Research Assistant

New Donors

Thank you to the Clear Lake Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas for their generosity and support of the Texas Envirothon program. This contribution will enhance opportunities for high school students to learn about natural resource management and environmental stewardship.

We also thank CenterPoint Energy for supporting the 2025 Texas Envirothon Teacher Workshop through a CenterPoint Energy Foundation grant, which will provide resources and training to help teachers prepare students for the competition.

New Projects

Establishment of an oyster sentinel program for tracking Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) in oysters of Galveston Bay
Funded by: Galveston Bay and Estuary Program for 2024-2026
Lead project Co-PI: Mandi Gordon.

National Coastal Condition Assessment
Funded by: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Project PI: Mandi Gordon

Texas Envirothon
Funded by: Galveston Bay Estuary Program PPE Grant for 2026
PI: Wendy Reistle

Did you miss an issue of Riffles & Reeds?

Our previous newsletters can be found online! Do you have any news or events you'd like to see featured in our future newsletters? Send your suggestions to EIH@uhcl.edu.

We thank all of our supporters and partners that make our work possible.

Sponsor Logos

Thank you for your continued support of our programs. To learn more about EIH or to make a contribution in support of our research, education, and student success, please visit our website at: www.eih.uhcl.edu.

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