Getting DEEP into Environmental Education at Brazoria Wildlife Refuges (TX)

By Lisa Myers, President, Friends of Brazoria Wildlife Refuges

4th-graders use dip nets to collect aquatic critters that they will view close-up with microscopes | Marty Cornell

A major focus of Friends of Brazoria Wildlife Refuges (FOBWR) since its founding over 28 years ago is environmental education and outreach. An early project of FOBWR (jointly with USFWS) was the construction of the Discovery Center at Brazoria NWR and its nearby pavilion so that area elementary schools could visit for field trips rain or shine for DEEP, Discovery Environmental Education Program. Serving more than 2,000 students during the school year, this year’s DEEP students will participate in estuarine seining, learn about aquatic invertebrates and their ecosystems, and discover the refuge’s reptiles and birds.

Other educational outreach programs include the annual Migration Celebration at San Bernard NWR; seasonal open houses at the refuges and their units, including a week-long open house during winter break at Brazoria NWR; building/funding nature trails and signage; guided nature walks; and participation in many area events.

Banding a red-tailed hawk gets the attention of all | Marty Cornell

4th-grade students examine a blue crab. They also learn the meaning of this creature’s scientific name. Callinectes sapidus means “Beautiful swimmer that tastes good!” | Marty Cornell

“Active learning” with a new twist as students use their arms to spell E S T U A R Y before using a seine net to capture crabs, shrimp, and fish | Marty Cornell