Join in and become a Lavaca Country County Environmental Conservation Ranger by participating in hands-on learning opportunities; watching informative videos; and learning about apps that can help you  learn about conditions where you live!

A. Join Friends of Lavaca River Adopt-A River Annual Clean Up!

 

B. Join Friends of Hallettsville Highway Clean-Up

C. Commit to good stewardship practices!

D. Obey traffic and warning signs! Click here: See www.weather.gov/mob/Severe_Flood

E.  Learn to use knowledge based apps: SEEK provides lists of commonly recorded insects, birds, plants, amphibians, and includes more in your area to assist in identifying plants and other species; NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service provides real-time mapping; How’s My Waterway was designed to provide public, the conditions of local waters.

SEEK by iNaturalist  

NOAA

Mywaterway.epa.gov

By leaning to use SEEK, you can become more familiar with the wildlife around you. Below are species of wildlife the Seek app users found in Lavaca County:

 

 

F. Learn about where you live to learn about the animals that survive in your areas’ soil, water, and plants. For Lavaca County, it’s prairies!

G. Learn  about waterways in your area. For Lavaca County, sign up for group tours and events supported by Hallet Oak Gallery!

Leave voice message 361-217-7030 or email venue@halletoakgallery.com

H. Watch these two informative videos to understand rivers:

• The River Ecosystem  Part I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2sV9Wz5Nvs.
• The River Ecosystem    Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLUo6jXoeOc

I. Watch these three informative videos to understand river/streams recovery techniques:

1. Natural Stream Restoration: Streams in Nature Part I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsayzeejVzY

2. Natural Stream Restoration: Good Stream Gone Bad Part II  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsRkT8AegwY

3. Natural Stream Restoration: Restoring Streams (Part III) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-0NIG508FA

To help answer the question why soil, water, plants are so important, watch this video on the hyporheic zone titled the Secret Life of Rivers

To understand the needs for certain climates, learn about the six animal types:

6 Basic Groups of Animals

 

All of the animals in the world belong to one of these basic groups.  Here are the basic groups along with a couple of the characteristics that all animals in that group share.

1. Mammals – warm blooded; mothers nurse their young; all have hair.
2. Fish – have a backbone; live underwater; breather oxygen using their gills.
3. Birds – lay eggs in nests; have feathers; have wings.
4. Reptiles – cold-blooded; have scales.
5. Amphibians – cold-blooded; skin is moist and smooth.
6. Invertebrates (insects, spiders, and worms) – have no backbone; all bugs share certain characteristics that make a bug a bug. A bug is an insect that must have piercing mouthparts. Often though, ‘bug’ means a creepy-crawly in everyday conversation. It refers to land arthropods with at least six legs, such as insects, spiders, and centipedes.

What makes an animal, an animal? Watch this video titled Animal Classification for Children: Classifying Vertebrates and Invertebrates for Kids

 

 

 

 

If you completed 90 to 100 percent of these suggestions on learning why keeping soil, water, and air clean is important  – you have become a Lavaca County Environmental Conservation Ranger:  email venue@halletoakgallery.com for your Lavaca County Environmental Conservation ranger badge card!

 

For adults, these three AgriLife Extension Resources are free. You can share the links to access these documents on AgriLife Learn with individuals signing in and downloading. Please note that AgriLife prefer individuals to download their own copy of each resources, so they can continue to give this free knowledge base online service:

1. Riparian Restoration in Farms and Ranches in Texas: https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/product/riparian-restoration-on-farms-and-ranches-in-texas/01t4x000004OUevAAG
2. Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Training: Free online course: https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/product/texas-riparian-and-stream-ecosystem-training/01t4x000002ciR4AAI
3. Views from the River Front: Rio Grande Decision Makers Rank Water Conservation Strategies (this is a different river basin, but I thought some of the content may be useful): https://agrilifelearn.tamu.edu/s/product/views-from-the-river-front-rio-grande-decision-makers-rank-water-conservation-strategies/01t4x000004OfXrAAK