|
There are a number of R&D projects conducted at Cactus Creek Ranch. One of these is a partnership with school systems to put Conservation in the Curriculum. |
|
Research & Development |
|
Conservation in the Curriculum |
|
Together We Can Get Conservation in the Curriculum |
|
Welcome, young friends, We take pleasure in introducing you to a ecological project. An interdisciplinary project, Conservation in the Curriculum (CITC), will integrate ELA, math, history, and technology into its science curriculum. As we rebuild America’s traditions with the outdoors, we will peak your interest and, with guidance and exposure, develop your love of nature. We will address:
· the various ecosystems · the importance and interdependence of wildlife · the various cycles needed to sustain wildlife · the need for conservancy.
A primary component will be our work with our ranch in Deep South Texas whose sole purpose it is to provide natural habitats and to protect the wildlife that inhabits this approximately 400 acre private property, adjacent to the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. . We are excitedly looking forward to our new partnership with you, the student.
MJ Bogatto |
|
Environmental Studies with High School Students |
|
Digital Game Camera Studies with Laguna Atascosa Wildlife Refuge |
|
In cooperation with Laguna Atascosa, CCR is placing digital game cameras at designated locales to capture and document species such as the ocelot. These digital images will be the basis for a background study for numerous ecological activities. The Laguna Atascosa coordinator is Jody Mays. |
|
Under Roadway Ocelot Crossings |
|
Since 1997, in cooperation with Laguna Atascosa and the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT), county and local representatives to place underground ocelot crossings beneath pubic roadways to the Refuge. The first two such crossings will be established on CCR. |
|
One of my latest projects about which I am passionate and which I want to develop is the design and construction of photo-blinds for wheelchair-bound photojournalists, conservationists, bird and nature watchers along with their friends and families. My design will bury about half of the blind in selected areas of the ranch and I will seek ADA-approval for all aspects the blinds. Setting the floor of the blind below the surface will enable the photographer/bird watcher to view the native birds and animals at ground level. To enhance the experience for the participants, a large fresh water source will be available at each site to lure native birds and animals into focus suitable for morning or afternoon sunlit photography. This is a unique view for one who is wheelchair-bound. I have already begun the construction on one such blind, but wish to create a more secure structure with treated cinderblock, a compacted gravel floor, and a secure compacted gravel or concrete ramp. To my knowledge, no other such photo-blinds have been constructed. |
|
Wheelchair-Friendly Photoblinds |
|
Cactus Creek Ranch in cooperation with Rio Hondo High School students and their instructor, Tira Wilmouth, teacher and Master Naturalist have implemented a Canon Environthon Study Group. (www.envirothon.org/) an environmental education program in which winning teams from participating states and Canadian provinces compete for recognition and scholarships by demonstrating their knowledge of environmental science and natural resource management. The competition is centered on four universal testing categories (i.e., soils/land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, and wildlife) and a current environmental issue. The students tested water and soil samples as well as performed tree surveys. Rio Hondo High School students placed first in aquatic ecology in the 2011 Canon contest.
Saturday mornings at CCR: 7:00 am to 12:00 am : 1st weekend of each month. Competition was in April, 2011 at different locations.
There will be two teams of five students named: See www.rhisd.net for the announcement Environthon Team A Environthon Team B |