# Wild Rice Monitoring - San Marcos - Want to help?



## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

FROM DAVEMONKEY:
July 6-8 and July 12-14&#8230;Interested, or know anyone who is? I will be in the middle of a wetland levee repair job (contract inspection), so I probably will not be able to go. It would be TOO COOL to have someone from HAAPS or DFWAPC be there. Can you guys post this (or something about it) on APC and HFB? I won't have time to do that until late tonight or maybe tomorrow at best. I know for a fact I'm missing at least 2 email address of HAAPS guys...I left my folder at home.

From: Jackie Poole [mailto:[email protected]] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 10:45 AM
To: Sandy Birnbaum; [and about 100 others that I took the liberty of removing since it took up 20 lines of space  - dave manthei]
Subject: Texas wild-rice annual monitoring in the San Marcos River

I can tell that it's already too hot when people start asking me the dates for Texas wild-rice monitoring a month in advance. I hope that the temperatures are a little cooler and that we have some rain by July, but I won't promise anything weather-wise. But I can promise that the San Marcos River will still be cool, relatively clear (at least upstream), and provide an great opportunity to keep cool and help an endangered species at the same time.

Texas wild-rice monitoring will take place July 6-8 and 12-14 in the upper two miles of the San Marcos River. In case you're not familiar with Texas wild-rice or this annual event, staff and volunteers from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas State University, the Wildflower Center, Texas Department of Transportation, San Marcos River Foundation, Master Naturalists, and others meet at various places along the San Marcos River and measure the length, width, areal coverage, and depth of stands of Texas wild-rice. Texas wild-rice was the first Texas plant to be federally and state listed, and it still one of the rarest and most threatened. It is a beautiful, green, aquatic grass with flowing leaves up to several meters long. It occasionally flowers, and the leaves, stalks, and seeds are eaten by waterfowl, nutria, and various invertebrates.

This is how the monitoring works. You can meet us in San Marcos at various predetermined locations or carpool with us from TPWD headquarters in Austin. We leave Austin at 8 am and meet the San Marcos group at 9 am in the City Park parking lot near the Lions Club Tube Rental or the A.E. Wood State Fish Hatchery (maps to either site will be supplied). There are two basic job types, terrestrial and aquatic, and you can switch off during the day. The land team doesn't have to get wet unless they want to. Their job involves taking and recording measurements using tapes, compasses, or electronic equipment. The water team uses tapes, stadia rods, and ingenuity to help the land crew measure the distance and bearing from the bank as well as take the length, width, depth, and areal coverage of the stands. There are fewer positions on the land team, so sign up extra early for those.

I probably don't need to say this now but come prepared for hot weather (i.e., bring WATER, sunscreen, hats, etc.). However, if you are in the water, the upper San Marcos River is a more or less constant 72-75 degrees and in shady sites it can be downright cool (some people even wear wetsuits). The river is also very muddy and mucky in places so old clothes and shoes that stay on your feet (no flip flops) are a must. Lunch is on your own, and most of us usually go to the local restaurants although some people bring their lunch and hang out along the river. We usually work until around 4 in the afternoon unless rain or other unforeseen events cause us to leave early. You can work partial days as well.

If this sounds appealing to you, just let me know what day(s) you'd like to help and I'll sign you up. Please provide me with a phone number where I could reach you if we have to cancel a day. Time slots are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, so sign up early to get the days that you want. We do have a limit on the number of people per day. Feel free to forward this message to anyone that I have inadvertently overlooked or you think might be interested. If you have any questions, please contact me. I hope to see you there and thanks for helping!

Jackie Poole 
Botanist, Wildlife Diversity Program 
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 
4200 Smith School Road 
Austin, Texas 78744

(512)389-8019 (work) 
(512)965-9491 (cell)


----------

