Welcome to Texas Crawdads

Sri Atmananda Middle School, Austin, Texas, May 22, 2008

Texas Crawdads presentation to students of SAMS.  SAMS students recently completed a water studies unit which included benthic macroinvertebrate sampling of Waller Creek and water quality testing of Bee Creek

Peter Hobbs (teacher & JH campus head), Mariana Shelby 7th grader, and Ken Johnson.

Third graders, Chance Walker (red shirt) and Hunt Jackson Sparra (blue shirt) explore Waller Creek on the SAMS campus.

2008 Bioblitz at Lick Creek Park, College Station, Texas

Cub Scout Troop examining a variety of Texas crayfish species available at display.  

BioBlitz is an event sponsored by the Texas A&M Chapter of the Society of Conservation Biology and the City of College Station. It is held in a 500+ acre nature park. About 400 people attended the Saturday event, mostly families with elementary age children. An inventory of plants and animals is made by participants and led by experts in the fields of insects, plants, herps, fish, birds, etc.. Booths are set up by each discipline team and talks are given by experts throughout the day. The entire program is well-planned and executed with everyone having a positive experience. This years Bioblitz was the 11th annual event. Ken and Mary Lou enjoyed visiting with everyone who stopped by the Texas Crawdads booth.

Youngsters experiencing their first crayfish catch in a ditch next to the Texas Crawdads booth.  Catch was juvenile P. caeruleus.

Link to B/CS Eagle BioBlitz article:

http://www.theeagle.com/local/Don-t-crawfish--now-

Hill Country Natural Science School at Wild Basin Preserve, Austin, Texas, June 2008

S.K. Johnson and N.K. Johnson visit with Wild Basin Campers about Crayfish during the Hill Country Natural Science School first week session.  Thank you to Elizabeth Pardue and Jackie McFadden for inviting us to participate.   

 Aquarena Center Earth Day 2008

Cypress with a big P. clarkii crayfish. 

Jesse, Cypress, and Juniper (left to right) with their crawdads.

Examining the catch.

Earth Day Volunteers Nick and Simone testing the set-up before the festival gates open.