How to make your Birding Club Successful and FUN!

How to make your Birding Club successful and FUN!

–      Plan monthly birding field trips at your nearby birding center or park.

–      Collaborate with your Audubon Society Chapter.

–      Invite a local experienced, Audubon member to talk about birds.

–      Plan weekly bird presentations about the Birds in your area as a birding club group. Members take turns presenting one bird species per week. Explaining the bird ID tips, behavior, diet, habitat, history, etc.

–      Participate in the TPWD Great Texas Birding Classic.

–      Citizen Scientist: build bird nestboxes, collect birding data on ebird, clean up parks, plant native plants at your school, educate your fellow classmates about the importance of birds and protecting their habitats.

–      Learn everything about Texas native plants/trees and the ecosystem. Plan a native plants & tree field trip to a birding center, native garden center, botanical center, etc.

–      BE AN ADVOCATE FOR BIRDS! Educate your community about birds.

2018 compiled by The Texas Blue Jay Project

Fun Things to do as a Young Texas Birder

–Explore Texas! Discover new landscapes & wildlife.

–Visit & Hike 7 Texas Regions.

–TPWD Great Texas Birding Classic Birding Competition

–Texas has 629 documented bird species. Lots of birds to find and see in Texas!

–Visit High Island during Spring Migration.

–Discover a rare bird in Texas. 

–Meet new birding friends from different parts of Texas and out of state.

–Do a County or State Big Year.

–Attend Texas Birding Festivals

–ABA Young Birder’s Summer Camps 

Compiled by The Texas Blue Jay Project

Young Birders Birding Resources

Birding Resources

–       American Birding Association/ABA Young Birders: www.aba.org./aba-young-birders/

–       National Audubon Society:  www.audubon.org

–       Texas Audubon Society: www.tx.audubon.org

–       Texas Parks and Wildlife/World Birding Centers: http://tpwd.texas.gov

–       ebird.org/ebird Young Birders Network: ebird.org/about/resources/for-young-birders

–       Cornell Lab of Ornithology/All About Birds: www.allaboutbirds.org

–       inaturalist.org: www.inaturalist.org

–       High island, Texas: https://houstonaudubon.org/sanctuaries/high-island/plan-your-visit.html

–       Great Texas Birding Classic: http://tpwd.texas.gov/events/great-texas-birding-classic

2018 compiled by The Texas Blue Jay Project

February 1-2, 2019 Laredo Young Birders Birding Event

Calling All Young Birders! 

Join me on Friday, February 1, 2019 at Lake Casa Blanca International State Park in Laredo, Texas for a Young Birders Presentation about my experiences as a Texas Young Birder. Learn how to start birdwatching, and about Laredo Birds. Also, you will learn about all the awesome opportunities there are for young birders. Birding Presentation Fee: Free; But, you need to pay for the TPWD Park Entry Fee Admission to enter. Registration Mandatory.: rgisc.org/register

Join me on Saturday, February 2, 2019 at Lake Casa Blanca International State Park in Laredo, Texas for a Young Birders Bird Hike! 1st Hike: 7:30am-9:00am; 2nd Hike: 9:30am-11:00am. Fee per Hike: $5.00 per person. Registration Mandatory: rgisc.org/register


Discover South Texas Birds!
The Texas Blue Jay Project

WILLIAMSON COUNTY AREA -The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Boxes LOCATIONS

I am excited to announce our TWO Williamson County Area The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Boxes Locations:

1. Georgetown Public Library

Location: 402 W. 8th Street Georgetown, Texas 78626

*Turn in your donated used or new bird related books at the circulation desk and don't forget to mention that your donated bird books are for The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Box.

*All collected bird books at Georgetown Public Library will go to a nearby high school to start a Youth Birding Club/Ornithology Club. These donated bird books will help them start an Ornithology Library in their school.

2. Cedar Park Public Library 

Location: 550 Discovery Boulevard
Cedar Park, TX  78613

*Turn in your donated used or new bird related books at the circulation desk and don't forget to mention that your donated bird books are for The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Box.

*All collected bird books at Cedar Park Public Library will go to a nearby high school to start a Youth Birding Club/Ornithology Club. These donated bird books will help them start an Ornithology Library in their school.

Please consider donating your used or new bird books to this wonderful cause! Thank you!

#GoneTexasBirding

Sebastian

The Texas Blue Jay Project

The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Box by Sebastian Casarez

I am excited to announce about The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Boxes that I am ready to place at local libraries.

My goal is to have several local libraries willing to place these boxes at their library to collect used or new or outdated bird books for their local schools and communities to support future Youth Birding Clubs/Ornithology Clubs in their schools. These donated bird books will be used for an ornithology library for future birding studies in their school. I also plan to give bird presentations at these schools to introduce them to birdwatching.

Our FIRST The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Box is at Georgetown Public Library. Please drop off your donated bird books downstairs at the Circulation Center. Please let the librarian clerks know that your donated bird books are for The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Box.

I need your HELP to spread the word to your local library about having The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Box at your library. These bird books will benefit your local schools and community.

Here are ways to help:

1. If interested in having The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Box at your local library; Contact me at: thetexasbluejayproject@gmail.com

2. Support the cause by donating your bird books at Georgetown Public Library for The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Box.

3.  Keep checking The Texas Blue Jay Project Blog for updated information about The Texas Blue Jay Project Bird Book Donation Boxes.


Thank you!

#GoneTexasBirding,
Sebastian 

Celebrate Urban Birds Dove Springs Recreation Center by Sebastian Casarez

On Wednesday, March 14, 2018 was the Celebrate Urban Birds (CUB) event at Dove Springs Recreation Center in Austin, Texas. I had the pleasure of volunteering at this awesome event again for the second year. This was also a special day for me as this was the first time The Texas Blue Jay Project was represented and volunteered at this event. The Texas Blue Jay Project hosted a Bird Mask activity table at the event where several East Austin kids had fun making their creative masks for the event to wear. Many thanks to my mom Sandra for helping me with preparing the crafts and assisting me at the tables. Also, "Thank you" to Jennifer and Diana from the City of Austin Park Ranger Cadet Program, for assisting at the bird mask activity table. I really appreciate your help!

*Photo by Sebastian Casarez

As some of you know, that I love to make "bird calls."  I especially enjoy teaching kids how to make bird calls as well. The kids were having so much FUN making bird calls with me. There was one kid in particular that wanted me to make every bird call on his bird field guide. Of course, I was happy to make them for him. I had so much fun making bird calls for the kids!

*Photo by Sandra Casarez

When I started The Texas Blue Jay Project last June 2017, I wanted to make sure that I could reach as many kids out there and teach them about the joy of birds and birding. At this CUB event, there were about 250 kids attending this event. I hope that each of those kids that visited our Texas Blue Jay Project tables left this CUB event with excitement of wanting to know more about the birds in their backyard and discover the beauty of the sounds of birds. 

I invite you all to the next FREE Celebrate Urban Birds Austin Event on Saturday, March 31, 2018 at Austin Nature and Science Center 9am-12pm. The Texas Blue Jay Project will be there volunteering. I have a special guest joining me, my Great Horned Owl, BUBO. Check out our First puppet performance "Sebastian & Bubo Explore Birding" at CUB ANSC event! 

#GoneTexasBirding

Sebastian Casarez

The Texas Blue Jay Project

#AustinBirding

#TexasYoungBirders

#FutureBirdConservationists

The Texas Blue Jay Project Used Bird Field Guide Book Drive for Texas Students by Sebastian Casarez

The Texas Blue Jay Project goal is to encourage kids and their families to discover birds and birdwatching in their backyards, city and state parks. And to help bring more diversity and young birders into the birding community. This is why I am discovering several ways how to reach kids and families to get them started with birdwatching. First, with The Texas Blue Jay Project Pledge and visiting students at schools and libraries to teach about birds and birdwatching. Now, I am organizing a Texas Blue Jay Project Used Bird Field Guide Book Drive for Barrington Elementary School in NE Austin. I hope to continue this book drive to help bring bird field guide books to several schools around Texas as well. I was a self-taught birder at the age of 7 with an Audubon book. I would have never dreamed that an Audubon book would have changed my life. Now, I hope it will change several kids lives too.

*Photo above by Sebastian Casarez: The Audubon Book that changed my life at the age of 7.

AISD Barrington Elementary School became the 1st recipient of the Austin Children's Outdoor Bill ( Austin's Cities Connecting Children to Nature Initiative, the Parks and Recreation Department, along with dozens of partner organizations. November 1. 2016).
This grant provided Barrington Elementary School to build a garden center and several green space for their school. Next month, they will celebrate their completion of their greenspace. The Barrington Green School Park Celebration will be on March 24. I will be there volunteering leading birding by ear walks. I will have a table there to distribute birding resources and I hope to distribute used bird field guide books for the students. That's where  I need your help. I will need donated books by March 19. Please email me if you would be interested in donating a used bird field guide book. Thank you.

Happy Birding,
Sebastian Casarez
The Texas Blue Jay Project
#BirdBookDrive
#TexasBirding