Education Notes

By Rowena McDermid, Environmental Education Assistant 

The removal of invasive woody species is an ongoing project for EIH staff on the UHCL campus, particularly in the woods around the UHCL nature trail. These efforts, necessitated by the need to protect the restored prairie, have been spearheaded by Wendy Reistle and a dedicated team of Master Naturalist volunteers led by Chatt Smith. I chatted to Chatt about the volunteer work he performs, and he was quick to point out that he has many helpers in the field including Chuck Snyder, Chris Mantooth, Ed Dealy, Greg Milligan, Gus Sei, Joe Brian, Davis Clay, Mike Pettit, and Jesus Suarez. They concentrate on removing invasive vegetation and use multiple techniques including pulling from the ground (if the plant is small enough and conditions allow), the application of herbicide, or cutting the tree down and applying herbicide to the stump (sometimes called hack-and-squirt).

Chatt’s busy schedule has him working at Galveston Island State Park on Mondays, San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site on Thursdays, and Armand Bayou Nature Center on Fridays. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are floating days in which UHCL gets fitted in on one or two Tuesdays a month. The team also volunteers at the University of Houston Coastal Center, Shadow Creek Park in Pearland, Resoft County Park in Alvin, Sylvan Rodriguez Park in Clear Lake, and Sheldon Lake State Park. Since graduating as part of the Master Naturalist class of 2011, Chatt has clocked over 11,000 volunteer hours. When asked what keeps him motivated, he mentions the camaraderie and friendship that he enjoys with his fellow volunteers whom he met through this work, the exercise, the fresh air, being out in nature, and the ability to make a difference.

On Saturday, April 27, this work was supplemented by seven volunteers from Team Rubicon conducting a training day at the UHCL nature trail. Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization serving communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. 

If you would like to learn more about the Texas Master Naturalist Program and Team Rubicon please check out their web pages: txmn.org and teamrubiconusa.org.