Texas landowners who have property located along streams, known as riparian areas, may benefit from a free riparian habitat management workshop being offered by the Guadalupe-Blanco River Trust (GBR Trust) and the Comal-Guadalupe Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) on Wednesday April 3, 2013, at Guadalupe River RV Park in Spring Branch and on Thursday April 4, 2013, at the Texas Agricultural Education and Heritage Center in Seguin.
Experienced natural resource specialists familiar with habitat management practices will deliver the program that features both a classroom session and a site visit to a riparian area. Functional streamside, or riparian, areas provide a wide range of benefits to both people and wildlife, and interest in function and management of these areas has been growing steadily throughout the state.
Workshop topics will include an introduction to riparian areas and riparian vegetation and hydrology. Following the classroom session in the morning, participants will be taken on a field trip to a riparian area to observe and discuss some of the principles and concepts presented, as well as observe habitat management practices on the ground. CEUs also will be offered.
Lunch will be provided, but space is limited. Pre-registration is required and limited to 30 at each workshop. Please contact Steve Jester with the GBR Trust at (830) 660-3486, sjester@gbrtrust.org or Beverly Hartwick, Comal-Guadalupe SWCD at 830-379-0930 Extension 3, or Beverly.Hartwick@tx.nacdnet.net for details and to reserve a place at one of the workshops.
The mission of the Comal-Guadalupe SWCD is to create interest and action in the application of soil conservation, water conservation and resource management and to provide leadership in the conservation field to citizens of the District. Protecting soil and the land it comprises means managing for herbaceous cover and understanding watershed dynamics.
Founded in 2001, the GBR Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust organization that was developed to conserve land in the Guadalupe River Watershed for its natural, recreational, scenic, historic and productive value. Its mission is to preserve the unique natural heritage of the Guadalupe watershed for future generations, by protecting open landscapes, working farms and ranches, and wildlife habitat through conservation easements, education, and outreach that connects people to the water and the land.