Trinity River Audubon Center
Dallas, TX
On a humid Saturday morning in June, a group of about 20 people, armed with nets, binoculars and petri dishes, made their way across Trailhead Bridge at Trinity River Audubon Center (TRAC) in Dallas. They were taking part in something called a Bioblitz – a community science activity that tracks the biodiversity of species within a given habitat. Bioblitzes empower members of the community to contribute to science and engage with conservation at the center in a fun and hands-on way by using the iNaturalist app and website.
Beginning last spring, the TRAC team stepped up efforts to get the North Texas community more involved with observation and species identification at Trinity River Audubon Center by offering guided Bioblitz programs throughout the year. To date, TRAC has surpassed 2,000 species documented and verified to a research grade level via iNauturalist! We are thrilled to share additional program highlights below:
- More than 1,100 people have engaged with the biodiversity of TRAC through iNaturalist since March of 2024.
- Nearly 15K new observations have been made and uploaded to TRAC’s iNaturalist project since March of 2024.
- More than 50% of the 22K+ total observations at TRAC to date have been made since March of 2024.
If you want to help grow this number, simply download iNaturalist and use it to explore next time you visit the center. Anything you upload automatically counts! Check out Trinity River Audubon Center on iNaturalist!
Every month we offer multiple programs, many free of charge, designed to bring you into deeper relationship with this wonderful North Texas habitat we call home.
From casual guided hikes to in-depth birding adventures to student programs for pre-K through college – let us help you find new ways to explore nature in Dallas. Plan your visit to Trinity River Audubon Center today!
Check out our full calendar of events here!
Mitchell Lake Audubon Center
San Antonio, TX
Project FeederWatch continues to be a favorite volunteer activity at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center (MLAC) in San Antonio, offering a peaceful way for both new and returning volunteers to sit on the Leeper House porch, enjoy the blooming gardens, and observe the birds visiting our feeders. In addition, we launched an “off-season” version of Project FeederWatch, which will run from May through October. It mirrors Cornell Lab’s program but adds a few questions about volunteer well-being before and after their shift. While still building momentum, this program is starting to catch on. The goal is to provide insights into warm-season bird activity at our feeders and how this low-barrier, accessible volunteer activity impacts participants’ sense of connection and well-being.
Sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Texas Nature Trackers team, the 2025 City Nature Challenge was a great success this year. Mitchell Lake staff created a fun incentive with a prize drawing for those volunteers making over 20 observations at MLAC, and many came out to participate! We also hosted aquatic bioblitz and mothing events with help from Texas Master Naturalists, and we had a great time documenting the species found. Fifteen volunteers participated, many sharing afterward how much they enjoyed the aquatic macroinvertebrate bioblitz and the UV light nocturnal insect survey.
Check out the full calendar of events here!
Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center
Cedar Hill, TX
Baba Dioum once said, “In the end we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught.” More than half a century later, these words still resonate—especially at places like Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center (DCAC) in Cedar Hill, one of 31 Audubon Action Centers nationwide. That’s why we work tirelessly to connect people with nature, nurturing understanding that leads to love and, ultimately, conservation action.
Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center (DCAC) takes an innovative, inclusive approach to engagement. Through our "ABCs"—Art, Birding, and Conservation—we invite the community to explore, learn, and grow in unexpected ways.
Art: Nature as Muse - For a second year, our Artist in Residence program welcomes a local creator to spend three months immersed in the center’s habitat, interpreting nature through their artistic lens. This summer, we’re proud to host June Covington, a printmaker and textile artist whose work emphasizes time, sustainability, and process.
June transforms our classroom into a creative hub each Friday and Saturday, inviting guests to explore spinning yarns and weaving with natural materials like grasses. Her work beautifully illustrates the link between environment and expression. We're also hosting the H-E-B Film Series: Our Texas, Our Future every Sunday in August, presenting films that explore the beauty and challenges of Texas’s natural landscapes.
Birding: Youth in Flight - In partnership with the Traphene Hickman Library in Cedar Hill, we launched the Young Birders Club, welcoming youth ages 12–18, from fledgling birders to experienced observers. The club fosters curiosity, leadership, and hands-on learning, with meetings guided by the youth participants. A recent field trip to Trinity River Audubon Center offered a rare glimpse into ornithological research, as Blaine Carnes demonstrated mist-netting and data collection in action. To join or learn more, reach out to Kiersten Gibizov (kiersten.gibizov@audubon.org) or Chelsey Randel (chelsey.randel@cedarhilltx.com).
Conservation: Community Science in Action - Conservation comes alive through community science, empowering everyday nature lovers to contribute valuable data to the research and scientific community. Apps like Merlin and iNaturalist are revolutionizing this process, enabling widespread, real-time observations across the globe.
To help you get started, join us for the Fun With Apps program on August 23. This interactive class introduces tools like Seek, Merlin Bird ID, and Nature Notebook, sparking curiosity and deepening connections to the world around us.
Because, as Dioum reminds us, we protect only what we love—and love begins with learning.
Check out the full calendar of events here! |
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