המועדפים של connlindajo

After taking a driving tour of the Nails Creek Unit of Somerville Lake State Park for First Day Hike, I stopped in at the Headquarters before leaving. Glad I did, because I ran into the "new" Somerville Lake State Park Complex TPWD park ranger Lisset Monteagudo. We had sat beside each other at a wildlife conference last year in Caldwell. I am looking forward to seeing more of her in the future with my TMN chapter members. What am amazing smile she has!
Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

As a Texas Master Naturalist, I volunteer weekly at the S. M, Tracy Herbarium at Texas A&M University in College Station. I get excited when I see a voucher collected by someone I have met personally or one of someone famous in the field of botany. Today, when I saw this one collected by S, M. Tracy himself in 1903, a hundred and twenty years ago, I decided to document via iNat my finds. Perhaps not a purpose of iNat, but it brings happiness to me.
Photos 2 and 3, taken 07-31-2023 are of a specimen and its label collected by Reverchon in June of some unspecified year.
Photo 4, taken 6/19/2023 was collected by someone unknown to me, but as I was going through cabinets, inspecting and repairing vouchers as needed, this one just struck me as being an especially attractive specimen. So, I took a photo.

Photo 5 shows one of the annotation labels of @eric_keith I glued to several specimens while volunteering at the herbarium.

Today was a great day. Not only was the weather glorious, but the Tonkawa Tribe of Oklahoma purchased Red Mountain (formerly Sugarloaf Mountain) from the Herzog family. In the future, the historic and sacred site will be protected in perpetuity and made accessible to the public to see and experience for generations to come with the help of the El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association. Photos are of the speakers at the ceremony held at Sugarloaf Bridge near Red Mountain: The eldest member of the Tonkawa (85) → Dave Cunningham, local historian and agent instrumental in arranging for the purchase of the property. → Mr. Herzog → Steven Gonzales, Executive Director of El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association → producer of Tonkawa video → Russell Martin, President of the Tonkawa Tribe → Sec/Treas of the Tonkawa Tribe.
Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

Was pleased to meet Adam Kranz @megachile of Gallformers at the 2023 TMN conference in McAllen. He made a presentation on plant galls with Kimberlie Sasan.

I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Pleased to meet up with Ashley Bales of BRIT @ashleybee again at the 2023 TMN Conference in McAllen. She made presentations on collecting herbarium specimens and geo-referencing vouchers. 2nd photo shows Ashley demonstrating the use of a plant field press.
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

One of my most favorite TPWD folks is Richard Heilbrun @rheilbrun. Look forward to seeing him at the yearly TMN conferences and joining his friendly and challenging Quiz Bowl competition.
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat, TMN and TPWD human beings I have met over the years.

This bird became extinct 100 years ago in September 1914.

My grandchildren participated in The Passenger Pigeon Origami Project via foldtheflock.org and the Texas Master Naturalist El Camino Real (Milam County) Chapter.

I realize this may seem to be a superfluous observation, but this project has emphasized the effect we as humans have had on nature over thousands of years.

My youngest grandson wanted his picture taken while kissing his passenger pigeon replica. I had to oblige and hope he remembers what we talked about while folding it.

I am fortunate to have met Pauline Singleton @paulines via visits to the Watson Rare Native Plant Preserve in Tyler County. An extraordinary lady and awesome place to observe nature.

Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

At the Powderhorn WMA iNat BioBlitz,
I finally got to meet my iNat hero and grass specialist Cleveland Powell @prairie_rambler! Not the best photo, but did not have the opportunity for another candid shot. Hoping to see him again at a future iNat gathering for a good sit down talk and discussion.
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Ann @birdladymilam is a fellow Texas Master Naturalist in the El Camino Real Chapter, Milam County. She is a super person to go out iNat-ting with. I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the coast to see the whooping cranes.
Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

David Lewis, world renown mycologist and co-author of "Mushrooms of the Gulf Coast States: A Field Guide to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida" and one of the amazing folks I have met at the S. M. Tracy Herbarium.
Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

Trey Barron, Wildlife Diversity Biologist, TPWD, was a speaker at the Washington Co. Wildlife Valuation Workshop in Brenham. Had a converstion with @treybarron about bald eagles and observations in iNat.
Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

Clint Faas, Natural Resources Specialist, TPWD, was a speaker at the Washington Co. Wildlife Valuation Workshop in Brenham. Had a conversation with @cfaas about Whooping Cranes in Texas.
Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

At Landowner's Summit sponsored by TX AgriLife and Gideon Lincecum TMN chapter at the Washington County Expo Event Center.
One of my favorite speakers, Dr. Barron Rector, Assoc. Professor and Extension Range Specialist at Texas A&M University spoke on Proper Weed and Brush Identification for More Effective Control.
Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the other great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

BioBlitz at Decker Tallgrass Prairie Preserve with @jdavisz, John Davis, City of Austin. Showing him the use of a bug screen is Mike Farley with the Good Water TMN Chapter.

Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of iNat.

My granddaughter Jasmine and I visited the park after attending a presentation about Freedom Colonies at the Milam County Historical Association this morning.
The large cottonwood still stands in the corner of the park. @jasmineotto has been my iNat running buddy this summer and obliged my by standing beside the trunk of the tree to emphasize its girth.
Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

I got to meet Austin Kelly @austinkelly yesterday at the S, M, Tracy Herbarium at Texas A&M!

Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

I met Alan Lusk @alusk, a fellow BRIT Armchair Botanist transcriber, at the Landowners Workshop sponsored by the North Texas Master Naturalist chapter at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Dallas.
Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

Met Dr. Flo Oxley through the Milam County Texas Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists organizations. She taught many classes for them and is shown here teaching the Little River Basin TMG trainees the basics of taxonomy keys using shoes, Before earning her PhD, she worked at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
An honorary member of our El Camino Real TMN chapter, we seem to have lost contact with her.

Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, and other amazing human beings I have met over the years.

My favorite observation of the trip, and possibly a Timberlake first (but definitely not the last)! Love me some @connlindajo. Look at that smile and happy disposition. Always a joy to see you, Linda Jo.

Stephen Lovelace and I had the privilege of going outside the S, M. Tracy and doing some "belly botany" with Monique Reed in the "lawn" area. Back inside, we also got a taxonomy lesson! Monique is working on Vol. 2 of The Flora of East Texas at the herbarium.

Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of iNat.

Added 8th photo of a herbarium voucher I saw 01-08-2024 as I was volunteering at the S M. Tracy Herbarium. Been thinking about her a lot. Miss her at the herbarium because of her serious health issues.

Another documentation of a great iNaturalist I have had the pleasure of meeting. @baldeagle demonstrated and instructed a group of El Camino Real Texas Master Naturalists on the procedure of invasive tree girdling in Milam County.
Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! I met one at the herbarium today!

@lovelace_s is a student at TAMU. We have been IDing each other's observations.

The 2nd photo shows Steven and Dale Kruse, herbarium curator, talking about bryophyte and liverwort spore production.

Under my "Favorites" tab you will see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other great human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

Today at the herbarium, I observed curator Dale Kruse @dale_kruse doing one of the things he loves: Sharing his knowledge with others. The 2nd and 3rd photos show Dale explaining spore production in bryophytes and liverworts to students. I took the 4th photo of Dale's drawings on the dry erase board to remind me of the things I learned today.

Added photos 5 and 6 on 07-12-2022 of Dale introducing El Camino Real TMN members to the S. M. Tracy Herbarium back on 11-08-2013.

Also added 7th photo of ECR president Katherine Bedrich @doodlebug presenting Dale with his certificate for an honorary membership in the ECR chapter on 01-24-2014 at a chapter meeting at her place on blackland prairie in Milam County.
8th photo is of Dale on 05-01-23 being helped by Toni to put the tension on the straps of a plant press of sedges, etc. gathered during the weekend in East TX.
Added another photo of Dale and his Bryophyte Class taken near Kountze in the Big Thicket on 3-30-2019.
Under my "Favorites" tab you will see some of the great iNat, TMN, TPWD and other great human beings I have met over the years because of TMN and iNat.

@arnanthescout Is this you?

About 26 folks joined the NPSOT-Wilco Tree ID Walk on New Year's Day at Settler's Park in Round Rock. Great weather for an informational hike and met some local iNat folks and put faces to names.

Met fellow iNaturalist @ubowernat who led the NPSOT Winter Tree Walk on New Year's Day 2022.at Old Settler's Park. Great day for joining fellow naturalists outdoors and learning new things. 2nd photo shows Gary demonstrating to the group of NPSOT, TMN and iNaturalists how the limbs of a Southern Live Oak grow.

I could not resist posting my own photo today. I am beginning my 9th year of iNat addiction!

(Photos taken at Cedar Park Park in Bastrop County last year at a Celebrate Texas Pollinators BioBlitx hosted by the TMN Lost Pines Chapter. Saw lots of bees and butterflies visiting the impressive wildscape garden.)

My observations of humans are those iNat, TMN, TPWD and other folks I have met because of iNat. My "Favorites" are a collection of the humans I have observed and posted on iNat. Going through old photos tonight, saw this one taken seven months ago of my grandson Harrison and thought it deserved a spot, too. Harrison tends to wear his iNat shirt when he knows he will be seeing me. Also, he has gone to great lengths to be a great scout when I am out observing.

Gathering of iNat folks at Gus Engeling WMA for socializing and later mothing.

@knightericm signed my copy of his new book!
Foraging Texas: Finding, Identifying and Preparing Edible Wild Plants of Texas by Eric. M. Knight and Stacy M. Coplin
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Gathering of iNat folks at Gus Engeling WMA for socializing and later mothing.

I finally got to meet my iNat idol Alison Northrup @alisonnorthup! Happy dance! And her family @hydaticus (Robby Deans) and Jenny.
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Field trip with the Fayette Prairie Chapter of the Native Prairies Association of Texas to investigate a remnant prairie led by TPWD personnel Jason Singhurst @jsinghurst and Tim Siegmund. A memorable experience!

Photo taken at the April 2021 Elephant Mountain WMA iNat Gathering. Cool, dusty, and windy, but it was a great time.
@bosqueaaron is one of my favorite iNat folks. He coordinated the 2021 Heart of Texas City Nature Challenge.

I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Photo taken at the April 2021 Elephant Mountain WMA iNat Gathering. Cool, dusty, and windy, but it was a great time.
So glad to meet @jcochran706 in person. I have been seeing a lot of his observations from the neighboring Williamson County.

I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Photo taken at the April 2021 Elephant Mountain WMA iNat Gathering. Cool, dusty, and windy, but it was a great time. I have known @mikef451 as a TMN and iNaturalist for several years.
Added 2nd photo taken May 21, 2021 at the Decker Tallgrass Prairie Preserve BioBlitz with John Davis, City of Austin, and Sam Kieschnick, TPWD. Here, @mikef451 shows John how to use the bug screen.
Added third photo taken 10-13-2023 at 2023 TMN conference in McAllen. He presented a program for the event.
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Photo taken at the April 2021 Elephant Mountain WMA iNat Gathering. Cool, dusty, and windy, but it was a great time.
@amzapp is one of my favorite iNat folks. I enjoy seeing her at the gatherings.
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Photo taken at the April 2021 Elephant Mountain WMA iNat Gathering. Cool, dusty, and windy, but it was a great time.
So glad to finally meet @cmeckerman in person. I have labeled or identified many of his students' iNat observations.
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Photo taken at the iNat Pat Mayse WMA BioBlitz May 12-14, 2017 with some really great folks including @kimberlietx.
Looking forward to our next adventure of learning and service!
Added 2nd photo of Kimberlie taken in McAllen at the 2023 TMN Conference where she was a presenter on plant galls and BRIT herbarium volunteer information.
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Photo taken at the iNat Pat Mayse WMA BioBlitz May 12-14, 2017 with some really great folks. I like Charley's profile statement: "I ... go nuts trying to put a name on everything that I see. I'm tired of just making up names so I became a member of the Cross Timbers Master Naturalist Class of 2015."
(I can see Chuck in the background.)
Looking forward to our next adventure of learning and service!

cosmiccat is another super iNaturalist! I was honored to have met her at the October BioBlitz. She has ID'ed many, many of my observations and given me tips since almost the first day I joined iNat.
I appreciate that.
Sorry, but my photo does not do her justice.

I blatantly changed the coordinates to those of the motel where many of the iNat folks stayed in order to keep this observation from being automatically added to the Big Thicket BioBlitz projects. It was actually taken in front of the Big Thicket National Preserve Visitor's Center near Kountze.

Another meeting of an iNat powerhouse to add to my Favorites list.

At the Matador WMA Socially-Distant BioBlitz, avid iNaturalist @tadamcochran investigates something in the grass during the initial meetup of the group on 05-29-20.
I love meeting other iNat folks face-to-face! Under my "Favorites" tab are some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.

Another addition to my "Favorites" tab composed of the observation of some of the great iNat and TMN human beings I have met over the years.
@jwn aka Justin was a fellow "lawn chair moth-er" at the Piney Woods LBJ Grasslands.

Chip Ruthven, Matador WMA Wildlife Biologist at the Socially-Distant BioBlitz. Chip was an awesome source of information about the area. For one thing, I now know that vultures migrate.

(Wonder if he is kin to the Lee County Ruthven family?)

Tania Homayoun, Texas Nature Trackers Biologist, TPWD giving presentation on ‘Documenting Texas Nature with I-Naturalist’ at the 2020 Native Plant Society of Texas symposium at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Was pleased to meet @catenatus and his wife Amber at the October Timberlake BioBlitz. His profile is one of the most interesting of those I have read on iNat:
last wild son of the field
https://www.inaturalist.org/users/85164

@brentano One of my favorite iNat folks. Was wondering how many more steps I would watch let him take on the ledge before I hollered at him for safety's sake.

@ Palo Pinto Mountains State Park (with special permission to access the property). Park is still closed to the public.
Unbelievably dry, but I saw new Texas territory and observed its flora and fauna.

Met up again with the knowledgeable and fun iNat person Andy Newman at the Texas Bryoventure III with Dale Kruse, curator S.M. Tracy Herbarium, TAMU at the Big Thicket National Preserve.
Andy also got sidetracked by vascular plants.

This is one of the most devastating days of my life. I learned this morning that my El Camino Real Texas Master Naturalist hero, mentor, and friend has terminal liver cancer and is in hospice care.

Katherine Bedrich aka @doodlebug has taught, encouraged, and inspired me since we met in January, 2011.

Today, I have finally been entering the observations I made alone on the El Camino Real Trail last October and remembering the good times we had "on the trail" and elsewhere. The documentation of the flora on this Historic Trail through Milam County has been one of her passions.
So, as I entered a lichen observation, I thought of the photos I have taken of her peering through her loupe (and telling me to get my camera out of Auto Mode). My photo of her won me a 1st place at a TMN state conference.

KB is another of my iNaturalist "Favorites" collection.

Eric Hunt is another super iNaturalist I was priveleged to meet in person at the Mini Big Thicket BioBlitz in October 2016. He traveled all the way from Arkansas.

Super-helpful and really likeable fellow. I learned a lot from him on the Sunday trip to the Canyonlands. (Sorry for the awful highly cropped photo!)
Again, this superfluous to some observation is my way of documenting the icons of iNaturalists I have met in person and placed in my Fave's list.
Note the location of the photo is the Visitor's Center at the Big Thicket National Preserve but was entered as the parking lot of the motel where many attendees stayed in order to not skew the results of the BioBlitz.

Another super iNaturalist! I was honored to have met nathantaylor7583 (Nathan Taylor) at the October Bioblitz. Nathan has ID'ed many Euphorbia observations for me and others (i.e., his speciality) and he is a super helpful, intelligent and good-natured young man.

The photo shows him in the pose I most observed him assume during the weekend outings ... getting down on the ground to get a photo of the species of interest.

I blatantly changed coordinates to the motel where many of the iNat folks stayed in order to keep this observation from being automatically added to the Big Thicket BioBlitz projects. Photo was actually taken in the Big Thicket near Kountze, TX, but I really did see Nathan in the motel parking area later that day.

Another "trophy shot" to add to my Favorites list.

This is another of my blatant "Trophy Observations" of an iNaturalist I have met in person...
Galen Stewart aka gpstewart.
Super guy!
He lives in the central Texas county west of me, but we traveled all the way to the Big Thicket to meet again.

maractwin aka Mark Rosenstein
This is another of my blatant "Trophy Observations" of an iNaturalist Powerhouse.

In the top 5 on the Leaderboards for Nov 2015 observations, species, and identifications, he is an interesting and really nice guy.
I think he is the first scuba diver I have met that takes underwater photos! Wow!

mchlfx aka Michael Fox
This guy is a genuine, bonafide, home-grown Texan that I, as a small-town Texan, immediately "took a liking to"... He is the kind of person I want as a friend or neighbor...
And... we both confess to being "self proclaimed absolute iNaturalist addicts".

Hope to make it up to his area of Texas to the LLELA (Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area) for a visit soon.
Another great iNat observation for me!

aka robberfly aka Liam O'Brien
Two years ago on Nov. 22, 2013, I added my first four observations to iNaturalist.org.

One of these, a monarch caterpillar (http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/465471),
was promptly identified by @robberfly.
I could say that he is one of the reasons I am addicted to iNat.

I am pleased to be able to add robberfly's photo to verify that I was fortunate to meet him. Great guy!
(By the way, my other three initial observations were IDed by @greglasley.)

aka kueda aka Ken-ichi Ueda
What can I say about this guy? Meeting him was like walking on holy ground.

I have emailed many really stupid questions about navigating on iNat and @kueda was always patient and helpful.

This is another treasured and "Favorites" observation of a fantastic iNaturalist!

Texas iNat gathering in Dripping Springs on November 11, 2015.
Kneeling from left: @mchlfx (checkered shirt), @robberfly, @maractwin (blue shirt), @mksexton, @sambiology, @kueda (red bandana);
standing L to R: Bob (husband of taogirl) and Tuffy the dog, @greglasley, @lotus (sunglasses), @mikaelb, @blubayou (red blouse), @gpstewart (red shirt), @taogirl, @annikaml (sunglasses), @gcwarbler, @connlindajo, @brentano, @billdodd, Wilson (wife of cullen), @cullen, @cgritz, Aaron (husband of cgritz). Photo by Cheryl (wife of greglasley)

aka sambiology, i.e. Sam Kieschnick.
Finally got to give this guy a big hug. Have been wanting to meet him for over a year. No wonder everyone who knows Sam sings his praises... He is a super person.

And, note the iNaturalist shirt!!!

I had the privilege of meeting gcwarbler (aka Chuck Sexton) and joining a nature walk with him at Granger Lake.

Churck is another iNaturalist friend that has been of immeasurable help to me. Wonderful person, regardless of what Greg Lasley might say!
(By the way, Chuck does favor his great-grandfather.)
Note the T-shirt he was proudly wearing, sambiology, in the second photo!

Cullen Hanks, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Wildlife Diversity Program Biologist, presented a program about iNaturalist.org to members of the El Camino Real Texas Master Naturalist Chapter of Milam County in Rockdale, TX at the Lucy Hill Memorial Library. Thanks, Cullen!

One of my favorite Texas Parks and Wildlife people, Wildlife Biologist Tim Siegmund has helped educate, guide, and encourage me as a Texas Master Naturalist and as a small acreage landowner. (Although I was born and raised Milam County, TX, I do appreciate his Lee County, TX roots.)

Photo taken at Burleson Prairie in Bell County.

Look under my "Favorites" tab to see some of the great iNat, TMN, and other amazing human beings I have met over the years because of iNat.

iNaturalist "Aztekium"
aka
Carlos Velazco
from Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
I was delighted to meet him and his beautiful wife Liliana today in Austin Texas at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center.

I am indebted to him for his help and encouragement with iNat observations and identifications.

Came across this photo of GREG LASLEY, one of my favorite iNat folks, and HAD to include as an observation. Realizing it may be "frivolous" info to some, I want to document how much help he has been to me and so many iNaturalists.

GREG LASLEY went above and beyond to fulfill his promise to speak to my Texas Master Naturalist chapter in Milam County, Texas on this date. This photo of GREG LASLEY was taken in Rockdale,Texas, while he was sharing his observations, experiences, and photographic skills with my El Camino Real Texas Master Naturalist Chapter.

Thanks, again, Greg.