Outreach, Extension and Departamental Programing

Program Planning and Leadership

  • Serve as leader and initiated development of the eXtension.org Feral Hog Community of Practice involving 17 states, and the Noble Foundation http://www.extension.org/feral_hogs  Launched June 2012.
  • Collaborated with Drs. Roel Lopez and Shawn Locke to develop Wildlife Habitat Management web-site and distance education portal.
  • Collaborated with Dr. Mark McFarland on the Plum Creek Watershed Partnership; http://pcwp.tamu.edu, April 2009-present.
    • Awarded ($996,079; direct control $207,609 in 2009 -present) from Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through an Environmental Protection Agency 319 grant.
    • Recruited and supervised Mr. Chance Lewis and Jared Timmons as an Extension Assistants to spearhead local education efforts.
    • Developed 14 extension publications; 7 translated to Spanish; and 5 factsheets
  • Developed Wild Wonderings Blog (http://wild-wonderings.blogspot.com) for Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Extension Unit, February 2008 – present.
    • 241 articles, 44,753 unique visitors, 87,366 pageviews; visitors from 151 countries, and 52 states/regions, and 545 Texas cities.
  • Collaborated with Dr. Bret Collier to extend Rio Grande Wild Turkey research using publications workshops, video, and webinars.  February 2007-2011.
    • Developed 7 Extension publications
    • Developed 1 resource CD
    • Developed 2 videos; (Placed second in The Wildlife Society competition)
    • Held 1 Rio Grande Wild Turkey Conference, March 25-26-2010.
  • Coordinated activates and planned objectives for natural resource education within the Trinity River Basin, August 2006‑present.
    • Developed Cooperative Conservation in the Trinity River Basin
      • Awarded ($207,609 in 2009 -present) from Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through an Environmental Protection Agency 319 grant.
      • Hired Blake Alldredge, Extension Associate
    • Recruited and hired Dr. Shawn Locke as an Extension Wildlife Associate, Program Specialist II, Supervisor, May 2007‑May 2012.
    • Developed 5 Extension publications.
    • Served as Trinity Basin Conservation Foundation’s Vice-president 2009-2010.
    • Serve as Board Director and Chair Place Committee 2010-present
    • Wrote grant for TBCF, awarded $10,000 from the Rosewood Foundation (2008).
    • Coordinated fundraisers, awarded $16,000 (2008).
    • Co-authored USFWS grant for USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife grant, awarded $50,000 (2009)
    • Wrote and coordinated TPWD grant ($130,000) to TBCF and hired fist Executive Director (2009).
    • Coordinated media event to highlight conservation efforts in the Trinity River Basin with Texas A&M Agricultural Communications.
  • Coordinator of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Extension Unit’s Conservation Education programs and Texas Parks and Wildlife regarding Hunter Education, April 2006‑present.  Also serve as liaison with Prairie View A&M University, April 2006‑2009.
    • Supervisor – Conservation Education Staff
      • Larry Hysmith, Extension Program Specialist (Supervisor, April 2006‑August 2011).
      • Denise Harmel-Garza, Extension Associate (Supervisor, April 2006‑June 2007; and September 2012-present).
      • Laci Chapman, Extension Assistant (Supervisor, September 2007‑2009).
    • Hunter Education Initiative and partnership featured during a Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting briefing May 2009.
    • Increased program capacity – Bernie Kessner, Texas Parks and Wildlife’s State Coordinator for Archery in the Classroom is now (2007) housed in WFSC.
  • Texas AgriLife Extension Service’s liaison for the Texas Master Naturalist program and serve as a State Committee Member, April 2006‑present.
    • TMN reached 1 million volunteer hours contributed in 2009, during its 10th year valued at $19.5 million
    • TMN program and partnership featured during a Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting briefing January 2008.
    • TMN was named “Educator of the Year” by the Texas Association for Environmental Education, 2007.
    • Provided habitat monitoring advanced training for grassland birds for Texas Master Naturalists, Ingram and served as Judge for TMN Exemplary Projects Fair, October, 2007 – 2011.
    • Awarded $4,000 in 2006 and $4,750 in 2007 to TMN Chapter development projects.
  • State Coordinator of the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program (WHEP), 4-H Youth Program (40 youth/yr), March 1, 2005‑April 2007.
    • WHEP Committee Member February 2003‑February 2005.
    • Superintendent for WHEP Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston, TX, March 9‑10, 2007.
    • Director for state competition, Canyon, TX, April 28, 2007.
    • Served on WHEP National Committee October 2006‑present.
    • Director for WHEP State Contest, Government Canyon State Natural Area, San Antonio, TX, April 7‑8, 2006.
    • Superintendent for WHEP Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston, TX, March 11‑12, 2006.
    • Director for state competition, Katy Prairie Conservancy, Waller, TX, April 23, 2005.
    • Judge for WHEP Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Houston, TX, March 11‑12, 2005 and February 28, 2004.
    • Judge for WHEP state competition, La Pryor, TX, April 11‑12, 2003.
  • Rainwater Harvesting Taskforce, Interdisciplinary group: Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Soil and Crop Sciences, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Horticultural Sciences and Texas Water Resources Institute.
    • Vice-Chancellors Award 2011
    • Committee Chairman, January 2007‑2008.
    • Committee member, March 2006‑December 2007.
    • Volunteers trained = 193 Master Gardeners of these 49 people documented 994 volunteer service hours which is valued at $17,892 ($18/hr).
    • Contributed to team web-site development; see http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu
    • Published 2 extension publications and 1 journal article
    • Texas Master Gardener – Rainwater Harvesting Regional Trainings, program evaluation instruments available upon request.
      • Ft. Worth, TX – Tarrant County 2007.
      • Conroe, TX – Montgomery County 2007.
      • Menard, TX – Menard County 2006, 2007.
      • Granbury – Hood County 2007.
    • Texas Master Naturalist – Rainwater Harvesting Training.
      • Kerrville, TX, Kerr County 2008-2009.
      • San Antonio, TX , Bexar County 2007.
  • Texas AgriLife Extension Service coordinator for the Chocolate Bayou Research and Demonstration Farm in Brazoria County, April 2006‑present.
  • Supervisor, Shane Sieckienus and David L. Alford, Research Assistants, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Uvalde, TX 2003‑2005.

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