Allow me to backtrack a bit, I recently served as a seasonal Golden-cheeked Warbler Field Biologist with The Nature Conservancy at Fort Hood, TX. The Golden-cheeked Warbler(Dendroica chrysoparia)only breeds in the mixed juniper-oak woodlands of central Texas. The female uses the stringy bark of mature Ashe Juniper(Juniperus ashei)as nesting material. Ashe Juniper reach mature status at around 30-yrs old. As such a habitat specialist, this bird is particular vulnerable to alteration or destruction of juniper-oak woodlands, and is a federally endangered species. As human population growth continues to boom, and unabated development grows and paves from Austin to San Antonio and points westward, Fort Hood in Killeen holds perhaps the largest area of prime Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo(Vireo atricapilla),also endangered, breeding habitat left in the world.
This became quite a strenuous field job over time. But I am thrilled to have been a part of this project, one that's been on-going since the 1980's. I am very proud to have done my small part to help. This job ended back in June.
My next job will be on a 37-acre atoll in the Northwest Islands, Hawai'i. More on that later.
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