I attended a very special dedication ceremony yesterday at Charro Ranch Park in Dripping Springs.

It was the opening of a new bird viewing station at the park. A bird viewing station provides a place for you to sit and observe birds at feeders or in the vicinity without the birds being distracted or scared by your presence.

The Hays County Master Naturalists led the design and building of the station. The park is owned by the City of Dripping Springs and is the site of one of our chapter’s major projects. Our members have been working there for about two years, restoring the land, removing invasive species, and cataloging the plants and wildlife. They also conduct bird species surveys and have identified about 114 species so far.

Charro Ranch Park Bird Viewing Station

Our chapter received two grants to help with the construction, one for $1,500 from the Dripping Springs Community Foundation and $1,000 from Pedernales Electric Cooperative – Community Grants Program. The project also received private donations and discounts on construction materials. Our chapter provided over 300 hours of volunteer labor.

Also, the local Girl Scouts created a bird guide to help visitors identify bird species and provided a trail sign and bird feeders at the park.

The station also features a rainwater collection system which you can see in the photo above. Rainwater falling on the metal roof is diverted and collected in a plastic tank next to the station and used to proved water for the birds and wildlife.

Jim Donohoe and M. Lee Brown at the ribbon cutting

Many Hays County Master Naturalists contributed to the project, led by M. Lee Brown. Fellow master naturalist Jim Donohoe was the construction leader.

I’m very proud of all the work they’ve done and proud to have them in our Chapter.