North Texas Master Naturalist

Owls of North Texas & the Impact of Rodenticides

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Social time starts at 6:30 pm. Meeting at 7 pm. Speaker begins at approximately 7:30 pm.

LOCATION:

• Texas A&M AgriLife Dallas County Extension Satellite Office
• 715 Rowlett Road Garland TX 75040

Learn about the owls of North Texas, their eating and nesting habits, with Erich Neupert, executive director of the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. Enjoy this chance to view some of the center’s educational owls up close. Hear their stories and the threats they face from humans, including rodenticides. Rodents make up a large part of owls’ diet. Hear veterinary technician Tracy Cassidy discuss studies in California on how these chemical baits, including first and second generation, have become the top choice for rat and mice control — with tragic implications for wildlife and domestic animals. Predators and omnivores eat the sickened or dead rodents and the toxin accumulates in their bodies, leading to a painful death. Learn how to educate others on alternatives to rodenticides.

Bio: Erich Neupert has been interested in birds since he was eight years old and studied birds with his grandmother, an experienced birder with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. After moving to Texas, Erich has held education and rehabilitation bird permits with Texas Parks and Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife with a focus on raptors. As executive director and the permitted rehabilitator for Blackland Prairie Raptor Center, he is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the center from rehabilitation and education to fundraising and public outreach. The center receives more than 600 patients each year, making it one of the largest raptor rehabilitation centers in the country.

Bio: Tracy Cassidy has been a veterinary technician for 12 years, currently working in emergency medicine. She is certified in small-animal nursing and has cared for companion animals with a focus on cats, pocket pets, and exotics. While at the SPCA of Texas, she created a TNR/Feral Cat Wellness Program. She was a volunteer wildlife caretaker at River Legacy Science Center in Arlington and now volunteers for Texas Native Cats.