Horned and Barred Owls before our footsteps

followed the narrow boardwalk through a

dark wetland forest. Ears perked as we

listened to Mark’s inviting hoots and his

iPhone’s call of the wild. Did you know the

Barred Owl is the most vocal of Eastern Owls,

known best for its call, “Who cooks for you?

Who cooks for you all?” It doesn’t migrate or

move around much, but when a Great Horned

Owl moves in, the Barred Owl will scurry to

another part of its territory to avoid becoming

a midnight snack for its Great Horned

predator.

I followed as the tour caboose, keeping an eye

peeled to make sure no one fell behind,

thinking… “What if we don’t see any? There’s

no way owls are going to fly by for all these

people,” just as a startling, swooping sound

fluttered overhead, a dark shadow trailing

toward the treetops like the ghost of Tarzan

swinging from one side of the forest to the

other. “Woooahw!” whispered a soft chorus of

voices. After the first walk, I wondered if the

owls would catch on and get tired of pursuing

the “new owl in town,” but even after five

tours, the owls continued to swoop in for a

bird’s eye view of our star party.

Visitors left intrigued by the wildlife that shares

this enchanting wetland. I learned to never

doubt the reliability of a bird whisperer. You

can check out the Grand Bay Reserve eBird list

at http://ebird.org/ebird/hotspot/L274501

with over 552 checklists and 257 species of

birds that have been reported at the Reserve.

Grace Bennett 2

Botany Zone 2

Critter Corner 2

Capitol Day 3

Looking Ahead 3

Meet Our Staff 4

Visit Us 4

Children’s Art 5

From Our Director 5

Inside this issue:

S tar Party is the one event a year

where the entire Grand Bay NERR staff

come together and put forth one strong

collaborative effort. It is a really good

measure of what we can accomplish as

a team. While star party 2016 was no

different in the level of teamwork, it

was different in sheer size. There were

338 attendees who came out to enjoy

the festivities. Needless to say, this Star

Party will go down in history as the

biggest event the NERR has ever hosted.

The following is an article written by

Jacqueline Rose, a volunteer who

assisted with the owl walk.

This past December, I enjoyed a stellar

experience helping out with the Owl

Walks at Grand Bay Reserve’s Star

Party, a celebration skyjacked by

clouds that cuddled the stars from our

eyesight and traded our intergalactic

expectations for a friendly gift of warm

winter twilight. Dozens of families

arrived as nightfall befell, curious to

scout out feathered friends in the forest.

Dr. Mark Woodrey, Grand Bay’s

Research Coordinator and local

birdman, shared fun facts about Great

Volume 3, Issue I March, 2017– July , 2017

Grand Bay NERR is a state-

federal partnership with the

Mississippi Department of

Marine Resources and the

National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

Office for Coastal

Management. We are one of 29

NERRs nationwide.

Bayou Buzz

Star Party 2016

Dr. Mark Woodrey giving guests a crash

course on NERR resident owl species

Bird Whisperer

Night boardwalk footsteps

Birdman calls, barred owls swoop low

Feather dusting all

Grace Bennett is a senior at Pass

Christian High School with exceptional

artistic ability. She loves creating art

and has been doing so since she was

a child. Following in her mother’s

footsteps, Grace mostly works with

watercolors and oil paints. The entry

she submitted this year really

captured the essence of the Gulf

Coast by featuring some of our most

valuable resources. It should be noted

that she has entered our poster

contest twice, put up against older,

more experienced artists, and won by

a landslide each time. She plans on

The yellow butterwort is a perennial

plant that is less than one foot tall and

flowers between April and May under

normal conditions. This year, they are

already popping up in the savannas

around the reserve,

indicating an early

spring. The yellow

butterwort can be

found in savannas,

bogs, pinelands,

and other regions

of the coastal plain

with highly acidic soils.

They are also a type of carnivorous

plant. The prey, mostly gnats and

mosquitos or midges, are attracted to

the “sticky trap” by a musty smelling

flower. They then become trapped on

the leaves by a thick, gluey mucilage

like substance that they excrete. The

leaves begin to slowly curl inward

and digestive fluids are released.

After nutrients are absorbed from the

prey, the leaves will uncurl and

resume prey capture. Studies have

Grace Bennett: Two-time Poster Contest Champion

Page 2 Bayou Buzz Volume 3, I ssue I

easily. This snake has been seen hiding

in the wrack line as well as the

burrows of fiddler crabs, crawfish,

and muskrats. While gulf salt marsh

snakes are mainly piscivorous, or fish

eating, they will also prey upon

invertebrates such as crabs and

shrimp.

Because these animals do not possess

salt glands to remove the excess salt

from their bodies, they must take in

fresh water to survive. They can obtain

The gulf salt marsh snake is a

subspecies found along the Gulf Coast

from Texas to the tip of the Florida

panhandle. These snakes are found in

brackish water habitats such as

marshes, salt meadows, mud flats, and

estuaries. They are rarely found in

fresh water.

The gulf salt marsh snake is known to

be mostly nocturnal, but its behaviors

are greatly influenced by tidal

patterns or seasons and can adjust

Botany Zone: Yellow Butterwort (Pinguicula lutea)

attending MSU in the fall to study art

with an emphasis in painting. Grace,

we wish you well and know that you

are destined for great things.

shown that some of

t h e m a t e r i a l s

absorbed from their

insect prey, assumed

to be phosphates, not

only provide them

with nutrients, but can

actually assist the

roots of butterworts

to better absorb the

small amount of

nutrients that are

contained in the soil.

Critter Corner: Gulf Salt Marsh Snake (Nerodia clarkii clarkii)

fresh water from rainfall, the shifting

tides, or the animals they consume.

6-8 Advanced Topics in Plant ID @

Weeks Bay NERR

16 NERR Birthday Celebration

25-29 NMEA Conference

July:

4 Office Closed

Page 3 Bayou Buzz Volume 3, I ssue I

Looking Ahead...

Capitol Day

Being a Gulf Coast girl who loves the

water, I haven’t traveled much to

Jackson, MS. Recently, I traded in the

pine savanna view from my office

window for a view of Mississippi’s State

Capitol Rotunda (pictured right).

The Mississippi Department of Marine

Resources (MDMR) Capitol Day is an

annual agency outreach event in

Jackson.

We traveled on January 31 and met

with our Coast legislators and MDMR

colleagues for dinner at The Manship

Wood Fired Kitchen. While I introduced

Avery (who was relatively new at the

Reserve– See “Meet the Staff”) to our

MDMR colleagues from other offices, she

introduced me to Rep. Manly Barton

(District 109- George, Jackson Counties).

Rep. Barton then introduced us to Rep.

John Read (District 112- Jackson County)

and many other Coast legislators. We

talked about our favorite things about

the MS Gulf Coast- and of course the

Grand Bay NERR!

On February 1, Avery and I met with

the legislators from the previous night

a n d t o u r e d t h e H o u s e o f

Representatives Chamber before

Session began. It was beautiful, with

stained glass and gorgeous marble

walls! Not many people are allowed

in the chambers during session, so we

were grateful for the quick tour and

sneak peek. In the Capitol Rotunda,

MDMR gathered with displays and

goodies to greet Mississippi House of

Representatives and Senators, staff,

and visitors. Even Governor Phil Bryant

made an appearance!

One of the most important aspects of

MDMR’s Capitol Day is to bring a little

taste of the Gulf Coast inland, where

Jackson residents and legislators

outside of the Coast can see what

we’re all about. The MS Seafood booth

had yummy shrimp and grits, while the

Heritage Area display featured its new

kiosk. We also had examples of

artificial reefs, oyster tongs, and many

giveaway items.

My favorite part about speaking to

groups was sharing how awesome the

Grand Bay NERR is, and the fun and

exciting things we do, like everything

featured in this newsletter. Avery and I

invited many people to come visit us if

they visit the Gulf Coast, and we hope

to see them (and you) soon!

-Sandra Huynh, Director’s Assistant

Above: Mist Flower (Eupatorium coelestinum)

May:

13 Advanced Photography

Workshop

20-21 Batik Workshop

22-26 FWS Advanced Plant ID

29 Office Closed

June:

1 Disaster Response Field Exercise

3 Photography for Beginners

Workshop

6 Rain Barrel Workshop @

Ocean Springs Library

Dates and times are subject to change. Please

see our Website or Facebook page for updates

For more information on events,

visit our website at

www.GrandBayNERR.org

Call us at (228) 475-7047

Or check out our Facebook page!

Please join us in welcoming Grand

B ay NERR ’ s ne w Edu ca t i o n

Coordinator, Avery Sward. Avery

coordinates all K-12, outreach, and

community educational events. She

collaborates with different sectors at

the Grand Bay NERR to integrate

current research and training into the

educational programs. She also plans

the Grand Bay NERR’s monthly

Adventure Quenchers for people of

all ages. Additionally, she tries to

establish partnerships with local

schools, businesses, and organizations

to help build a community of

environmental stewards. Avery holds

a Master’s degree in Biology

Education with an emphasis in

environmental biology from the

University of Southern Mississippi

(USM). She received her Bachelor’s

Meet our Staff: Avery Sward

Cool off with a visit to the Interpretive Center located in our Coastal Resource Center. Inside you can learn about everything an estuary has to offer. You’ll learn about everything from wildlife, weather, and wildfires, to the

culture and history of the area!

Ask for a tour of the building and learn how we

received our Gold LEED Standard Award for being

green.

Don’t forget to say “hi!” to Tobi the

Terrapin before

you leave!

Learn what it really means to “live life on the edge” by visiting the

Grand Bay NERR today!

Quench your thirst for outdoor adventure by hiking the Oak Grove Birding Trail or the brand new Savannah Trail. You’ll see birds, butterflies, and lots of other animals that frequent the area. What will you spot? Make sure to put it on our

sightings board at the Interpretive Center!

Page 4 Bayou Buzz Volume 3, I ssue I

Have You Visited Lately?

Interpretive Center

Hours:

Monday through

Friday

9 am – 3 pm

degree from USM and Mississippi

Gulf Coast Community College in

Biology. Avery also taught laboratory

c las se s and worked i n the

herpetology laboratory at USM.

While in Hattiesburg, she actively

volunteered at Lake Thoreau

Environmental Center by assisting with

their informal education programs.

During her free time, Avery enjoys

hiking at state and national parks,

going to garage sales, and playing

with her two big dogs. Avery’s

favorite thing to do is spending time

on the water. She comes from several

generations of commercial and

recreational fishermen, so she grew

up with the tradition of protecting and

playing on the rivers and marshlands

that make up the Mississippi Gulf

Coast. She loves to bass fish, run

catfish lines, and flounder gig. Come

by the Grand Bay NERR and meet

Avery today! She may even have a fish

story or two to share with y’all.

Children’s Art Contest Winners

Every quarter I reflect on the beautiful

things that happen at the Grand Bay

NERR; and each time I find myself more

inspired by this place.

Like every year, we open our doors in

December to celebrate star gazing

during the Geminoid meteor shower

with a nighttime hay ride. We share

soup and hot chocolate, make crafts

and cookies, look for owls and other

nighttime critters, and delight children

with a visit from Santa Claus. This year

our open house was a huge hit! We

hosted more visitors than ever before,

took tons of pictures, called up owls

galore, and even added a fun Rudolph

the Reindeer corn hole game. It was a

lively night at the NERR filled with

energy and excitement even though

most of the stars were hiding behind

clouds.

I think we inspired our community to

love the NERR and its habitats even

Page 5 Bayou Buzz Volume 3, I ssue I

more, and we were definitely inspired

to think of new ways we can celebrate

this place with our friends.

Whether we are looking for stars in a

remote sky, darker than most around

here, taking our visitors out on the

water for a morning paddle, using

innovative science to address regional

coastal management questions, or

sweeping up Henslow’s sparrows in the

savanna, we are always aiming to

learn as much as we can and to share

what we learn with our community of

friends and neighbors.

We were coordinators and judges at

the MS Regional Science Fair in

January where we spent the day

talking science with kids. We invited

artists to our reserve in March and

delighted in the beautiful ways they

expressed the nature of this place in

their art. I even was able to make my

first fire-inspired piece of batik art!

First place winners from the

Celebrate the Gulf Children’s Art

Contest (left to right).

From Our Director: Dr. Ayesha Gray We also hosted Teachers on the

Estuary in March. We taught local

teachers about our newest scientific

discoveries and equipped them with

curricula and tools to use in their

classrooms. At the NERR, we aim to

an swe r que s t i o n s w i t h l o ca l

researchers, we aim to inspire with

what we learn, and, we aim to connect

with every member of our community

so they can know this place better and

find joy and beauty in what pine

savannas and marshes do for each one

of us every single day.

The Grand Bay

NERR is about

more than a

special place, it

is about people

having a sense of

place. Come and

visit us!

K-Addison Taylor

1st-Quinn Burns

2nd-Khloe Bishop

3rd-Dat Chau

4th-Jada Gressley

5th-Riley Lee

6th-Addison Pierce

7th-Madelyn Holliday

8th-Nevaeh Johnson

Co

ng

ratu

lati

on

s!

K

3rd

6th

1st 2nd

4th 5th

7th 8th

Address for Mailing

Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

6005 Bayou Heron Road

Moss Point, MS 39562

We’re on the Web!

Visit GrandBayNERR.org

Phone: 228.475.7047

Office hours: M-F 8am-4pm

Interpretive Center Hours: M-F 9am-3pm

Contact Us Grand Bay NERR Newsletter:

Bayou Buzz

The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) was designated in 1999 as part of a system

of 29 reserves around the nation. We are a “state-federal” partnership managed by the Mississippi

Department of Marine Resources and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office for

Coastal Management. This NERR is co-located with a USFWS National Wildlife Refuge. The Grand Bay

NERR is comprised of approximately 18,000 acres of pine savannas, salt marshes, salt pannes, open

water and bayous, as well as other terrestrial habitats that are unique to the coastal zone.

Come visit us!

Can’t wait to see y’all!

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