What we’re about
What is a Nature Nerd anyway?
A Nature Nerd is someone who wants field based or hands-on experiences (e.g. hikes, citizen science, etc.), but is also interested in the current scientific research (i.e. astronomy, biology, ecology, physics, etc.). Anyone who wants to share what they know and what they are learning is included. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to join regardless of skill level, ability, or location!
Our basic expectation of behavior from everyone is "Be Considerate!'
The outdoor activities we schedule range from the Austin area, across all of Texas, and to other states. Hikes, observational activities (e.g. birding or astronomy), service/restoration/remediation projects with other groups (e.g Sierra Club), kayaking, and climbing are some examples. This includes more challenging back-country excursions with increased costs and skill requirements. If you have an idea for an activity or would like to participate as an event leader please contact any of the organizers.
"Men and women wanted for hazardous journey. No wages, bitter cold and sweltering heat, long hours of bright darkness. Safety doubtful. Wonder certain. More of the same in the event of success." [1]
We do have a basic rule that governs all activities:
No police, other LEA, firemen, EMTs, tax men, or other authority figures in a bad mood. If your event or project requires insurance, licenses, or needs to meet other regulatory requirements it is not Nature Nerds responsibility to provide them.
We also pursue deeper and more technical understandings of our interests by keeping up with the current literature (e.g. paper or book reading/reviews), as well as lectures and classes . These activities can be in person, virtual, or hybrid (i.e. in person and virtual).
Past activities have included nature walks to identify plants and animals, going to presentations (e.g. birds, grasses, and bats), and other activities that increased our knowledge and appreciation of the natural world. We have taken trips to Commons Ford, St. Edwards Park, Breckenridge Lab, and Canyon of the Eagles.
Sharing your experiences with pictures, videos, papers, computer programs, and other media is highly encouraged and your effort is appreciated.
Here are some links to better help explain the scope of our activities:
Basic Research -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_research
Hard and Soft Science -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_and_soft_science
Exact Sciences -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exact_sciences
Citizen Science -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science (This used to be called 'Amateur Science' and goes back to at least 1928)
The Amateur Scientist -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Amateur_S...
Open Science -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_science
Backcountry vs. Frontcountry -- https://www.trailspace.com/blog/2010/07/06/backcountry-versus-frontcountry.html
Wilderness Medical Emergency -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilderness_medical_emergency (Please seriously consider taking the time and effort to get CPR and WFA training.)
Leave No Trace -- https://lnt.org/
The 10 Essentials -- https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html (Be sure to select the Expert Advise menu page for more outdoor information!)
The Rule of Threes -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_threes_(survival)#:~:text=Normally%2C%20the%20rule%20of%20threes,(extreme%20heat%20or%20cold).
Lightning Safety - American Hiking Society -- https://americanhiking.org/resources/lightning-safety/
Crackpot Index -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crackpot_index
Discovery Hall -- https://txarchives.org/aushc/finding_aids/00673.xml (James Choate was a founding member)
The Exploratorium -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exploratorium
Here are some groups that we partner with:
Austin Sierra Club (Disclosure - James Choate is an Event Leader for the chapter) -- https://www.sierraclub.org/texas/austin
Austin Astronomical Society (Disclosure - James Choate is a member) -- https://austinastro.org/
Austin Physics for Fun (Disclosure - James Choate is an organizer) -- https://4142298.xyz/physics-1/
Capital Area Master Naturalist -- https://camn.org/
Balcones Canyonland Master Naturalist-- https://bctxmn.org/ (Stephanie Putnam is a member of this group, please contact her if you are interested in joining.)
ASMBLY Makerspace - Was ATX Hackerspace -- https://asmbly.org/
Diogenes Makerspace - Private - Our primary build site -- Contact James Choate for more info
South Austin Makerspace (In formation) -- https://4142298.xyz/southaustinmakerspace/
Texas Rock Climbing -- https://4142298.xyz/Texas-Rock-Climbing/
Asheville Science Tavern (Asheville, NC) - We cross-post activities with this group -- https://4142298.xyz/Asheville-Science-Tavern/
@Boslab Boston Open Science Laboratory - We cross-post activities with this group -- https://4142298.xyz/BosLab/
Counter Culture Labs -- https://4142298.xyz/Counter-Culture-Labs...
[1] Brotherton, Mike. "Spider Star" (ISBN 978-0-7653-1125-2).
This is a quote which is itself a play on Ernest Shackleton's supposed request for participants in his Antarctic Expedition:
"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success."
The irony is it appears that the quote was fabricated many years after the actual event and is nothing more than urban legend.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- $$ Whitewater School | Essentials of River Kayaking, San Marcos, TXCity Park, San Marcos, TX
SWIFT OR SMOOTH, MOVING WATER IS FASCINATING!
TWO-FUN FILLED RIVER DAYS WITH CAMPING/MOTEL OPTION
$399 per person tuition includes instruction and all kayaking gear.
$299 for kids ages 12 or under; (minimum age 8 y old).
Family and teenagers friendly.Whether by yourself or with the whole family, white water river kayaking is a wonderful way to explore and enjoy the water! Open the door to explore the awesome Texas's rivers including San Marcos, Guadalupe River, Texas Colorado River, Brazos River, Buffalo Bayou and other bonnier, rain dependent rivers and creeks!
Gain the skills and confidence to safely enjoy River Kayaking!
Catch the Eddy - Enroll Now!!
Essentials of River Kayaking Skills Development Course for creek boats, playboats, and whitewater kayaks with skirts. Involves - optional - practicing wet exits and attempting to perform combat rolling.
This course is designed as a 2-day program emphasizing safety, enjoyment, and skill acquisition for controlling and maneuvering a whitewater kayak in river conditions up to Class II-rapids.
This class is for beginners who have never paddled before a whitewater kayak in moving water/whitewater conditions, or for intermediate skills kayakers who need a paddling refresher skills class because they last paddled a long time ago, fewer than 10 times, or have experience paddling only in calm water conditions.
In this river/whitewater kayaking class paddlers can master kayaking on the moving waters. There will be dry-land discussions followed by river paddling each day. We are teaching proper techniques for launching, landing, paddle strokes, and kayak maneuvers on the go.
No previous experience required! No equipment necessary! We bring all the gear needed for the successful completion of this course.
CLASS OUTCOME:
This is a super fun hand-on class. By the end of this class, you will be more skillful, confident, and safer paddler and have increased specific knowledge and appreciation for whitewater/river kayaking. We help plant the seeds for a lifelong hobby, environmental consciousness, and an active lifestyle.
CURRICULUM:
Unseen danger/reading the river and your concerns | Introduction to basic equipment | Launching and landing from a bank | Introduction to how body, boat and blade work together | Basic body mechanics and efficiency of stroke | Forward and reverse paddling | Sweep strokes | Draw strokes | Turning on the move | Communication & Leadership |
CLASS TEACHING STYLE: all hands-on deck, "challenged by choice" philosophy.
Duration: 2 days (9am to 5pm first day, 9am to 1pm second day).
Paddling Time: 3 - 5 hours each day.
Paddling Distance: 4 – 5 miles.Tent camping & meals sharing, or motel option exists.
San Marcos River near San Marcos, TXREGISTRATION: Minimum 4 students are needed to run this class, and capacity is limited to 5:1 student to instructor ratio. This is a rain or shine event. A waiver must be signed. This class requires a moderate fitness level and the capacity to bend (body flexibility/touch your toes test). Our whitewater kayaks can accommodate paddlers up to 250 lbs. and 40-inch hip/pants size.
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NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE RIGHT CLASS FOR YOU?
Check our photos to get an idea...Essentials of River Kayaking, San Marcos, TX
CREDENTIALS: This course is taught Constantin Platon, an experienced outdoor educator, geology professor, and happy camper with 25+ years of experience, and the following current certifications:
ACA Level-3 Coastal/Sea Kayak Instructor
ACA Level-3 River/Whitewater Kayak Instructor
ACA Level-3 River/Lake Canoe Instructor (Solo & Tandem)
ACA Trip Leader & Eskimo Roll Endorsements
NOLS and Sierra International Wilderness First AidAdditional information (class syllabus) will be emailed once you enroll.
TO REGISSTER, PLEASE REPLY WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER!
We must have a phone call before the actual class to go over logistics, payment, your goals and expectations, and to answer all your questions.
I am excited to share with you from my expertise, and I look forward to paddling together!
Constantin
Call/Text: 832-686-3231Do you have in mind a different drill, date, or destination?
Want to hire us for a corporate team building, birthday party or family engagement, or a Scouting event? Let’s get in touch!
Born to Paddle!
- Meteor Shower - Leonids - Nov. 6 to Nov. 30 - Personal ActivityNeeds location
You do not need to sign up for this event. It is a placeholder only.
This is a personal challenge activity. If you have questions, need help, or want to organize with other members feel free to post comments below.
The International Meteor Organization has this to say...
The Leonids are best known for producing meteor storms in the years of 1833, 1866, 1966, 1999, and 2001. These outbursts of meteor activity are best seen when the parent object, comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, is near perihelion (closest approach to the sun). Yet it is not the fresh material we see from the comet, but rather debris from earlier returns that also happen to be most dense at the same time. Unfortunately it appears that the earth will not encounter any dense clouds of debris until 2099. Therefore when the comet returns in 2031 and 2064, there will be no meteor storms, but perhaps several good displays of Leonid activity when rates are in excess of 100 per hour. The best we can hope for now until the year 2030 is peaks of around 15 shower members per hour and perhaps an occasional weak outburst when the earth passes near a debris trail. The Leonids are often bright meteors with a high percentage of persistent trains.
Shower details - Radiant: 10:08 +21.6° - ZHR: 15 - Velocity: 44 miles/sec (swift - 71km/sec) - Parent Object: 55P/Tempel-Tuttle
Next Peak - The Leonids will next peak on the Nov 16-17, 2024 night. On this night, the moon will be 98% full.
Nature Nerds of Austin has this to say...
"Where is a good place to see the meteor shower?"
Good question, the darker the better. For the Austin area going either E or W will provide darker skies. I'd suggest looking at a light pollution map to help focus on areas as well.
https://www.lightpollutionmap.info/ https://darksitefinder.com/
https://www.cleardarksky.com/maps/lp/large_light_pollution_map.html
https://djlorenz.github.io/astronomy/lp2006/overlay/dark.html
https://www.darkskymap.com/
Because meteor showers are pieces of rock and dust on an orbit that intersects Earth's orbit at some point in time and space the best time to pick as the middle of your observing window is 2am local. This is because of the way the sun, the earth, and the meteor shower interact. From sundown to 2am the light gets progressively darker and after 2am it gets progressively lighter until you hit sunrise.
You'll want a good low sitting chair that has a lot of lean back. You basically want to lay back and just stare at the sky unfocused until you see an event. They can last from very short blips to long streaks lasting several seconds. If you're lucky you'll see an air burst where a large bolide comes apart in a shower, they are extremely rare.
The best binoculars to use for stargazing are 25x70 but smaller ones will work. Larger ones have too much magnification and there is a lot of jitter just from your natural body motion so the image is not stable. Binoculars are not a lot of use for meteor showers.
The two best places to get basic information are IMO and AMS.
IMO Shower Calendar -- https://www.imo.net/resources/calendar/
AMS Shower Calendar -- https://www.amsmeteors.org/meteor-showers/meteor-shower-calendar/Austin Astronomical Society (AAS) - They have many activities through the year. Consider becoming a member. -- https://austinastro.org/
You should also use Stellarium to help map out the date/time/and sky position of the expected source of the shower for a given date. BE ADVISED meteor showers are EXTREMELY UNPREDICTABLE. So don't expect to go out there and see something in the first 15 minutes. You could be out there all night and not see anything. Other nights you may get lucky and see a shower that has a high rate.
Stellarium has the ability to turn the screen red so you can keep it live if you have a laptop at your observing site.
Stellarium -- https://stellarium.org/
- $$ San Bernard River Kayak or Canoe TourBates Allen Park, East Bernard, TX
San Bernard River flows some 120 miles from near Ulm, TX into the Gulf of Mexico being flanked by two major river systems: Brazos River to the east and Colorado River to the west.
MAY THE FOREST BE WITH YOU!
Gain a fresh perspective on one of the most beautiful and serene stretches of San Bernard River during our 6 miles paddling tour.
Our itinerary displays dense and aged Cypress tree canopies great for providing shade in the hot months, and plenty of wildlife viewing along the banks and sky above.
Ideal for paddlers of all levels including families with kids, you can hone your kayaking skills and learn about the surrounding ecosystem in this river basin.
We do all the planning and packing - you just have to show up with plenty of cold drinks and lunch. We can't wait to paddle with you!
Tour Tuition: $199 per person ages 7 and up
10% discount offered to families
Gear and guiding includedActivity Duration: 3-4 hours
Paddling Time: 2-3 hours
Paddling Distance: 3-6 miles
Fitness Level: Easy to Moderate
Participants: Ages 7 and up= = =
Equipment: We use professional grade kayaks designed for touring the sea. They have sit-inside cockpit seat, with long and narrow hull that makes paddling efficient at covering long distances with lesser effort. We do not use sit-on-top kayaks.
Requirements: Good balance skills and reasonable fitness level is advisable. Our sit-inside cockpit touring kayaks can accommodate paddlers up to about 250 lbs. Best for outdoor enthusiasts without motion or sea sickness, comfortable with vigorous exercise. No previous paddling or swimming experience required - instruction provided!
Itinerary tailored to guests' desire, fitness level, group dynamics, weather conditions, etc.
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Sign up early!!
A RSVP “Yes” on Meetup merely states your interest.
Seats fill up quickly - the tour is cross posted on several platforms.***TO SIGN UP & CONFIRM LOGISTICS CALL 832-686-3231 ***
***THIS TOUR CAN BE RESCHEDULED: BOOK US AT YOUR CONVINIENT TIME FOR YOUR GROUP AT 4+***
Call Constantin to confirm logistics, gear size, set up expectations, fill out waiver and to process payment.
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WHAT TO BRING/HOW TO DRESS:
Bring 2 water bottles and pack a snack to take with you in the kayak.
Bring with you a towel and a set of dry clothing to change at the end for a comfortable ride home.Dress only with synthetic clothing. Wear outdoor, fast drying, non-cotton/synthetic clothing like hiking pants and shirts. Long sleeve shirts and long pants prevent sunburn and insect bites.
Bring water shoes/closed toed sandals; old sneakers work great. No crocs, no flip-flops, no rain boots. Wear paddling gloves or cycling/ workout gloves to prevent blisters and sunburn on hands.
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CREDENTIALS: This tour is organized by Constantin Platon, an experienced outdoor educator, geology professor, and happy camper with 25+ years of experience, and the following current certifications:
ACA Trip Leader & Eskimo Roll Endorsements
ACA Level-3 Coastal/Sea Kayak Instructor
ACA Level-3 River/Whitewater Kayak Instructor
ACA Level-3 River/Lake Canoe Instructor (Solo & Tandem)
NOLS and Sierra International Wilderness First Aid= = =
PLEASE REPLY WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER!
I am excited to share with you from my expertise, and I look forward to paddling together!
Constantin
[Call/Text: 832-686-3231]LET'S GET SOCIAL!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1022107514968636
Do you have in mind a Different Drill, Date or Destination?
We also run team building events, birthday parties, church functions, historical and geological field trips and eco tours; overnight camping excursions down the river and weekend long adventures at sea along the Gulf Coast; and advanced paddling skills courses.
Born to Paddle!
