In this episode, local Naturalist Rose Holmes joins us to discuss:
-her background and her interest in nature
-the Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve (KMP)
-what she and the other Naturalists do there
-what programs the KMP has
-what plants and animals are there


About Rose: "Rose Belzung Holmes developed a love and appreciation of nature through an upbringing in the Texas Hill Country, in the Twin Sisters area just south of Blanco, Texas. Spending time exploring the landscape and collecting bugs, plants, snakes, and fossils encouraged her interest in exploring careers that had roots in the environment. She received a B.S. in Rangeland Ecology and Management (2008) and a M.Ed. with a teaching certificate (2011), both from Texas A&M University in College Station. Her favorite part of education was the hands on applications, and she discovered a passion for teaching and sharing what she learned as well. After graduation, she moved to the Spring area with her new husband and spent a few months working part-time for the Texas A&M Forest service at the W.G. Jones State Forest office in Conroe as a program outreach coordinator. While only with the Forest Service for less than six months, she made connections with other enthusiastic professionals in the Forest Service as well as other industries that would continue to build and grow knowledge and networks up to the present day. It was during this time that she developed a new passion for trees and began the process of learning and studying to become a Certified Arborist. One thing she continued to learn is that there is always something to learn!

"Rose began working for the Harris County Precinct 4 Parks department in 2012, and began her career as an education programmer stationed at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center in Humble, TX. During her time here, she continued to study trees, birds, bugs, aquatic science, and any new information she could glean from other experienced naturalists. Over time, she has fulfilled other roles in the parks department including Forester, Naturalist, KMP Director, and Assistant Superintendent. Rose moved over to Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve after its opening in 2017 to grow and lead the educational programs offered to the public at KMP and other nearby locations. She enjoys the beauty of the area and exploring wild places when the time allows; and while she doesn’t get to lead programs as often any more, educating and interacting with the public is still her favorite part of the job. Her favorite programs to teach include topics of trees, plants, birds, bugs, and aquatic sciences.

"When not at work, Rose enjoys sewing, quilting, crafting, baking and spending time with her two young kids (2 and 3 years old) and husband. A favorite family activity is walking down to the neighborhood pond to visit the turtles (and the playground of course)."



Contact Michael:
1. ccerppodcast@aol.com
2. http://www.goldams.com
3. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gold-2883921/
4. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1152144714995033/

Join us at CCERP on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1152144714995033/



Show notes.
1. KMP Website: www.hcp4.net/kmp

2. KMP Facebook: www.facebook.com/KickerilloMischerPreserve/

3. HCP4 YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC704BVwMNvBrB9UceZMLjIw

4. HCP4 digital resources: www.hcp4.net/learning

5. Videos we discussed
a. Poison Ivy Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e-alq1friA&t=4s
b. Turtle Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ms8XeWpPWc
c. Insects Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQxuu0PNqTI
d. Water Quality Video: (to come)
f. History of KMP: https://youtu.be/kMv8Coj9r8w

6. Potency poison ivy: some are not at all allergic, some are severely allergic, some are only mildly or only moderately allergic.
a. https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/education/usm/2018/07/24/poison-oak-ivy-what-you-should-know-most-common-allergies-us/778441002/
b. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_ivy

7. Turtles
a. Common Musk Turtle
i. https://www.texasturtles.org/eastern-musk-turtle
ii https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sternotherus_odoratus
b. Box Turtles
i. https://www.texasturtles.org/ornate-box-turtle
ii. https://www.texasturtles.org/three-toed-box-turtle
iii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_turtle
c. Red-eared Slider
i. https://www.texasturtles.org/red-ear-slider
ii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider
d. Mud Turtle
i. https://www.texasturtles.org/mississippi-mud-turtle
ii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinosternon
e. Snapping Turtle
i. https://www.texasturtles.org/eastern-snapping-turtle
ii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelydridae
iii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_snapping_turtle
f. Alligator Snapping Turtle
i. https://www.texasturtles.org/alligator-snapping-turtle
ii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_snapping_turtle
g. Soft Shell Turtle
i. https://www.texasturtles.org/smooth-soft-shell
ii. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trionychidae

8. North Houston Astronomy Club
a. http://astronomyclub.org/nhacwp/
b. https://www.facebook.com/NorthHoustonAstronomyClub

9. Houston Audobon Society: https://houstonaudubon.org



Picture and bio courtesy Rose Holmes.