February 3 through 6 -- Lawn, Garden and Home Improvement Expo "House With A Heart".
 If this issue reaches you in time, please volunteer to help set up and man our booth at this show to be held February 4 through 6 at the Beaumont Civil Center. Call Jeannie Lanclos at 409-724-1307 as soon as possible.
 In addition to our booth, there will be other items of interest, including a series of educational topics presented by the Jefferson County Master Gardeners Association in  cooperation with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service.

February 17 -- Membership Meeting.
See front page of this issue.

February 19 - Field Trip.
Nature Conservancy's Sandyland Sanctuary, looking for the wintering birds of Southeast Texas. Brown-headed Nuthatches are quite common in the area, and we should find woodpeckers and a few sparrows in the open areas. Meet at the Sanctuary parking lot at 7:30 a.m. After rains, the low lying parts of the sanctuary and the floodplain trail may be wet or even under water. Rubber boots recommended in those circumstances. The Sanctuary is on Highway 327, which runs from Highway 69/287 just south of Kounzte over to Business Highway 96 in Silsbee. From the south, it is probably easiest to take Highway 69/287 and turn right (east) on Highway 327. The entrance to the parking lot is on the north side of the road, immediately after the highway dips down to cross Village Creek. (Most of the sanctuary is on a bluff on the east side of the creek.) 

March 11 - Sabine Woods Work Day
Please come help us prepare the Woods for the birds in advance of spring migration. Meet at the Woods at 7:30 a.m. or later. Bring pruning shears, clippers and your other favorite brush clearing tools. Increasingly, rotary lawnmowers are helpful. Also bring gloves and other protective gear, including mosquito repellant. Call John Whittle 409-722-4193 for further information.

March 11 - Big Thicket Loop of Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail  -- South-east Texas Migration Celebration
To celebrate the opening of the Upper Texas Coast section of the trail, the Convention and Visitors Bureaus and Chambers of Commerce associated with the Big Thicket Loop will be presenting a series of displays and programs at the new Texas Travel Information Center on Interstate 10 in Orange from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

March 16 -- Membership Meeting.
Unfortunately, P. D. Hulce will be unable to speak at the March meeting because of a conflict with an important duty at work. Watch next month's Brown Pelican for details of our March program.

March 18 -- Field Trip.
Following tradition, we will seek early migrating shorebirds at Bolivar Flats, meeting at the vehicle barrier at 8:30 a.m., or join the group out on the flats shortly after. The Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary is accessed from Highway 87 about three miles east of the Ferry landing on the Bolivar. Turn south from Highway 87 along Rettilon Road (opposite the eastern intersection of Loop 108 with  Highway 87. If sand conditions permit, drive onto the beach, turn right (west), and drive approximately one half-mile to the vehicle barrier. 

April 14-16 -- Twenty-first Annual Texas Wilderness Pow Wow. 
This will be held at the Townsend Park Recreation Area in the Angelina National Forest near Broaddus. Featured will be walks into the Turkey Hill Wilderness. For more information, contact the Texas Committee on Natural Resources, 1301 South IH-35, Suite 301, Austin, Texas 78741. Tel: (512) 441-1122; email tconr@mindspring.com.

April 20 -- Membership Meeting
Jace Stansbury will present a program on Chimney Swifts

April 22 - Field Trip
Bird Walk at Sea Rim State Park and Sabine Woods. Meet at the headquarters area of Sea Rim  State Park at 7:30 a.m.

May 13 - North American Migration Count - Jefferson County. Contact John whittle 409-722-4193 for details.

May 18 -- Membership Meeting.
Details in later issues of the Brown Pelican.