Tag Archives: invasive hunter

May 31, 2013 · 6:49 am

Young Invasive Species Hunters Train at the Milam County Nature Festival

Future invasive species hunters train with Commander Ben at the Invasive Hunter Academy during the Milam County Nature Festival

Future invasive species hunters train with Commander Ben at the Invasive Hunter Academy during the Milam County Nature Festival

As I was asking folks which booth was their favorite,
the overwhelming majority said Commander Ben with a smile.

Chris Harper, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

I have been so busy finishing up eighth grade that I have not had a chance to share with you yet about a great experience I had last month.

On Saturday, April 13, I brought the Invasive Hunter Academy to the Milam County Nature Festival at the Rockdale Fair Park.  It was a great event with over 500 people in attendance.  I was invited to participate in the festival by Dr. John Pruett and Ms. Joyce Dalley, two wonderful Milam County Master Naturalists I had met last year at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center when I attended invasive species training for citizen scientists and the Invaders of Texas Program.

Ms. Joyce Dalley, Commander Ben, and Dr. John Pruett in the "Green room" before Ben's invasive species presentation at Rockdale Intermediate School

Ms. Joyce Dalley, Commander Ben, and Dr. John Pruett in the “Green room” before Ben’s invasive species presentation at Rockdale Intermediate School

The day before, I was invited to talk about invasive species and dyslexia at the Rockdale Intermediate School by Dr. Pruett, Principal Kathy Pelzel, and Ms. Susan Boyd, ACE Coordinator for the school. I had a great time with the students–future invasive hunters for sure!

Commander Ben talks about invasive species to over 350 kids at the Rockdale Intermediate School.

Commander Ben talks about invasive species to over 350 kids at the Rockdale Intermediate School

Lots of great kids came to the Milam County Nature Festival events and to participate in the Invasive Hunter Academy, including quite a few adults too!  After five hours of activities, I was exhausted but it was a lot of fun. Here are some pictures of the day:

Commander Ben getting the Invasive Hunter Academy ready for the Milam County Nature Festival

Commander Ben getting the Invasive Hunter Academy ready for the Milam County Nature Festival

Commander Ben's a featured festival presentation at 9:30 a.m. with the Invasive Hunter Academy going on all day.

Commander Ben’s a featured festival presentation at 9:30 a.m. with the Invasive Hunter Academy going on all day

Finding Commander Ben on a map of the Milam County Nature Festival.

Finding Commander Ben on a map of the Milam County Nature Festival

Commander Ben training budding naturalists to hunt invasive species.

Commander Ben training budding naturalists to hunt invasive species

Kids having fun at the Milam County Nature Festival

Kids having fun at the Milam County Nature Festival

El Camino Real - Texas Master Naturalists Chapter display

El Camino Real – Texas Master Naturalists Chapter display

More fun activities at the Milam County Nature Festival.

More fun activities at the Milam County Nature Festival

Near the end of the festival, I took a quick tour around the Rockdale Fair fair grounds to take in all the sights of the other nature festival activities. There were lots of booths, including a great exhibit about butterflies and the plants they like, another about how the coyote is the only relative of the wolf left in Texas, and still another was teaching all about crayfish. I even bought one of the books about crayfish.

I want to send out a special thank you to Dr. Pruett, Ms. Dalley, and all the Milam County Master Naturalists and volunteers for inviting me to be part of their Nature Festival.  Thanks to Mr. Harper and all the young invasive species hunters that I talked with.

I had a great time and know everyone else did too! 🙂

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under Chris Harper, Invasive Hunter, Invasive Hunter Academy, Invasive Species, John Pruett, Joyce Dalley, Lights Camera Help Annual Nonprofit Film Festival, Milam County Master Naturalists, Milam County Nature Festival, Rockdale Fair Park, Uncategorized, US Fish and Wildlife Service

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May 8, 2013 · 7:12 am

Commander Ben Talks about Invasive Species and Dyslexia at Rockdale Intermediate School

Commander Ben talks to 350 enthusiastic students about invasive species and dyslexia at Rockdale Intermediate School

Commander Ben talks to 350 enthusiastic students about invasive species and dyslexia at Rockdale Intermediate School

Last month, I had one of the greatest experiences in my life when I went to talk about invasive species and dyslexia to 350 third through fifth graders at the Rockdale Intermediate School.  Dr. John Pruett, of the Milam County Master Naturalists, coordinated the event as part of the Milam County Nature Festival, which took place the next day on Saturday, April 13.

When I arrived at the school, Dr. Pruett met me at the entrance and then I checked in and got to meet Principal Kathy Pelzel and Ms. Susan Boyd, ACE Coordinator for the school. Before the start of my talk, I joined the other Milam County Master Naturalists, including Ms. Joyce Dalley, in a conference room where we chatted about invasive species, nature, and other fun stuff.

At 2:00 PM, Dr. Pruett introduced me to a cafeteria room full of excited students. They gave me an enthusiastic and thunderous round of applause as I took the mic.  I was humbled…and nervous!  But once I started to speak, I relaxed and had a wonderful time. They were a great audience!

Commander Ben talks about his "Ecesis Far Far Away" video and the invasive species Elephant Ear.

Commander Ben talks about his “Ecesis Far Far Away” Video and the invasive species Elephant Ear.

I talked to the kids all about invasive species, the Invasive Hunter Academy, my blog, my videos (and showed a few of them!), and my experiences with dyslexia.  With each video, I talked about the characters that I played and the invasive species that I featured. It was a lot of fun.  It was especially rewarding when the kids laughed and laughed while watching my The Amazing Invasive Hunter Man video, part of my Battle with Invasive Species video series.

After my talk, the kids had some great questions for me…including…Was I nervous? (Yes) How old am I? (14) What’s my favorite animal? (Dog – especially my dog Obi-Wan) What’s my favorite color! (blue, but green for plants too) And what are some of the toughest invasive species in Texas? (Giant Reed and Hydrilla)

Ms. Susan Boyd, Dr. John Pruett, Ms. Joyce Dalley, and Commander Ben show off their invasive hunter skills.

Ms. Susan Boyd, Dr. John Pruett, Ms. Joyce Dalley, and Commander Ben show off their invasive hunter skills.

Thanks Dr. Pruett, Principal Pelzel, and Ms. Boyd for inviting me to talk to the great students at Rockdale Intermediate School. I hope the kids had as much fun as I did. I know they’re going to be great future invasive hunters!

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under Amazing Invasive Hunter Man, Battles with Invasive Species, Dyslexia, In an Ecesis Far Far Away, Invasive Hunter, Invasive Hunter Academy, Invasive Plants, Invasive Species, John Pruett, Joyce Dalley, Kathy Pelzel, Milam County Master Naturalists, Milam County Nature Festival, Rockdale Intermediate School, Susan Boyd

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May 5, 2013 · 5:38 pm

Commander Ben Celebrates Earth Day at St. Edward’s University

Commander Ben joins St Edward's Earth Week celebrations

Commander Ben joins St Edward’s Earth Week celebrations

I’ve had an exciting last few weeks that I look forward to talking with you about, but I first want to catch up on some of the great events that I had a chance to be part of in April.

Last year, I was invited to St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, to give a talk about Commander Ben and the Invasive Hunter Academy as part of St. Edward’s 2012 Earth Day events. I had a great time and was honored to be invited to bring the Invasive Hunter Academy back on Monday, April 22, to St. Edward’s 2013 Earth Day celebrations.

Commander Ben and the Invasive Hunter Academy at St. Edward's University

Commander Ben and the Invasive Hunter Academy at St. Edward’s University

It was a beautiful sunny day and turnout for the event was great. Along with my Invasive Hunter Academy display and poster board about my invasive species nemesis, the Giant Reed (Arundo donax), there were lots of great people there with all sorts of Earth Day activities and information. I enjoyed visiting all the tables and meeting some very interesting folks.

Some of the groups I had a chance to speak with on Earth Day included:

Agana Rainwater at St. Edward's Earth Week celebrations

Agana Rainwater at St. Edward’s Earth Week celebrations

Car2Go at St. Edward's Earth Week celebrations

Car2Go at St. Edward’s Earth Week celebrations

Johnson's Backyard Garden at St. Edward's Earth Week celebrations

Johnson’s Backyard Garden at St. Edward’s Earth Week celebrations

Sustainable Food Center at St. Edward's Earth Week celebrations

Sustainable Food Center at St. Edward’s Earth Week celebrations

I want to thank all the people at St. Edward’s for another great Earth Day celebration, and a special thank you to Mr. Mitch Robinson, Education and Land Management Coordinator for Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, and Ms. Cristina Bordin, Special Assistant to the President and Sustainability Coordinator for St. Edward’s University, who invited me to be a part of this great event.

Commander Ben and Mitch Robinson at St. Edward's Earth Week celebrations

Commander Ben and Mitch Robinson at St. Edward’s Earth Week celebrations

I’ll have more posts coming up about my other April adventures. Talk with you again soon! 🙂

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under Agana rainwater, Arundo donax, Car2Go, Christina Bordin, Earth Day, Giant Reed, Invasive Hunter, Invasive Hunter Academy, Invasive Species, Johnson's Backyard Garden, Mitch Robinson, St Edward's University, Sustainable Food Center, Uncategorized, Wild Basin Preserve, Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve

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April 17, 2013 · 6:43 pm

Invasive Hunter Academy Returns to St. Edward’s University for Earth Day

Join the Invasive Hunter Academy and be one of the few. The proud. The fighting naturalists!

Join the Invasive Hunter Academy and be one of the few. The proud. The fighting naturalists!

I had a lot of great experiences the last few weeks and have a number of blog posts to get caught up on, but I wanted to tell you that I’m bringing the Invasive Hunter Academy to St. Edward’s University for Earth Day on Monday, April 22, as part of the university’s Earth Week 2013 program. I even created a new logo for the event, which is at the top of this post and is also on the St. Edward’s Earth Week 2013 web page. Hope you like the logo!

I was at St. Edward’s University last year, and I had a great time speaking to students, faculty, and members of the community about my fight against invasive species and how I developed the Commander Ben blog, videos, and the Invasive Hunter Academy.

There are lots of great activities going on at St. Edward’s this week and next week too, so be sure to check out the festivities:

Many thanks to Mr. Mitch Robinson, Education and Land Management Coordinator for Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, and Ms. Cristina Bordin, Special Assistant to the President and Sustainability Coordinator for St. Edward’s University, for inviting me to be part of their Earth Day 2013 celebrations.

Hope to see you there!

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under Christina Bordin, Earth Day, Invasive Hunter, Invasive Hunter Academy, Invasive Species, Mitch Robinson, St Edward's University, Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve

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January 21, 2013 · 3:47 pm

Top 5 Washington DC Museums for Invasive Species Hunters

Commander Ben Goes to Washington

Commander Ben Goes to Washington

Are you a budding invasive hunter who’s planning a trip to Washington DC this year? If so, I’ve got the list for you!

I had a great time last year bringing my Invasive Hunter Academy to Kids’ day during National Invasive Species Awareness Week at the US Botanic Gardens. While I was there, my family and I visited many of the museum in our nation’s capital, and I made notes on what I liked and what would be neat for invasive hunters in training.

Here are my top five museums for invasive species hunters and for everyone who loves adventure and nature too!

  1. United States Botanic Gardens
    • Liked: Fantastic place with lots of wonderful plants! And so close to the United States Capitol! The special “Orchid Mystic: Nature’s Triumph” display they had was very cool and was related to the Japanese, a culture that I admire.
    • Invasive Hunters: Learn a lot about plants! See what potential invasive species look like because some plants native to one area are not native in another area.
  2. International Spy Museum
    • Liked: You have to go on the Operation Spy action adventure, as well as see the James Bond exhibit. It’s also great learning about the carrier pigeons and Benjamin Franklin’s role as a spy. Cool gift shop! The deadbolt drop and survival tools are must haves.
    • Invasive Hunters: Teaches you the art of espionage so you can spy on invasives and hone your skills.
  3. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
    • Liked: The water beetles in the bug zoo were cool. Great fossil, rock, and mineral collection. The Hope diamond was much smaller than I expected. They had a bigger diamond there that dwarfed it. Great rock gift shop.
    • Invasive Hunters: Learn about invasive pests, and learn about rocks and minerals that you may encounter while hunting for invasives.
  4. United States Capitol
    • Liked: Loved meeting my US Congressman to talk about the problems with invasive species. Be sure to visit the House Gallery if they’re in session. The House chambers look smaller than on TV. The statues and tunnels were great too! Each state got to have two statues and I saw the two that were from Texas. A statue from Hawaii was great with the “big guy” in golden armor…King Kamehameha!
    • Invasive Hunters: Learn how laws are made that may help to keep invasive species from invading our ecosystems. Be sure to get the quill and ink from the gift shop to write “Down with Invasives!” in the old fashion style.
  5. National Cryptologic Museum
    • Liked: Great information on how to decipher codes, and learned about the Hobo code from the depression era. Also learned about the German Enigma machine and how the Allies cracked the code in WWII. Nice gift shop, but the Spy museum was better. 😉
    • Invasive Hunters: Create codes for native plants that invasive species can’t read. 🙂

Let me know if you have any favorites too!

2013 National Invasives Species Week

National Invasives Species Week (NISAW) is back this year from March 3-8, 2013, in Washington, DC.

My thanks to Sheriff Al and the NISAW team for inviting me back this year. I’ve been preparing for high school (tests, homework, augh!), and won’t be able to make it back 😦 , but if you live near or are visiting Washington DC during this time, don’t miss going to NISAW Kids’ Day on March 3. 🙂 There will be lots of fun activities for the entire family to learn more about invasive species! Plus, you can visit all the great museums in our nations capital. Yea!

Your friend,
Ben

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Filed under International Spy Museum, Invasive Hunter, Invasive Hunter Academy, Invasive Microbes, Invasive Species, National Cryptologic Museum, National Invasive Species Awareness Week, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, U.S. Botanic Garden, United States Capitol, US Capitol, Washington DC

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