Red-cockaded Woodpecker bringing food to its nesting cavity. This species’ nesting cavities are characterized by live tree sap that flows from holes the woodpeckers purposely make that surround the cavity

 

To improve future habitat for Red-cockaded Woodpeckers to forage and nest, a group of veterans from Team Rubicon will be assisting the Texas A&M Forest Service in the William Goodrich Jones State Forest by removing certain trees from a habitat area’s understory that impede adult Red-cockaded Woodpeckers from excavating cavities and foraging. Red-cockaded Woodpeckers prefer mature pine forests, but they need open forests with a park-like habitat that leaves open flight paths and prevents the crowding of trees so predators can’t climb up to reach their roosting and nesting cavities, said Texas A&M Forest Service Biologist Donna Work.

Through June 2, teams of personnel will be operating in William Goodrich Jones State Forest, located north of Houston, conducting restoration work to improve potential Red-cockaded Woodpecker nesting and foraging areas. “The cluster area where they will be working is inactive, meaning the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are not living there now, but we hope some will move into that area of recruitment,” explained Texas A&M Forest Service Biologist Laura Work. She has identified four active Red-cockaded Woodpecker nesting cavities on the W.G. Jones State Forest and predicts that within 6 to 10 days, nestlings should begin hatching.

Texas A&M Forest Service has united with Team Rubicon, a nonprofit organization dedicated to service, that provides veterans with an avenue to regain three things they lose after leaving the military: a purpose, gained through disaster response; community, built by serving others; and identity, created by joining a new mission.

Since 2019, volunteers and members of Team Rubicon have responded to 35 disasters and completed more than 4,200 hours of disaster response training online and in person. The volunteers will gain valuable sawyer training experience while assisting the Texas A&M Forest Service with land management activities.

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