The Travis Audubon Baker Preserve is near Cedar Park in the northwest Austin area. It is a 715-acre preserve that is surrounded by BCP land. The land was originally owned by the Baker family and was given as a donation after their passing. There still remains a small graveyard and house where they used to live. Our class went on a field trip to the preserve to learn about the history and the scenery. The park’s main function is to serve as a habitat for the endangered Golden Cheeked Warbler. The land is managed by Chris Murray who also lives on the preserve with his family. The preserve is open to hikers if they are members of the Audubon Society.

We learned about the process of Golden Cheek Warbler habitat restoration. Chris catches the birds and bands them on their legs. This allows not only him but every other nature preserve in the region to be able to recognize the birds because each one has a unique band. At the Baker preserve there are about 70 pairs of breeding pairs. Chris spends three years surveying about 100 acres of the preserve and then rotates to another parcel.

Along with Golden Cheeked Warbler management come many challenges. Cowbirds are prevalent in the preserve and are a threat to Golden Cheeked Warblers’ nests. They use their nests to lay their own eggs and in the process often kill Warbler’s eggs. Another big issue is the deer population seating all of the hardwood trees. These trees were planted almost 100 years ago and do not have many new ones that can replace them. Controlled burns have been an effective way of regenerating the hardwood population along with putting a fence around the trees.

-Jackson Becker