Skimmer Open House Slated for July 21

Texas - July 13, 2007

They’re back. A year after their mysterious disappearance from Dow’s Plant A, about 500 Black Skimmers have returned to Texas Operations to nest and raise their young. On Saturday, July 21, community members are invited to get an up-close look at these fascinating colonial nesting birds at the Dow Black Skimmer Open House from 9 a.m. to noon.

Local skimmer and birding experts from Dow’s Texas Operations Wildlife Support Team (TOWST) will be on hand to help participants learn about, and get the best views of, the skimmers nesting at Plant A.

“We started the Skimmer Open House in 1984 because so many of our employees were interested in them and wanted to learn more, but they also wanted their families to see these birds and their young,” says Trish Ritthaler, Dow Community Relations Manager. “We saw it as an opportunity to educate people about the skimmers and tie that in to why coastal habitat preservation is so important. From there, it made sense to extend that knowledge to our communities where there is such a strong interest in birding and in conservation.”

The event is free and open to the public and provides the rare opportunity to view one of the largest nesting colonies of black skimmers on the Texas Gulf Coast. In the winter, skimmers use beaches from the North Carolina to South America, but in the spring each year, they flock together to mate and lay eggs from coastal areas of New York to southern Mexico.

The lower half of the skimmer’s bill is longer than the upper half, and as the bill grows away from its face, it becomes as flat as a knife blade, but in a vertical plane. This extended lower bill allows the bird to fly just above the surface of the water with its lower bill slicing through it – hence their name.

Anyone interested in attending the Skimmer Open House should arrive at the Dow A-41 Gate located on FM 523, approximately one mile south of the intersection of Highway 332 and FM 523. A bus will shuttle visitors to the location of the colony between 9 a.m. and noon. Tents and refreshments will be available to provide relief from the summer heat. For more information about the Dow Black Skimmer Open House, visitors can call (979) 238-4649.

For Editorial Information:

Tracie Copeland
The Dow Chemical Company
979-238-3792


News Center News Releases Public Reports Security at Dow Sign-up for Texas Operations E-Updates About Texas Operations Dow in the Community Brazosport Industrial CAER 65th Anniversary Dow in Texas Sign-up for Texas Operations E-Updates Our Locations Texas Texas Operations		Skimmer Open House Slated for July 21 Texas - July 13, 2007 They’re back. A year after their mysterious disappearance from Dow’s Plant A, about 500 Black Skimmers have returned to Texas Operations to nest and raise their young. On Saturday, July 21, community members are invited to get an up-close look at these fascinating colonial nesting birds at the Dow Black Skimmer Open House from 9 a.m. to noon. Local skimmer and birding experts from Dow’s Texas Operations Wildlife Support Team (TOWST) will be on hand to help participants learn about, and get the best views of, the skimmers nesting at Plant A. “We started the Skimmer Open House in 1984 because so many of our employees were interested in them and wanted to learn more, but they also wanted their families to see these birds and their young,” says Trish Ritthaler, Dow Community Relations Manager. “We saw it as an opportunity to educate people about the skimmers and tie that in to why coastal habitat preservation is so important. From there, it made sense to extend that knowledge to our communities where there is such a strong interest in birding and in conservation.” The event is free and open to the public and provides the rare opportunity to view one of the largest nesting colonies of black skimmers on the Texas Gulf Coast. In the winter, skimmers use beaches from the North Carolina to South America, but in the spring each year, they flock together to mate and lay eggs from coastal areas of New York to southern Mexico. The lower half of the skimmer’s bill is longer than the upper half, and as the bill grows away from its face, it becomes as flat as a knife blade, but in a vertical plane. This extended lower bill allows the bird to fly just above the surface of the water with its lower bill slicing through it – hence their name. Anyone interested in attending the Skimmer Open House should arrive at the Dow A-41 Gate located on FM 523, approximately one mile south of the intersection of Highway 332 and FM 523. A bus will shuttle visitors to the location of the colony between 9 a.m. and noon. Tents and refreshments will be available to provide relief from the summer heat. For more information about the Dow Black Skimmer Open House, visitors can call (979) 238-4649. For Editorial Information: Tracie Copeland The Dow Chemical Company 979-238-3792
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