Cullen Ondracek

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Cullen Ondracek graduated from Texas A&M University-Kingsville in 2009 with a B.S. in Range and Wildlife Management. Cullen’s work history includes positions at the Texas Coastal Watershed Program, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Armand Bayou Nature Center, and Sheldon Lake State Park where he focused on natural resource management including prescribed burning, wetland/prairie management and restoration, and conducted numerous biological surveys. In his current position as the Natural Resources Manager for the City of Pearland, Cullen works to conserve, restore, and enhance the city’s natural resources for the benefit of native plant and animal communities.

His birding career was sparked in 2007 while enrolled in Ornithology at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. From there he went on to work on various bird related projects such as Least Tern nest surveys, Black-capped Vireo habitat and nest monitoring study, Mottled Duck banding, conducting colonial waterbird surveys and compiling data, various point-count bird surveys, and participating in multiple Christmas Bird Counts.

In his free time, Cullen enjoys birding, hunting, wildlife photography, and spending time with his wife and two kids.

Upcoming Events

April 2023

$45

Nature within the Urban Landscape –
Pearland

April 19 @ 7:30 am - 11:30 am

We visit two sites within the City of Pearland to observe how one city’s mission, “To protect, manage, and enhance the City’s natural resources, provide citizens with outdoor recreation opportunities, and to further the public’s understanding and appreciation of its natural resources through education and hands-on experiences”, has been taken to the next level. From 50 acres of constructed storm water wetlands to 140 acres of parkland managed entirely for nature and wildlife, the concept of bringing nature to everyone…

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$90

High Island & Other Hotspots by Bus #1

April 20 @ 6:30 am - 3:30 pm

Boy Scout Woods, Smith Oaks, The Rookery, and more! The accident of geology makes the Upper Texas Coast a beacon to weary neotropical migrants finishing a 10+ hour, nonstop flight across the Gulf of Mexico. From under an ancient sea, a salt dome emerged. After a few thousand years the dome reached just 38-feet above a pancake-flat coastal plain where it became covered with 20-30-foot oak trees, creating a vast canopy. This created High Island, which is now a refuge…

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$75

E-bike Birding #1

April 21 @ 7:00 am - 11:00 am

Enjoy zipping along on a quiet and easy electric bike that allows you to get up close and personal with the resident and migratory birds species seen at this time of year. This nearly effortless ride allows you to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of our wetlands and beaches.

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$55

Sweetwater Preserve Birding #1

April 21 @ 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

This trip takes you to a private property owned by the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) and not generally open to the public. GBF has conserved over 13,000 acres of critical coastal habitat in and around Galveston Bay. For decades, groundwater pumping in the region caused massive subsidence and contributed to the loss of wetlands. That coastal erosion meant wetlands around the bay sank into the water. Like many parts of Galveston Island, Sweetwater Preserve has sustained severe erosion. A 1,000-foot oyster reef project is part of larger restoration efforts in which the foundation has planted marsh along the shoreline. The reef protects the marsh from more degradation and protects the 464-acre property. This property includes a mixture of habitats including coastal prairie, estuarine marsh, salt flats, freshwater wetlands, brackish wetlands, and coastal woodlots.

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$90