Like Habitat for Humanity
Except for Birds
Photo courtesy Lance Jones
“I’ve done a lot of construction in my life. It’s one of my retirement things. I’m not a birder. I’m wanting to build.” —Larry Calvert
Samantha Youngblood and Betsy Cross
He’s not a birder. He’s a builder. That’s Larry Calvert for you.
Larry is the long-time Hays County Master Naturalist treasurer and leader of a decade-long project to erect bird stations across the county thanks to sweat equity, a $30,000 grant, and dedicated volunteers. He’s brought church groups, neighbors, nonprofits, Eagle Scouts, and naturalists from multiple organizations together to build roughly nine bird stations for the public to enjoy the sights, sounds, and variety of birds who migrate through and live in Hays County.
In 2014 Larry sought permission from the Commissioner’s Court for the bird station project. He said birding is lucrative for cities, “because birders come in and leave money and nothing to clean up.”
Bringing people together, demonstrating to the public the hard work of HCMN, and experiencing the satisfaction of the end results is what keeps Larry motivated.
“I like building them,” he said. “I’ve done a lot of construction in my life. It’s one of my retirement things. I’m not a birder. I’m wanting to build.”
Larry built more than some impressive bird stations. He built a network of volunteers who sourced materials, tracked receipts, poured concrete, collected water, gardened, took photos and will keep this effort going for the next three bird stations in the works (once the weather cools off, of course).
What makes for a great birding station site?
● Water accessibility
● Cover for birds
● Available trail
Where can I find the birding stations?
Patsy Glenn Refuge
Charro Ranch Park
Jacob’s Well Natural Area
Dripping Springs Ranch Park
Schulle Canyon Natural Area
Bunton Creek Park
Wimberley United Methodist Church Natural Area
Driftwood United Methodist Church Natural Area
PLACEHOLDER FOR PHOTOS
Larry plans to return to share the success of the project as a catalyst for Hays County—now having three Bird City designations: Dripping Springs, Wimberley, and San Marcos.
In almost every case, building the birding stations has encouraged trail construction, bird nestbox trails, native plant gardens, water harvesting stations, and pollinator gardens. The project has involved collaboration with other community organizations, such as churches in Driftwood and Wimberley, the Greenbelt Alliance in San Marcos, and Eagle Scout participation at multiple sites. Wild Birds Unlimited in Dripping Springs works with schools and provides gear, water facilities, and seed stocking for bird viewing stations.
On June 25, 2025, this plaque was placed in the Schulle Canyon Bird Viewing Station in San Marcos.
