On February 24, 2007, the Service’s Corpus Christi Ecological Service Field Office -Alamo Sub-office met with a professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico to discuss the university ornithology laboratory conducting a workshop in Monterrey on the ecological importance of wildlife corridors and establishment of a wildlife corridor route from Sierra Picachos in Nuevo León to Falcon Dam located on the US/Mexico Border along the Lower Rio Grande River in South Texas.  It has been the objective of the Lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo Binational Ecosystem Group to work with our Mexico counterparts and establish the international wildlife corridor along the existing rivers in the State of Nuevo León and Tamaulipas Mexico.  The group also included a discussion about connecting and restoring wildlife corridors for all of the Natural Protected Areas in the State of Nuevo León.

The University is interested in sending some students to the South Texas Refuge Complex to observe management of wildlife and protection of their habitat.  The Ecological Services Alamo Sub-office Supervisor is coordinating with the Refuge to coordinate a time in late April for the visit.  The University discussed establishing an MOU with the Refuge allowing students from Mexico to volunteer their time at the Refuge in order to gain hands on experience and training in the biology requirements needed for refuge management.