Brackenridge Field Laboratory

04/26/2026

Thank you to our wonderful citizen scientists and volunteers who showed up for BioBlitz! We hope you had fun exploring the field station in search of new fungal species! 🍄‍🟫

Remember to send your sample to BFL once you've finished processing and documenting it. Keep snapping pics on iNaturalist, and we'll see you next year for a new round of biodiscovery! 👀

04/25/2026

During BioBlitz's first-ever fungal workshop, researchers and citizen scientists discussed the distribution patterns of the Texas Star, the state's official mushroom. Strangely enough, the rare fungi grows not just in Texas and Oklahoma, but also Taiwan and Japan!

04/17/2026

Our last Science Under the Stars event of the year was in collaboration with the Stengl-Wyer Scholars! Stengl-Wyer is the largest endowment program in the history of the College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin. 🤩

After fun tabling activities, 5 researchers presented the important questions: what makes up plant biodiversity, how bees decide what to eat, how microbial bacteria kill each other, why fish eat p**p, and how to track mammalian species over time. ⏰

See you in the fall for another wonderful speaker series! 🫡

04/17/2026

Hear from a few of our post-doctoral scholars who are speaking at today's Science Under the Stars event.

04/09/2026

It's almost time for BIO BLITZ!!!⚡⚡⚡

On Saturday, April 25 from 10am-10pm, become a citizen scientist and find as many species as possible at BFL. It's a great opportunity to help us track biodiversity and learn more about your local environment!

What to bring:
- phone
- water
- bug spray
- good hiking clothes and shoes
- iNaturalist app for species documentation
- a curious attitude!

Find out more here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bioblitz-2026-uts-brackenridge-field-laboratory-tickets-1985057683969

03/20/2026

Rice University students toured BFL and went kayaking down the Colorado River earlier today. They visited as part of Alternative Breaks, a collegiate program where students do educational activities during Spring Break. Thanks for coming by, Owls!

03/18/2026

We may be on holiday for Spring Break, but things are going down at BFL. Literally.

Researchers explored and expanded a hole discovered previously in the field, suspecting it may lead to an underground cave. 🕳️ Volunteer support came from Underground Texas Grotto, a non-profit that does cave explorations across Texas and Mexico.

The team is just two feet short of declaring the site an official cave. 😲 We'll keep you posted on what we find out at next month's dig!

02/27/2026

02/17/2026

Don’t forget to come check out our Open House event at Brackenridge Field Lab this Saturday from 10:00-3:00! Swipe through these photos to get a look at some of the research areas you’ll have the opportunity to explore!

02/17/2026

Below the surface in the Whirlpool Cave Preserve, Tom Devitt's FRI class learned how researchers systematically count cave crickets, an important species for determining cave health.

The Austin Wildland Conservation Division led students through swerving cave tunnels with interesting mineral formations and karst invertebrates (organisms that live exclusively in caves!)

BFL staff tagged along as part of a project recording ecosystems around the world...more details to come! 🤭 Want to learn more about BFL? Come visit our Open House during the Texas Science Festival this Wednesday from 10-3! 🙋‍♀️

02/17/2026

Below the surface in the Whirlpool Cave Preserve, Tom Devitt's FRI class learned how researchers systematically count cave crickets, an important species for determining cave health.

BFL staff tagged along as part of a project recording various ecosystems around the world...more details to come! 🤭

Want to learn more about the intriguing hands-on work that BFL does? Come visit our Open House during the Texas Science Festival this Wednesday from 10-3! 🙋‍♀️