David Blankinship

Alamo | Ornithologist

Mr. Blankinship has had a varied career in habitat and wildlife education and protection in south Texas. His work has included service as a research biologist for the National Audubon Society, focused on protection and restoration of the Whooping Crane, monitoring of Texas colonial waterbird populations, and management of Audubon’s numerous Texas coastal sanctuaries, including Sundown Island, Second Chain-of-Islands, Matagorda Island, Ayres and Roddy Islands, Deadman’s Island, Long Reef and Lydia Ann Island. Following 16 years with Audubon, Mr. Blankinship taught high school biology, served as staff biologist at the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens, and then went to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service where he held a post at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. While with the Service, he was involved in the selection and acquisition of about 45,000 acres for the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, known for its subtropical botanical richness and incredible bird diversity