| Summary: | Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). For the latest news and updates, see www.bexaraudubon.org. Bexar Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. Its primary goals are to promote species and habitat conservation and environmental education in the community. Bexar Tracks Volume XXVIII, No. 5 November-December 2012 BEXAR AUDUBON NOVEMBER PROGRAM & FIELD TRIP Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time Sponsored by San Antonio & Bexar Audubon Societies TriPoint Center (map on page 4) 3233 N. St. Mary's (corner of 281 & N. St. Mary's) November 1, 2012 Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time See the first full-l e n g t h , h i g h - definition documen-tary film ever made about legendary c o n s e r v a t i o n i s t Aldo Leopold and his environmental legacy! Green Fire shares highlights from his extraordi-nary career, ex-plaining how he shaped conservation and the modern environmental movement. It also illus-trates how Leopold's vision of a community that cares about both people and land continues to inform and inspire people across the country and around the world, highlighting modern projects that put Leopold’s land ethic in action. No reservations required. $5 minimum sug-gested donation at the door. View the trailer and more information on our website, bexaraudu-bon. org; 210.837.0577. Bexar Audubon Field Trip Lost Maples State Natural Area Wednesday, November 14th Fall Hike at Lost Maples! Plan to walk up the canyon to see big-toothed maple, wild cherry, other great Hill Country plants, birds and more. Bring water and a picnic lunch. Meet at 6:30 AM on the northwest side of San Antonio to carpool. Contact Patty Pasztor at 210.837.0577 or agrita@me.com for reservations and details. Volunteer at the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center! Connect With Others When You Volunteer The Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is a diverse 1,200 acre ref-uge located in south San Antonio. Our mission is to connect peo-ple with nature through conservation and community education focused on birds and their habitats. We accomplish this in a num-ber of ways including our exciting, hands-on education programs, outreach events throughout the community, festivals and commu-nity volunteer days at MLAC, and the list goes on! Our efforts are focused on strengthening our community’s relationship to nature and conserving the world around us. The success of our programs is directly related to the incredible work carried out by our many dedicated volunteers. From leading groups of school children through our trails during our education programs, working in the Visitor’s Center, maintaining our lovely butterfly gardens, working on the trails, to leading outreach pro-grams at community events, our Volunteers have a variety of op-portunities to become involved. Education Director Mandy Corso says, "If you are interested in becoming an Education Volunteer, all you need to do is let me know you would like to come out and shadow the programs when we have kiddos out here. You are welcome to see the programs and follow along with the group leaders as many times as you wish until you feel comfortable enough leading your own group of stu-dents. This allows you to skip out on the entire training if all you would like to do is come out and help with the education programs." Check out our website at www.mitchelllakeaudubon.org or visit our Facebook Page (search Mitchell Lake Audubon Center). Con-tact Mandy Corso at mcorso@audubon.org or 210.628.1639 if you would like additional information or if you are interested in becoming an MLAC volunteer. We would love to have you join the team! Mitchell Lake Monthly Birding Tours No reservation necessary; $5 for non-members; $3 for members 1st, 2nd, 3rd Sundays: 8 AM, Nov. 4, Nov. 11, Nov. 18, and Dec. 2, Dec. 11, Dec. 16 2nd Tuesday: 8 AM, Nov. 13 and Dec. 11 Bird count/survey: 4th Saturday: 8 AM, Nov. 24 and Dec. 22 For more information: mlac@audubon.org or 210.628.1639 Mitchell Lake Audubon Center 10750 Pleasanton Rd., San Antonio TX 78221 210.628.1639, www.mitchelllakeaudubon.org Connecting People with Nature Page 2 November-December 2012 Bexar Tracks Christmas Bird Count The 113th Annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count will take place Dec. 14, 2012 to Jan. 5, 2013. The longest running Citi-zen Science survey in the world, Christmas Bird Count provides critical data on population trends. Tens of thousands of partici-pants know that it is also a lot of fun. Families and students, birders and scientists, armed with bin-oculars, bird guides and checklists, go out on an annual mis-sion, often before dawn. Each of the citizen scientists makes an enormous contribution to conservation. Audubon and other or-ganizations use data collected in this longest-running wildlife census to assess the health of bird populations, and to help guide conservation action. From feeder-watchers and field ob-servers to count compilers and regional editors, your efforts are making a difference for science and bird conservation. More information plus pictures of birds seen during past counts at http://birds.audubon.org/get-involved-christmas-bird-count. Some area bird counts: Uvalde Christmas Bird Count Saturday, Dec. 15. Join us for a full or half day. Meet at 7:30 AM in the parking lot of the Visitor Center/Civic Center on Main St. (Hwy 90) in Uvalde. After the morning count: lunch at Sub-way at noon, count in the PM, and then end with a Tally Rally at 4 PM. All welcome, including children! Contact Susan Cooper at s-cooper@tamu.edu or call 830.278.9151. Bexar County Christmas Bird Count Sunday, Dec. 16, 8 AM Contact Sheridan Coffey to participate: sngcanary@yahoo.com or call after 6 PM at 817.798.3989. Boerne Christmas Bird Count Saturday, January 5, 2013. Contact Betty Dunn to participate at bebsd@hotmail.com. San Antonio Natural Areas Bird Sightings Hello, bird watchers! Please take a moment after your trip to Friedrich Wilderness Park, Crownridge Canyon, Eisenhower Park, Hardberger Park, and Medina River and help us by re-porting your bird sightings at www.ebird.org. Also, if you are reporting golden-cheeked warblers or unusual birds, please make a note in the comments section for that species to help others seeking the birds to locate them. Thanks for contributing to the biological data at our parks! www.sanaturalareas.org, www.fofriedrich.park.org Here A Sparrow, There a Sparrow I.D. Workshop with Craig Hensley When: November 29, 10 AM–3 PM Where: Bulverde/Spring Branch Library & Guadalupe River State Park (Honey Creek) RSVP: 830.438.7653 Winter brings a great diversity of native sparrows and Honey Creek is a wonderful place to see them. Join Park Interpreter and birder Craig Hensley for a workshop on their identification through both a class-room presentation and field experience. We’ll begin at 10 AM at the Bulverde/Spring Branch Library and then proceed to Honey Creek. Please register for this workshop, sponsored by The Friends of Guada-lupe River and Honey Creek; call 830.438.7653 or email craig.hensley@tpwd.state.tx.us. Limited to 25. A $5 donation to the Friends Group is requested. Other bird walks: San Antonio Botanical Gardens Bird Walks 3rd Saturdays 9 AM, Nov. 17, Dec. 15; free to SABG members; $8 non-members. Info: Sasha Kodet, sasha.kodet@sanantonio.gov or 210.207.3270. TEDTalks: Public Landscapes = Vegetables! What should a community do with its unused land? Plant food, of course. With energy and humor, Pam Warhurst tells at the TEDSalon the story of how she and a growing team of volunteers came together to turn plots of unused land into communal vegetable gardens, and to change the narrative of food in their community. Warhurst cofounded Incredible Edible, an initiative in England dedicated to growing food locally by planting on unused land throughout the community. http://www.ted.com/talks/pam_warhurst 2012 National Geographic Photo Contest Submit your photos for a chance to be featured on the Na-tional Geographic website! Each week, NGS photo editors showcase their favorite photo entries on our website. The grand-prize winner will receive $10,000 and a trip to Na-tional Geographic headquarters to participate in the annual Na-tional Geographic Photography Seminar. Rules/information at http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/photo-contest/. San Antonio Botanical Gardens presents Savor the Joys of an Edible Landscape Saturday, Nov. 10, 9:30 AM–1 PM Herbalist, horticulturalist, and designer Diane Lewis will present Power Point with great herb pictures & discuss herbs best suited to our area and how to blend them into everyday life. Register at www.communityed.neisd.net. More info at sabot.org or call 210.207.3270. For information about upcoming programs/events for BAS and throughout the San Antonio and surrounding area, log on to www.bexaraudubon.org. Alamo Sierra Club Program: Tuesday, Nov. 20: Urban Form: Transit, Complete Streets and Pedestrian Systems. Time/location/speaker bios for Alamo Sierra programs, www.texas.sierraclub,org/alamo/Events.htm. Page 3 November-December 2012 Bexar Tracks Ocean Health Index Conservation International and its partners have taken a major step toward making humans better stewards of our seas through the creation of a new way of measuring the health of our oceans worldwide: the Ocean Health Index, www.oceanhealthindex.org. Why is the Ocean Health Index unique? It's comprehensive, it’s global, it’s easy to under-stand, and it’s useful. Visit the Ocean Health Index website to learn more. Our oceans: a great resource with limited bounty, and their stewardship is up to us! www.conservation.org/ Outfall in the Headwaters Reach – a fait accompli? You may have heard that the Broadway-turned-Hildebrand drainage project is a done deal. You’ve probably not heard that the lawsuit to stop it has been taken to the Texas Supreme Court. At issue here is not just the river at its headwaters, but a re-interpretation of well-established case law involving “contract with the voters.” That re-interpretation sets a very disturbing precedent for the handling of voter-approved bonds. The new ruling basically says that bonding authorities can sell the voters on projects that are site-specific, and then when the voters say ‘yes,’ relocate the projects at their whim. Bond voters would never really know what they’d be getting with their money. The City’s favorable ruling from the 4th Court of Appeals not only allows for the devastation of the river’s headwaters in Bracken-ridge Park, but also reverses decades of consistent case law that says a bond’s location is part of the “contract with the vot-ers.” If the 4th Court’s re-interpretation of this long standing legal precedent goes unchallenged, it will leave this pro-bonding au-thority, anti-voter law on the books. That would destroy voter trust and be a detriment not just to bond voters, but to all citi-zens. We cannot let it stand. In other news, the Headwaters now has a draft conceptual design for the last piece of the river project, the “Spirit Reach of the San Antonio River,” whose time we believe will eventually come. We’re closing in on a year-long university-driven Biodi-versity Survey of the Headwaters Sanctuary. We’ve hosted a number of Trinity and UIW faculty and student research pro-jects, as well as several Eagle Scout projects. We’ve begun a native plant nursery in the greenhouse, for which we need addi-tional volunteers. We’re logging in thousands of volunteer hours clearing invasive brush, mulching trails and ‘taking out the trash.’ We’ve hosted educational programs such as a GIS-based “Land Use History of Incarnate Word” dating back to 1897 when the Incarnate Word Sisters purchased 283 acres at the ‘Head of the River’ from Col. George Brackenridge, and the “Four Fountain Springs of Texas,” which theoretically puts the Blue Hole on a 4,300 year old map of Texas—a Native Ameri-can interpretation of a rock art painting known as the White Shaman Panel in the Lower Pecos. Join us in protecting, restoring and celebrating the Headwa-ters of the San Antonio River! Helen Ballew Director, Headwaters at Incarnate Word 210.828.2224 ext. 232; www.headwaters-helen.blogspot.com, www.headwaterscoalition.org Ducks Unlimited Elevates Texas Water Involvement Conservation leader lends voice to water requirements of wetlands, wildlife Ducks Unlimited is ramping up efforts to represent wildlife and waterfowl interests related to Texas water-allocation deci-sions, underscoring the important role of rice agriculture in pro-viding habitat for wetland wildlife. Read about these efforts at http://www.ducks.org/texas/ducks-unlimited-elevates-texas-water- involvement. Interdisciplinary Green Roof Effort TAMU Times, Aug. 17, 2012 Next fall, students from a variety of academic pro-grams at Texas A&M University will begin collaborat-ing on an interdisciplinary, three-year project to install and monitor a green roof and living wall atop a cam-pus building; an initiative aimed at preparing students to become leaders in energy conservation and re-source management, said Bruce Dvorak, an assistant professor of landscape architecture who is spear-heading the effort. The project is funded by a $100,000 Texas A&M reallocation grant for enhancing students’ preparation for the workplace and society through high-impact learning experiences. Green roofs have many benefits, such as reducing the “urban heat island” effect by absorbing light that would otherwise turn into heat energy, absorbing storm water and decreasing runoff, improving air qual-ity and turning an unused space into a potential com-mercial or recreational space. “A living wall”, said Dvorak, “is a vegetated wall de-signed to achieve benefits similar to green roofs, but much less is known about its performance.” The most famous green roof in the US, perhaps, sits on Chi-cago’s City Hall. The Washington, DC headquarters of the American Society of Landscape Architects sports a green roof, as does a US Post Office building in Manhattan. Read more at http://one.arch.tamu.edu/ news/2012/4/4/dvorak-greenroof/. Experts: Global Warming Means More Antarctic Ice By Seth Borenstein | Associated Press, 10-10-2012 Climate change skeptics have seized on the Antarc-tic ice to argue that the globe isn't warming and that scientists are ignoring the southern continent because it's not convenient. But scientists say the skeptics are misinterpreting what's happening and why. Read the full article at http://news.yahoo.com/experts-global-warming- means-more-antarctic-ice-194009890.html. Back to Nature First Saturday Nature Walks and Second Saturday Programs (Co-sponsored by City of San Antonio and Bexar Audubon Society) Reservations suggested; walks occasionally change. Donations suggested. More info: 210.207.5320 or peggy.spring@sanantonio.gov. Grasses Walk, Crownridge Canyon Natural Area Nov. 3, 10 AM–Noon. On this hike we will try to identify some of the grasses in the canyon and examine their importance. Bring water to drink. Native American Stories, Eisenhower Park Nov. 10, 10–11:15 AM. Lipan Apache storyteller Emma Ortega shares her wonderful stories, including why we should thank a turkey at Thanksgiving! Fall Color Nature Walk, Friedrich Park Dec. 1, 10 AM–Noon. We will discuss the colors of vegetation in the fall and other signs of winter’s approach. Star Party, Eisenhower Park Dec. 8, 5:30–7:30 PM. The Natural Areas and Bexar Audubon Society invite you to a Star Party with the San Antonio Astronomical Society. Sponsored by San Antonio Natural Areas, www.sanaturalareas.org Page 4 November-December 2012 Bexar Tracks Check the Nature Calendar at bexaraudubon.org for more listings. Cibolo Nature Center Classes Reservations required, call 830.249.4616 or sign up online at http://www.cibolo.org/calendar; CNC in Boerne, TX. Those Who Came Before Us: Early Texas Naturalists Nov. 8, 6–8 PM Hear fascinating tales of early Texas naturalists and ad-venturists as they risked their lives in the pursuit of scien-tific data. Winter Sparrows and Wrens Workshop Nov. 10, 9 AM–12 pm Streamside Management Dec. 8, 9 AM–3 PM Join TPWD Wildlife Biologist Rufus Stephens for an in-depth workshop about streamside management techniques. New video from the CNC: The Cibolo Nature Center con-tributes to the health, education and sustainability of the Texas Hill Country and San Antonio community. http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTofCTgMoCU. Several good CNC videos on YouTube — check them out! Government Canyon State Natural Area (GCSNA) Lots of great programs at GCSNA! For info/reservations, fogcsna@gmail.com or call 210.688.9055 x289. Nov. 3, Birding for Beginners Nov. 10 & Dec. 8, Hike the Canyon Nov. 10, Butterflies of GCSNA Nov. 10, Explore The Night Sky Nov. 17 & Dec. 15, Explore the Canyon Nov. 18, Map and Compass Basics Dec. 15, Pioneer Kids Christmas GCSNA is now open to overnight camp-ing in the front country. Walk-in tent camping on Friday & Saturday nights only. Find a unique and rustic camping experience in close proximity to a major metropolitan area. More info from TX Parks & Wildlife at www.tpwd.state.tx. us/state-parks/ government-canyon. November BAS Program at TriPoint, 3233 N. St. Mary’s St. Corner of 281 & N. St. Mary’s TriPoint N. St. Mary’s St. WANTED: Seeking new editor for Bexar Tracks. Desktop publish-ing experience preferred. Contact editor@bexaraudubon.org. San Antonio Botanical Garden Programs Natural Ornaments Friday, Nov. 30, 10–11 AM. Not inspired for the holiday sea-son and weary of the same artificial holiday ornaments? Come learn the basics of turning natural elements found in the garden into lovely holiday decorations. Rain Barrel Workshop Saturday, Dec. 8 from 9 AM–12 Noon. Rainwater harvesting is an innovative approach to capturing free water. Save money by collecting, storing & using rainwater. Native Plant Walks at 10 AM, Nov. 9, Nov. 17, Nov. 30 Explore our 11-acre Texas Native Trail with a Master Natu-ralist! Come take a "walk across Texas !" WaterSaver Walks Sponsored by SAWS. 1st Fridays & 3rd Saturdays of each month, 10 AM. Looking for ideas about how to have a beauti-ful landscape at your home AND conserve water? Wonder-ing what plants grow best in San Antonio soils and are the most efficient water users? Get answers! Register for SABOT programs: programregistrar@sabot.org or contact Sasha Kodet at sasha.kodet@sanantonio.gov or From the Hill Country Alliance 210.207.3270; www.sabot.org. Better Lights for Starry Nights Learn how to save money, preserve our night skies and enjoy some star gazing at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Fredericksburg, TX Nov. 15, 6:30–10 PM A dark night sky full of big bright stars is important in the Hill Country, just like clean rivers, scenic vistas and natural land-scapes. Little by little, light-by-light, the magical mystery of the big Texas night sky is diminishing. But it’s not too late to re-verse this trend. You can help! Learn more about protecting night skies at www.hillcountrynightskies.org. Page 5 November-December 2012 Bexar Tracks Earth Share of Texas raises money for environmental and conservation or-ganizations through workplace giving. If your employer participates in such programs, please ask them to add Earth Share to your giving options. By des-ignating the Audubon Foundation of Texas (AFT), Bexar Audubon Society can benefit. BAS receives credit for our support and receives funding annually form AFT. For more information, call, email or log on: 800.GREENTX, ESTX@earthshare-texas.org, or www.earthshare-texas.org. Bexar Audubon Society Contacts President: Greg Pasztor—210.824.1235, gpasztor@ix.netcom.com Vice President: Anita Anderson—210.533.8726; ajandrsn@sbcglobal.net Treasurer: Caryl Swann—210.653.2860; c.swann@att.net Secretary: Susan Hughes—210.532.2032; susan@wordwright.com At-Large: Anne Parrish—parrishes@att.net At-Large: Jessica Leslie—jleslie01@hotmail.com Webmaster: Greg Pasztor—210.824.1235, gpasztor@ix.netcom.com Programs/Outings: Patty Pasztor—210.824.1235; pasztor@ix.netcom.com Education Chairperson: Mary Kennedy—mbkenned@sbcglobal.net Editor: Michele Wood—editor@bexaraudubon.org From Audubon Advisory, 9/13/12; Vol .2012, Issue 9 National Wildlife Refuge System Under Attack The National Wildlife Refuge System, a corner-stone of bird conservation in America, is facing an unprecedented attack. Since 1903, National Wildlife Refuges have been created both by the President and by Congress, but a new bill would change all that. HR 3009 would make it impossible for the President to establish new refuges. That's a huge problem, because the Ex-ecutive branch—including every President since Theo-dore Roosevelt—has estab-lished 90% of all refuges. The creation of new wild-life refuges has always been bipartisan, with nearly the same number created by Republican and Democ-ratic administrations, in-cluding the recent addition of the 50 million acre Pacific Remote Islands Ma-rine National Monument added by President George W. Bush in 2009. HR 3009 is a blatant at-tempt to halt any growth of the Refuge System and is retroactive from Sept. 30, 2011, meaning the newly established Everglades Headwaters Na-tional Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area would cease to be a refuge should this bill pass. Over 12,000 people have already sent letters through our Action Center opposing this bill; stay tuned for updates and more opportunities to take action. Keep informed: www.audubonaction.org. Winter Bird Highlights Recaps Latest FeederWatch Finds Every last bird that you report to a citizen-science project, whether it’s rare or com-mon, helps our scientists understand how birds in North America are faring. As Project FeederWatch gears up for its 26th season, the annual Winter Bird Highlights reports on trends you've helped uncover over the last quarter century. The report covers develop-ments like the decline of Evening Gros-beaks and the meteoric rise of Eurasian Collared-Doves—and it offers ID help for similar species of doves and hawks. Check out Winter Bird Highlights today and see why it’s a great time to renew—or sign up— as a FeederWatcher. $15 annual fee. More info at http://birdsource.cornell.edu/pfw. Or call 800/843.2473 (BIRD). Participants re-ceive a Project Kit plus the quarterly news-letter, Birdscope. From Cornell Lab eNews, October 2012 The Most Decorated Birds on the Planet Experience the Birds-of-Paradise Project through dazzling photos and video from Cornell Lab scientist Ed Scholes and National Geo-graphic photographer Tim Laman. During an eight-year quest, they captured images of all 39 species for the first time. This fall, they will share their story as part of a National Geo-graphic Society-wide effort in collaboration with the Cornell Lab. The opulent plumes and fantastical dances of these 39 species astound us, leaving us with the most profound of scientific questions: Why? Watch them dance—go to youtube.com and input “bird of paradise project trailer” for this fascinating 5½ minute video, or go directly to birds.cornell.edu and click on the birds of paradise project trailer. The Birds-of-Paradise Project has also produced a gorgeous coffee-table book (co-published by NGS and the Cornell Lab), a major exhibit at the National Geographic Museum, a TV documentary on Thanksgiving Day, articles in Living Bird and National Geographic magazines, and a North American lecture tour. More events/resources: birds.cornell.edu. More than 200 National Wildlife Refuges have been established specifically to provide habitat for migratory birds, like this Long-billed Curlew. www.bexaraudubon.org For the latest information on environmental events and happenings throughout the San Anto-nio community and surrounding areas, check out www.bexaraudubon.org. Non-Profit Organization US Postage Paid San Antonio TX Permit #167 Bexar Audubon Society PO Box 6084 San Antonio TX 78209-0084 Bexar Tracks Bexar Tracks is the official newsletter of the Bexar Audubon Society, a Chapter of the National Audu-bon Society. The Chapter’s primary goals are to promote species and habitat conservation and environmental education in the community. Your membership includes National Audubon and Bexar Audubon and subscriptions to both Audubon and Bexar Tracks. November-December 2012 Membership and Support for Your Environmental Voice in Our Community Bexar Audubon welcomes new members to join Audubon through the chapter. This brings 100 percent of the first year’s dues directly back to support local work. The same applies to gift memberships placed through the chapter. Your additional tax deductible donation is greatly appreciated. Bexar Audubon receives only a few thousand dollars each year from National Audubon Society as dues share. The rest we must raise ourselves. Your help is needed, and your donations will be put to good use right here in South Central Texas to provide environ-mental news and education to the community, including the newsletter, programs, San Antonio Environmental Network Issues Forum, Sec-ond Saturday programs, and other activities you may or may not hear about. Individual introductory memberships are $20; seniors and stu-dents join for $15. Please provide the following information for each personal subscription or gift: Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address with Zip Code: _______________________________________________________________________ Phone w/Area Code: _________________________________ e-mail ________________________________________ Do you wish to opt out of other mailings by Audubon or those with whom it shares lists? ____ yes ____ no Make checks payable to “Bexar Audubon Society” and mail to the address at the top of this page. Enclosed: $__________ for subscription(s) $_________ additional donation NOTE: Renewals should be sent directly to National Audubon Society. NOTE: If you change address or cancel membership, you do NOT need to contact Bexar Audubon but MUST contact National Audubon (and we will automatically get that change when we download labels). Save time and energy by mailing your change of address information to National Audubon Soci-ety Membership Data Center, PO Box 52529, Boulder CO 80322-2529; phoning 800.274.4201; or e-mailing CHADD@audubon.org. Your Ticket to Outdoor Fun: A State Park Pass — A Great Holiday Gift for the Whole Family! If you're looking for some cheap family thrills, invest in a State Parks Pass. Single pass for $70 (admits one carload of visitors each trip) or the two card option for $85. Unlimited entry to more than 90 state parks, plus benefits like discount camping coupons and a 10% discount on items purchased in State Park Stores. Purchase a State Parks Pass during your next visit to a state park or by calling 512.389.8900. Hundreds of camp sites, thousands of miles of trails, 900 miles of bike paths, endless wildlife watching, fishing (no license needed in state parks), climbing, caves, and memories await. Cheap, healthy thrills where your dollars go further and the memories last forever. For more information, log on at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/parkinfo/passes/.
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