| Summary: | Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). VOL. IV, NO. II BEXAR AUDUBON GENERAL MEETING Thursday, November 20, 1986 7:30 p.m., Witte Museum Auditorium "MIGRATING BIRDS- WHERE AND HOW" As most of you know, Texas is a birder's paradise. Not only because we have such rich and diverse resident populations, but because two of the major migratory pathways funnel through the state. Birds tend to enrich our lives in many ways and one doesn't need to be a serious birder to appreciate them. At this month's general meeting we will be privileged to have Gene Blacklock, Ornithologist and Environmental Educator at Welder Wildlife Foundation, discuss the migratory phenomenon. What causes birds to migrate? How far do they travel? How do they navigate? How many are there? Why do other species stay behind? What are the costs and the benefits? Plan to attend the program and find out. DON'T FORGET- This is also our annual bird seed sale meeting. We'll be selling the famous "McKelvey Bird Bonanza" mix. Plan ahead for the winter season. *************** BAS ELECTIONS On October 16, at the BAS general meeting, the results of our recent officer and board member elections were announced. These newly elected board members and officers will take office January 1, 1987. They are: Thelma Nunges~er, President Nora Driver, Vice President Russell Smith, Secretary Marge Flandermeyer, Treasurer Members at Large: Marguerite Burt Manuel Flores Nancy Kent !fracis NOVEMBER, 1986 BAS COMMITTEE NEWS Last month Bexar Audubon hosted a joint meeting with conservation leaders from all San Antonio environmental groups to discuss improving intergroup communication and action on environmental issues. The meeting was well attended and the participants were enthusiastic about improving efficiency through interaction. It was decided that newsletters and environmental information would be exchanged on a regular basis through the Conservation representatives of the various groups. The groups will identify specific issues which they will follow and key members will be designated to monitor each issue. This way the conservation activists can network efficiently and keep up to date on the issues. In addition, it was decided to meet jointly on a regular basis to update information, exchange ideas, and to focus on specific issues which are of mutual concern or interest to the groups. On November 12, Mr. Greg Kuchy from the SA Dept. of Environmental Management will attend an intergroup conservation meeting to discuss the Mitchell Lake renovation project. The BAS conservation meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. just prior to the joint meeting. All interested persons are encouraged to attend at the home of Susan Rust, 168 Chevy Chase. For more information call 826-4698. From now on members attending the Outings Committee meetings will be treated to something special. At each meeting, in addition to planning BAS outings, one BAS member will share a travel adventure with those attending. At the November 17th meeting at 7:00 p.m., 2922 Oak Leaf, Thelma Nungesser will present a program on Alaska. All interested BAS members are welcome. NEEDED . a volunteer to chair our Finance Committee! The chairman would work closely with the Treasurer in working on financial planning and setting up the BAS budget. If interested, please call Thelma Nungesser, 824-8199. Conservation Notes . KNOW BEFORE YOU GO! . Each year, more than 10 million Americans travel abroad, many of them to regions of the globe that support a flourishing trade in exotic birds and animals, fashionable jewelry and furs, and unique tropical plants. While some ofthese products are legal to import into the United States, many others run afoul of Federal and international laws protecting animals and plants that are facing extinction. Often what begins as an enjoyable vacation ends with a bitter lesson as these "illegal aliens" are confiscated, leaving the traveler with nothing more than a depleted bankroll and a receipt for seized property. The Fish and Wildlife Service, in cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund, has developed a new brochure alerting travelers to the pitfalls of buying wildlife products abroad. Single copies of"Buyer Beware" are available free from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Publications Unit, Room 148, Matomic Building, 1717 H Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20240. AQUIFER STUDY FUNDED . The University of Texas at San Antonio has been awarded a $299,504 grant to study the quality of water in the Edwards Aquifer and its source. The grant is the largest ever received by the UTSA College of Sciences and Engineering. In addition to other faculty members, BAS's own Dr. Stuart Birnbaum is a project investigator (hopefully, this will assure us of some firsthand reports on the progress of this very vital research!). San Antonio's unique position as the largest city in the Western Hemisphere extracting water from an underground supply further fostered the program development. RESTORATION FUNDS . USFWS announced that it will be apportioning $188 million to various States to assist in their fish and wildlife restoration efforts. The monies are those raised through excise taxes on sporting goods. These programs were instituted by the hunting public and have been critical in wildlife and habitat conservation. XERISCAPE CONFERENCE . Texas' first Xeriscape Conference is set for November 6-7 at the Marriott North in San Antonio. Xeriscape is a nationwide program promoting water conservation through landscaping. Topics will include water conserving landscape design, soils and mulches, the correct plants, water plantings and programs for water agencies. For more information, contact the Bexar County Extension Office at 220-2774. ANTI-LITTER PROGRAM SHOWS PROGRESS . The "Don't Mess With Texas" message is producing some of the most positive results of any similar program in the nation. Surveys show that the "Don't Mess With Texas" recognition factor is 60.3%, and a study conducted in 1985 reflected a 29% reduction in the litter along Texas' right-of-ways. In 1985, it cost Texas taxpayers a whopping $24 million for litter clean-up! The "Don't Mess With Texas" campaign features Texas celebrities on television and radio commercials. The message is directed primarily at young men between the ages of 18 and 34 who, according to studies, account for 70% of the deliberate litter in Texas. FISH KILL PAYMENT . TPWD has assessed Southern Pacific Railroad $117,049 to pay for the fish killed following the train detrailment along the Medina River last year. Investigators estimated that in excess of 150,000 fish were killed in a 22-mile stretch of river downstream of the wreck. WILDLIFE STAMPS . Don't forget that Texas nongame stamps, Texas waterfowl stamps, and Federal duck stamps are available. Your purchase helps buy habitat for and promote research on wildlife resources. CONSERVATION MEETING . Bexar Audubon Conservation Committee will meet at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, Nov. 12. Featured species will be sea turtles. Topics to be covered include Mitchell Lake, Adopt-A-Park and conservation issues. Anyone interested is invited to attend. 168 Chevy Chase. CALENDAR NOVEMBER 1 Clymer Prairie work weekend (TNC); call Ann Schnapf, 224-877 4. 1 Prairie Restoration & Preservation; Eve Williams, 9-12 am, Austin Nature Center. 6-7 Xeriscape Conference, Marriott North. Call 220-277 4. 7 BAS Publicity Committee meeting, 12:30 p.m., 2922 Oak Leaf. Call Nancy Kent, 824-8199. 7-9 National Audubon Regional Conference, Audubon Council of Texas fall meeting; Mo Ranch, Call1-327-1943. 8 Grass Identification & Seed Harvest; Terry Siegenthaler, Wild Basin 1-476-4113, 8-9 Lost Maples Fall Color (SC/BAS). Reservations a must! Call Helen Kiss, 494-5444, or Jim Beall, 657-9655. 12 BAS Conservation Committee meeting Mitchell Lake, Adopt-A-Park, Sea Turtles; 7:00p.m., 168 Chevy Chase, 826-4698. 13 SA Audubon general meeting, 7:00 p.m., Witte Museum. 15 Texas Legislative Workshop, Austin. Call 826-4698. 15 Native ~rairie Assoc. meeting, Dallas, Call 1-800-252-7273 17 BAS Outings Committee Alaska, BAS winter trips 7:00 p.m., 2922 Oak Leaf. 18 Sierra Club general meeting 7:30 p.m., Unitarian Church. 20 BEXAR AUDUBON general meeting 7:30p.m., Witte Museum Auditorium "Migration," Gene Blacklock. 2.!.-23 Annual South Texas Trip (BAS/NPS) South Padre Island, Call 826-4698. 22 Owl Prowl (BAS). Outing limited to 6 people. Call Byron Stone for details, 699-1971. 24 BAS Board meeting 7:30p.m., Nora Driver's, 9514 La Rue. 25 Native Plant Soc. general meeting 7:00p.m., SA Botanical Center. 27 HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! DECEMBER 3 Science Lecture - Del Weniger; "Texas As It Is and Was"; 8:00 p.m., Our Lady of the Lake University, Thiry Auditorium. 6 Palmetto Park Birding Pilgrimage (BAS); Nancy Kent, 824-8199. 6 Clymer Prairie work weekend (TNC); Ann Schnapf, 224-877 4. 7 Relict Prairies of Austin; Lea Stone, 1-327-8180. 11 SA Audubon general meeting. 16 Sierra Club general meeting. 18 BEXAR AUDUBON general meeting, 7:30 Witte, Museum Auditorium; John Karger, "Raptor Rehabilitation." 21 San Antonio Christmas Bird Count; Byron Stone, 699-1971. 25 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! 27 HAPPY CHANUKAH!!!!!! THANKS TO . . BILL VANAUKEN for an excellent program on the role of huisache in Texas ecosystems. MARGUERITE BURT for sharing her trip to the Antarctic with the members attending the last Outings meeting. DID YOU KNOW . . The word is out! Beach Buddies collected 91.84 tons of beach debris from Texas beaches, from Boca Chica to Beaumont, on National Beach Cleanup Day, September 20. Almost 2,800 volunteers filled over 8,000 trash bags on 119 miles of Texas beaches. The Center for Environmental Education praised the volunteers and members ofthe media who helped define the seriousness of the beach debris crises. Incredible amounts of rope, plastic bottles, rubber gloves, and plastic bags and sheeting were collected. Volunteers were also surprised at the amount of identifiable objects washed ashore from foreign countries. Worldwide, ships toss an estimated 639,000 plastic containers over their sides daily, and fishermem lose or cut loose some 135,000 metric tons of netting each year. Plastic debris continues to kill thousands of marine mammals, sea turtles, birds and commercially important fish species every year due to entanglement in and ingestion of these materials. Currently no national or international laws exist against dumping more than three miles from shore. Last summer an international meeting on ocean pollution convened in London to discuss restriction of certain dumping practices. A key feature of the proposed treaty is the prohibition on the "disposal of all plastics, including, but not limited to, synthetic ropes, synthetic fishing nets and garbage bags." Please contact your federal representatives and encourage them to support research and legislation to ban the disposal of plastics at sea. Also write to The Honorable John D. Negroponte, Assistant Secretary of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Dept. of State, Washington, D.C. 20520 to voice your concern on this critical issue. BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIE1Y P 0. BOX 60H4 • SAN ANTONIO, TEXA~ 7H209 All BAS members are invited to attend the sessions at the Southwest Regional Conference to be held at Mo Ranch in Hunt, Texas, on November 8 and 9. Come and meet National Audubon president Peter Berle and other Society directors and participate in a variety of activities and discussions pertaining to pressing environmental issues. For further information, call1-327-1943. The first annual BAS yard sale was a real success! A big vote of thanks to the BAS participants who donated items, to those who assisted in setting up tables and tagging merchandise, and to those who acted as customers and salespeople. The $407 netted from the sale will be applied toward BAS activities during the coming year. BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY Officers and Board Byron Stone, President Nora Driver, Vice President Russell Smith, Secretary Thelma Nungesser, Treasurer Manuel Flores Pat Honsberger Marge Flandermeyer Sherry Stone Nancy Kent Committee Chairman Outings, Jim Beall Memberships, Bruce Makuk Conservation, Susan Rust Finance, Education, Nora Driver Programs, Stu & Netti Birnbaum Publicity, Nancy Kent 699-1971 826-8531 734-7184 824-8199 695-8103 695-8254 684-2668 699-1971 824-8199 657-9655 523-2555 826-4698 826-8531 647-3524 824-8199 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U. S. POSTAGE PAID SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Permit No. 590 ~ I
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