Bexar tracks : the newsletter of the Bexar Audubon Society, Vol. 13, No. 07

• Main Author: Bexar Audubon Society
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: San Antonio, Tex. : Bexar Audubon Society, 1995
• Subjects: Birds > Conservation > Texas > Periodicals.; Ornithology > Texas > Periodicals.; Nature conservation > Texas > Periodicals; Clubs and Organizations; Science and Technology; Aguirre; Ashworth; Austin; Bebe; Blackburn; Donnelly; Elliott; Fonda; Fulton; Galapagos; Gorton; Grande Valley; Hornsby; Hummer; Leahy; Mahan; North Star; Pacific; Randall; Recess; Reeves; Schumann; Small Rock; Theodore; Two Mile; Watchers; north slope; Alaska
• Online Access: http://digital.utsa.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15125coll10/id/7964

Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). Raptor Rescue Saturday, July 15, 11:30 to 1:30 Field trip to Last Chance Forever (Bird of Prey Conservancy) Don't miss the chance to visit Last Chance Forever, the Bird of Prey Con­servancy facility, for our July field trip. Last Chance Forever is a non-profit organization dedicated to the rehabili­tation and release of injured and or­. phaned birds of prey such as hawks, owls, eagles, falcons, and vultures. Under the leadership of John Karger, this San Antonio-based organi­zation has treated thousands of birds of prey, including endangered species. Up to 80% of the birds treated are released back into their natural home, the wild. On this outing we will tour the vet­erinary treatment center, view the flight recovery facilities, and perhaps see a flight demonstration of some birds of prey ,in residence. Gathering time is 11:15 for a short ride to start the tour at 11:30 and con­tinue wltil1:30. Due to limited parking, we will meet at the Bookstop off Hwy 281 at Bitters near the facility. From 281 North, take the Bitters exit. Southbound, continue through the light; northbound, turn left under the freeway. Proceed south on the access road. Books top is in the shopping center on the southwest corner. Bring a picnic lunch if you'd like. Please call Patty Leslie Pasztor for reser­vations at 824-1235. Inside Tracks Beneath the Gavel . 2 Bird Tales . 3 Environmental Issues . .4 Local News . 6 Calendar . 8 BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIElY CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY 210-822-4503 Volume XIII, No. 7 july 1995 Raptor Migration At Bexar Audubon's July 20 meet­ing, John M. Economidy will speak on increasing raptor populations and mi­grating raptors in Texas. , Economidy has been the Texas Re­gional Editor of the Hawk Migratioo As­sociation of North America since the autumn of 1988. Each fall, the San· Antonio criminal de­fense attorney runs the Coastal Bend Hawk­watch at Hazel Bazemore County Park in Corpus Christi. Economidy will give a slide and video demonstration and report on mi­grant patterns, and on current nesting populations of aplomado and peregrine falcons, swallow-tailed kites, bald and golden eagles, zone-tailed and common blackhawks, and Cooper's hawks. Who should atte11d? Those inter­ested in raptors and their protection. Students are especially welcome. Co11servatio1t Committee: Come at 6:00pm for a joint meeting of the Bexar Audubon Society and Sierra Club Conservation Committees. Specifics: Monthly meet­ing of Bexar Audubon Soci­ety, 7:30 pm, Thursday, July 20 . Refreshments will be available at 7:00 pm. Come early to socialize. Free and open to the public. For more information call 822-4503. Locatio11: Ruble Center, 419 East Magnolia. Nearest freeway exit is North St. Mary's, off Highway 281. Public Transportation: VIA Route 5 (St. Mary's-McCullough-North Star Mall) to Magnolia Street. Plus <;a Change, Plus C' est Ia Meme Chose From the Springfield (MA) Republicau Who, then, are the people in ·washington and the other states about these reservations, who are making their clamor roar against the act of the president? They belong no doubt to that class of timber thieves and prospectors and ranchmen who make a business of-appropriating public land to their own uses without authority or expense, and it is surprising that they have influence enough in congress to force an amendment into one of the appropriation bills. The movement to nullify [the president's] act represents that spirit of ruthless exploitation and destruction which has characteriZed the development of our natural resources all over the country, and particularly in the West, and which it is high time to curb. The waste and ruin have been inconceivably large already and will be visited on succeeding generations, aod it is the champions of this order who now protest against the withdrawal of these large sections of untillable lands from the reach of ax and fire. ord, Conservation Chair Juniata Valley AS WHAT IS SUSTAINABlE DEVELOPMENT/ Thomas Jefferson grappled with the question, writing, "Then I say the earth belongs to each generation during its course, fully and in its own right. The second generation receives it clear of the debts and encumbrances, the third of the second, and so on. "For if the first could charge it with a debt, then the earth would belong to the dead and not to the living genera­tion. Then, no generation can contract debts greater than may be paid during the course of its own existence " Theodore Roosevelt said, "The na­tion behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value." Think of sustainable development as living off our interest and not deplet­ing our capital: "The use of components of biological diversity in a way that must not interfere with the functioning of ecological processes and life-support systems. This means that crops must be managed in an ecologically sound way, forests must be protected, and genetic diversity must be preserved for the fu­ture," according to Valerie Harms, writ­ing in The Audubou Almauac. The other day I was privileged to speak on a panel at the Air and Waste Management Assqciation meeting held in San Antonio. My cohort included representatives from Mondial Biosfeer in the Netherlands, EPA, the President's Council on Sustainable Development, Conoco, and the .Business Council on Sustainable Development. July 1995 · After hearing their perspectives on the topic, it would fall to me to address the perspec­tive of public interest. As I thought about this topic in the days before the panel, I struggled to find a way to present my point of view. Fi­nally I hit on an approach) thought would work. BENEATH THE GAVEL In The Ecology of Commerce, Paul Hawken writes of sustainable develop­ment: "Leave the world better than you found it, take no more than you need, try not to harm life or the environment, make amends if you do." NATURAL INITIATIVES What better example of a grassroots program that does just that than our own Natural Initiatives program? Most people have no idea what sus­tainable development is. But they do know about day-to-day things that in­fluence their lives, their pocketbooks, and the ability to support their families. When people understand how these elements of life affect them, it is easier to demonstrate how events and choices affect their quality of life and the sustainability of their lives. I believe that laws, regulations, poli­cies, and the like will fail without public commitment behind them. That com­mitment grows from-and is entirely dependent upon-understanding. And understanding leads to cultural change. Through the Natural Initiatives program our goal is to change the face of San Antonio. How are we approach­ing this? One yard at a time, one garden at a time, one heart at a time-we are making a habit of making habitat. Creating habitat yields many bene­fits, virtually all of which wrap into the concept of sustainable development: • increases biodiversity • restores and provides native habitat • decreases water usage • decreases (or eliminates) use of her­bicides and pesticides • decreases biomass waste by elimi­nating and/or com posting it • eliminates fuel use and emissions from mowing and trimming • lowers energy costs for cooling • increases communication and sense of neighborhood • enhances beauty, interest in learn­ing, and understanding Extrapolating from "the birds at my feeder'' or "the butterflies that visit my flowers" to a concern about biodiversity and sustainable development in farther places is much easier than leaping di­rectly to the abstract concept with 2 Call for Volunteers With the Natural Initiatives pro­gram we are at the next stage in our growth. The dedicated steering commit­tee is now forming subcommittees to start bringing more of these exciting ideas to life. If you want to work with the most heart-warming, gratifying pro­gram we've been involved in in a long time, Natural Initiatives is your ticket. We need subcommittee mem-bers for the following committees: • education & schools, • special events, • media & conununity relations, • developers & builders, • landscapers & nurseries, and • speakers bureau. If you would like to join the Natural Initiatives team, or want more information, call Harriet Wiy­gul at 534-7505, or me at 532-2332. - Susa11 Hughes which an individual may have little per­sonal knowledge. Local awareness and action have, of course, global implications, as we see the results of each decision we make at home, then multiply them many times to envision the protection of distant eco­systems. What we are developing, then, through the grassroots promotion of Natural Initiatives, is the culture of con­servation, of which I wrote in last month's Bexar Tracks. The National Audubon Society has warmly embraced the culture of conservation as its vision, with an emphasis on local action. We seek "a world where apprecia­tion and protection of nature-and the practice and achievement of sustainable development-is a common, not a spe­cial interest; where there is a harmony of environmental, social, and economic concerns. Without this development, we cannot sustain our hopes, our labors, our worth, or our imagination." - Susa11 Hughes Bexar Tracks Create a Rock Pool Your budget may not allow you to create that lavish "water feature" you yearn for, but you can still have an at­tractive small rock pool that will delight birds and other wildlife. Your only in­vestments will be a few dollars for sup­plies and half a day of labor. Select a spot for your pool that is near the cover of shrubs or low tree branches, providing birds with a quick escape from predators. With a hose, out­line a circle about two feet in diameter. Study the size of your future pool and try to get an idea of how many stones you will need to form the rim. Now you're ready to go shopping. At a garden center, buy a roll of the heaviest black plastic you can find-at least 4 mm thick. Purchase stones at the garden center or a stone yard. Buy mostly medium sized, smooth rocks, but throw in a few smaller, irregu­lar ones to fill the inevitable gaps when you're trying to fit the stones together. Haul your booty home and get to work with a shovel. Dig the chosen site no deeper than six inches. Line the hole with black plas­tic, extending the liner several inches out around the rim. Arrange the stones on the rim and place one or two on the bottom of the pool to give birds perch­ing spots. Trim away any excess liner. Fill the pool with water and let the birds enjoy! Keep the water fresh and clean by Ia ying the hose in it once or twice a week and letting the water run until the pool overflows. A fish tank net purchased at a pet store is handy for removing leaves and other debris. - Saudra Parshall Fairfax (VA) Auduvou Society Birdathon a Success I With preliminary reports in, it ap­pears we raised about $2,000, about the same as last year. Fewer people partici­pated, but more birds were spotted. The proceeds from Birdathon help support Audubon Adventures and the Southwest Regional Office. More next month. Bexar Tracks BIRD TALES Turkey Vulture in Alamo Heights? As I was driving away from a friend's house in Alamo Heights, I thought I saw a very big bird down the street. I slowed down as I approached. A very big bird indeed. A turkey vulture was tearing into the remains of a road-kill squirrel, and ignoring the dive-bombing by house finches, mock­ingbirds, blue jays, and doves. I assume the mobbing was a response to a threat, but do turkey vultures bother nests? Do the little guys just react to any hawk-shaped bird? . What I really want to know is what was he (she?) doing in Alamo Heights anyway? The street is almost totally canopied over by over­arching trees, and the squirrel was fresh (it wasn't there half an hour earlier when I drove in). I mean, you just don't expect to see vultures except in outlying areas. It's ten miles in any direction to a place where I've ever seen a vulture soaring. Anyway, I was tickled to be able to sit and watch for nearly half an hour-l've stopped to watch vultures on the road, but they always fly away. This one was very nonchalant about cars. Of course traffic doesn't move very fast in that neighbor­hood, but even so. The vulture's response was a stately stroll to the curb. He was also pretty blase about me-eyed me warily when I parked at the curb not ten feet from him, and checked on me a couple times, but mostly went unconcernedly about his business. When he finished the squirrel he flew to the low branch of a nearby tree, looked around for a few minutes, then took off again and flew out through the canopy and away. -Claire Dreuowatz Forget Zappers-Go Bats I In an article in the May/June Bird Watchers Digest, David Donnelly urges us to throw away our bug zappers, and explains they do more harm than good. People who have bug zappers, he states, have assumed that all night-flying insects are harmful and must be eliminated. But most of the insects on this planet are harmless or actually beneficial to humans. Donnelly wrote, " . most of us only remem­ber the nasty ones that have stung or bitten us. And so, some people try to attract insects to a light source . . . then 'bugzap' them on a charged electric grid ." He writes further, "Most . people who own bug zappers think that they kill mosquitoes. Nothing could be far­ther from the truth . A mosquito flying at night does not use light for direction 3 . When you are out at night a mos­quito finds you because you are a mam­mal. Mammals . exhale carbon dioxide, which also seeps out of our skins. The smell of carbon dioxide is what the mosquito homes in on." He also points out that insects which kill mosquitoes, such as crane flies, are also at­tracted to, and killed by, zappers! Donnelly recommends using natural ways to kill skeeters, such as providing nesting or roosting space for bats. They eat lots of mosquitoes. Bat roosts are available at several "nature" stores in town, and at some feed and hardware stores, and through Bat Conservation International, P. 0. Box 162603, Austill 78716, 512-327-9721. July 1995 What Did You Expect? When you voted last fall, did you expect your representative or senator to support votes to: require the Forest Service to cut 3 billion board feet in our national forests at taxpayer expense, suspending all en­vironmental regulations AND the right of citizens to sue to stop it; suspend all environmental regula­tions regarding grazing on Federal lands; repeal regulations that protect sea turtles, dolphins, sea otters, whales, Steller sea lions, and sea birds which may be killed during fishing, oil and gas drilling, mining, and other activities in coastal and ocean waters? The last bill, sponsored by Slade Gorton of Washington, was written by industry lobbyists. Gorton has received more than $15,000 from fishing industry PACs, in­cluding the National Fisheries Institute, American Factory Trawler Association, and Pacific Seafood Processors; $25,000 from oil company PACs, including At­lantic Richfield, Chevron, Mobil, Occi­dental Petroleum, Texaco, Union Oil, Sun Oil, and Amoco; $43,654 from forest industry PACs, and $21,800 from the pulp and paper industry. He also received-$31,000 from PACs associated National Endangered Spe­cies Act Reform Coalition and the En­dangered Species Coordinating Council, which have for years been pushing for major weakening of the En­dangered Species Act. In a statement to the New York Times, Gorton admitted that legislation written by lawyers for industry coali­tions with economic stakes in the out­come is bad public policy, but said "I'm perfectly willing to get the free services of good lawyers in drafting my views." Our Senators and the San Antonio delegation, with the exception of Gon­zalez, have supported just about every anti-environmental bill introduced. Please-call them (phone numbers in the June Bexar Tracks). And keep their records in mind when the 1996 elections roll around. Next month-the money behii~d the San Antonio delegation. July 1995 ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Earthwatch: 150 Ways to Spend a Vacation Spend two weeks- • savii1g endangered sea turtles ii1 St. Croix • building solar ovens in Kenya • tracking timber wolves in Minnesota. Earthwatch offers unique ways to spend part of your break or summer. Join an Earth watch research team, help­iilg leading scientists on iinportant field studies. Pick from150 expeditions across the United States and around the world, from dinosaur digs to public health sur­veys to raii1forest conservation efforts. An average project cost of $1500 supports the research and covers your food and lodging for a two-week expe­dition. No experience necessary! Since 1972, more than 35,000 volun­teers have joined Eartl1watch expedi­tions. They've traveled to 111 countries to work as partofthe team on more than 1600 different research projects. As a member, you can: • Join an expedition. Volunteers of all ages and walks of life work and live together, usually for two weeks, sharing labor, costs, adventure, and discoveries of field research. • Receive Earthwatch magazine. Pub­lished six times a year, it features articles on global issues and vanish­iilg cultures, recent findings from Earthwatch programs, profiles of world experts, and complete de­scriptions of upcoming projects which need your help. • Order expedition briefings, in-depth guides up to 100 pages long on each project. Use them to choose an ex­pedition, or to explore cutting-edge research from your home o~ class­room. • Participate in member events. Meet scientists and volunteers eager to share experiences and discoveries through filins, slide shows, and lec­tures all over the country. • Make a difference. Join a unique group of people workii1g together to improve the quality of life on earth. Earth watch is your chance to help fix the planet, to put some­thing back. I am the science department chair­man and a biology teacher at Holmes High School. I have had the awesome experience of havii1g participated in three Earthwatch expeditions with ·some of my students. We journeyed to Australia (kanga­roos), St. Croix (leatherback turtles), and Alaska (musk oxen) to participate in ex­peditions under the guidance of expert scientists. This summer a fellow teacher, two Holmes students and I will be in­volved with the "Life as a Monkey" pro­ject in Venezuela. I am also a Texas field representative for Earthwatch, and I would be most happy to answer any of your questions. Please call me at 653-5112. I'll also be glad to send you a special $15 iiltroduc­tory membership offer. -Jim Weber Supreme Court Upholds ESA Officials of the National Audubon Society expressed enthusiasm over the Supreme Court's decision upholding enforcement of the Endangered Species Act. "Today's ruling by the Supreme Court in the Sweet Home case is a landmark decision for wildlife protection," said Audubon's legalcounselJohn Echeverria. The Supreme Court recognized the direct connection between protectii1g habitat and protecting species. The decision raises the bar for members of Congress who would ignore the obvious relationship between habitat protection and species protection." In its most important wildlife decision in nearly twenty years, the Supreme Court has reinforced that the legal definition of harm goes beyond harassment, huntii1g, trapping and capture of wildlife. The Court recognized tl1at habitat loss and environmental degradation are also destructive to wildlife. Contact John Echeverria or Randall Snodgrass, 202-547-9009, or Jim Pissot, 206-786-8020 for more information. 4 Bexar Tracks Internet Musings OFF THE INTERNET News Release: "The Commerce De­partment released its findings under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, confirming the finding that oil imports pose a threat to our national security. DOE and the Administration are continuing work to develop policies to reduce our use of imported oil by low­ering the cost of domestic production, increasing production from federal lands, and reducing the use of petro­leum as a transportation fuel." OK, so this is why Congress wants to turn speed limits over to the states? So we can b1,1rn more fossil fuel on America's highways and byways? Makes sense to me! Sheeesh! What­ever happened to conservation? - Raudy Williams, Sioux City And is this also why the House Ap­propriations Committee cut funding for alternative energy research programs on Tuesday? On the one hand we have Air Force generals flying from one personal cere­mony to another in an Air Force jet at taxpayer expense (guess the congress people do this too), all the while using up (gulp!) thousands of pounds of JP-4 fuel, while back home two guys try car­pooling 6.1miles to work each night to save a a few bucks. This Congress does not care about saving. This Congress cares about GREED. - Alau Gregory, Pemzsylvauia Amen. And because of these sup­posed threats to national security, we are to lift the ban on exporting North Slope oil?!?! Sheesh! -Paula Ford, Pemzsylvauia Thought for the Day In honor of the Wide Abuse Movement: "Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much ·as you please." -.Mark C:wailt Bexar Tracks ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Clinton Ready to Sell out on Logging & Grazing While Clinton vetoed the first Re­scissions Bill (HR 1158), we now need to head off ·the sneaky little riders which appear on the Compromise Rescissions Bill that Congress has vowed to pass and Clinton is reported ready to sign. GRAZING: One rider is a provision that would exempt livestock graziug i11 the Natioual Forests from all euviroll­meutallaws. This was section 504 of the old Rescissions Bill. In many places, especially in the dry intermountain west, the land is un­suited for livestock and grazing causes serious environmental harm. Grazing use on public lands needs more scrutiny and more enforcement, not less, but the lawless grazing rider will allow live­stock to continue the destruction. The rider will eliminate public in­volvement by elimiuatiug citizeus' ac,­cess to the courts to challmge destructive and illegal graziug. It will cost taxpayers millions. One way or another, the public will have to pay to restore public lands damaged by overgrazing. The rider is blatantly hypocritical since it'~:? attached to a bill which is supposed to reduce spending. LOGGING: This rider is as destruc­tive as the one on grazing. Under the pretense of salvaging dead or dying trees,~ it allows the "iucidental" cutting of nearby live, growing trees. The Forest Service actually builds the loggiug roads for the timber companies-at your ex­pense! SELLOUT: While Clinton specifi­cally mentioned the "logging without laws" rider as totally unacceptable when he vetoed the original bill, now we have word from Connie Mahan at NAS/DC that Clinton cut a deal on the Compromise Rescission Bill and agreed to sign it-with the logging and grazing language still in it. "He even called Senator Patty Mur­ray and asked her to release her hold on the bill, which she did. There was a flurry of last minute phone calls and other efforts to derail this sellout but it appeared a done deal and the Senate was debating the bill and getting ready for a vote" the evening of June 30. 5 Connie continued, but . "Dole pulled the bill. Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN) went to the floor and pitched a fit and threatened to filibuster the bill. To his aid came Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL), which was a surprise, since she has never distinguished herself as a big enviro. "But their two heated speeches and his threatened filibuster as the Senate was trying to wrap things up was more than Dole could deal with, so he had to pull the bill. It's not clear when they will revisit this issue, but it could be imme­diately after the July 4 recess Ouly 10). "So we have some more time to pound this into the ground. We need calls into the White House rebuking the President for his sellout. We need calls to Senators . It must be clear there will be a political price to pay for passing the logging and grazing riders. The best way to do that is to call, call, call. "Our CompuServe users have been key players in our efforts to stop the resciSsion bill," which Clinton vetoed, but we need one more more effort on this new bill, unfortunately. Clinton and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle are the key players negotiating the Compromise Rescission Bill. Tell them to drop any logging with­out laws rider frmi1 the Compromise Rescission Bill. Tell them that public lands grazing is terribly mismanaged and needs more oversight, not less. CONTACTS: Sen. Daschle (D-SD) 202-224-2321 [e-mail] Other key Seuators: Murray [phone] Wellstone (D-MN) 202-224-5641 Bradley (D-NJ) 202-224-3224 Leahy (D-VT) 202-224-4242 Bun1pers (D-AR) 202-224-4843 Boxer (D-CA) 202-224-3553 Baucus 202-224-2651. President Bill Clinton, Washington, DC 20500, [e-mail], 202-456-6224. Contact your representatives, too, beca~se this bill also came from the House. The Capitol switchboard number is 202-224-3121. July 1995 LOCAL NEWS Water Meeting A Great Big "Thank You" All residents, businesses, and con­cerned citizens of Leon Springs, Stage Coach Hills, Country Bend, Cross Mountain Ranch, Big Oak Estates, and Majestic Oaks areas are urged to attend a town meeting at the First Baptist Church, Tuesday, July 11, at 6:00pm. Texas Water Development Board geologist John Ashworth will address the meeting and discuss Water Availabil­ity & Water Quality in the Glen Rose and Trinity Aquifers. Ashworth conducted the geological surveys of the aquifers in this region, and is eminently qualified to discuss water issues in the area. There will also be speakers from City Public Service and BFI Waste Sys­tems present, to share information about conservation and their services. All concerned residents of the Leon Springs regions should attend this town meeting. For more info, call698-7109. Thanks to our volunteers who worked Viva! Botanica this spring: Kirk Elliott, Nancy Johnson, Betty Minyard, Thelma Nungesser, Anita Reeves, Gloria Reeves, Valerie Ca1i1illi, Susan Hughes, Susan Rust, Deborah Robin­son, Bill Sain, and Harriet Wiygul, as well as Barb DeLuca, who was repre­senting Natural Initiatives. Harriet and Rachel Wiygul and Bill Sain were at Earth Day pre-dawn and Bill closed down that night. Their efforts helped make it an enjoyable day and a change of pace from other Fiesta events. Susan, Tatjana, and John staffed the booth until a wind storm came and tried to disperse our literature to the far cor­ners of the park! Betty volunteered again to staff the most financially successful event for us this spring, the Cibolo Nature Trails Mostly Native Plant Sale. Betty, Thelma, BUMPER STICKER SEEN SOMEWHERE IN TEXAS: I~AR1,11 I~IIlS1,! WE'LL STRIP MINE AND CLEAR-CUT THE OTHER PLANETS LATER! Natural Initiatives Program Benefits Everyone Landscaping with colorful native plants is very complimentary to the style of many homes in San Antonio neighborhoods. There are other benefits, too. Most native plants, and many of the well-adapted introduced varieties, are drought tolerant-an important .:haracteristic for San Antonio's long, often dry summers. They also offer food and shelter for urban wildlife. Hummingbirds, seed-eating and insectivorous birds, butterflies, lizards, toads, and pIa yful squirrels will all be attracted to your native garden, creating a biola gical balance that will reduce undesirable bugs, foster beneficial insects, feed butterfly larvae, and improve the health of your garden without pesticides. You'll also reduce your need to mow, trim, and fertilize, thus diminishing the pollutants released into the air and added to our streams and rivers in runoff-or as aquifer recharge. "Natural Initiatives," a program of Bexar Audubon Society, Bexar County Master Gardeners, Native Plant Society, San Antonio Botanical Gardens, San Antonio Coalition of Neighborhood Associations, San Antonio Water System, and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, promotes landscaping for wildlife at resi­dences, businesses, schools, and parks-all over San Antonio. If you'd like more information about landscaping for wildlife, call Patty Leslie Pasztor at 824-1235, or Harriet Wiygul at 822-4503. An information-rich Wildscape packet is available for $15. You may be eligible for a substantial SAWS rebate if you convert your existing thirsty landscape to a water-saver Wildscape, too. Call704-7527 for information. July 1995 6 and Bill staffed the BAS booth at the Earth-Wise Living Day in Leon Valley. Barb promoted the Natural Initiatives program at that event, too. Susan and Harriet staffed a table at Whole Foods' birthday celebration. Bill Sain and Deborah Robinson dropped by to document the event. Nancy Johnson has volunteered to help with hospitality at our monthly meetings. Thanks for your willingness to participate, Nancy. Chris Dullnig represents the chap­ter at air quality and MPO meetings. Walter Barfield represents BAS with AGUA. Dan & Kristy Davis never miss a month of keeping our membership re­cords up to date and supplying labels for the newsletters. Patty Pasztor and Bill Woller represent BAS in tree preser­vation efforts. Dick Pipes, Jim Garriott, Sue Wiedenfeld, Bebe Fenstermaker, Susan Hughes, and Patty Pasztor are all involved in tl1e Rangeland Environ­mental Issues Forwn. Susan Hughes, Walter Barfield, and Susan Rust moni­tor the Camp Bullis joint land use plan­ning study. Bill Sain represents BAS on the Kelly Restoration Advisory Board. Following Barb DeLuca's retire­ment (she and husband Nick are hitting the roads of the U.S. for a grand adven­ture), Harriet Wiygulis now heading up the Natural Initiatives task force, which includes a good number of our mem­bers. Susan Hughes representsthe chapter on the City Public Service Gen­eration Planning Citizens Committee. Thanks to Greg Pasztor for leading the June outing to Colorado Bend. Deborah Robinson also deserves our thanks for creating (and donating) a variety of hand-crafted BAS items for sale at our public outreach events. They include refrigerator magnets and wooden-bead bracelets. Deb has also put together a chapter scrapbook which draws a lot of attention and shows peo­ple the variety of enjoyable events BAS members participate in. That's just a sampling of involve­ment by chapter leaders and volun­teers. It's a busy chapter. We'd welcome your interest and participation, too. Bexar Tracks I l Ordinance in the Works San Antonio is preparing a tree preservation ordinance. San Antonio Trees is an organization formed to en­courage planting, nurturing, and pres­ervation of trees in our city. Following is a summary of the position of SA Trees on tree preservation. Empirical evidence clearly'demon­strates that trees are beneficial to the City of San Antonio and to its citizens" both biologically and economically. But, empirical evidence nationally demonstrates that development and in­sufficient mui1icipal forestry programs are eliminating trees. Mature trees are being eliminated in San Antonio too! ' Therefore, because trees play such an integral part in citizens' lives and because development continues un­abated, we ask the City Council to: • Pass a tree preservation ordinance so that current and future citizens of San Antonio have a livable, viable community. • Revise City policies and operations regarding trees on City property. • Set aside 1% of road and drainage improvement funds for landscap­ing. • Call on the Air Quality Task Force for other recommendations. San Antonio Trees has also pre­sented guidelines for a tree·pres~rvation ordinance. For more information, con­tact June Kachtik at 342-0135. Garage Sale BAS is in the planning stages for a garage sale to raise funds: • for our educational programs, • for Natural Initiatives, and • to support the newsletter. Can we make this much money? We have to, since there may be cuts in our dues share from NAS. Please start· thinking about wha.t · you might contribute and, as you're do­ing your fall cleaning, put aside things appropriate for a garage sale for the benefit of BAS. Watch Bexar Tracks for more info, or call Susan Hughes at 532-2332. Bexar Tracks LOCAL NEWS Bexar Audubon Video Library 60 Attracting Birds to Your Backyard Roger Tory Peterson 15 Bats of America Bat ConseiVation International, with script 30 Bats: Myth and Reality Bat ConseiVation International, with script 15 Condemned: FallsCity Hazardous Waste KMOL 60 Condor NAS, Robert Redford, teaching guide 40 Conservation Biology and Natural Resources Lectures by Dr. Thomas Lovejoy and Management: Seeking Common Ground and Dr. Stanley T erJlple, College+ New Directions 13 Coyotes in Texas: A Matter of Perspectiue Texas Agricultural Extension Service 30 Dolphins. Our friends from tlie Sea; Nature Series Frogs and How They Liue 40 Eagles: Music and Natural Sounds EscapeTapes, no narration 40 Eco, You, and Simon, Tool Songs, fun, and games for ages 1-6 10 Edw\)rds Aquifer: A' Texas Treasure. Witte Museum 30 Elephants and Other Unusual Animals Nature Series 8 · Endcmgered Species Act: National Audubon Society A Commitment Worth Keeping 41 Finding the Balance: Efforts toward a Stable National Audubon Society. seqyel to Population and a Sustainable Piquet What is the Limit 30 Friendly Gray Whales 1988 Wonder Visions 60 Galapagos: My Fragile World World of Audubon, Cli(f Robertson •• 1:11 Help Saue Planet Earth: Ted Danson and other celebrities Easy Ways to Make a Big Differeirce- 30 How to Make a Difference #1: Wetlands . Audubon Activist 6 NAS: strategies and skills for protecting wetlands 52 Human Population and Wildlife: An National Audubon Society Audubon Perspectiue 30 Integrated Pest Management BIRC 8.5 Jurassic Ark: If Only Dinosaurs Had Had National Audubon Society, narrated by the Endangered Species Act 11-year-old. What young people can do. 15 Little Sandy Wildlife Re~1ge: Texas Ed Video Network, Huntsville Wood County 15 [oop and the Wilderness Park: · KLRN KENV Earthbeat· #3 60 Mysterious Black-Footed· Ferret National Audubon Society, Loretta Swit • • 60 Mysterious Elephants of the Congo National Audubon Society, Jane Fonda 45 Natiue Texas: Ecology 60 Edge of Extinction: National Audubon Society, Loretta Swit • • Panthers and Cheetahs io.s Out of the Blue Texas Parks 6 Wildlife: migratory birds 55 . Owls Up Close National Audubon Society 28 Pointless Pollution: America's Water Crisis LCRA, Walter Cronkite 25 Rain Forest lmperatiue ConseiVation ln~ernational; high school + 60 Saue the Earth: A How-To Video . 16.5 Texas Nature Celebration: An Ecological San Antonio Museum Assn. tour of six Aduenh1re major ecological regions ofT exas 30 Water: Thirst, Edwards Aquifer; Blackburn Collin County Deposition, and Texas Springs. Open space pln'!nning: Whateuer Befalls the Earth 13. What Is the Limit? National Audubon Society: population • • II World Conservation Leadership Award Pre-sented to President Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico in New York on October 8, I 991 6.5 World Population [reuised]a graphic Zero Population Growth · sinKdation of the history of human population growth 15 Wrath of Grapes United Farm Workers, high school+ * * Includes teachers guide, discussion material, or other printed materials. Viqeos may be borrowed by teachers 'or for use with community groups, or by BAS members. To borrow a video from Bexar Audubon Society, contact Betty Minyard, 210-344-6128, or write Bexar Audub~n Society, P 0 Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209. 7 July 1995 SUMMER+ PlANNING CALENDAR t Bexar Audubon Event § More Information Inside TCP Texas Conservation Passport or fee JULY II§ 15 15 15 20+§ 22 22 leon Springs Town Meeting, Water Auailability & Quality it1 GletJ Rose & Trit~ity Aquifers, John Ashworth. 6pm, First Baptist, 241 33 Boerne Stage Road. 698-7 I 09 for info. BAS Board Meeting. BAS outing to last Chance Forever. Honey Creek SNA, 9-1 I am. Chil­dren's nature walk. Guadalupe River SP Amphitheater, 2- 4 pm. Woody plant identification. $6 fee and reservations 2 I 0-9 3 5-40 12. Travis AS, Austin. Birding walk in St. Edward's District Park. Jean Martin 512-343-7053 for info. Baton Rouge AS. swallow-tailed kites & warblers, Atchafalaya/Sherburne WMA. Dr. Martin Guidry 504-755- 1915 for info. Central New Mexico AS, Sandias to search for hummingbirds. Charlotte Green at 505-34 5-127 I for info. · BAS General Meeting El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon, Aguirre Springs. Bob Johnson at 915- 7 57-1876 for info. Cibolo Nature Center, 7pm. What to do about baby birds, or if a fawn re­ally needs help. $2 donation. 29 Honey Creek SNA. 2-4 pm. Woody plant ID. same as 7/15. AUGUST 3-6 Travis AS. birding in S.E. Arizona. Jean Martin 512-343-7053 for info. 5 Cibolo Nature Center. Kids' story time, 7 -8pm. Bring a blanket, a teddy bear and a child. 5-6 El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon, Bosque del Apache NWR, Water Can­yon, & Plains of San Agustin. Bob Johnson 91 5-7 57 -I 876 for info. 5& 12 Honey Creek SNA. 9-1 I. lower Ed­wards Plateau ecosystem walk. I O+ Bexar Audubon board meeting. I 9+ Annual BAS planning meeting (no regular membership meeting). I 9 Honey Creek SNA. geology walk with UT Austin research geologist Chris Caran. Two-mile walk along Honey Creek Canyon with visit to rare basalt dike . 19 Guadalupe River SP Amphitheater, 7 pm. Walt Schumann & ethno-herpetol­ogy. Snakes as our culture has used them for food, clothing. spiritual sym­bols, and seasonal predictors. A fasci­nating program with live reptile friends for hands-on learning. 19 SE New Mexico AS. Trip to the lin­coln National Forest to view moun­tain wildflowers. Dotti Russell at 505- 622-2354 for info. 27 El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon, Fort Bliss Ponds Tour. Bob Johnson 91 5- 757-1876 for info. SEPTEMBER 7 -I 0 7th annual Hummer/Bird Celebration in Rockport/Fulton. Call 800-242- 007 I for info. 9 Baton Rouge Audubon, birding on Grand Isle, louisiana. Dr. Martin Guidry 504-7 55-191 5 for more info. OCTOBER 7-8 Audubon Council of Texas meeting in Houston. NOVEMBER 9-12 2nd annual Rio Grande Valley Bird­ing Festival. 800-531-7346 for more information. ONGOING ACTIVITIES Bexar Audubon Society general meetings are held on 3 rd TI1ursdays at 7:30 pm, at the Ruble Center, 4 19 East Magnolia; board meetings usually 2nd TI1Ursdays at 7 :OO;outing~ usually the Saturday following general meetings. Introductory memberships to NAS. including AUDUBON Ma9azit1e, cost only $20. Great gift. Send check to BAS (payable to NAS) at P. 0. below. Note chapter code W 19, and name address, and phone number of new member. Honey Creek SNA, 9-1 I :30 am. Pre­historic Cultures of Central Texas. Ar­chaeologist Herb Uecker: trail walk, prehistoric peoples & culture. 22 Rangeland Environmental Issues Fo- Other conservation organizations: please add rum meeting. Details next month. Bexar Audubon to your mailing list if we're not 22 Native Plant Society. carnivorous · .~ already on it. and we'll be glad to include your plants, 7pm. lions Field Clubhouse. ···'·events in our calendar each month. 22 Central New Mexico AS: Barn Owls 26 Cibolo Nature Center, Animals>Of tl\e . :. . .:; · in Estancia. Charlotte Green at 505- 345-1271 for info. Night. 8-9:30 pm. Bring a Vashlight We welcome contributions to Bexar Tracks. for a walk in the woods, and find out Next paper (hard copy. fax) deadline 7/22, 29 29 Travis AS, field trip to Hornsby Bend. Jean Martin 512-343-7053 for info. Honey Creek SNA, Ethnobotany walk, 9-11 am. who's out and about after dark. electronic (diskette, email} deadline 7/28. 26 Honey Creek SNA, 9:,1 Jam. Chi( _. .• dren's nature walk to Honey Creek • . emphasis on flowers and insec_ts. OFFICERS AND BOARD Susan K. Hughes President 532-2331; fax [phone] Harriet Wiygul Vice President 534-7505 Bill Sa in Treasurer 408-77 31 Anita L. Reeves Secretary 308-9254 Walter Barfield Board Member 736-0355 Claire Drenowatz Board Member 599-4168 Jim Garriott Board Member 695-9520 Patty leslie Pasztor Board Member 824-1235 Katie Nava-Ragazzi Board Member 804-122 6 Richard Pipes Board Member 2 81-2452 Bill Woller Board Member 696-31 86 Birdathon Conservation Education Hospitality Membership Natural Initiatives Outings Programs Publicity Ways S Means Bexar Tracks Editor COMMITIEE CHAIRS Marge lumpe Richard Pipes Betty Minyard Harriet Wiygul Dan S Kristy Davis Harriet Wiygul Patty leslie Pasztor Chris Dullnig Susan K. Hughes Bill Sain 545-1822 281-2452 344-6128 534-7505 609-5678 534-7505 824-1235 828-4017 532-2331 408-7731 Claire Drenowatz 599-4168; fax[phone] CompuServe 73232,506 Bexar Audubon Society, Inc. P. 0. Box 6084 San Antonio, TX 7 8209 Address Correction Requested Printed on acid-free, 50% post-consumer waste paper. Non-profit Organization U. S. Postase Paid San Antonio, lX Permit #590