Bexar tracks : the newsletter of the Bexar Audubon Society, Vol. 13, No. 10

• 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; Alabama; Austin; Bruns; Buttons; Grande Valley; McKelvey; Moses; North Star; Rath; Reeves; Schumann; Sullivan; Canis lupus; gray wolf; Alaska
• Online Access: http://digital.utsa.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15125coll10/id/7970

Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). Editor's Note: We borrowed this article from the current issue of the newsletter of the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club, perhaps to start a discussion on the subject. Letters or articles will be welcomed. We've all heard that a vegetarian diet is healthier or perhaps that it is less cruel or even that it is cheaper, but can you save the world by changing how you eat? Perhaps not, but you can make a difference, even if you just reduce the amount of animal products you eat. Food, like all products, has an impact on the earth, an impact magnified by the consumption of animal products. American-style factory-farm live­stock agriculture uses massive amounts of water and energy, degrades ran­geland, arid creates water and air pol­lution hazards. Animal agriculture accounts for fully one third of all the raw materials used in the U.S., com­pared to l/60th for grains, fruits, and vegetables. Grain Feed Traditionally livestock agriculture turned things people couldn't eat into something they could. Now, however, livestock consume food that could more efficiently be used to feed people directly. It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce 1 pound ofbeef(a 93% loss), 6/pound of hogs, and 4/pound of turkeys. Livestock consume 70% of U.S. grain, and 40% of worldwide grain. Vokane XIII. No. I 0 R CK BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY The Planet on Your Plate Worldwide, livestock co'nsume enough legumes and grains to feed 5 times the world population. As many Third World countries try to "develop" by becoming more like the U.S., they produce more livestock and many of them have turned from grain exporters . to grain importers. But, you ask, doesn't this grain, when cycled through livestock, pro­duce better food? Dietarily, animal pro­tein is no different from plant protein, it is just balanced. This balancing can easily be achieved by consuming both grains and legumes (beans, peas, etc.). This is much easier to do than it was first thought in the 1960's, doesn't require charts and tables, and just re­quires a reasonably varied diet. It is much harder to not get enough protein from a plant-based diet than it is to get too much from an animal-based diet. And when you consider that we lose 94% of the protein we feed to beef, 88% to pigs, 83% to chickens, and 78% to dairy cows, you can see the waste. Land Use and Clearcuts About 90% of the agricultural land in the US is used to raise food for livestock. This intensive urbanization, 7 acres are lost to agricul­ture. A switch from animal agriculture could allow us to reforest 200 million of the 260 million acres that we have dear­cut over the years to produce farmland. Outside this country, rainforests are being cleared to produce beef for Western countries, at the rate of 55 square feet per 1/4 pound of beef!! Pricey burger! That's 1250 square feet per American per year. America im­ported 300 million pounds of beef from Central and South America in 1987. Since most rainforests have very poor soils, once the trees are cut down, erosion soon renders the land useless, and more forest must be cleared. At current rates, Central America will lose its rainforests in 40 years. Problems go beyond the forests to the rangelands. Cattle overgraze per­ennial grasses, allowing weeds to spread that don't hold the topsoil as well. Under hooves and rain, the soil erodes. Water· runs off more quickly, use contributes to the massive \-.P.,i-~+-+-+~r--+-+-.P. soil erosion that is taking place, with an area the size of Con­necticut being lost every year. Everyone thinks of urban de­velopment as a major land use prob­lem, but for each acre of forest lost to co11tittued ott page 5 BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY P. 0. Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209 21 0-822-4 503 Chapter of the National Audubon Society The Chapter's primary goals are to promote species and habitat conservation, and environmental education in the community. OFFICERS AND BOARD President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member Susan K. Hughes Harriet Wiygul Bill Sain Anita L. Reeves Walter Barfield Claire Drenowatz Jim Garriott Patty Leslie Pasztor Katie Nava·Ragazzi Richard Pipes Bill Woller 532-2332; fax [phone] 408~7731 308-9254 736.0355 5994168 695-9520 824-1235 804-1226 281-2452 696-3186 COMMITTEE CHAIRS Birdathon Conservation Earth Day Education Hospitality Membership Natural Initiatives Outings Programs Publicity Ways S Means Bexar Tracks Editor Marge Lumpe Richard Pipes Dana Bohne Katie Nava·Ragazzi Harriet Wiygul Dan S Kristy Davis Harriet Wiygul Patty Leslie Pasztor Chris Dullnig Susan K. Hughes Bill Sain Claire Drenowatz 545-1822 281-2452 738-1342 804-1226 534-7505 609-5678 534-7505 824-1235 8284017 532-2332 408-7731 5994168; fax[phone] CompuServe 73232,506 Bexar Tracks is your newsletter. We welcome your contributions. Next paper (hard copy, fax) deadline 10/21, electronic (diskette, email) dead­line 10/27. Please send fax or email to Claire Drenowatz, as above; diskettes and hard copy should be sent to BAS, P. 0. Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 98209. Bexar Audubon Society ge11eral meeti11gs are held on 3rd Thursdays at 7:30 pm, at the Ruble Center, 419 East Magnolia; board meeti11gs usually 2nd Thursdays at 7:00. l11troductory memberships to NAS, including AUDUBON Magazine, cost only $20. Great gift. Send check to BAS (payable to NAS) at P. 0. above. Note chapter code W19, and name address, and phone number of new member. USEFUL NUMBERS: 800-659-2622 210-733-8306 210-227-6143 800-453-SMOG October 1995 NAS Actionline Rare bird alert number. To report local water waste. To report smoking vehicles (License #, date, time & location of sighting are requested). BENEATH THE GAVEl The August issue of Bexar Tracks included a member question­naire. We received a number of responses to the questionnaire-not as many as we'd hoped-but meaningful comments, nevertheless. I want to report some of the responses we received. Our members belong to Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federi;t­tion, Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy, Union of Concerned Scientists, Wilderness Society, Defenders of Wildlife, National Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, and Friends of Friedrich, among others. Here's how our respondents rated the importance of chapter efforts: 1. Bexar Tracks newsletter 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Habitat conservation Local land preservation Educational activities Audubon magazine Other wildlife Birding at home Legislative/regulatory activities Field trips Birding away from home Membership (program) meetings Social activities 44 percent of respondents have attended a general membership meeting; 32 percent of these attend regularly. At the meetings, people value the speakers the most, legislative updates second, followed by the committee reports and social interaction. Speaker topics were rated as follows: 1. "Backyard'' wildlife 2a. Urban environmental issues 2b. Local wildlife 3. Endangered species 4. Parks and refuges 5. Local birds and birding 6. Native/endangered plants 7a. Reptiles/amphibians/insects, etc. 7b. Wildlife management 8. Air/water/waste management/energy 9. Legislative issues 10. International wildlife 11. U.S. birds and birding 12. Exotic birds and birding 13. Domestic nature travel 14. International nature travel 42 percent of respondents have been on a BAS outing. Sugges­tions included more overnight trips, trips in the evenings and on Sundays, and outings in association with other groups, such as the Native Plant Society. 63 percent of respondents travel for pleasure more than once a year and 66 percent are interested in Audubon sponsored travel. About half of respondents were aware of the Audubon Adven­tures program and 19 percent know teachers who may be interested. More than half are willing to provide additional support for the program and three sent checks! - co11ti11ued 011 page 4 2 Bexar Tracks f LOCAL NEWS Last Chance for Mexican Wolves Mexican wolves are on the brink of total extinction and without your help they may never get another chance! The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) is currently soliciting public comment on their plans to reintroduce Mexican wolves into small portions of the wolves' historic range in New Mex­ico and Arizona. Strong oppsition by the Farm Bu­reau, the Cattle Raisers Association, the Davis Mountain Trans-Pecos Heritage Association and other anti-wolf/anti­predator groups have resulted in addi­tional public hearil\gs. The Austin meeting is being held to solicit public comments on the DEIS. Th~ DEIS includes four proposed alter­natives: A - designates the released wolves as "nonessential experimental," giving . FWS greatest "management" flexibility and affording less protection for the wolves. B - also designates the released wolves as "nonessential experimental'' except that the wolves' ·range is limited to "primary recovery zones;" C - releases wolves under full pro­tection of the Endangered Species Act, affording wolves more protection and giving FWS less" management" flexibil­ity; and D - calls for no releases, continued research and allows for possible natural recolonization. FWS representatives will be on hand during the meetings to provide information about the wolf reintroduc­tion proposal, answer questions, and receive written comments on the DEIS. The public comment deadline is October 31. Bring your written com­ments to the Austin meeting or send them to: U.S. Fish & Wildl~ Service Mexican Wolf EIS P.O. Box 1306 Albuquerque, NM 87103 For more information call Sierra Club at 512-477-1729. Please help us make sure that the Austin meeting is not just another ploy used to prevent the reintroduction of the Mexican wolf into the wild where they belong. The meeting is Austin is extremely important and will probably receive na­tional media attention. Major emphasis is being placed on these final public meetings because they were requested by several anti-wolf congressmen. Op­ponents will be there in force. October Meeting: Call for the Wild The Bottom Line Is: Unless a LARGE number of pro­wolf voices are heard in Austin, then the Mexican wolves' second chance for survival (by reintroduction) in the wild will plummet and might be cancelled, outright! Let's Crash Their Anti-wolf Party! Please attend! Bring your family, friends and a sign. Sign up to speak in favor of FWS' s plans to reintroduce the Mexican wolf. Thursday, October 12, 1995,4 to 6 pm and 7 to 9 pm. Sign-up is 3 - 8 pm. LBJ Auditorium, Joe C. Thompson Conference Center, Red River and 26th Street, Austin, Texas The FWS recently released . The Mexican wolf (Canis -lupus baileyi) is the smallest of the gray wolf sub-species and is the most highly en­d~ ngered large mammal inN. America. It is extinct in the wild in the U.S. Marcia Sullivan, president of the Mexican Wolf Coalition of Texas, will be our speaker on October 19. She will present the slide show "Call for the Wild," produced by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and Tucson's Arizona­Sonora Desert Museum. The Mexican Wolf Coalition of Texas was established as a not-for-profit organization in February 1990. Its pur­pose is to' educate the public about the plight of the Mexican wolf, assist in ef­forts for reintroduction of the Mexican wolf into its native habitat in Texas and - other parts of the South­west, and support cap­tive breeding facilities. pact Statement (DEIS) on the proposal to reintroduce the ( -._ Mexican wolf. It should be available at your public li- . \ \ brary or call 505/248-6786 for The rein­troduction of any endan­gered species is a challenging un-dertaking, but the \ reintroduction of a copy. an endangered . ' . Bexar Tracks predator offers still greater challenges. The Mexican wolf became endangered due to the direct intervention of hu-mans. For reintroduction to be successful, not only does viable habitat need to be provided, but the human attitude that caused the wolf's demise in the first place must be changed. The Coalition firmly believes the key to success in returning the Mexican wolf to the wild is educating the public about its plight. Who should attettd? Those inter­ested in endangered species, particu­larly in endangered predators. Students are especially welcome. Comervatiott 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, 7:30pm, Thurs­day, October 19. Refreshments will be available at 7:00pm. Come early to socialize. Free and open to the public. For more infor­mation call822-4503. Locatio11: Ruble Center, 419 East Magnolia. Nearest freeway exit is North St. Mary's, off Highway 281. Public Trattsportatio11: VIA Route 5 (St. Mary's-McCullough-North Star Mall) to Magnolia Street. September 199 5 42 percent of respondents have heard of the Natural .Initiatives pro­gram; 57 percent want more informa­tion; 42 percent were interested in helping with the program. 61 percent of respondents were in­terested in working to help create or develop a BAS sanctuary. Preferred methods of fund-raising were: 1. Seminars 2a. T -shirts/buttons/etc. 2b. Birdseed sales 3a. Auctions 3b. Memorials/gifts 3c. Project campaigns 4a. Grant seeking 4b. Special publications 4c. Garage/yard sales 97 percent read Bexar Tracks. Most read all of it each issue, but the section readership rankings were as follows: la. Calendar lb. Conservation 2a. Local news 2b. Environmental issues 2c. Outings information 2d. Nature notes 3a. Bird tales 3b. President's letter 4. Meeting notices Some ideas put forth for Bexar Tracks include: • pick an issue for a concerted letter­writing campaign for the month. • include a local action update sec­tion- what BAS is doing • progress on local nature areas, hike/bike trails, etc. • "meet your Board" and member profiles • information on bird sightings, local birding sites, migrations, etc. • how to get kids invplved • nature educ&Jtion, outdoor lifestyle section, consensus building • less on happenings a long way away • less politics and opinion 82 percent would like to see letters to the editor. 32 percent are interested in contributing to Bexar Tracks on sub­jects such as West Texas, poetry, local _herpetology, and educational issues. October 1995 LOCAL NEWS Beneath the Gavel, cont'd 65 percent have written to their I was very active in environmental ac-elected officials about environmental tivities inthe Washington, D.C. area. When ~sues. The average number of times in I moved to Texas, I wanted inforlrmtion on the past year was 10.5. 25 percent have activities here. written a letter to the editor; the aver- I subscribed to its program and liked its age number of times is 4.6 during the approach to advocacy. past year. 30 percent had written as the I have been a bird watcher for a number result of something they saw in Bexar of years and Audubon seems a moderate, Tracks. level-headed environmental organization. 83 percent are willing to write; 81 Concern about loss of habitat and wet-percent are willing to make a local call; lands; love of birds. 72 percent are willing to make a long Magazine and local monthly speakers. distance call. 85 percent are willing to I have been a strong environmentalist be contacted. and outdoorsman since childhood and at 92 percent believe ads in Bexar ages 18-21 was a Florida A_udubon chapter Tracks would be acceptable. 27 percent director and editor. Also, the new congres-wanted advertising information. Sev- sumal actions against the environment have eral made recommendations for poten- caused me to re-enlist my time and support! tial advertisers. I live in the country with scissortails in 42 percent are interested in the the summer, sandhills in the winter. . just Armchair Activist Letter-of-the-Month got me interested in birds. Cub; 50 percent are interested in the I believe in the agenda. Rapid Response Team. Interested in environmental issues and BAS effectiveness was rated as fol- preservation of animals, birds, and plants in lows (1=very effective, 2=acceptable, their natural habitats. 3=ineffective): As an educator, to further education on 1.24 Bexar Tracks newsletter environmental issues. 1.35 General meetings/programs I have always been interested in nature 1.38 Advocacy for environment and conservation. Attended an Audubon 1.39 Conservation activities (local) camp in Wisconsin in the SO's. 1.42 Outings Hoping I can make a difference in the 1.59 Conservation activities (national) future of our children. 1.61 Education for children I care about our environment very con- 1.72 Community education cerned about what is happening to air, 1.76 Conservation activities (state) water, and other natural resources. 1.81 Habitat protection Wanted to help. 2.00 Community outreach I was shanghaied. (This was from 2.31 Publicity Claire, our editor. I admit, I shanghaied Bexar Audubon was perceived as a her! And I'm glad I did. Obviously yo·u moderate environmental voice h1 the are, too, since Bexar Tracks rated high-community by 81 percent of respon- est of all among the things Bexar dents. Audubon does! skh) 58 percent of respondents always Whatever your reason for joh1h1g read Audubon magazine; 34 percent Audubon, we are grateful for your sometimes. membership and support. We hope Why did respondents join NAS? your h1terests and concerns will be seen Here are some of the responses: to shape the direction of BAS h1 the I want to make a difference in an or- future. ganization that makes a difference. Thanks again for your time h1 re- I feel that as a 20th century U.S.A. spondh1g to the questionnaire. If you citizen, I have a responsibility to give some- checked off any items on the volunteer thing back, to pay for the privileges of mod- list, you should be hearing from us very ern convenience. We must preserve things soon. for future generations. - Susa11 Hughes 4 Bexar Tracks lOCAL NEWS Landscaping Workshop Planet on Your Plate, cont•d Landscaping for Wildlife ·Workshop & Yard Tour Sponsored by Natural Initiatives Saturday, Noveri1ber 18, 8:30am-4pm. San Antonio Botanical Gardens Carriage House $20 per person, $35 per couple (in­cludes- lunch and bus tour). Registration deadline, November 10 AGENDA • Backyard Habitat Program & Basic Habitat Components, Rufus Stephens, Urban Biologist, TPWD • Designing a Plan for Your Home, Terry Lewis, Landscape Architect • Water/Pond Building, Judit . Gowen, Urban Biologist, TPWD • Twelve Months of Plants for At­tracting Birds & Hummingbirds, Patty Leslie Pasztor, Naturalist and/ Author • Nine Months of Plants for Attract­ing Butterflies, Janis Merritt, Cura­tor of Native Plants, SA Botanical Gardens • Environmentally Friendly Pest Control, Scott Ogden, Author, Horticulturalist • Wildscape Yard Tour (4-5 front yards will be toured) Send your name, mailing address, day and evening phones, & indicate number of participants. Make checks payable to: "Bexar Audubon Society" and mail to: Land­scaping Workshop, TPWD, 134 Braniff, SA TX 78216. For questions, callJudit or Rufus at 349-2174 or Patty at 824~1235. Organizations participating in the Natural Initiatives program include: Bexar Audubon Society, Bexar County Master Gardeners, Native Plant Soci­ety, San Antonio Botanical Gardens, San Antonio Coalition of Neighbor­hood Associations, San-Antonio Water Systems, and Texas Parks & Wildlife De­partment. reducing upstream wa.ter retention and increasing downstream flooding. Eventually, desertifica,tion occurs. In the U.S., half the rangeland is severely degraded, having had its carrying ca­pacity reduced by at least ~0%. Energy Modern agriculture is extremely energy hungry. Growing crops and ani­mals requires farm vehicles, water pumps, refrigeration, and e'nergy-in­tensive fertilizer and pesticide produc­tion. It takes three times the fossil fuel to support a meat-<:entered diet than a vegetarian one. . , Again, looking at the re,al cost of meat, pork requires 1 gallon of gasoline per pound, beef and chicken V2 a gal­lon, eggs and milk V4 gallon, for a total of 40 gallons per American per year. Pollution U.S. livestock produce over 20 times the excrement of the U.S. human population, or 2 billion tons per year. Much of this ends up in rivers. Con­fined feedlpts and crowded poultry farms are a major pollution hazard. In moderation, manure could fer­tilize and enrich the soU, replacing en­ergy- intensive fertilizers. However the current manure surplus results in pol­luted water, algal choking of rivers, and fish kills. Nitrate clouds from agricul­tur~ lland is polluting water here and in Western Europe. ' Aninlal waste accounts for 10 times the water pollution that municipal uses do; and three times the pollution of the rest of industry combined! Also, al­though it sounds fun11y, livestock ac­count for 15-~% of global methane emissions. lndirectly, reducing land under cultivation for livestock feed would massively reduce the amount of fertil­izers and pesticides flowing into the world's rivers and oceans. "There is no point in trying to fine-tune this mess. Rath~r, we intend to let the country get a good, clear look at such extremism ~n parade." - Se11. Tom Daschle (D-SD) 011 EPA spe11d~11g bill (9/28/~5) Bexar Tracks 5 Water . With the inefficient cycling of nu­trients through cows, much water is lost. It takes 2500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef, including all the irrigation of crops for feed, but only 25 gallons for a pound of wheat. · If farmers paid the same for water as city dwellers, beef would cost $35/pound. And it really does cost $35/pound, but most of th~t is charged to the Earth. Fish The case for giving lip. fish is clear as we hear stories of the George's bank and other fisheries collapsing under so­nar- guided mechanized fishing which amounts to strip-mining of the life of the oceans. The U.N. reports that of the world's 17 fisheries, 9 are in serious decline, and the other 8 have reached their limits. Declining from a record harvest in 1989, fish catches declined 8% in the next 3 years, and have contin­ued to decline. Shrimp boats throw away 80-90% of their catch as" trash fish," accounting for 10-15 million tons of fish. High seas driftnetting accounts for the deaths of 42 million seabirds, dolphins, turtles, and other non-target species. No longer are there "plenty of other fish in the sea." Aquaculture fish farms pollute water as we have seen in San Antonio's infamous catfish farm. Going Vegetarian The nice thing about the environ­mental case for vegetarianism is it doesn't advocate absolutism. If you cut out half the meat in your diet, you less­en your impact by half, so you can go as far as you like and still feel good about having a positive impact. I myself was unmoved by the com­passion and ethical arguments and first . tried vegetarianism for one week be­fore Earth Day 1990, just to see how hard it was. I have never gone back. - A11dy Bali11sky, Presidettt Alamo Group of the Sierra Club October 1995 LOCAL NEWS Chapter Bits Bexar Audubon Society Yard Sale! Saturday, November 11 In the King William Neighborhood Call Susan Hughes at 532-2332 • for time and place • to donate your "treasures," plants, baked goods, etc. • to volunteer to price, pick up, and/or work the sale • to give advice or offer condolences or whatever! September Meeting Thanks to our speaker in Septem­ber, Melissa Montemayor, president of the Texas Chapter of the Horned Lizard Conservation Society. Everyone appre­ciated her presentation and especially the opportunity to see and handle two elegant Texas Horned Lizards. You may join the HLCS as a sub­scribhlg member (newsletter onlyj for only $10 per year.' Other membership categories include Student $10; Regular $25; Contributh1g $50. Mail your check to the HLCS at PO Box 122, Austin, TX' 78767. Include your name, address, and phone number. Member Survey It's not too late to return the mem­ber questionnaire that was included h1 the August issue of Bexar Tracks. Earth Day Scheduled for 1996 Mark your calendars for Earth Day! Saturday, April 20, 10-6, at San Pedro Springs Park. For the second year Earth Day will be an official Fiesta Event. If y~u' d like to volunteer to help ensure the success of Earth Day, call Dana Bohne at 704-7323. Thanks . . to Nancy Johnson and Harriet Wiygul for providing terrific refresh­ments at our Septe1nber meeting. Membership Matters Please call 609-5678 and leave a message for Dan or Christy Davis if you have a change of address or questions about your membership. Help us keep you better informed by providing us your phone number if you have not already done so. Your number helps us inform you about late­ ·breaking events, special p.~:ograms, or date changes. Thanks. Make your Audubon membership go the extra mile. Let us know if you are receiving duplicate mailii1gs. 99% of all duplications are due to members who: • renewed ush1g a spouse's name; • renewed using a different first name or initial combination; • renewed using a magazine sub­scription card versus a renewal no­tice sent directly from NAS. These are quick fixes, so just give us a call. We are often out, so please, please leave a message with your phone number, questions, or .address changes. If you don't get a chance to call, the Post Office will notify us (if you filed a change of address notification) of your new address, but you may miss one or two months of Bexar Tracks. And each address correction costs the chapter 50¢-money that could otherwise be used for local efforts. Fh1ally, if you joined Audubon lo­cally, please give us a few weeks to get you in the system. For example, if you joh1duringthe end of January, you will receive your first Bexar Tracks in March. Proposition I I Needs Your Support On the November ballot there will be several constitutional amendments. One of the best things we can do for wildlife in Texas is to support and ensure passage of proposition 11, which reads: . r "The constitutional amendment to allow open-space land used for wildlife managemeJlt to qualify for tax appraisal in the same manner as open-space agricultural land, subject to eligibility limitations provided to the legislature." Please encourage your friends and neighbors to get out and vote FOR Propo­sition 11. It's well worth the effort required to go fo the polls. October 1995 6 Friedrich Meeting Friends of Friedrich Wilderness Park announce their Annual Meeting Saturday, October 14, at the park. Tours and socializing begin at 3:30pm, supper at 6pm, and program-at 7:30, featuring Dusty Bruns, Resource Manager, Camp Bullis Military Reservation speaking on "Hill Country Preserve Management." - $16 adults, $8 children 12 and under. Call698-1057 by 10/11 for reservations. HawkWatch a Success Those of us who headed south in the wee hours were amply rewarded.lt is hard to believe that in this one area, Hazel Bazemore County Park, literally hundreds of thousands of birds funnel through on their southward migration. The experts predicted that the day chosen for the trip might be a dud, so most switched to September 23 & 24. With a cold front movh1g the birds south, the sightings were spectacular. Broadwing hawks, which migrate hllarge flocks called "kettles," were the most prevalent. These birds were ob­served passing by in groups of 25 to several thousand. One kettle on Sun­day had 22,000 birds. Several flocks of other birds such as wood storks, spoonbills, and anhingas were sighted, along with individual sightings of peregrh1e falcon, merlin, and Mississippi and white-tailed kite. The experts on hand were a tre­mendous help, particularly John Economidy, Glenn Swartz, and Harold ·Fetter. Some said it was worth the trip to see Glenn's lawn-chair contraption rigged with movable spotting scope, bird talliers, and cigarette holder. And some of our members may. be­come television stars! The photogra­pher from Texas Country Reporter (Bob Phillips' program) was out on Saturday, filming the Hawk Watch. The program should be on in a couple of months. We'll keep you posted. Thanks to Kim and Bruce Moses for coordinating the carpooling from Ru­ble Center on Saturday. We will defi­nih! ly do this one again. -Patty Leslie Pasztor Bexar Tracks l ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES One Representative's Opinion I would have liked to come here today to say that the bill before us rep­resented a genuine effort to reform the Endangered Species Act, I tan not. I wish I could tell you that this com­mittee had undertaken something re­sembling an honest review of the statute. It has not. I had hoped that our proceedings might value science over anecdote, that we could all concede that matters as important and complex as this Act have shades of gray-or at the very least, we could show commo11 respect to wit­nesses who actually might have differ­ing views. We did no f. I believe Members of this commit­tee know that I am not given to shrill accusation. And given my decades­long friendship with the gentleman from Alaska, and our remarkable his­tory of working cooperatively to recon­cile our considerable differences, I scoured this bill for redeeming quali­ties. I can find none. As we convene this hearing, let us at least be dear about our intentions. This legislation constitutes, in sub­stance, an outright repeal ofthe Endan­gered Species Act. If the subtext of the debate pits science against politics, then we now know who wins. This bill barely gives lip service to the overwhehuing weight of testimony from respected scientists. Rather, itvali-dates uncritically the pseudo-science purchased and packaged for us by spe­cial interests, which are acl1ing to resume timbering on sahuon streams and-believe it or not -to require ~he United States government to seek per­mission from the likes of Muammar Khadhafi to protect threatened ga­zelles. We set out to heal an ailing Endan­gered Species Act. Instead, HR2275 am­putates its key provisions, then decapitates it. I am saddened to have to conclude that the results of our work over the past many months are as dis­couraging as the way in which we con­ducted that work-and I emphasize the word saddened. We have a long tradition in this institution of approaching this matter consistent with the huge bipartisan ma­jorities in both Houses that originally sent this law to the White House, where President Richard Nixon signed it into law. That broad understanding and ap­preciation across the nation for the ba­sic premises of this statute rest on the kind of comity and reflection that have now fled the scene. I hQpe we don't have to wait too long for their return. Co1tgressma11 Gerry E. Studds 011 the House Floor September 20,1995 GOP Attempts to Rig NAFTA Talks Proposals in the Republican-con­trolled House Ways & Means and Sen­ate Finance Committees would ruin efforts to build environmental and la­bor protections into the North Ameri­can Free Trade Agreement (NAFTJ\) and the General Agreement on Tariffs - & Trade (GATT). These anti-environmental propos­als include: * fast-track legislation developed by the House Ways and Means Com­mittee that would block U.S. Trade Rep­resentative Mickey Kantor from negotiating envifonmental and worker protections into any trade agreement; Bexar Tracks * expansion of the NAFTA to 23 Caribbean basin countries with NO en­vironmental or labor safeguards; * defunding of the NAFTA envi­ronmental and labor commissions and elimination of Trade Adjustment Assis­tance for workers who lose their jobs to foreign competition; and * elimination of funding for the North American Development Bank, created to provide fund~? to clean up the US-Mexico border. The proposal to eliminate the NAD Bank is of particular interest to San An­tonio, since it would be headquartered here! Call your Representative! 7 Epiphanies Is the chemical industry coming to the rescue of the EPA? It may seem unlikely, but the recent action by the ' House, which cut the agency's budget by 34 percent, is triggering some strange reaction among our (erstwhile) opposition. "That much of a cut in one year would be disruptive and counterpro­ductive," explains M.L. Mulliris, a vice president at the Chemical Manufactur­ers Association. "We must protect the EPXs core programs that are essential to the credibility of the agency." Other quotable quotes: "The reform train is leaving the sta­tion too fast. Sure, my clients want to change some environmental regula­tions that are broken, like Superfund, but they don't want overreaction." - William Lore11z E~tviro11me1ttal Resources, btc. "I don't think people were voting last November to do away with envi­ronmental regulations." -Robert Campbell CEO of Su11 Co. "We've gotten hooked on emis­sions reductions. The lowest cost opera­tors of the 21st Century will be those with the least amount of environmental waste." -Paul Tebo, DuPo11t VP of Safety, Health a11d Ettvirottmellt Too Oose for Comfort leaves in the air everywhere odd winds keeping them stirred up i see a man in his yard using an idiotic leaf blower! with no more sense than a drive-by shooting or mass' starvation for a minute we are all equal there is violence here somewhere the same disconnected depravity is standing on two feet in decent clothes retired from a good job just down the block - Waytte Com Northertt Flittt Hills AS October 199 5 FALL/WINTER PLANNING CALENDAR * Bexar Audubon Event § More Information Inside RECURRING EVENTS First Saturday at Friedrich Park, guided gen­eral natural history hike, free. 698-1 05 7 for reservations. Second Saturday at Friedrich Park sponsored by Bexar Audubon. Details below. Second Saturday: Beginners Bird Walk at Alamo Heights Nature Trail. For details, call Georgina Schwartz of San Antonio Audubon Society at 342-2073. Fourth Saturday: Birding at Mitchell Lake with Ernie Rooney. Meet at ML at 8:00am. OCTOBER 12* BAS Board Meeting, 7 pm. 14* Second Saturday at Friedrich Park. Birds of Prey-live eagles, hawks and other raptors from Last Chance Forever. S 2 donation reque.sted. 698-1057 for reservations.' 14§ Friends of Friedrich Annual Meeting 6 Dinner, 6 pm. Camp Bullis Re­source Manager Dusty Bruns, speaker. 69 8-1 05 7 for reservations. 17 SA Environmental Pep Rally. Bill Oliver· music. Get together with lo­cal activists from many organiza­tions. 7-9 pm, First Unitarian Church, 7 150 W IH-1 0, sponsored by Alamo Group of the Sierra Club (Sept Bexar Tracks for more info). 19* BAS General Meeting, Ruble Center, 7 pm. 2 3 Mitchell Lake Wetlands Society meet­ing, 7 pm, Ruble Center. Inventory­ing the Wildlife at the Wetlands. 24 Native Plant Society ofT exas, 7-9 pm, Lion's Field Clubhouse, :2809 Broadway at Mulberry. Terry Lewis, ASLA, Landscaping for a Natural Look. Don't forget to let your Senators and Representative know how you feel about bills which would damage environment and public health. US Senate, Washington, DC :20510; US House, Washington, DC :20515; Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121. Finally, tell President Clinton you support vetoes of any bill damaging to the envi­ronment. Call 202-456-11 II; mail Washington DC :2051 0; email presi­dent@ whitehouse.gov. Printed on add-free, 500Al post-consumer waste paper. 2 8 Halloween Hike at Friedrich Park with naturalist and storyteller David McKelvey. Hear wild creature calls and hair-curling tales. S4 adults, $2.50 <5yrs. 698-1057 reserva­tions. NOVEMBER 9* 9-12 "* "* 16* 18*§ 18 19* BAS Board Meeting, 7 pm. 2nd annual Rio Grande Valley Bird­ing Festival. 800-531-7346 for more information. Second Saturday at Friedrich, 9-1 I . Texas grasses with Paul Montgomery ofTPWD. S 2 dona­tion requested, 698-105 7 for reser­vations. BAS Outing at Patty Leslie Pasztor 8:24-1235. BAS General Meeting, Ruble Center, 7pm. Landscaping for Wildlife Workshop 6 Yard Tour, 8:30-4. Butterflies of Friedrich Park. $2 do­nation, 698-1057 for reservations. BAS Outing, Fall Color at Cibolo Wil­derness, Patty Leslie Pasztor 824- 1 2 3 5 for reservations. DECEMBER 9* Second Saturday at Friedrich, Ar­chaeology of Texas Hill Country with Walt Schumann. $2 donation, 698-1 05 7 for reservations. 15 Volunteer Christmas Pot-luck at Frie­drich. Awards Dinner. 698-1 05 7 for reservations. . 16 Trim a Christmas Tree at Friedrich. Make edible ornaments for wildlife and decorate a cedar tree. Limited to 25 children. 698-1057 for reser­vations. Bexar Audubon Society, Inc. P. 0. Box 6084 San Antonio, TX 78209 Address Correction Requested Other conservation organizations: please add Bexar Audubon to your mailing list if we're not already on it, and we'll be glad to include your events in our calendar each month. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department offers many nature activities for annual Texas Con­servation Passport Holders ($25 per year). Call for event listings: 800-937-9393. Rockport Birding Workshop Victor Emanuel Nature Tours is of­fering a birding workshop in Rockport, Texas November 29-December 3. Highlights of the workshop in­clude evening lectures and slide show presentations, small group field work, close study of many hard-to-identify species, and a boat trip to view a wild flock of Whooping Cranes. Call VENT at 512/328-5221 or 1- 800-328-VENT, FAX: [phone]; orE­mail: [e-mail] Egret Awards Dinner Houston Audubon Society an­nounces its 1995 Egret Awards Dinner on Tuesday, October 31, the Westin Gal­leria Hotel, 5060 West Alabama, Hous­ton, at6pm. The keynote speaker will be John Flicker, President of the National Audubon Society, with honored guest Dr. Roger Tory Peterson. For reserva­tion information, call713-932-1639. In­dividual tickets are $60.00. Non1'roflt Organization U. S. Postage Paid San Antonio, TX Permit #590