Bexar tracks : the newsletter of the Bexar Audubon Society, Vol. 14, No. 07

• Main Author: Bexar Audubon Society
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: San Antonio, Tex. : Bexar Audubon Society, 1996
• Subjects: Birds > Conservation > Texas > Periodicals.; Ornithology > Texas > Periodicals.; Nature conservation > Texas > Periodicals; Clubs and Organizations; Science and Technology; Arctic; Austin; Blanco; Calvin; Dwyer; Eubanks; Fairbanks; Finch; Gonzalez; Gunn; High Island; Kerr; Leahy; Medina; Newell; North Star; O'Connor; Saba; Sinclair; Tive; Todd; Black-legged Kittiwake; Lesser black-backed gull; Long-tailed Jaeger; peregrine falcon; Alaska; Ruff
• Online Access: http://digital.utsa.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15125coll10/id/7985

Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). -· SEP I 91996 Volume XIV, No. 7 September, 1 996 BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY San Antonio Texas Grazing: Highest and Best Use of Our Public Lands? Last Gasp Grazing Bill To Hit House In September At the "reques't" of House Speaker Newt Gingrich and follow­ing tremendous pressure from mem­bers of congress representing western ranchers, Rep. Sherry Boe­hlert (R-NY) has negotiated a "new" grazing bill with the House Resources Committee and the livestock industry. Although the new Grazing Bill has been touted as a "compromise" version of S. 1459, it is still best described as anti-taxpayer and anti­environment. Even the bill's few im­provements are overshadowed by its many fiscal and environmental problems. Worse, the industry-lobby is telling their members that the bill will "be revised in the direction more likable to the [livestock] industry prior to House passage." A House floor vote on this dam­aging proposal is expected in mid­September. Passage' is vigorously supported by Speaker Gingrich. Here's what the new S. 1459 would· do to your National Forests and BLM-managed public l:inds: • Maintain artificially-low grazin,g fees which cost U.S. taxpayers. mil­lions of dollars annually in lost revenues and resource damage. • Create additional burdens for taxpayers by increasing govern­ment paperwork and bureaucracy. • Allow additional resource damage to occur by undercutting environ­mental safeguards designed to prot~ct and restore federal rangelands and associated fish and wildlife habitat. • Limit public involvement in the management of our National For-ests and public lands. , • Create rancher-dominated advi­sory councils with undue influence on the on-the-ground management decisions of the Forest Service and BLM. • Limit the application 9fNEPA in , the site-specific management of grazing on our federal lands, thus hampering the protection of fish and wildlife populations. ' • Restrict the public's ability to ap­peal anti-environmental grazing management decisions. • Give private ranchers title to so­. · called "range improvements" on · federal ·lands, placing taxpayers at risk for expensive "private property takings" claims iffederal agencies act to reduce grazing to protect the environment. In other words, taxpayers could be forced to pay private ranchers to stop damaging federal fish and wildlife resources! • Fail to provide consistent national standards and guidelines for range protection. · • Generate more costs to taxpayers by requiring that compensation be paid to ranchers for allowing public access across private lands to federal lands, hampering public access for recreational activities on our N;Itional Forests and other public lands that are surrounded by priv.ate ranches. This riew version of S. 1459 is expected to come to a vote on the House floor in mid-September; perhaps as free-standing legislation, perhaps attached to a larger legislative package. House Speaker Gingrich is behind this bill. He recently sent Rep. Ric~ard Pombo (R-CA) a letter promising to '~bring to the House floor a bill that will unite our House Republican Conference behind a . sound grazing bill." The Speaker is pressing moderate Republicans across the nation to support this latest attack on the sound fiscal and ecological management of our federal forests and public lands. What You Can Do > Write or call your Representative immediately and urge him to oppose this new proposal. Toll-free numbers to the US Capitol Switchboard are 800- 962-3524 and 800:972-3524. Contact the White House at: 202-456-1111 or e-mail: [e-mail] [e-mail]. Say that you expect the President to protect our federal forests and public lands by vetoing S. 1459 or any similar legislation. For more information, contact: · Fran Hunt, The Wilderness Society, 202-429-2657. Cathy Carlson, National Wildlife Fed­eration, 303-786-8001, x16. Courtney Cuff, Friends of the Earth, 202-783-7400, x207. BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY P. 0. Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78-209 210-822-4503 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 Past President Harriet Wiygul 534-7505: fax [phone] Katie Nava-Ragazzi 804-1226 Bill Sa in 408-77 3 I Joyce Pipes 281 -2452 Claire Drenowatz 599-4168 Chris Dullnig Si 8-40 I 7 Genevieve Kerr 82 4-62 41 John Langan 491 -0692 Richard Pipes 281-2452 Bill Woller 696-31 86 Susan K. Hughes 532-2332: fax [phone] COMMITTEE CHAIRS Adopt-a-Park Bill Woller 223-328 I Aud. Adventures Betty Minyard 344-6128 Birdathon Kim Fluetsch 655-0543 Conservation - Richard Pipes 281 -2452 Earth Day Dana Bohne 738-1342 Education Katie Nava-Ragazzi 804-1226 Hospitality Nancy Johnson 655-1338 Membership Susan Hughes 532-2-232 Natural Initiatives Harriet Wiygul 534-7505 Outings Patty leslie Pasztor 82 4-12 35 Programs Chris Dullnig 82 8-40 I 7 Publicity Susan K. Hughes 532-2332 SAEN Coordinator Russell Smith 734-71 84x I I 5. Ways & Means - Bill Sa in 408-77 31 Rcxar Tracks Editor Claire Drenowatz 599-4168: fax[phone] [e-mail] Bexar Tracks is your newsletter. We welcome your contributions. Next paper (hard copy, fax) deadline 9/23, electronic (diskette, email) deadline 9/27. Please send fax or email to Claire Drenowatz, as above; diskettes and hard copy should be sent to Claire 'at 16407 Crested Butte, San Antonio, TX 78247. Bexar Audubon Society general meetings are held on 3rd Thursdays at 7:30 pm, at the _ Ruble Center, 419 East Magnolia; board meetings usually 2nd Thursdays at 7:00. Introductory memberships to NAS, includ­ing AUDUBON Magazine, cost only $20. Send check to BAS (payable to NAS) at ad­dress above. Note chapter code W19, and name, address, and phone number of new member. USEFUL NUMBERS: 210-733-8306 Rare bjrd alert number. 210-698-1709 Wildlife Rescue 210-227-6143 To report local water waste. 800-453-SMOG To report smoking v~hicles September 1996 September Meeting: Central Texas_Trees Great Natives & How to Care for Them in Drought Central Texas is blessed with a rich variety of native trees well adapted to our soils and climate. At the meeting of the Bexar Audubon Society, Thursday, September 19, at 7:30pm, Paul Cox, supervisor of the San Antonio Botanical Center and co-author of Texas Tt·ees: A Friendly Guide, will discuss these trees, their use in landscape, and :their benefits for wildlife. Cox will also provide some hints on helping your trees through the current drought. Who Should Anend? Those interested in native trees and plants, home or commercial landscaping, landscaping for wildlife, or how to h~IJ, trees cope with the drought._ Students are especially welcome. Meeting Specifics: Monthly meeting of the Bexar Audubon Society, Thursday, September 19, 1996, 7:30 pm. Free and open to the public. Refreshments available prior to the meeting, at 7:00. Come early to socialize. For more information, call822-4503 Location: Ruble Center, 410 East Magnolia (between McCullough and IH-37, Hwy 281). N~arest freeway exit is North St. Mary's, offHwy 281. Public-Transportation: VIA Route 5 (St. Mary's-McCullough- North Star Mall) to Magnolia Street. September Outing: Hawk Watch -On Sunday, September 22, we will head-south to Hazel Bazemore Park near Corpus Christi to view the spectacular fall migration of raptors. Tens of thousands of hawks, kites, peregrine falcons ahd other rap tors migrating from the northern U.S. may be seen at this concentration spot on their journey south. This area often has the record numbers for the entire nation. Broad-winged hawks, migrating in large flocks called kettles, are usually the most prevalent. After a group of 25 passes overhead, the ne,xt may be a group of 10,000! John ~Economidy, of the Hawk Migration Assn. of North America and others will be out that entire week to estimate the numbers. We will carpool from the Ruble Center parking lot (east side) at 6:30am. Call for Kim or Dave Fluetsch at 655-0543 for reservations. Be sure to call ahead-if we find out from our sources that the hawks roosted in the area overnight, we may want to leave earlier to view the - lift-·off1 Bring binoculars, liquids, lunch and, a lawn chair. Incentive: _the report from last year . . Broad-wing hawks were observed passing by in groups of 25 to several thousand. One kettle on Sunday had a 22,000 birds! Several flocks of other birds such as wood storks, spoonbills, and anhingas were sighted along with individual sightings of Peregrine falcon, merlin, as well as Mississippi and white-tailed kite. The experts were a tremehdous help, par­ticularly John Economidy, Glenn Swartz, and Harold Fetter. Some said it was worth the trip just to see Glenn Swartz's lawn chair contraption rigged with mov­able spotting scope, bird tallyers, and cigarette holder. 2 Bexar Tracks LOCAL NEWS Perambulations I went to Boston in August, my first time in the Northeast. Work took me ,_ there, but I was plt:ased to escape the August heat. I had some notions about the city, places I wanted to visit, so I anti,cipated a unique urhan experi­ence- old brick buildings, street names from history books, world-class muse­ums, book stores. I did not expect lush . green spaces, ancient trees, urban wild­life, and birds~ I found it all, in abun­dance. Like San Antonio, Boston loves its past and keeps historical buildings in­tact and alive. Like $an. Antonio, tour­ists swarm over these shrines and spend money on T-shirts and memorabilia: Like San Antonio; .churches whose walls reverberated from great orations still serve active congregations. Like San Antonio, a cacophony of languages surrounds you on the street. Unlike the I citizens of San Antonio though, the' people ofBoston are the beneficiaries of pub-lic green spaces . and trees. Large public gardens,' enticing for all animals, human and otherwise, are in the center of the city. Boston Com­mons is the most familiar, and I had certainly se.en pictures of it. The reality was ~uch more. It's BIG., From the north end of the park, on a slight rise, I could not see. builclings _on the south el).d through the ,dense tree cover. There are trees in this park that are several hundred years old. Some of the trees I walked under had 'germinated and taken root before Europeans set­tled. A few more may have taken root when Samuel Adams and company were planning the most· famous t~a party in our history. How manyofth~ took up residence while Americans slaughtered one another in a civil war? The younger trees probably saw the wild celebrations at the end of WWII. Here was history! The trees were also of the present. People enjoyed the park witl:10ut de-. stroying its tranquillity. People .came to · this arboreal splendor and lingered. In one corner of the Commons is an old graveyard filled with life. Shaded by enormous trees and protected by a Bexar Tracks ' wr~ught it:on fence, urban crea­tures_;_ mammals, insects, birds-;:-cori­ducted the business of living within in this quiet patch of ground. . City traffic swirled around the pe­rimeter of the park, hucksters peddled their merchandise, but there, not fifty feet from ,the street, it was .quiet and tranquil. Butterflies.floated·on the light . breeze, birds in~estigated'the grass for ipsects, and squirrels were busy taking care of whateve.r squirrels·' do. Calm, which·I usually find where · the wild places are; pervaded my soul. My mind's eye telescoped t~ the Sari Antonio la'qdscape around Austin Highway and San Pedro and Blanco. Then to Olmos Park and Bra·ckenridge Park, surrounded by the. grandfather trees, and reflected ori the difference. I have observed the construction of subdivisions and strip centers and commercial buildings and considered what we, as a community, agree is an· appropriate way to treat the trees that have survived in our semi-arid land. I saw the one-hundred-year-old anaqua tree in the patio of Plaza San Antonio. These trees are a part of our history just as much as our pJeserved edifices. They tell our story for those willing to be' still and listen. · For .a city. that depends in large . measure on luring people to visit.here, it is short-sighted _of us as a community to continue to ignore this 'vital and nee ~ essary component of urban living. I thanked the farsighted people . who deci9ed to kee,p the trees intact for the future. I wondered if the decision had been fraught wit!). discord. And once the decision was made, how did they marshal i:he civic will to keep it intact _against the development pres­sures? Did they see mar~ than dollars when they made their de<;isions? Did they understand that trees and green spaces satisfy more than- aesthetic. re­quirements- they are essential for our w~ll-being. Would that we in Sa~ An­tonio are visited with the same vision, foresight, and consideration of future generati!JnS. - Harriet Wiygul Briefs Annual Planning Meeting Everyone is urged to. attend the annual planning meeting this • month-a crucial gathering in the life ofthe chapter. · This is the ,meeting where the membership discusses where the chapter is going and.how we are going to get there. The board has been working on some ideas for several ' months, and we plan to present them for the members' consideration. · The meeting is scheduled for Sat­urday, 'September 21st from 9am to. 3pm. A meeting place has not yet been settled on, but you can call Har­riet Wiygul at 534-7505 for location information. . Please give some thought to par­ticipating in this annual ritual. The more voices at the discussion, the richer the re·sults. Farewell On Sunday night, 28 July, our old and dear friend, Roger Tory Peterson, passed away in his sleep, at his home in Old Lyme, Connecticut. He was 87 years old and left a partkularly rich heritage, of which each of us is heir. ' It is impossible to overstate the influence that Roger Peterson ex­erted · in t}le world of natural history during the last six decades. He taught that birds are the indicators of the environment-an ecological litmus paper-refleCting changes in the eco­system. He claimed that it was inevi­table that the person who watches birds would quickly become an envi• ~onmentalist. And the truth of his claim can be seen in the thousands of bird enthusiasts who have contrib­uted immeasurably to our environ­mental awareness and concern. Petersop's Field Guide to the Bir~s, 'first published irl1934 andre­vised several times since then, devel­oped his •unique system for identifying birds in the field. He spent a lifetime of artistic disciplil;te as a painter,. observation as a naturalist, and intellectual curiosity and schol­arship as an author. September 1996 IN OUR BACK YARDS Bright Summer Performer Flame acanthus What blooms in hot, dry sum­mer weather? Flame acanthus. It will brighten up even dry cor­ners of your garden that haven't had the benefit of soil amend-ments. This deciduous shrub grows a bout four feet high and spreads as much as five feet. Cut it back severely in the winter to encourage more blooms and a compact form. Its light green foliage contrasts with bright orange, tubular flowers that are favored by humming­birds and butterflies. Best bloom is August through September. This native thrives on full sun or light shade on rocky banks and floodplains of the Edwards Plateau, ranging as far south as northern Mex­ico. It is adaptable to manytypesofsoilsandis ·cold hardy and drought tolerant. Reprinted with pmnission from the September 1993 San Antonio Gardener (Illustration adapted with pennission from a drawing by Kathy Brown in Jill Nokes's How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest. Text adapted from Nokes, Texas Monthiy Press, 1986.) Identifying Shorebirds In response to a question, "My experi­mental Iseed] plots are in an estuary and they have been invaded by some shore birds. I am pretty sure that they are Solitary Sand­pipers but may be Lesser Golden Plovers," Ted Eubanks offered some useful infonna­tion on identifying wading birds, or shore­birds as some call them, a difficult job as many birders have discovered. Let's consider this from the begin­ning. First, a series of questions: • What type of aquatic habitat is it-maritime (saline), brackish, or fresh water • How many individuals are in a grouping or flock (Solitary Sandpi­pers are aptly named)? • What is the relative size? • Can you note any outstanding or distinctive field marks? Once we have identified the birds, then we can progress to the next ques-tion. ~ · In general, --·---~J~1rr-: s h o ~e birds - . -·- eat mverte-brates. During breeding (largely in the --3-'1 --- arctic for our popu­September 1996 lations), they will vary their diets. However, as a rule these waders (an­other name for shorebirds) should be consuming a variety of insects and their larvae. So don't worry about your seeds. The question ahout the salinity of the water in the ·area is extremely im­portant as a clue to their identity. One guild of shorebirds winters in saline habitats. These birds (the mari­time guild) have developed immense salt glands over the eyes (above the su­praorbital rims) and are able to remove salt-from the blood extra-renally. Another guild, limited to freshwa­ter habitats, lacks well-developed salt glands. Interestingly, many shorebirds that are virtually identical in structure differ in their ability to osmoregulate. Here are a few examples: SALINE FRESH Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover ·. Marbled Godwit Hudsonian Godwit American Avocet Black-necked Stilt Short-billed Dowitcher Long-billed Dowitcher Hope this helps. -Ted Lee Eubanks NAS Board of Directors Southwest Region 4 Help Needed The Texas Bird Records Commit­tee of the Texas Ornithological Society maintains a document of all reported occurrences of the Review Species in Texas. This document is 126 pages long and has all accepted, unaccepted, re­cords in circulation, and records never reviewed in it. Of the several thousand entries of unreviewed records I have references for all but 11 of them. I assume these came from local newsletters, etc., but I am looking for some reference to cite with each of these. These 11 are not in old American Birds or Field Notes is­sues. If any of you can help me locate the origin of any of these 11 records I would be grateful. 1. Red-thr. Loon, 21 Apr 1956, Galveston Co. 2. Red-necked Grebe, 4 May 1967, La Porte, Harris Co. 3. Brown Booby, 5 Mar 1983, off Port Aransas, Nueces Co. 4. Ruff, 17 Sep 1969, High Island, Galveston Co. 5. Ruff, 22 Apr 1972, Galveston, Galveston Co. 6. Long-tailed Jaeger, 16 Sep 1977, Bolivar Flats, Galveston 7. California Gull, 14 Feb 1988, Aransas NWR 8. Lesser Black-backed Gull, 2 Mar 1985, Point Comfort 9. Black-legged Kittiwake, 18 Feb 1982, Cameron Co. 10. Ruddy Ground-Dove, March 1979, San Benito, Cameron Co. 11. Rufous-capped Warbler, 26 Oct 1980, Big Bend Nat. Park. Again, any help on determining where any of these records came from will be appreciated. Eventually I hope all this material will be in a book called Rare Birds of Texas. - Greg Lasley Secretmy, TBRC Henning's Maxim: Man is the highest animal. Man docs the classifying. Bexar Tracks Updating Our Education Program Educating the community about the environment is one of our chap­ter's two main goals, the other being promoting species and habitat con­servation. As our annual planning' meeting approaches, our chapter board and all interested parties will help mold a new phase of BAS educa­tion program, among others. Will you join us? Two definite things to look for­ward to this year include a mailing to · all Audubon Adventures teachers later this fall, updating you on the outcome of the survey we conducted, and calling a second meeting of the minds. Secondly, we plan to revamp and amplify our successful Birda thon fun­draiser, integrating it better than ever in our Audubon Adventures class­rooms. We'll be learning about birds and funding education programs at the same time. Call me if you'd like to lend a few fun hours! -Katie Nava-Ragazzi Education Chair Help Appreciated Many thanks to Harlan Patterson for his assistance with the member­ship mailing in August. His careful application of over a thousand small labels is gratefully acknowledged and appreciated. His good humor and willingness to help puts him in some danger of being called upon again, but I have been assured this is not a problem. - Harriet Wiygul Friedrich Park Science and Stewardship Habitat and species inventory and monitoring is critical to the park's effective management pro­gram, and a number of research and stewardship projects are in need of interested, committed, seasonal vol­unteers. We are looking for folks who are in good physical condition and who would be willing to donate several days a year to collecting data on some Bexar Tracks NEWSBRIEFS of the park's pia nts and animals. We also neeq some help in the area of research related stewardship. We will be planning a meeting of all interested folks some time in mid October to discuss the Science Com­mittee and the park's research pro­jects, and we1ll be planning a couple of work PARTIES this winter. In­trigued? Interested? Curious? Even if you aren't sure you want to volunteer, but you would like to know more a'bout science and re­search initita tives at the park, you are welcome to attend. Please call Research. Coordinator Susan Rust at 826-4698 for more in­formation. TOES to Meet The Texas Organization for En­dangered Species (TOES) will hold its annual meeting program and out­ings October 19-20 at the Stephen F. Austin University Conservation Cen-ter near Broaddus. , Sessions will feature the biodi­versity of East Texas and comtempo­rary approaches to working with private landowners in East Texas and elsewhere. Field trips are scheduled on Sunday. For more information, contact TOES at PO Box 12773, Austin, TX 78711. The Mayor's Citizens Committee on Water Policy and Planning Susan Hughes represents Bexar Audubon Society on the Mayor's Cpmmittee on Water Policy. If you wish to know more about the process and progress of this committee, she ·invites you to call her at 532-2332. The meetings are open to the public, so if you'd like to attend, call Susan for schedule information as well. The following mission ~tatement was adopted 17 July 1996: "The mission of the Citizens Committee on Water Policy is to de­velop a water policy and plan of ac­tion that will sustain a reliable, economical supply of high quality - water for the San Antonio area. The 5 plan should recognize the diversity of the water needs and the benefits of fairness, efficiency, sustainable growth, economic opportunity, and a healthy environment that will -pre­serve biodiversity and an attractive quality oflife for ourselves and future generations." Help Wanted The Wild Bird Center on NW Military Drive in Castle Hills is seek­ing part-time retail help. Contact Phil Beckhelm at 348-8302 if you are inter­ested. New Schedule At Sabat Palm The Saba! Palm Grove Sanctuary, in preparation for a new season and to hire and train new staff, will be open only on weekends until Novem­ber 1, 1996. The sanctuary and visitor center will be closed and inaccessible Monday through Friday. Beginning November 1, the fol­lowing · new hours and policies will take effect. - Hours October 1 through May 30: Visi­tor center open 9:00-5:00 Thursday through Sunday. Sanctuary open sunrise to sun­set- gate will be closed at sunset S·anctuary and visitor center closed Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday except for pre-arranged school programs. June 1 through September 30: Sanctuary and visitor center closed for summer programs. Special tours by appointment only or as announced All organized groups must call for an appointment. There are no excep­tions to this rule. Admission Fees Individuals: $3Adults, $1 Chil­dren and Students G-uided tours: $5 Each partici­pant School groups: $2 Each sq.tdent­parents and teachers admitted free. Students and children under 18 years of age will not be admitted un­less accompanied by a parent or teacher or as part of a volunteer group. September 1996 LOCAL NEWS Natural Initiatives Speakers. Bureau Formed Natural Initiatives, a San Antonio community-based public awareness pro­gram, can now provide local organizations with speakers on wildscaping and xeriscaping practices that improve home landscapes, attract and protect wildlife, and are hardy in drought. . Neighborhood associatio,ns,, garden clups, civic, educational and church groups "all can benefit from these programs, which will help people create landscapes that require less water, while providing food and shelter for birds, butterflies and other wildlife," according to Debbie Reid, group coordinator. Dozens of San Antonians alrea.dy have qualified for a Backyard Wildlife Habitat certificate from the Texas Parks ana Wildlife Department and discovered in the process that their new wildscapes "enhance the looks and enjoyment of their homes and reduce the time and expense of maintenance;" Reid said. Wildscapes will typically qualify for the San Antonio Water System Watersaver Landscape Rebate Program, as well. Speakers from the Natural Initiatives bureau can provide informative, illus­trated programs to interested groups, Reid said. "We demonstrate the use of native and other drought-resistant plants, inexpensive conversion techniques, and how to attract wildlife," she added. Speakers may be scheduled or additional information obtained by calling Tom 'Wilson, 210-492-4799. Speakers are available for the greater San Antonio metro­politan area. · Organizations participating in Natural Initiatives include Bexar Audubon Society, Bexar County Master Gardeners, San Antonio. Native Plant Society, San Antonio Botanical Gardens, San Antonio Coalition of Neighborhood Associa­tions, San Antonio Water System, and Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Urban & Non-game Program. Workshop and Yard Tour Scheduled The Natural Initiatives program will sponsor its fourth Landscaping for Wildlife Workshop and Yard Tour on Sat­qrday, October 12, at the San Anton\o Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels, 8:30am-4:00pm. Topics include basic habitat com­ponents, sensible development, keep­ing native plants and wildlife intact, designing a plan for your home, plant­ing to attract songbirds and humming­birds, attracting butterflies to your garden, down and dirty garden crea­tion- bed preparation, soil, mulch, etc., and environmentally friendly pest con­trol. Scheduled speakers include Geyata Ajilvsgi, author of Butterfly Gardening for the South and Wildflowers of Texas; Paul Cox, Superintendent of San Anto­nio Botanical Gardens and co-author of Texas 1i·ees: A Friendly Guide; Calvin Finch, Bexar County Extension Horti­culturist, newspaper columnist, aQ.d ra­dio garden show host; Laura Hart, September 1996 landscape architect, Terry Lewis & As­sociates; Scott Ogden, horticulturist, author, and radio host; Mike Ortman, l)estiny Homes; and Rufus Stephens, urban biologist, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. The cost is $25 per person, $45 per couple, and includes lunch catered by Ed Vervais of the Botanical Center Car­riage House and the bus tour of ap­proximately four yards. Space is limited, so sign up soon by sending a check payable to Bexar Audubon Society to: Landscaping Workshop, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, 134 Braniff, San Antonio TX 78216. Include your name, address, and day and evening phone num­bers. Registration cut-off_ is October 7. Call Rufus or Judit at 349-2174 or Patty at 824- 1235 for more informa­tion. 6 Voting Records This month's voting record report is on Representative Henry B. Gon­zalez, the longest-serving of the San Antonio-area delegation. His overall score from the LCV is 69, which is about three times better than most of the San Antonio group. For a selected 1 OQ-day period which included some critical votes, Gonzalez ·was scored at a low of 18. However, on some of the issues Gonzalez did not vote, while he was at home because of a family crisis, and LCV ranks a no-vote as a negative. We usually try to print information on campaign contribut-ions, but the Project Vote Smart web page was inac­cessible, and we had to get to the printer. We'll try to get it next month. Monarch Count On Sunday Oct. 6, Thursday, Oct. 10 & Monday, Oct.14(Columbus Day), we'll be counting Monarchs. If you are interested in learning about butterflies and butterfly plants, and to help with documenting migrat­ing monarchs, you are welcome to join us on some afternoon local trips and a possible day trip to the Frio River to observe the ml'narchs on their journey to Mexico for the wip.ter. • Call Patty. Leslie Pasztor at 824- 1235. (Dates could change upon reports of peak flight times). Bexar Tracks Platform Positions Question: Where do the major po­litical parties stand on oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? Answer One: Republican Party Platform, from the Republican Na­tional Committee home page at http ://www.rnF.org/hq/platfo rm96/pla t7.html We support environmentally re­sponsible energy extraction from pub­lic and private lands. We will not tolerate poor reclamation or pollution from mining or drilling. We advocate environmentally sound oil production in the largest known onshore or offshore petroleum reserve in the Nation-the small coastal plain portion of the 19-million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Oil produced there, traveling through . an existing pipeline, will bring billions of dollars in revenues to reduce the fed­eral budget deficit. On the other hand, without ANWR coastal plain development, we will lose hundreds of thousands ofpotential jobs and untold billio,ns of American dollars will be paid to foreign governments for the oil not produced from our home reserves. Answe-r Two: Democratic Party Platform, from Democratic National Committee home page at http://www.dncc96.org/platform/ We are committed to protecting the majestic legacy of our National Parks and enhancing recreational opportuni­ties. We are determined to continue working to restore the Florida Ever­glades, to preserve our wildlife refuges, and to fight any effort to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling. We will be good stewards of our old-growth forests, oppose new off­shore oil drilling and mineral explora­tion and production in our nation's many environmentally critical areas, and protect our oceans from oil spills and the dumping of toxic and radioac­tive waste. Northern Alaska Environmental Center, 218 Driveway, Fairbanks AK 99701 907-452-5021 [e-mail], http://www. mosquitonet.com/- naec Bexar Tracks ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES Immigration Bill Will Waive the Endangered Species Act The House version of a bill to limit illegal immigration (H.R. 2202) con­tains a waiver of the Endangered Spe- " des Act (ESA) for the construction of barriers, fences and roads to control illegal immigration along the US/Mex­ico border. Despite opposition from the lmmi­gradon and Naturalization Service (INS), Department of Interior, and Senators Chafee and Baucus, a House/Senate Conference Committee is expected to give final approval to the ESA waiver when Congress reconvenes in early September. H.R. 2202 will require the INS to . ,build · a 14-mile, three-tiered fence along the U.S.-Mexico border in San Diego County. It would also allow the INS to construct other barriers, fences, observation posts and roads to control illegal border crossings anywhere on the U.S. border. The ESA waiver, which. is only in the. House version of the bill, will allow the construction of these barriers with­out any consultation with the Fish and ' Wildlife Service (FWS) on measures to minimize the impact of this construc­tion on endangered species. Currently the INS is required to co~sult with the FWS if a project may have an impact on species listed under the ESA. Many endangered, threatened, and candida.te species such as ocelot, Sana­ran pronghorn antelope, and masked bobwhite quail range across the US­Mexico border and depend upon sensi-tive ecosystems that straddle the bor­der. According to FWS, these species and ecosystems could be seriously harmed unless the FWS is permitted to give the INS direction on minimizing ecological damage while going ahead with border control activities. We need your help to stop this waiver from becoming law. House and Senate staff are meeting now to discuss the final version of the bill that will go to the President. The Conference Committee for the bill will meet in early September. Please contact your Senator and ask that he or she request that the Con­ference Committee remove the ESA waiver from H.R. 2202. Special atten­tion should be given to Senators on the Conference Committee, listed below. Senators from borders states should also be targeted. Feinstein, D-CA 202-224-3841 Grassley, R-IA 202-224-3744 Hatch, R-UT 202-224-5251 Kennedy, D-MA 202-224-4543 Kohl, D-WI 202-224-5653 Kyl, R-AZ 202-224-4521 Leahy, D-VT 20.2-224-4242 Simon, D-IL 202-224-2152 Simpson, R-WY 202-224-3424 Specter, R-PA 202-224-4254 Thurmond, R-SC 202-224-5972 The TOLL FREE numbers to the Capitol Switchboard number are 800- 962-3524 and 800-972-3524. For more information, contact Todd Tut;ci at [e-mail] or 202-861-2242. lCV Study Examines Ginton/Gore, Dole/Kemp Records ,The. League of Conservation Voters has released 1996 Presidential Profiles, an analysis of the environme~tal records of Republican and Democratic party nomi-l, l.e_es for president and vice-president. , . , The eight-page booklet offers voters information about the environmental actions and votes of former Sen. Bob Dole, former Rep. Jack Kemp, President Bill Clinton, and Vice-president Al Gore while in public office. "Both Bill Clinton and. Bob Dole have had tangible opportunities to demon­strate leadership and results on environmental issues," said LCV President Deb Callahan. "Our evaluation reveals a striking difference." Copies are available by contacting the League of Conservation Voters at 202-785-8683 and the LCV web site at: http://www.lcv.org/conventions96/pre­sprof. html. [The report will be summarized in the October issue of Bexar Tt·acks.] 7 September 1996 Bexar Audubon Society, Inc. P. 0. Box 6084 San Antonio. TX 7 8209 Address Correction Requested INSIDE TRACKS Grazing Bill in September . I . . September Meeting . 2 September Outing . 2 Perambulations . 3 Local News Briefs . 3 Flame Acanthus . .4 Identifying Shorebirds . .4 Help Needed . .4 News briefs . 5 Natural lniti.atives . 6 Landscaping for Wildlife . 6 Texas Delegation Records . 6 Monarch Count . 6 Platform Positions . 7 Immigration Bill & ESA . 7 LCV Candidate Records . 7 Calendar . : . 8 0 Printed on acid-free. 50% post-consumer waste paper. Non-profit Organization U. S. Postage Paid San Antonio, TX Permit #590 FALL PLANNING CALENDAR l Bexar Audubon Event § More Information Inside CONTACTS FOR RECURRING EVENTS First Saturday at Friedrich Park. guided gen­eral natural history hike. free. 698-105 7 for reservations. Second Saturday at Friedrich Park sponsored by Bexar Audubon. $2 donation requested. 698-1 05 7 for reservations. Second Saturday: Beginners Bird Walk at Alamo Heights Nature Trail. Georgina Schwartz of SA Audubon Society 34 2-207 3. Fourth Saturday: Birding morning at Mitchell Lake with Ernie Roney. SAAS. Meet at ML at 8 am. 733-8306 for more info. SEPTEMBER 7 First Saturday at Friedrich Park. 7 Friedrich Interpretive Guide Training. every Saturday thru Oct 12. 9-noon. 698-1057 to enroll. 12t BAS Board meeting. 7 pm. 14 Star Party at Friedrich Park. Gaze at the heavens with the SA Astronomi­cal Assn. Telescopes provided. Bring a flashlight. 8-10 pm. 19t§ BAS General meeting. 7:30 pm. Cen­tral Texas Trees. 19 KSTX Public Forum. Low Voter ·Tum­out. 6:30pm. Weston Center 2 I Pelagic birding trip. irom Port O'Connor. Dwight Peake. 409-740-4621 evenings. 22§t September outing: Hawk Watch r· See inside for details. Carpool from the Ruble Center very early. Call Kim & Dave Fluetsch at 655-0543. 2 9 Open Space Advisory Board Forum & Workshop. The Fuhm of Open Space Platmitlg, 9- 3, HEB Head­quarters (end of Dwyer south of Durango). Call 826-4698 for more information. OCTOBER *6, I 0, I <Monarch Migration. See inside for de­tails. Patty Leslie Paszto1· 824-1 ~35. I Ot BAS Board m_eeting. 7 pm. 12t§ Landscaping for Wildlife Workshop & Yard tour. See inside for details. I n BAS General meeting, 7:30 pm NOVEMBER 2 Friedrich Park Design Charette. Con­tribute to the long range Master Plan for San Antonio's only wilder­ness park. Call Debbie Reid or Mary Capperino at 698-105 7. 6-10 Rio Grande Tropical Birding Festival: Tropical Birds of the Border. Info, C of C. 3 II. E. Tyler, Harlingen, TX 78550. 800-531-7346. 8-1 0 Green Impact Conference & Building Tour. Austin Convention Center. Info www .greenbuilder .com/ conference/ 9t Outing to Rancho de las Cabras Mis­sion Ranch (tentative). Call Susan Hughes at 532-2332 for details. I 4-1 5 Natural Resource and Environmental Policy for the 2 I st Century: Shaping the Vision (Texas Agricultural and Natural Resources Summit Ill). YO Holiday Inn, Kerrville. 409-845- 8484 for registration information. 14-1 7 Festival of the Cranes. Bosque del Apache NWR, Socorro. NM. Info 505-835-0424. 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. T exa~ Parks and Wildlife Department offers many nature activities for annual Texas Con­servation Passport Holders($ 50 per year). Call for event listings: 800-937-9393. '. SAN ANTONIO RECYCLING CENTERS JUNE 1996 Corporate Recycling Council of San Antonio P.O. Box 12654 San Antonio, Texas 78212-0654 RECYCLING CENTERS DIRECTORY Bexar Audubon Society P.O. Box 6084 San Antonio, Texas 78209 MATERIALS ACCEPTED NOTE: This information is providea as a public service by Corporate Recycling Council of San Antonio and Bexar Audubon Society. cal/ the companies listed for information conceminq_ items accepted, hours of operation, current prices, and specific requir9ments. Please understand that Corporate Recycling Council of San Antonio and Bexar Audubon Society accept no responsibility for any omissions or changes or for the long-term accuracy of this information. If you wish to have additions or changes made to the next publication of this directory please send such additions/changes in writing to the organizations' addresses above. Inclusion in this list does not constitute an endorsement by Corporate Recycling Council of San Antonio and Bexar Audubon Society. RECYCLING CENTER LOCATIONS 1. A. G. PICKARD PECANS 10. SAFE TIRE DISPOSAL CORP OFTX 18. ECOCENTERS 117 Nogalitos 11150 Applewhite Rd 803 S. Medina (&other locations) 2. ACCOIBFI 11. MASTER LUBE 19. REYNOLDS ALUMINUM RECYCLING 400 Probandt Street (6 locations, see map) 267 Old Highway 90 West 3. ASHLEY SALVAGE COMPANY 12. MONTERREY IRON & METAL 20. RIVER CITY STEEL & RECYCLING 4918 Roosevelt 2300 Frio City Road 5326 Roosevelt 4. AUTO SALVAGE COMPANY 13. NATIONAL STEEL COMPRESSING 21. SAFETY KLEEN CORPORATION 4805 Roosevelt 726 El Paso 5243 Sinclair Road (industrial, fee) 5. LONGHORN METAL CO. 14. NEWELL RECYCLING COMPANY 22. SOUTH SAN ANTONIO RECYCLING 5789 E. Houston 726 Probandt Street 10195 Somerset Road 6. CHIEF AUTO PARTS 15. PEARL RECYCLING COMPANY 23. VISTA FIBERS (10 locations, see map) 306 E. Grayson (&other locations) 3003 Aniol St. 7. RECYCLING COLLECTION CENTER, S.A. 16. PECKAN SALES 24. TIRE RECYCLING OF SAN ANTONIO 116 Goliad 1711 Guadalupe 5326 Roosevelt 8. USPCI/LAIDLAW 17. PEP BOYS 25. WESTERN AUTO 4303 Profit Drive (industrial) (8 locations, see map) (161ocations, see map) 9. CHAMPION RECYCLING CORP. 26. WEYERHAUSER PAPER CO. 5008 Space Center 611 Pop Gunn (call for information) 0 Printed On Recycled Paper. Publishing this directory was Company and USAA. made possible by the gracious donations of paper and printing by CRCSA member companies Matera Paper