Bexar tracks : the newsletter of the Bexar Audubon Society, Vol. 26, No. 04

• Main Author: Bexar Audubon Society
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: San Antonio, Tex. : Bexar Audubon Society, 2009
• Subjects: Birds > Conservation > Texas > Periodicals.; Ornithology > Texas > Periodicals.; Nature conservation > Texas > Periodicals; Clubs and Organizations; Science and Technology; Gar’; Hurley; Laurie; Medina; Rayner; Swann; Tive; Valen; Valentine; Watchers; peregrine falcon; Hermine
• Online Access: http://digital.utsa.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15125coll10/id/8065

Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). Thursday, November 13, 2008, 6:00 PM January Chapter Meeting & Program at the McNay, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009—6 PM Beloved Audubon Gems on Rare Public Display January's chapter meet-ing will be a special outing to the McNay Art Museum for their exhibition "Prints Gone Wild: John James Audubon." The date will be the same as always, the second Thursday (Jan. 8), which has two benefits for us. First, the McNay charges no admission on Thursday eve-nings. Second, prints curator Lyle Williams will be giving a public lecture on the exhibi-tion that evening in the Lawson Print Gal-lery. The lecture starts at 6 PM, a half hour earlier than our nor-mal meeting time and an hour earlier than our usual program time. So we encour-age you all to make a note on your calen-dars to arrive early. After the lecture, we will have until 9 PM to view these magnifi-cent prints. Bexar Tracks Volume XXVI, No. 4 January-February 2009 For the latest news and updates, see www.bexaraudubon.org and www.sa-naturecenter.org. Inside this issue: The Unexpected President 2 Trinity River Audubon Center Project FeederWatch 3 Mitchell Lake Audubon Center 4 Community Events: Cibolo Nature Center, San Antonio Natural Areas 5 Sustainable Landscapes Guidelines Report 7 Membership 8 The McNay display has 20 mostly hand-colored lithographs from the books on birds (double-elephant size) and quadrupeds (imperial size). Featured in “Prints Gone Wild: John James Audubon” are three great Texas subjects, Texas Wolf, Nine-banded Arma-dillo, and Texas Rabbit, plus one of Audubon’s most fa-mous images, American Flamingo. This particular lithograph, printed on a sheet of paper nearly four feet long, has not been on public display for over 15 years. A few of these lithographs belong to the McNay but have never been exhibited before. Others have been loaned by San Antonio-area collectors. Come and join us for a “dazzling visual ency-clopedia of America’s native flora and fauna.” February 2009: Reproductive Strategies (of Wildlife) Thursday, February 12, 2009, 6:30 PM Valentine Program Reproductive Strategies of Wildlife Join Richard Heilbrun, TPWD Wildlife Biologist, for an informative and light-hearted presentation on "Reproductive Strategies of Wildlife." Selfish genes, nest parasitism, and explosive breeding strategies are par for the course in this Valen-tine special! Richard is an Urban Wild-life Biologist with Texas Parks & Wildlife Depart-ment. He holds a B.S. and a Masters in Wildlife Ecology from Texas A&M and cre-ated this presentation while guest lecturing at UTSA. Richard provides technical guidance to landowners around San Antonio and assists city officials in creat-ing wildlife-friendly city ordi-nances and in protecting wildlife habitat. Bexar Audubon Society regular chapter meetings are the second Thursdays monthly with programs at Trinity University, Cowles Life Science Bldg., Room 149; uphill from Laurie Audi-torium near the library. Feel free to call 210.837.0577 for further information and di-rections. (Map on page 6) (Courtesy McNay Art Museum) John James Audubon's "American Flamingo." The McNay Art Museum is located at 6000 New Braunfels, San Antonio. For more information call 210.824.5368 or log on at www.mcnayart.org. Bexar Audubon Society is a chapter of the National Audubon Society. Its primary goals are to promote species and habitat conservation and environmental education in the community. The Unexpected President expert bird carver who cre-ated our magnificently real-istic, hand-painted Conser-vation Hero quail trophies; and the 70 participants whose presence and con-versation made the banquet the festive occasion it was meant to be. Finally, but perhaps most important of all, because we are thanking them not only for their role at the banquet but for a lifetime of service to our community and its gram; Caryl Swann, who handled the RSVPs and finances; and Susan Hughes, whose expert ad-vice and historical knowl-edge of Bexar Audubon saved us from several po-tential blunders. But I would be remiss not to also praise and thank numerous other people who made the banquet a suc-cess: the generous and highly professional man-agement and staff at Los Patios; John Karger and his colleagues (human and avian) from Last Chance Forever for an outstanding talk on how falconry con-tributes to bird conserva-tion; James Middleton, San Antonio Audubon Society’s Page 2 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks Thank goodness for the extraordinarily skilled and dedicated people who con-stitute the core of Bexar Audubon Society’s team. Our November award-and- anniversary banquet was a triumph. I cannot count how many compli-ments I received for that marvelous event. Not that I deserved them. As you may recall, I was suffering from a serious ailment during the critical weeks leading up to the event, and I had to hand off the responsibility for plan-ning and arranging it to my colleagues. Special praise and gratitude are due to Tony Wood, who negoti-ated the details with Los Patios; Patty Pasztor, who arranged a wonderful pro- - Harry Noyes - environment, I must cite the three inaugural recipients of the new Bexar Audubon Society Conservation Hero trophy: Bill Sinkin, founder and sustainer of Solar San Antonio; and Ruth Lofgren and Ernie Roney for dec-ades of work to protect Mitchell Lake and their con-tinued volunteer work there. Let me conclude by urg-ing all of us to follow their examples as best we can. (Continued on page 6) Bill Sinkin & Bill Hurley Marge Lumpe & Ruth Lofgren John Karger of LCF Tony Wood & Bill Sinkin Bill Skinner & LCF Friend with Peregrine Falcon Kelly Rayner of LCF with Bald Eagle Ernie Roney Celebrating our Conservation Heroes Trinity River Center is flagship site for National Audubon Society with the B l a c k l a n d Prairie, bot-tomland hard-wood forest and surround-ing wetlands. It’s amazing that this site was once an eyesore, but now is helping nature come back to life.” Built on top of a re-claimed former landfill, the Trinity River Audubon Center is the first major signature development for the Trinity River Corridor Project, a $2 billion City of Dallas public works pro-ject. A flagship location for the National Audubon Society, TRAC is located just eight minutes from downtown Dallas on 120 acres of the Great Trinity Forest—the largest urban bottomland hardwood forest in the United States. The Center will serve as the gateway to the Great Trinity Forest, which is more than 6,000 acres in all. In addition to bird watching and outdoor conservation programs and clubs, the Center serves as a teaching facil-ity for 25,000 students. Read more about the Trinity River Audubon facility opening at www.au dubon.org/news/Trinity Opening.html, or log on to www. t r i n i t y r i veraudu bon.org. Page 3 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The information they pro-vide helps generate the world’s largest database on feeder-bird populations. FeederWatchers across North America submitted more than 115,000 check-lists during the 2007-08 sea-son, documenting unusual bird sightings, winter move-ments, and shifting ranges-- information scientists use to monitor the health of the birds and of the environ-ment. Project FeederWatch wel-comes participants of all ages and skill levels. To learn more and to sign up, visit www.feederwatch.org or call 800.843.2473. In re-turn for the $15 fee ($12 for Lab members) partici-pants receive a FeederWatcher’s Handbook, a bird-i d e n t i f i c a t i o n poster, a calen-dar, instructions, and the Feeder- Watch annual report, Winter Bird Highlights, summariz-ing the season’s findings. Photos are available at www.feederwatch.org; visit the “Explore Data” section of the web site to find the top 25 birds reported in your state, rare bird sightings, and bird summaries. The Cornell Lab of Orni-thology is a membership institution dedicated to inter-preting and conserving the earth’s biological diversity through research, educa-tion, and citizen science focused on birds. Visit the Lab’s web site at http:// www.birds.cornell.edu. The diversity of habitats and birds in Texas makes bird watchers in the state the envy of nature lovers elsewhere. Many stunning species readily visit bird feeders, and may be at-tracted to your own back-yard. Scientists are asking Texas bird watchers to re-port what they see at their feeders through Project FeederWatch. “Being a FeederWatcher is easy and fun,” says pro-ject leader David Bonter from the Cornell Lab of Or-nithology. “Scientists learn something new from the project each year, whether it’s about the movements of common backyard birds or unusual sightings of rarely seen species.” For example, Texas has recently seen the spread of two dove species throughout the state: the White-winged Dove and the Eura-sian Collared-Dove. As the name implies, the latter species is not native to the United States. Will this new dove have an impact on populations of native doves? “We need to hear from more bird watchers in Texas to get an accurate picture of what’s happening with bird populations from year to year,” says Bonter. “Anyone who sees birds at feeders can help.” The 2008-09 season of Project FeederWatch is un-derway and runs through April 3. Participants can sign up at any time. Feeder- Watchers track the numbers and kinds of birds seen at feeders each week and then send the information to the More than 10,000 peo-ple attended opening weekend at the new Audubon Center in Dal-las, offering a powerful example of how Audubon connects people with nature. Twice the number of visitors expected were drawn by workshops on topics such as backpack-ing, paddling, outdoor cooking, how to live near urban wildlife, planting community gardens and more. Kids joined arts-and- crafts projects; lec-tures included how to landscape with native species, make compost, and raise bees and chickens. Highlights at the center include hiking, bird-watching, hands-on exhibits, conservation and outdoor-skills work-shops, yoga classes and a children's discovery garden. Anne Brown, vice president of National Audubon Society, said, “We had an amazing turnout opening weekend as the community was ready to see the Center and to enjoy all the activi-ties that we’d planned. Also, the building is uniquely designed so that everywhere you are, you are drawn to the outside, Calling All Texas Bird Watchers More eyes needed to tally state birds Berle Environmental Integ-rity Award. To be given annually to up to two U.S. citizens who provide inno-vative leadership in helping confront the challenges of climate change, renewable energy, depletion of the oceans, species extinction, air, water and soil contami-nation, and the urban envi-ronment, the first award (which includes a prize of $2,000) will be presented in Last November in New York, Audubon President John Flicker announced that the Century Foundation, in cooperation with the Na-tional Audubon Society, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Environ-mental Law Section of the New York State Bar Asso-ciation, and former col-leagues of Peter Berle, have created The Peter A. A. 2009. Nominations should be submitted via e-mail on or before February 1, 2009 to [e-mail]. Peter Berle, National Audubon Society President from 1985-1995, died in 2007, but his conservation legacy was honored in mem-oriam. Learn more at www1. audubon.org/news/press Release.php?id=1020. Second Saturday Beginners’ Walks Join San Antonio Audubon Society on the second Saturday of the month (Jan. 10, Feb. 14); start at 8 AM, meet at the Judson Nature Trails next to the Alamo Heights swimming pool on Viesca Street. For more informa-tion, call 210.342.2073. Newbies Welcome! Peter Berle Environmental Award Announced Page 4 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks What’s Happening at Mitchell Lake? Mitchell Lake – Bird Lovers – 10K Run February 14, 2009 Time: Race Start 9 AM $2 of Entry Fee Benefits Mitchell Lake Audubon Center Information: Contact Gib Hafernick, 210.492.7517 or [e-mail] Course: Flat with gentle slopes on gravel/unimproved roads and trails circumventing 9 holding ponds separated by dikes with abundant watering fowl. T-shirt with Shirts guarantee First 200 Entry Fee: $18—SARR Members & Active Military; $20— Non-Member; $25—RACE DAY Snail Mail AND Online Registration Close February 10, 2009 Note: "NO REFUND" or "Rain Check Date" for this event. Online registration available at the San Antonio Road Run-ners Calendar, www.saroadrunners.com. MLAC: Connecting People with Nature Explore a place where nature is continually renewing itself. Where birds, insects, and wild plants surprise you with a new spectacle around every corner. A place where families, school groups and individuals can reflect and learn about the natural world, just minutes from downtown San Antonio. Mitchell Lake Wildlife Refuge: An Illustrated History Want to know more about Mitchell Lake and how it became the restful place it is today? Look no further! We have a book for you—Mitchell Lake Wildlife Refuge: An Illustrated History. The book is published by the Mitchell Lake Wetlands Society, Dwight Henderson, president. Mr. Henderson, a retired history professor at UTSA and docent at the ML Audubon Center, co-authored this book with Ruth Lofgren, retired biology professor (City University of New York) and also a docent at the Center. Artist Rita Schimpff illustrated the book. She was a member of the Junior League Wetlands Project at Mitchell Lake in 1990. Susan Ives is the graphic artist who created the cover and set up the pages so beautifully. The book is only $6 (including tax—what a deal!!), available at the Nature Store at the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. PLUS it may be ordered from www.amazon.com. Discounted prices for bulk orders can be arranged for bookstores, schools and libraries. Call 210.732.5392 and leave a message, or write to MLWS, 434 Hermine Blvd., San Antonio TX 78212 for one to three copies for $6 each + $4 S&H. If you enjoy being out-doors, bird-watching, gar-dening, working with chil-dren, or sharing your love of nature with others, then you will feel right at home at Mitchell Lake. Whatever your talents and interests, we have an opportunity for you: become a docent! Please call 210.628.1639 for more information. Docent Training Docent training is an 8- week course that will be held Saturday mornings from 9 AM to 12 PM begin-ning Jan. 10, 2009. Training includes the history of Mitchell Lake, bird and plant identification, wildlife man-agement, nature center pro-cedures, and educational nature interpretation. The cost to participate is $35 and covers instruction and materials. Mitchell Lake Audubon Center 10750 Pleasanton Rd. San Antonio TX 78221 210.628.1639 www.mitchelllakeaudubon.org Become a Mitchell Lake Audubon Center Docent Community Events SAN ANTONIO NATURAL AREAS For more information on listings below, visit www.sanaturalareas.org or www. bexaraudubon.org. First Saturday Hikes Interpretative Walks in January and February Call 210.372.9124 or 210.564.6400 for reservations or information on First Saturday Hikes detailed below. Hikes may be cancelled if there are no reser-vations; participants limited to 15 per hike. Donation $2/person suggested. EISENHOWER PARK 19399 NW Military Hwy. January 3, 2009, 9-11 AM Get some exercise after the holiday feasts and learn about this great Natu-ral Area at the same time! Nature isn’t sleeping in the winter—come see what’s going on! Reservations recom-mended; hikes occasionally change. FRIEDRICH WILDERNESS PARK 21395 Milsa February 7, 2009, 9-11 AM It may be warm, it may be cool and it may be downright cold! (San Antonio winter.) And the weather will determine what you see on this walk—could be early wildflowers or could be snow! Second Saturday Programs in EISENHOWER PARK, 10 AM–12 PM Reservations recommended, 210.564. 6400 or 210.372.9124. Suggested do-nation: $3/individual, $5/family. Jan. 10, 2009: Bare Branches! Explore our trees in winter: learn how they can be used in urban situations and think about trees to plant in your yard this year. Feb. 14, 2009: A Perfect Red! What insect colonizes prickley pear cactus and is the source of a “a perfect red”? Come meet his insect and explore sym-biosis. Sample “bug juice” and join us as we brew a perfect red dye to make a Valentine’s Day treat. Family fun! Eisenhower Park, 19399 NW Military Hwy. Take FM 1535/Military Highway/ Shavano Park exit off Loop 1604 on the city’s northwest side. Go north 2 miles. Park entrance on left, just before Camp Bullis. Gates open at 9:30 AM. Wildlife Tax Valuation Seminar Session I: Overview/Property Inventory January 10, 9 AM-1 PM Session II: Management Practices and Application Procedures January 17, 9 AM-2:30 PM Session III: WTV History and Update On Current Law and Regulations January 24, 9 AM-12:30 PM Location: CNC auditorium Cost: Members $70/person and $90/ couple; non-members $90/person and $110/couple. Pre-registration required; call 830.249.4616. Limited to 30. Pro-gram especially for owners of less than 500 acres and will emphasize wildlife management for songbirds. Boerne Birders—Boerne Lake January 17, 8-10 AM Meet in the parking area near the dam. FREE. Information, call 830.230.5551 or 210.710.3981. Tree Management ALL NEW February 7, 9 AM-12 Noon Members $15/person: non-members $20/person. Limited to 30. Pre-r e g i s t r a t i o n r e q u i r e d . C a l l 830.249.4616. Presenter: TFS forester Paul Johnson. Rainwater Harvest Workshop February 14, 9 AM-12 Noon CNC auditorium and visit to Kight in-stallation. Members $20/person: non-members $30/person. Limited to 30. Pre-registration required. Call 830.249.4616. Boerne Birders—CNC—Great Back-yard Bird Count (GBBC) February 14, 8-10 AM Meet at the CNC pavilion. Free. Infor-mation, 830.230.5551 or 210.710.3981. Composting Made Easy ALL NEW February 21, 10-Noon Members $15/person: non-members $20/person. Limited to 30. Pre-r e g i s t r a t i o n r e q u i r e d . C a l l 830.249.4616. Presenter: Master Gar-dener Chris Seifert. Habitat For Birds Part I: Attracting Birds to Your Property February 28, 9-Noon Members $15/person: non-members $20/person. Limited to 30. Pre-registration required, 830.249-4616. MEDINA RIVER NATURAL AREA (MRNA) 15890 Highway 16 South San Antonio TX 78264 Medina River Natural Area is located approx. 4½ miles south of Loop 410 on State Highway 16 South. Second Saturday Programs January 10, 2009, 9-11 AM RAMBLING REPTILES! Join Dr. Cary Guffey, Professor at Our Lady of the Lake University, with a discussion and demonstration about the world of Texas Reptiles. $3 suggested donation or $5 per family. February 14, 2009, 9-11 AM ReDuce, ReUse and ReCycle, pre-sented by San Antonio Solid Waste Management Dept. and Keep San An-tonio Beautiful, Kid Friendly Recycled Art activity included. $3 suggested do-nation, $5/family. March 14, 2008, 9-11 AM Native American Dancing and Singing, presented by Boy Scout Troop 10 and Troop Leader; Native American Kid Friendly activities included. $3 sug-gested donation, $5/family. Reservations are re-quested for all MRNA events. For more infor-mation or to RSVP for any event in the MRNA call 210.624.2575. Page 5 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks CIBOLO NATURE CENTER All listings are on Saturdays unless otherwise indicated For more information , call 210.564.6400 or visit www.cibolo.org/calendar. Hail our Conservation Heroes! Page 6 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks Bexar Audubon Society Contacts President/Webmaster: Harry Noyes—210.490.3124, [e-mail] Vice President: Tony Wood—210.867.2363; [e-mail] Treasurer: Caryl Swann—210.653.2860; [e-mail] Secretary: Anita Anderson—210.533.8726; [e-mail] At-Large: Amy L. Whitley—210.340.0114; [e-mail] At-Large: Kathy Ikerd— [e-mail] At-Large: VACANCY Programs/Outings: Patty Pasztor—210.824.1235; [e-mail] Editor: Michele Wood—210.492.4684, [e-mail] (continued from page 2) Even if we never reach their level of achievement, we can support them and by all working together we can, as Isaac Newton put it, “stand on the shoulders of giants.” If you aren’t sure what you can do or want to do, contact me: let’s talk. Finally, some personal good news. My illness, which turned out to be anxiety/ panic attacks (probably related to my retirement from the civil service being more of a “what do I do now?” shock than I expected) is under control. (In time for me to attend the banquet, thankfully.) The pills reduce my energy level, but I think I will be able to fulfill my Audubon duties. If I ever feel that I cannot, you have my word that I will resign and allow someone else to take over. (By the way, my thanks to Vice President Tony Wood for filling in during the worst phase of my illness.) Let me conclude by repeating my les-son- learned from the previous column: “There is no substitute for your health. Use it while you can. Take that trip to Europe now. Write that novel now. START YOUR VOLUNTEER WORK NOW, whether for Bexar Audubon or any other worthy cause. Cowles is just uphill from Laurie Auditorium & between Library and Chapman Graduate Center. Park by Laurie or in lots or on streets to the west. Handicapped parking across from Cowles. Enter from Oakmont or Rosewood. Call Patty for addi-tional directions, 210.824.1235. or see additional map at bexaraudubon.org/map.jpg. Map to Cowles Life Sciences Building, Trinity University, west of Highway 281. There are many ways you can help! Conservation Heroes come in all shapes and sizes; email Harry Noyes at [e-mail]. Together Green Audubon and Toyota launched the five-year TogetherGreen initiative earlier this year to fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders, and offer volunteer and individual action opportunities that significantly benefit the envi-ronment. To date, TogetherGreen volunteers in 40 communities have do-nated more than 15,000 volunteer hours to community conservation efforts. Funding totaling $1.4 million was recently awarded for the first year of innova-tive conservation projects nationwide. Reprinted from Audubon Newswire & In the News Volume 6, Number 19 Audubon Issues Statements on Changing of the Guard "Audubon believes the election ushered in a new era of hope for our environ-ment; and the people, birds and other wildlife that depend on it," said Betsy Loyless, Senior Vice President, National Audubon Society, as part of a tele-conference with reporters and representatives of wildlife conservation organi-zations. To hear audio of the news conference and other statements including those by Mike Daulton, Audubon's Legislative Director, visit http://web1.audu bon.org/news/pressRoom.php. Cowles Library Laurie Chapman Creating Sustainable Landscapes Focus of First Comprehensive Report Page 7 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks Earth Share of Texas raises money for environmental and conserva-tion organizations through workplace giving. If your employer partici-pates in such programs, please ask them to add Earth Share to your giving options. By designating the Audubon Foundation of Texas (AFT), Bexar Audubon Society can benefit. BAS receives credit for our support and receives funding annually form AFT. For more infor-mation, call, email or log on: 800.GREENTX, ESTX@earthshare-texas. org, or www.earthshare-texas.org. The Sustainable Sites Initiative, a partner-ship that includes The University of Texas at Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Cen-ter, invites public comment on a new report that offers the most comprehensive set of voluntary guidelines yet developed for sus-tainable landscapes. Titled "Guidelines and Performance Benchmarks Draft 2008," it pro-vides more than 50 prerequisites and credit options that cover everything from initial site selection and design to construction and maintenance. The Sustainable Sites Initiative, which also includes the American Society of Landscape Architects and the United States Botanic Garden, is asking for comments before Janu-ary 20, 2009 on the report that is available for download at www.sustainablesites.org. The report is timely because of increased concerns about such environmental issues as scarce resources, climate change, waste, and air and water pollution. Landscapes have the potential to use resources more efficiently and to improve air and water quality, and they can reduce the urban heat island effect and remove carbon dioxide, an important greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming, from the atmosphere. Reprinted from In the Flow, the weekly freshwater news wrapup and analysis pre-pared by the River Systems Institute. Environmental Notes 1. It has often been assumed that less sunny places can not use solar, but Germany is doing it despite its location. Part of this is because they are using amazing cables that lose no more than 15% energy over very long distances. 2. There has been much illegal logging going on in the world, and it still goes on today. When prized merbau trees were cut down in Papua, the locals were paid $11 per cubic meter. By the time they reached China, their value was $240 per cu-bic meter. When they arrived as flooring in the US, they brought $2288 per cubic meter. Building a new home? Replacing flooring, paneling, siding? Check on the history of the wood you use. This is one way to stand for law and sustainability. 3. When using a tea kettle, only fill it for the amount of water you are going to use. This will save heating times and also save water. Ya Gotta Let ‘em Know You’re Out There! In all my years as an environmental activist, one of the things I have heard most often is “Oh, my U.S. Representative (Senator, State Rep, Councilperson, etc.) is _________. S/he’s so unconcerned about the envi-ronment there’s no point in contacting him/her. It’s just a waste of my time.” I have heard almost as often, from the kind of representative mentioned in the preceding sentences, “Well, I’m surprised about your position on this issue. You’re the only one who has ever contacted me about it.” My message to all who read this is: Write or call your political reps! If you have the sort of rep who doesn’t give a fig about what concerns you the most, that rep is the one who should get the most contacts. If enough of his/her constituents needle him/her, some very rigid stances may change, even with vested interests calling a lot of the shots. In the end a political leader has to win votes, and votes come from individuals, not corporations. If the leader believes there is a groundswell about a particular issue—let’s say, global warming—that leader just might come around sooner rather than later. You have a voice—use it! Your message to the representative doesn’t have to be long or involved. Postcards to Congress don’t have to go through the screening that letters do, and there are always phone calls and e-mails. But the contact has to be made, and made as often as possible. And don’t forget to write letters to newspaper editors! Loretta Van Coppenolle Alamo Group Conservation Co-Chair BACK Reprinted with Permission Bexar Tracks is the official newsletter of the Bexar Audubon Society, a Chapter of the National Audu-bon Society. The Chapter’s primary goals are to promote species and habitat conservation and environmental education in the community. Your membership includes National Audubon and Bexar Audubon and subscriptions to both Audubon and Bexar Tracks. www.bexaraudubon.org Bexar Audubon Society PO Box 6084 San Antonio TX 78209-0084 Membership and Support for Your Environmental Voice in Our Community Bexar Audubon welcomes new members to join Audubon through the chapter. This brings 100 percent of the first year’s dues directly back to support local work. The same applies to gift memberships placed through the chapter. Your additional tax deductible donation is greatly appreciated. Bexar Audubon receives only a few thousand dollars each year from Na-tional Audubon Society as dues share. The rest we must raise ourselves. Your help is needed, and your donations will be put to good use right here in South Central Texas to provide environmental news and education to the community, includ-ing the newsletter, programs, San Antonio Environmental Network Issues Forum, Second Saturday programs, and other activities you may or may not hear about. Individual introductory memberships are $20; seniors and students join for $15. Please provide the following information for each personal subscription or gift: Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address with Zip Code: _______________________________________________________________________ Phone w/Area Code: _________________________________ e-mail ________________________________________ Do you wish to opt out of other mailings by Audubon or those with whom it shares lists? ____ yes ____ no Make checks payable to “Bexar Audubon Society” and mail to the address above. Enclosed: $__________ for subscription(s) $_________ additional donation NOTE: If you change address or cancel membership, you do NOT need to contact Bexar Audubon but MUST contact National Audubon (and we will automatically get that change when we download labels). Save time and energy by mailing your change of address information to National Audu-bon Society Membership Data Center, PO Box 52529, Boulder CO 80322-2529; phoning 800.274.4201; or e-mailing [e-mail]. For the latest information on environ-mental events and happenings through-out the San Antonio community and surrounding areas, check out www.bexaraudubon.org and www.sa-naturecenter.org. Non-Profit Organization US Postage Paid San Antonio TX Permit #1527 Bexar Tracks January-February 2009