| Summary: | Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). 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. Bexar Tracks Volume XXVI, No. 12 For the latest news and updates, see www.bexaraudubon.org and www.sa-naturecenter.org. Inside this issue: Audubon & The Gulf Oil Spill 2 LHI Report MedDropSA 3 Commentary: The Costs of Energy 4 MLAC Community Events 6-8 August-October 2010 The Headwaters at Incarnate Word: The “Spiritual Reach” of the San Antonio River? September 9, 2010 The Headwaters Coalition recently hosted a visioning workshop on the Blue Hole, surrounding acreage, and San An-tonio River north of Hildebrand and Brackenridge Park: in other words, the iconic “Head of the River” and that part of the San Antonio River that flows from the Blue Hole down through Incarnate Word to the Park. Helen Ballew will pre-sent an overview of the historic Headwa-ters at Incarnate Word as well as high-light current activities and developments in this complex project to protect, re-store, honor and share this sacred place in the heart of San Antonio. Helen Ballew shares a passion for na-ture and the outdoors, for learning and teaching, and for experiences that help humanity stay connected to Mother Earth. Ms. Ballew, a native Texan and a graduate of Middlebury College in Ver-mont and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, is a profes-sional conservationist and a community volunteer in education and environ-mental organizations, including the Bam-berger Ranch Preserve and the Brackenridge Park Conservancy. She is married to David Ribble, chair of Biology at Trinity, and mother to three spirited little women: Programs: San Antonio River, Habitat Conservation Bexar Audubon Society Meetings Thursdays, September 9 & October 14, 2010 Trinity University, Cowles Life Science Bldg., Room 149 (map on pg. 8) Announcements at 6:45 PM, Program begins at 7 PM. Everyone Welcome! Habitat Conservation Planning for Endangered Songbirds October 14, 2010 Richard Heilbrun, Urban Wildlife Biologist with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will present an update on the Habitat Conserva-tion Plan for the Southern Edwards Plateau. The ongoing HCP process will provide the framework for a multi-county pre-serve system for the Golden-cheeked Warbler, Bl a c k -c a pped Vireo and several cave inverte-brates. Mr. Heil-brun will discuss the origins of the program, the goals, the conservation priorities, and public input op-portunities. Mr. Heilbrun is an urban wildlife biologist with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. He holds a BS and a Masters in Wildlife Ecol-ogy from Texas A&M. He provides technical guidance to landowners around San Anto-nio and also provides assistance to city officials in creating wildlife-friendly city ordinances and in protecting wildlife habitat. Mr. Heilbrun is currently the chairman of the Biological Advisory Team developing the Habitat Conservation Plan for the Southern Edwards Plateau. Elena, 9; Olivia, 11; and Natalie, 13. Ms. Ballew is the new director of the Headwaters Coalition and feels honored and blessed to be a part of the Headwaters project. Read more about the Headwaters Coalition: www.headwaterscoalition.org. Will the Gulf Oil Spill Affect Backyard Birds? Scientists ask bird watchers to monitor nests As oil washes ashore along the Gulf Coast, the Cornell Lab of Ornithol-ogy is asking birders to keep an eye on nesting birds-not just near water, but hun-dreds of miles inland. Anyone with an interest in birds can learn how to find and monitor nests as part of the Cornell Lab's NestWatch project. It involves visiting a nest for a few minutes, twice per week, and recording in-formation such as how many eggs it contains, how many chicks hatch, and how many leave the nest. To help the effort, visit www.nestwatch.org. In addi-tion to accepting observa-tions from the general public, NestWatch is available as a data repository for wildlife agencies and scientific or-ganizations to support their research on the impacts of the oil spill. Visit the Cornell Lab’s web site at http://www.birds.cornell.edu. Black-Capped Vireo Picture courtesy TPWD As these words are written, deadly crude continues to spew from a mile beneath the Gulf of Mexico. Amid the horror of the Gulf disaster, images of birds again serve as the most visible indicators of damage to our environment and of hope for the future. Once again, a crisis for people, for wildlife and for birds demands all the commitment and expertise we can muster. And again, the Audubon network is deliv-ering. As the crisis mounted, Audubon chapters across the Gulf coast took action. In Louisiana, Baton Rouge Audubon helped develop a protocol for reporting on oiled birds, while also assessing protection needs at nearby sanctuaries. hey, along with Orleans Audubon, began reporting on birds’ status as the oil moved in. Meanwhile, in Alabama the Mobile Bay Audubon Society deployed teams of trained volunteers to moni-tor impacts on birds and beaches along that state’s coastline. Chapters of the Suncoast Shorebird Partner-ship, along with the Francis M. Weston Audubon Soci-ety, Collier County Audubon and the Coastal Island Sanctuaries, all came together to provide information on vital bird habitats to aid Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Commission in establishing protection priorities. They were not alone. State and National Audubon staff immediately launched efforts to help coordinate on-the-scene volunteer support for emergency re-sponse crews across the region. Though the disaster was unfolding in slow motion, they anticipated the need for far more volunteer help. Now, a fully-functioning Audubon Volunteer Response Center is operating in Moss Point, Mississippi. More than 30,000 people nationwide have registered to lend a hand. And there is plenty to be done. Opposing images from the Gulf help to tell the story. We are all too familiar with sickening pictures of oiled and dying birds, among them Brown Pelicans, only recently removed from the Endangered Species List. Yet when I travelled to the Gulf just weeks ago, I saw scores of thriving pelicans nesting on an island in Mo-bile Bay awaiting the arrival of their next generation. We can’t yet know how many of that new generation hatched in the Gulf will survive and how many will die. As southbound migrating sandpipers arrive in early summer, it is likely that many will never continue their journeys. What will become of the Reddish Egrets, Least Terns, Mottled Ducks or Seaside Sparrows that have been trying to nest along the shores? Without a doubt, the future health of countless birds and habitats depends, in part, on us. We will fight to restore the health of Important Bird Areas fouled by the spill. But our ef-forts must extend further. Audubon’s unique network can show Americans how birds connect us all to the Gulf, and how we can help them. Con-servation and citizen science efforts will provide new insights into the spill’s impacts on populations in the Gulf and beyond. Habitat and IBA protection will take on greater significance nationwide. Though not everyone can take direct action to save a peli-can or an oiled habitat, we can all protect vital flyways and healthy populations to benefit species impacted by the disas-ter— from Common Loons in the Great Lakes to Ospreys in a mountain lake in Montana. Together, we can empower volun-teers flocking to respond to the spill to make vital contribu-tions that will make a difference, while still working closer to home. Our collective responses must include redoubling our ef-forts to secure saner policies to protect fragile resources from risky energy extraction wherever it might occur. The Arctic Sea was given only a short-term reprieve from misguided deepwater drilling in the wake of the disaster—we must make it permanent. We need stricter regulation of deepwater drilling to make sure that accidents like the Gulf spill never happen again. And we can use the grim realities of the spill to further strengthen our push for a cleaner, safer and renewable en-ergy future. The Gulf disaster is truly America’s crisis and it demands our unified response. It is hard to say how long it will take to restore the well-being of the birds, other wildlife and commu-nities that depend on the Gulf. But Audubon is in it for the long haul to ensure not just emergency relief, but long-term restoration of the environment and of hope. Along the way, our combined conservation efforts can benefit birds, habitats and communities across America. Click on www.audubon.org for updated news. Deepwater Horizon Unified Command Website The link below leads to the official website for the Deepwa-ter Horizon Unified Command and includes continually up-dated and comprehensive information from all agencies, state, federal, and others, involved in the overall US re-sponse. For specific information updated daily from US Fish & Wildlife Service on wildlife impacted, where, and status, click on the Current Ops button at the top bar and select Fish and Wildlife Report from the dropdown menu. USF&WS re-ports include avian, mammalian, and herptile records. http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/ What is Audubon Doing to Help in the Gulf Oil Spill? Audubon Chapter Networker - Volume XIV, No. 2, Summer 2010 A message from Frank Gill, Audubon President Page 2 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks Page 3 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks Keeping Medication Out of Our Water Supply San Antonio Water System helped collect more than 1,300 pounds of unwanted or expired medications as part of its initial MedDropSA pro-gram. MedDropSA is a part-nership between San Antonio Water System, the San Anto-nio Police Department and the City of San Antonio Solid Waste Management Department. Through this program, local residents can properly dispose of the medications collecting dust in their medicine cabinets, and keep medi-cines that might otherwise get flushed down the drain out of our water supply. MedDropSA will host a series of collection events whereby residents can drop off old medicines. San Anto-nio police officers collect the medications, remove all identifying information and ensure that they are disposed of safely. The next scheduled event will be September 11th at the Alamodome. Information: www.MedDropSA.com. Land Heritage Institute Report By Bill Hurley On a Saturday in May, many from Bexar Audubon met at the Land Heritage Institute (Old Applewhite Property) on the Medina River for an enjoyable morning field trip. Over 20 people took a hayride to the historical homestead where LHI President Mark Oppelt and wife Peggy, also on the board of directors, gave us a very interesting look of this place. There’s 1,200 acres out there right beside the Medina River State Natural Area. It’s truly a treasure! Archaeology, environ-ment and the beautiful Medina River overlooks were the order of the day and revealed San Antonio’s many-layered history of this region. We learned how archeolo-gists have unearthed evidence of occupancy by ancient hunter-gatherers 12,500 years ago on the banks of the Medina River. In the 19th century the Presnall-Watson families settled there and built a house with numerous barns. San Anto-nio recently named the Presnall-Watson Farmstead one of the historic farms in the area. Longhorns were once gathered here to begin the travel up the Chisholm and Great Western trails. Today, visitors will also get to see and use the brand new hike and bike trail that winds through the property. As soon as reno-vation of another on-site struc-ture is complete, and proper attendant organizations are selected, a future nature center will soon appear. Cer-tainly an exciting and worthwhile development of an “ecosystem with history” in San Antonio that’s sure to get more attention. And we got a preview! Ghost Bird San Antonio Audubon Society invites everyone to a special screening of Ghost Bird on Thursday, Sept. 2nd, 7 PM, Lion’s Field Community Center, 2809 Broadway, San Antonio. Ghost Bird is a feature length documentary about an extinct giant woodpecker, a small town in Arkan-sas hoping to reverse it misfortunes, and the tireless od-yssey of the bird-watchers and scientists searching for the Holy Grail of birds, the elusive Ivory-billed woodpecker. Tickets are $5/person, presold and also available at the door as space is available. To purchase an advanced ticket, contact Patsy Inglet at tpinglet@satx.rr.com with Ghost Bird in the subject line. Rainwater Harvesting Training Camp Aug.16-20 in Junction Educational camp will provide hands-on experience A new statewide Rainwater Harvesting Training Camp has been set for Aug. 16-20 on the Texas Tech University campus in Junction. The course is sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Tech Uni-versity in Junction. The course will include tours of rain-water harvesting systems ranging in size from 50 to 250,000 gallons, 12 hours of hands-on construction experience and 20 hours of 300- level American Rainwater Catchment Systems Associa-tion classes. For more information on the program: http:// rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu or contact Brent Clayton, 979.845.4116 or jbclayton@ag.tamu.edu. MRNA—LHI 10K Race October 16, 2010 This is NOT a fun run, but a serious 10K race between the Medina River Natural Area and the Land Heritage Institute properties. Race starts at 8 AM near the MRNA entrance on Hwy. 16. MRNA's Fall Fest will also be held this Saturday. Watch for more information on Land Heri-tage Day at LHI, with nature and heritage events. Look for more info at bexaraudubon.org, saaudubon.org, land-heritageinstitute. org, or sanaturalareas.org; or call MRNA at 210.624.2575. Page 4 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks The Costs of Energy jor by-product of the extraction proc-ess– a single methane bore discharg-ing. approximately 25,000 gal per day." Source: http://www.rangemaga zine.com/archives/stories/fall00/water world.htm.) Ever see an aerial photo of oil and gas fields? Looks like a war bombing site. How many hundreds of thou-sands of surface acres of land has been permanently ruined from well drilling and roads—or from surface mining? Nothing is free or all good. We have to be careful, thoughtful and do the best we can for the re-sources, wildlife and people. As we strive to replace expensive/unfriendly overseas oil and become USA en-ergy sufficient we must select the least damaging energy or mineral sources and the best methods of production and transporting to mar-kets. We must each use less energy and water in order to put less stress on our environment—conserving it for nature and our children. Comment Re: Pelican Article: The loss of a single pelican or a hundred we hope is an isolated or rare case. No one wants to see a bird or other wildlife die needlessly. Certainly not Auduboners! But issues occur with a new in-dustry, even a green one—probably a few birds have been hurt on solar panels, too; we know eagles and hawks die on electric towers. No energy source is going to be totally 100% safe or "green". Many thousands of birds, mainly waterfowl, have been lost in petro-leum "ponds"—not well known. No doubt birds have flown into well rigs at night or in storms. Or into radio, TV and cell phone towers? No tell-ing how much valuable fresh groundwater has been ruined by salt water injection of oil wells. Rangeland habitat and fresh water has been ruined or wasted due to coal bed methane gas ex-traction. ("Water, in fact, is the ma- This excerpt is from an email sent in June to Mike Mecke from David Newstead, Presi-dent of the Coastal Bend Audubon Society, re White pelican struck by turbine on Kenedy Ranch: This morning I went down the Laguna Madre to the Land Cut, doing some monitoring of breeding skimmers and terns, and foraging egrets. In the Land Cut area, we observed a flock of around fifteen American White Pelicans kettling from some wetlands west of the brushy edge of the Kenedy Ranch shoreline. After a couple minutes they turned and headed on a northerly trajectory. We watched as the pelicans continued soar-ing between us and the turbines. It ap-peared that they were getting closer and closer to the next turbine, but it was hard to get a handle on how close they actually were. Finally, they were ap-proaching one of the most easterly tur-bines in that particular string, and we watched as the last bird in the group was struck and literally “erased” from the air (a blade is about the width of a city bus, and moving about 180 mph). It was flying at or just below hub height, and was hit on the downstroke. Excerpted from e-Quail Newsletter, Vol. II, No. VII (July 2010) A Bird Nest on the Ground by Dr. Dale Rollins The saying "a bird nest on the ground" implies a windfall, a stroke of good luck, indeed a bonanza. For over a dozen species of Texas animals that prey upon quail nests, the phrase is an appropriate one. But for quail, or other birds that nest on the ground, the saying portends a challenge, if not an omen. Consider this: If 100 quail eggs are laid in June, how many adult quail would you expect to result from them a year from now? Forty? Twenty? How about five! Here’s the math. Average hatch rate across the range of bobwhites is about 30 percent, so we have 30 chicks hatched. Chick mortal-ity is high, so perhaps 40 percent of those (or 12 birds) live to September. Survival through the winter months might be about 40 percent, so now we have five birds alive come May. And you think you have a tough row to hoe? Read the full story: www.quailresearch.org; click on Publications, Vol. 2, Issue 7. No Energy Source is Totally Free of “Costs” or All Green! Commentary by Mike Mecke Former BAS President From Philanthropy News Digest: American Bird Conservancy Receives Grant From Leon Levy Foundation The three-year, $743,130 grant will support a campaign to encourage the use of techniques designed to eliminate bird collisions with wind turbines and promote the selection of safe sites for wind farms. Read more about it at http://foundation center.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=294400025. The Tale of the Bar-Tailed Godwit SCIENCE | May 25, 2010 7,000 Miles Nonstop, and No Pretzels By Carl Zimmer Tiny transmitters and even smaller geolocators make it possible to track the bar-tailed godwit and other species on their travels. Read more about this little bird and the “longest non-stop flight ever recorded” at http:// www.ny times. com/2010/05/25/science/25migrate. html?emc=eta1 Copyright 2010 <http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/ copyright.html> The New York Times Company <http://www.nytco.com/> | Privacy Policy <http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/p rivacy.html> From Conservation International: www.conservation.org Our oceans are facing unprecedented threats. It doesn’t take too much work to crunch these numbers. Take a look for yourself— and then pass them along to friends and family to see how much they know about the biggest blue spaces on our planet. 70 Percent of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans. 1 Percent of the earth’s oceans are protected. 1 billion People worldwide depend on the ocean as their main source of protein. 52 Percent of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited. Another 20 percent are moderately exploited, and 19 percent are over-exploited. 3/4 Of tropical commercial fish depend on mangrove forests for food, habitat, breeding or nursery grounds. Up to 35 Percent of the world's mangrove forests have been destroyed in the last 30 years. 1,400 Pounds—potential weight of a northern bluefin tuna. Top predators like this one are vital to the ocean food chain. 90 Percent of large predatory fish populations—including cod, shark and bluefin tuna—that have disappeared worldwide due to unsustainable fishing practices. 1 in 4 Of all marine species live in coral reef ecosystems. (It’s no wonder reefs are often called "the tropical rainforests of the ocean.”) 20 Percent of the world’s coral reefs have been lost to date. An-other 20 percent are degraded. 70-80 Percent of the oxygen we breathe is produced by the ocean. 150,000+ Is the combined size in square miles of pollution-caused "dead zones"—marine habitats that no longer support oxy-gen- using species. That’s larger than the state of Montana. 97 Percent of all water on earth is located in the planet’s oceans. 1 The number of "blue planets" called Earth. Now that you have the facts, take the quiz: http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/PageServer? Page 5 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks Feral Hog Workshop The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and partnering organizations will be presenting a Feral Hog Workshop from 9 AM—3:30 PM, Aug. 24 at the 4-H building in Helotes, located at 12132 Leslie Rd. Workshop presentations will be provided by experts from AgriLife Extension, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Texas Department of Agri-culture and Texas Animal Health Commission, as well as a professional feral hog trapper. Topics will include a feral hog overview, tips on reducing watershed pollution, potential feral hog problems and damage, brucellosis and other diseases, laws and regulations, and the hunt-ing and trapping of the invasive species. More info at http://www.alamorcd.org. EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY Distinguished Lecturer Series Understanding Karst Characteristics and the Transport and Storage of Contaminants Within Them Featuring: Dr. Ralph O. Ewers Ewers Water Consultants, Richmond, Kentucky Friday, September 17, 2010 Southwest Research Institute San Antonio, Texas 9 AM—4:30 PM Cost: $20 for the day; includes lunch and supporting materials. $10 for students. Payable at the door by cash or check. Registration deadline is Tuesday, Sep-tember 14; contact Elida Bocanegra at 210.222.2204; 800.292.1047; or ebocanegra@edwardsaquifer.org. Dr. Ralph O. Ewers will present a one-day workshop on karst aquifers, discussing the means by which we can understand their characteristics and the transport and storage of contaminants within them. Discussions will focus on: karst aquifers, a few fundamental ideas; the problem of prediction-contaminants, models, assumptions, and authority; wells, tracers, and electronics, and what they can tell us; the behavior of floating and sinking hydrocar-bons in karst aquifers; and how not to diagnose contaminant problems in karst. About the Presenter Dr. Ewers obtained his bachelor’s and master‘s de-grees from the University of Cincinnati, and his doctoral degree from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. He served as professor of geology and hydrogeology at Eastern Kentucky University, where he is emeritus pro-fessor, and at the University of Kentucky. Page 6 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks Mitchell Lake Audubon Center to prevent, tolerate, and manage the bugs that bug you! RSVP; program fee, free for members. October Free Family Program Won-derful World of Insects Oct. 2, 9—11 AM Get immersed in the world of insects with this 30 minute Entomology lesson for kids of all ages. Learn what makes an insect an insect, where they live, which ones are good, and more. Live and preserved insects will be available as well! Stick around after the lesson to do an activity on insects. MLAC Fall Wildlife Festival & Plant Sale Oct. 23, 9 AM—4 PM MLAC’s annual fall celebra-tion of nature features plant sales, hayrides, a raptor show, exhibit booths, kids activities, SAWS Autumn Bloom Giveaway and more. Free. September Basic Birding for Adults Sept. 4, 8:30—11:30 AM Do you enjoy watching birds & find birds interesting and beautiful? MLAC Docents Tom & Patsy Inglet share tools, tips, & techniques for you to build your birding skills. 1.5 hours of instruction and 1.5 hours in the field. Bring bin-oculars & a bird field guide; we also have some to loan. Dress for a bird walk: long pants, dull colors, walking shoes, & a hat. RSVP. Program fee. Organic Pest Control with Molly Keck Sept. 18, 9—11 AM Many ways to manage pests without using pesticides, and many organic options to help preserve our beneficial in-sects and environment. Pres-entation will cover cultural & mechanical control methods Monthly Birding Tours No reservation necessary Every 2nd Tuesday, 2nd Sunday, and 3rd Sunday, all at 7:30 AM. Bird Count/Survey: Every 4th Saturday, 8 AM. Birding Tour Fee: $5 for nonmembers, $3 mem-bers. More info, email or call 210.628.1639. Phil Hardberger Park 13203 Blanco Rd Hardberger Park encompasses 311 acres of former Voelcker Farm property located between Blanco Road and NW Military. The first phase of the park features a 1.5-mile loop trail, a playground, a 1.8 acre dog park and parking located at 13203 Blanco Rd. Other future amenities will include additional trails, two play fields, picnic areas, children’s play-ground, urban ecology center, restored oak savanna, Salado Creek overlook and a classroom pavilion. Phil Hardberger Park Monthly Education Programs Arachnids! Sept. 4, 9—11 AM Explore the interesting & fascinating world of spiders. Walk through the park looking for spiders in various habi-tats and enjoy a kid friendly activity. Presenter: Dr. Cary Guffey, Our Lady of the Lake University. Birds & Fall Migration Oct. 2, 8—10 AM Take a birding walk and discover which birds are normally found in the park and which birds are migrating through. Enjoy a kid friendly activity. Presenters: Tom & Patsy In-glet, Birding Experts. Wild About Turkeys! Nov. 6, 9—11 AM Learn many things about our “national bird” including how to call for it, its typical habitat, and how different the “wild” bird is from the one on our Thanksgiving table. Enjoy a kid friendly activity. Presenter: Phil Stratton, National Wild Turkey Federation. Info: www.sanantonio.gov or www.sanaturalareas.org MLAC 10750 Pleasanton Rd. San Antonio TX 78221 210.628.1639 www.mitchelllakeaudubon.org Susan Albert Center Director Bats, Bees and Butterflies at the Witte Museum Sunday, November 5th, 1:30—3:30 PM, the Witte Museum will host a workshop on attracting bats, bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your backyard. The workshop will feature Kim Hoskins, whose affiliations include Bat Conserva-tion International, and a TPWD representative. Each workshop participant will receive a bat house kit and lots of take-home information. The workshop will be held in the Witte’s Memorial Auditorium and (weather permitting) on the Witte grounds. Attendance is limited. Reservations, call 210.357.1910, or for information, tomkinsey@wittemuseum.org. About Mitchell Lake Just south of downtown San Antonio, Mitchell Lake Audubon Center is located on a 1200-acre natural area. This unique and beautiful bird haven consists of the 600-acre Mitchell Lake, 215 acres of wetlands and ponds and 385 acres of upland habitat. Audubon Texas has partnered with the San Antonio Water Sys-tem (SAWS) to showcase this wonderful natural area and welcomes na-ture enthusiasts, school-children and families. MLAC programs are held on Saturdays unless otherwise noted. Limited space, RSVP required for many programs. Some programs have fees. Info/RSVP: mlac@audubon. org, 210.628.1639. Community Events First Saturday Nature Walks Reservations are suggested; walks occasionally change. 210.372.9124 or peggy.spring@sanantonio.gov. Participants limited to 15 per hike. Donation of $2/person, max $6/family suggested. Not for groups; contact us to schedule a walk for your group. Eisenhower Park 19399 NW Military Aug. 7, 10—11:30 AM Bring your family, especially those with young children, on a nature walk designed especially for families. Pace will accommodate the group; this will be shorter than our regular nature walks. At the end, look at the inside of trees and make a tree “cookie”. Remember to bring water!! Friedrich Wilderness Park 21395 Milsa Sept. 4, 10 AM—Noon This walk will begin with a display in our classroom of limestone and fos-sils from this area and others. Then as we hike the trails we’ll explore the legacy that the limestone has created for us in Friedrich Park. Remember to bring water for the hike!! Haven’t been to Friedrich Park lately? Things have changed. See the website for directions. Nature Walk with the Artist Walker Ranch Park 12603 West Ave. Oct. 2, 10 AM—Noon Join local artist and Master Naturalist Joy Hein for a nature walk at this great Natu-ral Area. Joy is respon-sible for the wonderful artwork on the interpretive panels at the park; you’ll want to hear her story of how she painted them! “Wild! Wednesdays” Extraordinary Experiences in Nature! Friedrich Wilderness Park 21395 Milsa Aug. 4, 9:30—11:30 AM Water Water Everywhere: Hike to our windmill; study a model of a stream; take home a test tube with an oil/water demo. Aug. 11, 9:30—11:30 AM Roaches to Go: Explore the lives of insects with Holly Camero’s six-legger critters. Make an insect habi-tat. Family oriented; target ages: 7– 11 years. $5/class, max $10/family. www.sanaturalareas.org Friends of Friedrich Wilderness Park Nature Discovery Series Karst Critters Friedrich Park Classroom 21395 Milsa Wednesday, Aug. 25, 7—8 PM Come hear Dr. Andy Gluesenkamp, TPWD herpetologist and one of the most knowledgeable biologists about the rare and unique animals that live in the limestone caves in this part of the Hill Country. Free for members; small donation from nonmembers. Reservations for all programs call Natural Areas 210.372.9124; limited space available. Map at http:// www.fofriedrichpark.org/Information/ Maps/Directions.html. Second Saturday Beginners’ Walks Join San Antonio Audubon Soci-ety on the second Saturday of the month; start at 8 AM, meet at the Judson Nature Trails next to the Alamo Heights swimming pool, on Viesca street. More information, call 210.342.2073. Newbies Welcome! Page 7 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks All listings are on Saturdays unless otherwise indicated First Saturday Nature Walks sponsored by San Antonio Natural Areas: sanaturalareas.org MEDINA RIVER NATURAL AREA (MRNA) 15890 Highway 16 South San Antonio TX 78264 MRNA located approx. 4½ miles south of Loop 410 on SH 16 South Reservations requested for all MRNA events. Information or RSVP for any event in the MRNA call 210.624.2575. Fishing Fridays Clinic Aug. 13 and 27, 8—10 AM Join Matthew Driffill from the San Antonio River Au-thority for a kid-friendly Fishing Clinic. Learn how to bait your own hook and cast. Bring your own fishing poles; may have extras to share. Bait pro-vided. No fishing license required for children under 17. For children ages 4-10. Very popular event! Limited to 20 so reserve your spot early. SECOND SATURDAY PROGRAMS Bicycle Safety on Trails Aug, 14, 9—11 AM Park Police Officers will conduct a clinic about bicy-cle maintenance, its parts and trail riding safety. Bring your own bike and ride with the SA Park Police Officers. Program appropriate for ages 5-12. Free bicycle safety booklets and wa-ter bottles included for each child. Native Plants of the South Texas Brushlands Sept. 11, 9—11 AM Hike with author and local botanist Patty Leslie Pasztor as she talks about edible and native plant uses. 6th Annual Fall Fest Oct. 16, 8 AM—Noon (3rd Saturday) Bring the whole family for a fun filled third Saturday morning of activities such as Art in the Park, Fly Fishing, Texas Mammal Skins and Skulls, Flint Knapping, Native American Arti-facts, Falconry, Snakes and Search & Rescue Dogs. www.sanaturalareas.org Suggested donation for each program is $3/person or $5/family. Page 8 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks SAN ANTONIO NATURAL AREAS For more information on listings below, visit www.sanaturalareas.org or www.bexaraudubon.org WELCOME TO MY WEB Presented by Dr. Cary Guffey, OLLU Oct. 9, 7—9 PM Enjoy this lively investigation of spiders with a brief presentation and a flashlight walk to look for them and their webs along the trail. When you have questions about visiting a Natural Area or participating in a Natural Areas program, please call 210.372.9124. ROACHES TO GO! Presented by Holly Camero, Master Naturalist Aug. 14, 10 AM—12 Noon We all love those creeping and crawling bugs. Holly Cam-ero leads our exploration into the world of the six-legged. Lots of live critters and specimens to observe/examine! ANIMAL TRACKING Presented by Richard Heilbrun, Wildlife Biologist Sept. 11, 10 AM—Noon Join Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. wildlife biologist Rich-ard Heilbrun for an interactive workshop to explore wildlife tracks of central Texas. Gates open at 9:30 AM. Second Saturday Programs Co-sponsored by Bexar Audubon Society and City of San Antonio Reservations recommended: 210.372.9124 or email peggy.spring@sanantonio.gov. Suggested donation $3/individual or $5/family. Because of some extreme terrains, Natural Areas parks have elements that will be challenging or limiting for accessibil-ity, physical strength and endurance. Second Saturday Programs listed below are all held in the large gated pavilion. 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. Library Laurie Chapman Cowles BAS Programs at Trinity University Room 149, Cowles Life Science Building Digital Bird Watcher's Digest! There is now an electronic edition of Bird Watcher's Digest (eBWD). Get all the great content you've come to expect from BWD in digital format, available anywhere you have an Internet connection, a FREE bonus to our print subscribers! Great for quickly finding information on your favorite birding topics! If you run into problems and all else fails, real humans stand ready to assist you! Call 800.879.2473 or e-mail us at digitalhelp@birdwatchersdigest.com; more info at www.birdwatchersdigest.com. South African Birds The July 2010 issue of "The Birder" has been uploaded onto our web site. Read about birds' feeding strategies & adaptations, how vultures are being impacted by the Soccer World Cup in South Africa, conservation news, Bird & Wild Animal of the Month and more.FREE down-load. Check this link to receive your copy: www.lifers-birding.com/monthly-e-zine/ Carry a Tune with Digital Warbler Songs A compilation of 310 songs and calls for 57 species of war-blers is now available from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library, the largest archive of wildlife sounds in the world. The newly digitized version can be used on any device that plays MP3 files and is $14.99 at www.macaulaylibrary.org. Bexar Audubon Society Contacts President: Tony Wood—210.867.2363; tonywood@sbcglobal.net Vice President: Anita Anderson—210.533.8726; ajandrsn@sbcglobal.net Treasurer: Caryl Swann—210.653.2860; c.swann@att.net Secretary: Susan Hughes—210.532.2032; susan@wordwright.com At-Large: Bill Hurley—210.823.1023, billhurley@satx.rr.com At-Large: Greg Pasztor—210.824.1235, gpasztor@ix.netcom.com Webmaster & At-Large: Harry Noyes—210.490.3124; harrynoyes@satx.rr.com Programs/Outings: Patty Pasztor—210.824.1235; pasztor@ix.netcom.com Education Chairperson: Mary Kennedy—mbkenned@sbcglobal.net Editor: Michele Wood—210.492.4684, editor@bexaraudubon.org Page 9 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks Earth Share of Texas raises money for environmental and conservation or-ganizations through workplace giving. If your employer participates in such programs, please ask them to add Earth Share to your giving options. By des-ignating 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 information, call, email or log on: 800.GREENTX, ESTX@earthshare-texas.org, or www.earthshare-texas.org. Montana wildlife regulators set this year's wolf-hunt quota at 186, more than doubling 2009's quota, with the aim of reducing the state's wolf population for the first time since they were reintroduced to the Northern Rockies in 1995. Advocates for the wolf hunt hailed the decision, although some said they would still like to see a bigger number. But whether a hunting season actually happens may be in the hands of a federal judge, ex-pected to make a ruling after hearing arguments in June in a lawsuit brought by environ-mental groups seek-ing to restore Endan-gered Species Act protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho. Oppo-nents of the wolf hunt argued the Fish Wildlife & Parks Commission should end the hunt before the courts act. Read more about it: www.defenders.org Fall Alamo Area Master Naturalist Training Program AAMNs root out invasive shrubs, educate hik-ers along city park trails, and work with other vol-unteers to improve city parks and natural areas. Become a Master Naturalist! Classes will be held every Thursday for 10 weeks beginning Sept. 9, plus four field trips. If learning about this area’s unique natural systems interests you, download an application at www.alamomaster naturalist.org and email it along with any questions to pball12@satx.rr.com. Application deadline Aug. 23rd; some scholarships available. Join the NABA Count! North American Butterfly Asso-ciation counts are conducted from March to October in nearly every state. For more information about the Count Program in general, visit www.naba.org, email naba@naba.org, or call NABA’s national headquarters at 973.285.0907. Location of counts and contact information for their compilers can be found on the NABA web-site at www.naba.org/counts/maps08.html. About NABA: The North American Butterfly Association, Inc. (NABA), a non-profit organization, was formed to promote public enjoyment and conservation of butterflies. In addition to running the Butterfly Count Program, NABA publishes two maga-zines, American Butterflies and Butterfly Gar-dener, works to conserve butterflies throughout North America, and operates the National But-terfly Center in Mission, Texas. Membership in NABA is open to all those who share our pur-pose. Visit www.naba.org. Test Case for Endangered Species? By Matt Volz and Matt Gouras, Associated Press from a greatfallstribune.com posting 7/9/10 Native Plant Society of Texas The Native Plant Society of Texas promotes conservation, research, and utilization of the na-tive plants and plant habitat of Texas, through education, outreach and example. Find out more about NPSOT in this recent issue of Bexar Roots, the newsletter of the San Antonio Chapter of NPSOT: http://tinyurl.com/BexarRoots- MayJune-2010. Texas Residential Incentives Check out this list of incentives, rebates and loans to help us all “go green”, right in our own backyard: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/ homeowner.cfm?state=TX&re=1&ee=1 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 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 di-rectly 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 National 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, including the newsletter, programs, San Antonio En-vironmental Network Issues Forum, Second Saturday programs, and other activities you may or may not hear about. Individual intro-ductory memberships are $20; seniors and students join for $15. Please provide the following information for each personal subscrip-tion 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: Renewals should be sent directly to National Audubon Society. 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 Audubon Soci-ety Membership Data Center, PO Box 52529, Boulder CO 80322-2529; phoning 800.274.4201; or e-mailing CHADD@audubon.org. For the latest information on environmental events and happenings throughout the San Anto-nio 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 Audubon Society PO Box 6084 San Antonio TX 78209-0084 Bexar Tracks August-October 2010 It is time to VOTE AGAIN for Audubon at the American Express Members Project Audubon can receive a $200,000 donation for our Gulf of Mexico response by getting the most votes in the Environ-ment/ Wildlife category of the American Express Members project. Simply go to http://www.takepart.com/members project/vote. You can vote ONCE A WEEK through August 22nd!!
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