Bexar tracks : the newsletter of the Bexar Audubon Society, Vol. 05, No. 12

• Main Author: Bexar Audubon Society
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: San Antonio, Tex. : Bexar Audubon Society, 1987
• Subjects: Birds > Conservation > Texas > Periodicals.; Ornithology > Texas > Periodicals.; Nature conservation > Texas > Periodicals; Clubs and Organizations; Science and Technology; Arctic; Farley; Fuller; Grande Valley; Moses; Ora; Pacific; elk; Human health; Moose
• Online Access: http://digital.utsa.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15125coll10/id/8110

Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). BAS General Meeting December 17, 1987, 7:30p.m. Ruble Center 419 East Magnolia, San Antonio You'll want to join us for the December general meeting, where we'll be treated to a nature MYSTERY FILM. After the film, we'll socialize and enjoy home­baked "goodies" and refreshments. As an added attraction, there will be a door prize awarded to some lucky attendee-the newly published book "Woman in the Mists" by Farley Mowat, the story of Dian Fossey and the mountain gorillas of Africa. Since this is our holiday meeting and we'll be snacking after the film, there will be no dinner at Luby's prior to the program. Don't forget to bring your holiday "goodies" to share with others. And, remember, all general meetings are free and open to the public. If you need directions to the Ruble Center, call 824-8199. *********************** ACT MEETING The Audubon Council of Texas met in El Paso on November 13-15; Bexar Audubon delegate Doris French and president Thelma Nungesser attended. Also present were delegates from seven other chapters from Texas; one from New Mexico; National Audubon Society board member, Dr. James Teer; Southwest nominee to the National Audubon board of directors, Wilma Anderson; regional vice president, Dede Armentrout; and regional representative, Murray Walton. The Audubon Council of Texas took some significant actions this summer in response to the National Audubon Society's reorganization to its field office. One such action taken was to help fund Audubon's southwest regional representative position. The Council created the Audubon Foundation of Texas as a vehicle for increasing fund-raising efforts. A total of $37,000 is needed in 1987-88, and, so far, approximately one-fourth of this amount has been raised. Informative lectures, meetings and outings all contributed to a productive weekend. The host, the El Paso/ Trans Pecos Audubon Society, earned the sincere thanks of all attendees for their excellent planning of the weekend's activities and their warm hospitality. yYacRs What: When: Where: Topic: Speaker: DECEMBER, 1987 SAN ANTONIO CONSERVATION COALITION MEETING Wednesday, December 9, 8:00p.m. READ STREMMEL GALLERY 100 Olmos (corner of McCullough) "PESTICIDES & OTHER TOXICS: Are They Under Control?" ELLEN WIDESS, Director Agriculture & Environment Division Texas Department of Agriculture Both urban and rural environments are coming under increasing assault from various toxic chemicals. Not only is pesticide use increasing each year in agriculture, but also in the cities, from backyards to golf courses, from basements to corporate complexes. Many of the same or similar chemicals are being applied by licensed applicators and private citizens alike. Sometimes we may forget that the "quick fix" often has a price in terms of human health and environmental degradation. Is anything being done to regulate the widespread use of these potentially threatening chemicals? How much does the user really know about the effects of the over-the-counter chemical remedies to control weeds and varmints? How serious is the situation? What is the role of the Texas Department of Agriculture in all this? Is there anything the average person can do to help? Needless to say, these are some of the questions Ellen Widess will be addressing at this quarterly meeting of the SA Environmental Coalition which is being sponsored by the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club and hosted by the Read Stremmel Gallery. Remember that the meeting is free and open to the public. Please encourage your members and any interested individuals to attend. REMEMBER THE BAS CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEETING IS AT 7:30!!! Same date, same place as above NOTICE Anyone interested in participating in the Christmas bird count, call 824-8199 for information. CONSERVATION NOTES BLESSED EVENT FOR ENDANGERED FERRETS . For the first time, an endangered black­footed ferret has given birth in captivity to a healthy litter of young. The new litter of six boosts the total known population of ferrets to 24 and raises hopes that enough animals may be bred in captivity to re- . establish a wild population. Last year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department took all known black-footed ferrets into captivity after a distemper outbreak threatened to wipe out the only colony. PLASTIC HOOTS GIVE SQUIRRELS THE BOOT . . . Some 50 plastic owls perched atop California power poles are scaring the daylights out of squirrels who think power transformers are nifty places to store nuts. The results: a significant drop in squirrel-caused power outages, saving Pacific Gas and Electric thousands of dollars a year in repair costs, and longer life spans for countless squirrels. Company officials decided to enlist the plastic predators, some so lifelike that their eyes move, when they learned that squirrels are terrified of owls. The next challenge: how to dissuade woodpeckers from riddling power poles with holes that can be the size of softballs. OWLS IMPORT SNAKES FOR CLEANING CHORES . It's tough to find good household help these days, even for owls. But Texas screech owls appear to be taking matters into their own talons, seizing blind snakes from the ground and carrying them to their nests to control insects. Baylor University biologists found live snakes in 13 of 77 screech owl nests with young. In most cases, there was a single resident snake, but one fastidious owl had drafted 15 reptilian helpers. The snakes, which normally live underground and feed on termite larvae, help rid the nests of maggots that parasitize the young birds. Apparently, the housecleaning pays off. The biologists found that young owls in nests with snakes grew faster and had a lower mortality rate than those in snakeless nests. WOLVES POISED FOR COMEBACK? . Wolves, once abundant from central Mexico to the Arctic, were brought to the edge of extinction in the United States by the early part of this century. Although already threatened by politics and economics, there are signs that scattered packs of gray wolves are beginning to venture inside the northern border of the nation, and some are staying. The federal government, under provisions of the endangered species law, has devised several programs to re­introduce wolves where they had vanished. However, plans to reintroduce wolves into Yellowstone and Glacier national parks have met opposition by some members of Congress, apparently reflecting the views of hunters and ranchers in the area who believe the wolves would be a serious threat to livestock and game such as moose and elk. In early October, four mating pairs of red wolves (a smaller relative of the pre­dominant gray wolf) were turned loose in South Carolina by the wildlife service. The red wolf had been reduced to a total population of 85, all in captivity, before the program started. This is the first time a native species extinct in the wild has been returned to the wild from a captive breeding population. Audubon strongly supports the wolf introduction process and is working to educate ranchers and other opponents so that the wolves will not be shot as soon as they are introduced. This public education is vital if the program is to succeed. "OUR" WHOOPERS RETURN! . A record 121 whooping cranes (99 adults and 22 chicks) have landed at their winter home in the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. When the refuge was established 50 years ago, the whooping crane population was approximately 15 birds. Due to four excellent nesting seasons in a row, the flock has almost doubled in the last five years. And, this year, the record number of whopping cranes will have a little more room to spread their wings, thanks to the Texas Nature Conservancy. The TNC recently added another 734 acres of natural area to the 54,829- acre salt marsh refuge. Already two birds are using the new area, and the family is expected to expand. Biologists have stressed that the key to saving the whooper from extinction is providing adequate habitat, so such undisturbed salt marsh areas are critical to their survival. · --- · BAS ANNUAL ELECTION It's that time of year again, time for the BAS annual election. Your ballot is enclosed with this newsletter. Remember, each BAS member is entitled to one vote (two per family). Please mark your ballot and mail it to Bexar Audubon Society, P.O. Box 6084, San Antonio, 78209 by December 13, or bring it to the general meeting on December 17. The Right to Write Here are a few tips on effective letter­writing. adapted from "The Right to Write," by Congressman Morris K. Udall. "' Address it properly: Honorable, _____ _ U.S. House cif Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Honorable _____ _ U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 "' Identify the bill or issue. "' The letter should be timely. "' Concentrate on your own delega­tion. Letters written to congressmen or congresswomen in other districts are simply referred to your own representative. "' Be reasonably brief. Many con­gressmen receive more than 150 letters a day. It is not necessary that letters be typed, have perfect grammar. or be beau­tifully phrased. only that they be intelligible. "'Ask for a response. Don't hesitate to ask questions (but don't be demanding or threatening). "' Student letters are welcome. "' Write your own views, not some­one else's. "' Give your reasons for taking a stand. Your congressman may not know how the bill may affect an important seg­ment of his constituency. "' Show understanding. Try to show an awareness of how the proposed legis­lation wqul4 affect not just the environ­ment. but also your community and other people's health and jobs. "' Be constructive. If you believe a bill takes the wrong approach, offer an alternative. If you have expert knowl­edge. share it with your elected representatives. "' Use personal or business let· terhead whenever possible. Be sure to include a complete return address. "' Say "well done" when it is deserved. Like all people, congressmen and women appreciate a "thank you." Q CALENDAR DECEMBER 9 BAS Conservation meeting, Read Stremmel Gallery, 7:30 p.m. 9 SA Environmental Coalition meeting, "Toxic Chemicals", Read Stremmel Gallery, 8:00p.m. 12 2nd Saturday at Friedrich Park, "Hill Country Geology"; 9:00 a.m. Call 826-4698 for more information. 16 HAPPY HANUKKAH! 17 BAS Christmas party and mystery film; Ruble Center, 7:30 p.m. Bring goodies! 25 MERRY CHRISTMAS! JANUARY HAPPY NEW YEAR! 13 BAS Conservation Committee meeting, 168 Chevy Chase, 7:00 p.m. Call 826-4698 for information. 21 BAS general meeting, Ruble Center, 7:30 p.m. 30 Texas Environmental Coalition meeting, "Galveston Bay: the Habitat", Houston. Call 826-4698 for information. We All Gotta Pull Together! By pulling together, we can make things happen. Join the team by becoming an Audubon Activist. You'll receive this bi­monthly action journal. Plus, when 't'ildlife urgently needs your help, Audubon's Washington, D.C., office will send you a brief "Action Alert," explaining how you can make yourself heard. We need your muscle. Fill out this coupon and send it, along with your check for $9, to Audubon Activist, 950 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10022. Make checks payable to National Audubon Society. 0 Yes, I want to become part of the Audubon Activist Team. Send me Audubon Activist six times a year and Action Alerts when wildlife or wild places really need my help. Enclosed is my check for $9. 0 This is a gift subscription. Please activate my friend. Name ________________________ __ Address --- City --- State --- .L PAST OUTINGS SOUTH TEXAS TRIP . Having solved the mystery of locating Camp Lula Mae Sams in the South Texas darkness, participants thoroughly enjoyed Friday evening's program on the Lower Rio Grande Wildlife Refuge. After a somewhat chilly night in our compound of rustic cabins, a warm, sunny day followed. Saturday was spent touring both areas of · original native habitat (including Audubon's Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary) and areas where experiments in habitat restoration and white-winged dove research are being conducted. And the birders in our group were treated to a wide variety of sightings throughout the day! That evening the group crossed the border to Mexico for a late dinner and some shopping. After a hardy meal of breakfast tacos, Sunday morning was spent viewing a new state park, not yet open to the public, and learning about the importance of native brush and riparian corridors in the preservation of endangered cats (ocelot and jaguarundi, in particular) and other wildlife species. Before returning home that afternoon, all attendees agreed that the trip was a resounding success. The efforts expended by the various conservation organizations, and the dedication of their personnel, instilled a renewed ray of optimism in all participants' future conservation efforts. LETTERS NEEDED! The recent South Texas trip pointed out how crucial the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge is to the rich diversity of both animal and plant populations found in the area. In order to acquire the necessary habitat, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service requested $30 million in appropriations from Congress. The House of Representatives has recommended $12 million; the Senate, ZERO funding! Please write to Senators Gramm and Bentsen, stressing the importance of this critical habitat and urging them to increase the funding to the original $30 million requested. See tips for writing to your congressmen elsewhere in this newsletter. Membership Directory ~· The BAS membership directory is terribly out of date! .We are in the process of compiling a new one and would like to include as many members as possible. If you would like to be included in this directory, please fill out the form below and mail it toN ora Driver, 9514 LaRue, San Antonio 78217 or call Nora at 826-8531. Name ____________________________________ __ Address ___________________________________ _ Home Phone: __________________________________ _ Work Phone: --- H ___ _ -I I =============---~ THANKS . to PAULA DEHN, for her excellent presentation on marine pollution at November's general meeting. Dr. Dehn pointed out how man's "dilute and disperse" actions throughout the years have resulted in grave detrimental consequences to our coastal marine environments. . to GARY WAGGERMAN, NITA FULLER, DAVE SWANSON, BOB SCHUMACHER, BILL McWHORTER, JIM EVERITT and MIKE TEWES for providing their expertise on our recent South Texas trip. Their dedication to the conservation and restoration of plant and animal species in South Texas is an inspiration to us all. BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIE1Y PO. BOX 60R4 • SAN ANTONIO, TF.XA'i 7H209 WHO AMI? R ________ _ How many of these bird silhouettes, or shadow-outlines, can you name? If you get all four right, then you must be a real bird "brain." Answers: JauuruproH 'MOJ:) '<lS009 ·uoJ<lH BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY OFFICERS AND BOARD Thelma Nungesser, President Nora Driver, Vice President Russell Smith, Secretary Marge Flandermeyer, Treasurer Mary Bennett Manuel Flores Pat Honsberger Nancy Kent Rick Mudd COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN Outings, Rick Mudd :Mefi,_lbership: Claud and Ann Perry c'&Jservation: Susan Rust Finance: Mary Ann Moses Education: Nora Driver Programs: Stu and Netti Birnbaum Newsletter Editor: Pat Honsberger Publicity: Nancy Kent . 824-8199 826-8531 734-7184 684-2668 340-6618 599-1110 695-8254 824-8199 496-5795 496-5795 922-6030 826-4698 826-6562 826-8531 695-2646 695-8254 824-8199 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U. S. POSTAGE PAID SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Permit No. 590 Officers: Bexar Audubon Society Election President: Vice President: Secretary: Treasurer: Thelma Nungesser (incumbent) Nora Driver (incumbent) Betty Hughes Marge Flandermeyer (incumbent) There are no board members at large running for election at this time (these board members serve 2-year terms). Each BAS member is entitled to one vote (or two votes if family membership). Please mail this ballot to Bexar Audubon Society, P. 0. Box 6084, San Antonio, Texas 78209 by December 13, or bring it to the general meeting on December 17.