| Summary: | Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). giacRs VOLUME VII, NO. 4 APRIL, 1989 THE CHAPTER'S PRIMARY GOALS ARE TO PROMOTE SPECIES AND HABITAT CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL -EDUCATION IN THE COMMUNITY. SUPPORT THESE GOALS! PRESIDENT'S LETTER The Endangered Species Conference focusing on the Black-capped Vireo held March 10 at Trinity was a significant first step in beginning to deal with endangered species in this area. While our targeted audience, namely the development and financial community, did not attend in large numbers, we feel the conference had a very positive impact on the largerthan- expected crowd. We had an excellent team working on this project, and it could not have gone more smoothly. Our Annual Meeting followed on March 16 with a pot luck dinner, an excellent presentation by Rainie Bishop on the programs of the Nature Conservancy, and entertainment by the Cactus Canyon Band. During our business meeting we reviewed our successes ~or 1988 and looked forward to 1989. Bruce Aird was aonored for his dedicated efforts on behalf of the Conservation Committee. Four other individuals received recognition for their outstanding service during the past year: Pat Honsberger, Publications Chairman; Nancy Kent, Publicity Chairman; Betty Minyard, Education Chairman; and Susan Rust, Conservation Chairman. The Whooping Crane outing the following Saturday could not have been more delightful. We saw over 20 whoopers, and Captain Ted announced that 51 species had been sighted during our 4-hour cruise. The day was sunny and warm, and a good time was had by all. Our thanks to Nettie for coordinating this event so very well. There are occasionally times when we become discouraged that our local citizenry and leaders are not hearing or heeding our message, and indeed it seems that San Antonio is environmentally unaware. But I urge you to keep in mind how very far we have come in the last six years and how much has been accomplished. It has been mentioned that environmentalists tend to be very quiet people. Beware of preaching (I do not believe guilt is a good motivator), but do speak up. The environment has the attention of the national as well as the global media. There is still hope that San Antonio can catch on while there is still time to act. Our best hope is to educate our uth about conservation, which brings us to Audubon Adventures and Birdathon, both coming tip in April. BAS GENERAL MEETING "Our Native Texas: An Ecological Adventure" April 20, 1989 Ruble Center, 7:30 p.m. During the year prior to the Texas Sesquicentennial (1985), a group was formed and endorsed by then Texas Governor Mark White to develop a video presentation depicting Texas' natural heritage. The project divided the state into regions and briefly described the geographic position, natural features and varying climates. Additionally, species of plants and animals occurring in those regions were to be depicted, as well as broad gen~ral~zations about _th~ir relationships. Some of Texas umque charactenstlcs were to be enumerated, such as the world's longest barrier islands, the deserts to the west and the pine forests to the east. The message was to be presented to middle school children throughout the state, with the goal of instilling a source of knowledge and pride for Texas' natural resources. The results was a two-part video presentation entitled "Our Native Texas: An Ecological Adventure". This formidable project involved over 60 of the most noted experts in Texas and provides information for even the most experienced naturalist. Dr. William. Morrill, wildlife biologist, will host the presentatiOn. Come and experience Texas as you have never seen it! -••·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•·•··•·•·•·•·•·•-• ACT SPRING MEETING All BAS members are invited to the Audubon Council of Texas' Spring meeting in Austin, Texas, on May 6-7. The meeting, hosted by Travis Audubon Society, will be held at the Center for Environmental Research. Topics of interest to be discussed at the meeting will be sanctuaries and endangered species. A field trip to see golden-cheeked warblers on the Travis Audubon Society Wildlife Sanctuary will be held Sunday morning. A registration fee of $15.00 will cover coffee breaks, lunch and dinner. Please send your registration fee, or direct any inquiries, to: Missy Jackson, 12017 Scribe Drive, Austin, Tx 78759, 1-471-0317 (weekdays). WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! DOWN IN THE DUMPS? Americans relentlessly produce more and more solid waste eac~ year; we generate more per capita than any other nation. For example, an American generates almost one. pound per day more than his/ her counterpart m West Germany. But, at the same time that we g~nerate more waste, we are running out of place to disp~se of it. Landfill capacity in some places IS ~l~os~ . filled to. the saturation point, and mll:mcipahttes and pnvate firms face growing public resistance as they attempt to site new landfills and build new incinerators. Public health and enviro_n.mental concerns play a central role in public oppos.Itlon. Even matenals recovery facilities and recyclmg cent~rs can be difficult to site, because many te?d to associate all waste management operations With unpleasant smells, noise, and truck traffic. The voyage of the "garbage barge" last year and the ash barges this year have become national symbols of America's solid waste dilemma. Our nation has choices as to how we are going to deal.with our ever-growing garbage problem. We can contmue to create more and more garbage, or we can cut back. We can continue to bury most of our waste or we can find feasible ways to recycle more of it. W~ can design products and packaging without considering disposal or we can design for source reduction and recycling. We can wait for local crises to occur or we ~an plan now t~ avoid them. In short, we can ignore the Issue and hope It goes away, which it will not, or we can act now to deal with it. But whether we like it or not our garbage is no longer "out of sight and out of mind.:. Closer to home you can help by participating in the newly formed solid waste/ recycling subcommittee of the ~AS Co~servation Committee. They will be workmg . to msure t.hat San Antonio begins a sub.stantlal move mto recycling and wise, environmentally reasonable waste disposal programs. Call Walter Barfield, 736-0358, or Susan Rust, 826- 4698, for more information. ACTION NEEDED! Speaking of speaking up (see President's letter) there are at last count five truly awful bills being submitted to .the current legislature. Our Southwest Regional office refers to them as the Anti-Wildlife Bills. They are HB 1924, HB 3010 and HB 3037, SB 1436, SB 1437 and SB 1461. Thes~ bills are designed to remove authority for the protectwn of threatened or endangered species from local governments and give it to U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Texas Parks and Wildlife, two agencies which are consistently underfunded and understaffed. They are being presented as an effort to prevent a hodge-podge of protective legislation regarding the protection of wildlife, but they are in fact an effort to remove roadblocks for developers. Please call or write your representatives and senators to voice your objections to these bills. If you would like further information as to who to call or write, please get in touch with either Susan Rust (826- 4698) or Marge Flandermeyer (684-2668). PLANT A TREE! This is the Centennial Texas Arbor Season, sponsored by the Texas Forest Service, the County Extension Service, San Antonio Botanical Gardens,( and the San Antonio Nurserymen's Association. The celebration began on January 20 and continues until National Arbor Day on April28. The goal for Bexar County is 10,000 new trees in 1989; if every lOOth person plants a tree, we can meet this goal. Why plant trees? Well, several reasons are to make the city more beautiful, to reduce your air conditioning energy use, and to counteract the greenhouse effect. The SA Nurserymen's Association will be sponsoring a contest to further encourage this project. Any time you buy a tree from participating nurseries, you can register. A drawing will be held on April28, 1989, at each nursery. The winner will receive an autographed copy of the new book by Paul Cox and Patty Leslie, "Texas Trees, A Friendly Guide". Paul is supervisor of the San Antonio Botanical Center, and Patty is the Center's horticulturist in charge of native plant areas. All participating nurseries are listed weekly in the newspapers. So do your part -- plant a tree this spring! FRIEDRICH PARK DOCENTS General nature walks are educational and recreational for the public. At Friedrich Park a real need exists for introductory guided tours on a regular( ?as~s. The popularity of BAS 2nd Saturday programs mdicates a demand for these walks. BAS members could further the educational goal of Adopt-A-Park and meet the public demand by volunteering as docents. We could organize a docent program for Friedrich Pa~k with a minimum of 6 people, although 12 would be Ideal. A general walk on the first Saturday of each mon.t~ would tie in nicely with (and publicize) the more specific 2nd Saturday program. With 6-12 docents, each one would be committed to only one or two walks per year. Eric Lautzenheiser has enthusiastically agreed to conduct training sessions to familiarize docents with the natural history, ecology and management concerns of the Park. . Please let me k~ow if the proposed docent program mterests you. This program will greatly benefit the community with just a little bit of effort on our part. ~lso, pleas~ keep in mind the upcoming service out.mgs -- Apnl 29, plant censusing and May 27, trail mamtenance. These begin at 8:00a.m., but late comers are always welcome. As you can see, we hope to expand both the educational and service objectives of the Adopt-APark program. With renewed enthusiasm and pa:ticipation, we can certainly accomplish a lot for Fnednch Park and the community! Kathy Oliver Adopt-A-Park Committee 533-1415 ( CALENDAR APRIL 7-9 Wilderness Pow-Wow, Davy Crockett National Forest; call Janice Bezanson, 1-327-4119 for information. ' 7-9 Honey Creek Work Weekend (TN C); call Luke Thompson, 1-438-4131. 8 2nd Saturday at Friedrich Park; wildflower walk with Superintendent Eric Lautzenheiser, 9:00 a.m. Brown-bag picnic lunch following program. 8 Recycling for Texas meeting, 10:00 a.m., SFA Building, Austin; call Bill Carter, 1-385-6204, for information. 8-9 Viva Botanica, San Antonio Botanical Center; musical entertainment, demonstrations of oldtime crafts, food; falconry demonstrations at 2:00 and 4:00p.m. Admission reduced to $1.00 for adults, children free. 13 BAS board meeting, Marge Flandermeyer's home, 7:30 p.m.; call 684-2668. 16 Leadership workshops; call Sandra Bloom for information, 826-6813. 20 BAS general meeting, "Our Native Texas- an Ecological Adventure", Ruble Center, 7:30pm. 22 Field trip to James E. Daugherty Wildlife Management Area, Choke Canyon; call Caryl Swann, 653-2860. 28-30 Special trip to East Texas; visit the best bottomland in the state! Call Susan Rust for information, 826-4698. 29 Adopt-a-Park service outing; plant census at Friedrich Park, 8:00a.m.; call Kathy Oliver for details, 533-1415. 29-30 BI~DATHC?N! Call Betty Minyard, 344-6128, for mformatwn. MAY 6-7 ACT spring meeting m Austin; all BAS members welcome! Contact Thelma Nungesser, 824-8199, for information. 13 2nd Saturday, Friedrich Park; spring birding walk with Rick Oliver, 9:00 a.m.; picnic following. 18 BAS general meeting, "Bees, Their Life and Work", Patty Tuttle, 7:30p.m., Ruble Center. 20-21 Wildflower Weekend field trips (TNC); call Ann Schnapf for inforamtion, 224-8774. 27 Service outing at Friedrich Park (trail maintenance), 8:00 a.m. Bring work gloves. KUDOS to WALLACE SWETT, director of Primarily Primates, Inc., who recently recieved the 1988 Humanitarian of the Year Award from Friends of Animals during its annual conference in New York. Primarily Primates is a unique non-profit organization that provides rehabilitation, care and shelter to monkeys, apes and other nonnative wildlife that otherwise would die by abandonment or euthanasia. Their goal is to return some of these animals to their native habitats. The organization maintains a 9-acre sanctuary locally, in addition to serving as part of a national network of information on animal welfare issues. to all the Audubon members and other concerned individuals who worked so hard to make the recent Black-Capped Vireo Conference a success. to the property owners, interested individuals and organizations who recently formed The Salado Creek Foundation to assist both the public and private sectors preserve and appropriately develop the 40-mile Salado Creek Corridor. Salado Creek rises near Camp Bullis, flows north of International Airport, crosses Loop 410 near Los Patios, cuts by Fort Sam Houston, and empties into the San Antonio River two miles south of Loop 410. UPCOMING OUTINGS On April 22 come with us to explore wildlife on the 8,700-acre James E. Daugherty Wildlife Management area along the shoreline of Choke Canyon State Park (about 70 miles south of San Antonio). Pack a picnic lunch and get away from the stress of the city in a relatively undisturbed natural environment. We will meet at 8:00 a.m. at the entrance gate. Maps are available; if interested, call Caryl Swann at 653-2860. EDUCATION NOTES . . . Y c::n;~ have until April 15 to enter the scholarship competitiOn for the $500 award to attend the National Audubon Society's 1989 Ecology Camps and Workshops. The competition is open to teachers or others who instruct students and to students who are in college to become teachers. A detailed list of the camps and workshops is available, along with the scholarship application form, by contacting Thelma Nungesser at 824-8199 or Betty Minyard at 344-6128. . . . The Big Bend Nat ural History Association now has its 1989 Seminars Catalog available. The catalog des~ribes 26 different seminars to be conducted by natiOnally known experts beginning in March and ending on August 6. Seminars cover such topics as wolf behavior, peregrine falcon ecology, geology, de~e~ plants, wildlife photography, bats, archaeology, pamtmg, reptiles and amphibians, and mountain lion ecology. Call Betty Minyard for more information 344-6128. ' CONSERVATION NOTES . The recent frigid weather on the Texas Gulf Coast was fatal to approximately 7.5 million fish. Of the estimated 7.5 million fish killed in the recent freeze, more than 5.5 million were bay anchovies, a tiny forage fish. However, biologists estimate that 240,000 spotted seatrout (speckled trout), 109,000 black drum, 47,000 red drum (redfish) and 52,000 sheepshead also were killed. . The TPWD and Ducks Unlimited, Inc. recently met to mark the completion of three waterfowl habitat projects in East Texas. The projects were cost-shared on a 50/50 basis under Ducks Unlimited's M.A.R.S.H. (Matching Aid to Restore States' Habitat) program. The TPWD's share of the costs was funded by sales of Texas Waterfowl Stamps and art prints . . . . The USFWS is well on its way to meeting its objectives for bald eagle recovery in eastern national forests, and the osprey program is faring well also. During 1988 the eastern forests had 295 occupied eagle nests, 69% of the recovery objective set at 427. The total number of osprey nests was 418last year, 34 more than in 1987. . . American bald eagles have been sighted in and around at least six of Texas' state parks. TPWD staff and volunteer observers conducting the annual midwinter Bald Eagle Survey sighted bald eagles at Possum Kingdom and Eisenhower State Parks in North Texas; Fairfield Lake, Lake Bob Sandlin and Atlanta State Parks in East Texas; and Colorado Bend State Park above Lake Buchanan in Central Texas. Park officials said prospective eagle watchers should be aware that eagles don't tolerate close human contact or disturbance of any kind. "With increased public concern and environmental awareness, the bird that symbolizes America is making a comeback", said Wilson E. Dolman, director of the Parks Division, "but they still have a long way to go, and visitors on birding trips should contact park staff for information on how to behave toward the protected species." BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY P.O. BOX 6084 • SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209 NOTICE Sandra Bloom, outings chairman of the Sierra Club, will be conducting a training program at her house from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on April 16. This r leadership workshop will help our outings and field ~ trip coordinators to produce the high quality programs geared toward your interests. And if you would be interested in sharing your enthusiasm for a favorite spot or nature activity with others, please plan to attend. You really don't have to be an expert! Bring a sandwich for lunch --supplemental refreshments will be furnished. Call Sandra Bloom at 826-6813. BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY OFFICERS AND BOARD Marge Flandermeyer, President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684-2668 Betty Minyard, Vice President . . . . . . . . 344-6128 Betty Hughes, Secretary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 824-5375 Walter Barfield, Treasurer . . . . . . . . . . . 736-0355 Russell Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734-7184 Nathan Ratner . . . . / . . . ·,;. . . >t!:l . . . . . . 732-3580 Pat Honsberg4ltl' . . . {!1.9f . 1.'t?T.?.J. . . . 695-8254 Nancy Kent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 824-8199 Mary Anne Moses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 826-6562 Committee Chairmen Conservation, Susan Rust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 826-4698 Education, Betty Minyard . . . . . . 344-6128 Finance, Mary An_ne Moses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 826-6562 Membership, Thelma Nungesser . . . . . . . . . . 824-8199 Newsletter Editor, Pat Honsber2er . . . 695-8254 Outings, Caryl Swann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 653-2860 Programs, Stu and Nettie Birnbaum . . . . . . . 695-2646 Publicity, Nancy Kent . . . 824-8199 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U. S. POSTAGE PAID SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Permit No. 590 (
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