| Summary: | Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). 512-822-4503 APRIL 1992 BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY The Chapter's primary goals are to promote species and habitat conservation and environmental education In the community. Inside Tracks · BAS Member Activities • President reports on 1991 • Viva Botanical April10-11 • Leadership conference success • Legislative action calls • Aransas Shoreline Protection Project seeks volunteers • Conservation reports on water • BIRDATHON's coming up! You can participate, too. • Thanks to our volunteers • Your efforts are needed • Two bat videos available • Scholarship winner announced • Outdoor ethics • San Antonio Citizens' Workshops scheduled • Wildflower trips and festivals • A full calendar of events Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge Site Is General Meeting Topic for April Bexar Audubon Society will meet on Thursday, April 16, from 7-9 pm. The meeting will be held at the Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia. For directions to the Center, call any board or committee member listed on the back page of this newsletter. Our speaker will be Deborah Holle, project director for the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge site in Austin, a position she has held since August 1991. An Oklahoma native who earned both a bache-lor's degree in zoological science and a master's degree in wildlife ecology from Oklahoma State University, Holle has an impressive resume of refuge experience in the southeastern U.S. She began &•.•.u . ~·.,. working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1978 at Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, and then at St. Mark's Refuge in Florida. For the past seven years Holle has been Refuge Manager at the National Key Deer Refuge, where her work has focused on endangered Key Deer and American Crocodiles. Join us in welcoming Deborah Holle to Texas as she embarks on this most important habitat management project for Central Texas . and bring a friend with you. 'Mag Meeting Topic Announced Conservation Meets before General Meeting On May 21, Bexar Audubon welcomes Tom Arsuffi, aquatic ecologist and assistant professor of biology at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos. His topic will be "Endangered Springs Ecosystems," focusing on the Coma! and San Marcos Springs of New Braunfels and San Marcos, respectively. Arsuffi has researched wetlands, stream ecology, salt marshes, springs, and lakes, and earned his graduate degrees from Kent State and New Mexico State. His post doctoral work was at the University of Georgia. Mark your calendars now. Come early to the Ruble Center and participate in or observe the Conservation Committee meeting at 6 pm Thursday, April 16. Keep in touch with a wide range of national and local issues, and find out what you can do to make a difference. The Conservation Committee wants and needs your participation to monitor issues, to attend hearings and other meetings, to write letters, and/or to just be aware. Focus on an ongoing committee issue or bring your own hot topic, but come to where the action is- the Conservation Committee meeting. ~ BEXAR TRACKS, Aprll 1992 Page2 Bexar Facts AHAS Update P resident's Annual Report to Members In 1991, Bexar Audubon Society had an income of $11,704 and expenses totalling $13,947. The difference was made up with reserve funds from previous years' auction proceeds. Bexar Tracks Printing and mailing expenses for Bexar Tracks accounted for 47 percent of our expenses. Last year we expanded Bexar Tracks to six pages, and our newsletter editor, Susan Hughes, has done a tremendous job of compiling and producing this publication. Bexar Tracks was cited in the San Antonio Light for its informative calendar of events and its timely information. Education Bexar Audubon sponsored 61 Audubon Adventures classrooms in 1991, accounting for 13 percent of our expenditures. The Audubon Adventures program, targeted for fourth and fifth grade students, is designed so that all students in these grades at each school sponsored may use them. Betty Minyard administers this program and its continuing success - along with other education programsis a tribute to her dedication. We continued our teacher's scholarship program in 1991, awarding a $500 grant to Marcia Rathbun to attend an Audubon Ecology Camp. Fund-raising Bexar Audubon's fund-raising efforts for 1991 included sales ofT-shirts and "Rain-Forest Crunch" candy. Our candy sales were especially gratifying because proceeds to the manufacturer support sustainable use of natural resources. Special thanks are also due to American Beverage Company for their partial sponsorship of our newsletter, Bexar Tracks, and to the Nature Company for hosting a fund-raising event at their North Star Mall store. Last year's BIRDATHON raised $2,354. Bexar Audubon dedicated one-half of this amount to support the work of the . National Audubon Society's southwest regional office and one-half to provide Audubon Adventures to local classes. Conservation Richard Pipes volunteered to chair our Conservation Committee in 1991, filling the vacancy left by Ann Schnapf. The committee is organized into subcommittees which monitor endangered species, aquifer protection and water planning, public lands, open space planning, recycling, Mitche ll Lake, and Friedrich Wilderness Park. Members of the · Conservation Committee have prepared testimony and letters for Bexar Audubon on important issues and will continue to do so. Friedrich Wilderness Park Throughout 199 1, Bexar Audubon closely followed annexation proceedings for Woodland Hi ll s. Wood land Hil ls, which is adjacent to Friedrich Wi lderness Park, is a planned desti nation resort and golf course which impacts habitat of the endangered Golden-Cheeked Warbler. Bexar Audubon commented on this project to City Counci l, the U.S . Fish & Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and in August 1991, members of Bexar Audubon's Conservation Committee and board of directors met with representatives of the Athens Group, developers of Woodland Hills. Bill Woller and the Adopt-a-Park subcommittee, along with the Friends of Friedrich Park, developed an increasingly successful second Saturday program during 1991. The monthly programs covered topics from archaeology to astronomy, and the interest they have generated is testimony to their efforts. Environmental Coalition Bexar Audubon continued sponsorship of the San Antonio Environmental Coalition with BAS member Susan Rust serving as moderator and program organizer. The SAEC is an environmental forum and meets quarterly to exchange information and hear programs of environmental interest. Community Events Bexar Audubon Society participated in last year's Viva Botanical and EarthFair 1991, distributing membership materials and recycling center lists at both events. We served as fiduciary for the EarthFair event, which had many local organizations participating. Audubon Council of Texas Thelma Nungesser, Doris French, and Betty Minyard represented Bexar Audubon at the Audubon Council of Texas meeting, and Thelma, Betty, and Marge Flandermeyer attended the National Audubon Society convention in Estes Park, Colorado. Innovative Programming Bexar Audubon hosted National Audubon's board of directors in March 1991. This meeting was the first time the board of National Audubon had ever attended a chapter meeting, and we continue to receive positive responses from this event. Program chair Nathan Ratner arranged a series of consistently informative and entertaining programs for our monthly general meetings. Toward the Future Bexar Audubon intends to maintain and expand our current programs as funds and active members permit. Our Society's effectiveness and programs depend on you, so please get involved. -Walter G. Barfield I REDUCE • REUSE • RECYCLE • REDUCE • REUSE • RECYCLE • REDUCE • REUSE I Page3 Scholarship Awarded The winner of the Fourth Annual BAS Scholarship Competition has been announced by the judging committee, appointed by president Walter Barfield. Mary Anne Ramirez, a teacher at San Antonio Independent School District's Franklin Elementary and a participating teacher in the Audubon Adventures program, was named the recipient of the $500 scholarship. Ramirez, a native San Antonian, is a graduate of Churchill High School and received her BA in elementary education from The University of Texas at Austin in 1976. For the past three years of her thirteen- year teaching career, Ramirez has taught fifth grade science. While Ramirez attends an Audubon workshop in Connecticut this summer, husband Raul Ramirez will hold the fort with their two boys, aged 4Y2 and 1. Congratulations, Mary Anne, and our appreciation to all the entrants in the scholarship competition. - Betty Minyard Thanks to Our Bexar Audubon Volunteers Thanks to Bexar Audubon Society and Friends of Friedrich Wilderness Park volunteers who answered phones during the KLRN pledge drive in March: Walter Barfield, Barb & Nick DeLuca, Marge Flandermeyer, Edward Wayne Gordon, Molly & Lou Houck, Susan Hughes, Patty Leslie, Betty Minyard, Jack Morgan, and Susan Rust. Thanks to Blair Richter, Anita Reeves, David Diaz, and Tatjana Terauds for help with the March Bexar Tracks mailing. I MTant a Small Job to FF Volunteer For? Refreshments at Meetings Having refreshments adds a lot to our fellowship time and is a welcome treat for those rushing to the meeting after work. Thanks to Marge Flandermeyer and Susan Hughes for cookies in March. If you will bring· cookies to the April meeting (they don't have to be homemade or fancy) call Susan at 696-6868. Phone Bank The Conservation Committee is instituting a phone bank that will be activated when an important issue with a short time-frame arises. Will you volunteer to be a member of the phone bank? Call Dick Pipes, 1-512-569-2452. "E.Jow about a Slightly ~Bigger One? Bexar Audubon would benefit from a Finance Committee chair who would put together and implement a cohesive fundraising plan for 1992-93. Experience is less important than enthusiasm and the willingness to commit some energy toward ensuring the success of BAS programs for the future. We cannot afford to engage in deficit spending, but important programs must be pursued and momentum gained must be maintained. Will you help? If so, please call president Walter Barfield, 736-0355 BAS Member Hosts Leadership Conference Our hearty thanks to Bexar Audubon member J. David Bamberger, who hosted Audubon chapter leaders from Austin, Bastrop, Houston, San Antonio, and Waco at his ranch north of Blanco on March 13-15. The First Annual Central Texas Leadership Conference, organized by NAS vice president Dede Armentrout of the regional office in Austin, was proclaimed a great success by all attendees. Representatives from BAS included president Walter Barfield, vice president Marge Flandermeyer, Conservation Committee chair Dick Pipes, and Bexar Tracks editor Susan Hughes. Viva Botanical Booth Volunteers Needed April 11-12, from 10 am-6 pm, Bexar Audubon Society will participate in Viva Botanical at the San Antonio Botanical Center. Bexar Audubon will be distributing conservation and environmental information and will be selling items such as custom-designed T-shirts and National Audubon Society beach towels to help support this year's programs. BEXAR TRACKS, Aprll1992 ~ Will you volunteer to help BAS at Viva Botanical? It's an entertaining way to spend a few hours in a beautiful location, while contributing to the ongoing success of BAS. If you would like to volunteer for a few hours either day, call Walter Barfield, 736-0355. Even if you can't volunteer, come to Viva Botanical, enjoy the entertainment and displays, and cheer us on. Bat Facts Are Video Topics Two new videos are available for loan from the BAS video library. The titles of the two videos, produced by Bat Conservation International and donated by Susan Hughes, are: Bats: Myth and Reality (16 minutes) & Bats of America (14 minutes). The BAS video library is available to teachers or to organizations for educational purposes. Free delivery and pickup are offered. Contact Betty Minyard, Education chair, 344-6128, for a complete list of videos or for other information about education programs. Outing Reveals Help Needed at Aransas Wildlife Refuge Eighteen members and friends gathered at the Sand Dollar Pavilion in Rockport to take Captain Ted's Whooping Crane tour on Saturday, March 21. While concern was expressed whether the cranes would still be there to see, it happened that they were quite cooperative. Captain Ted kept the tally and counted 26. This is an excellent trip and is recommended especially for those who have not seen a Whooping Crane before and also wish to see a great assortment of other shorebirds and waterfowl. We saw 39 species in addition to the magnificent Whoopers, including fij BEXAR TRACKS, Aprll 1992 Long-Billed Curlew, Red-Breasted Merganser, Reddish Egret, Merlin, Osprey, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, White Pelican, Brown Pelican, American Oystercatcher, Black-Bellied Plover, Black Skimmer, Seaside Sparrow, Roseate Spoonbill, Ruddy Turnstone, Whimbrel, and Willet. An interesting aspect of the Seaside Sparrow is that its song is similar to the Red-Winged Blackbird's. The Whooping Crane is considered a success story of the Endangered Species Act, having been brought back from the edge of extinction, but threats remain to the habitat at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. The Aransas Shoreline Protection Project has placed thousands of bags of cement along the shoreline to help prevent further erosion. They have designated the weekend of June 27-28 for this year's efforts. If you have a strong back and wish to volunteer, call Tom Serota with U.S. Fish and Wildlife at 512- 991-1443. If you would prefer to save your back and just send money - a perfectly legitimate and fully appreciated gesture- contributions should be made out to Aransas Shoreline Protection Project and mailed to Bobbie Appell, HCD 1, Box 225-J, Rockport, TX 78382. - Marge Flandermeger Water Committee Report on which a plan for San Antonio's longterm water supply could be based. The report includes San Antonio's baseline condition and projected regional demands and potential supplies through the year 2040. It examines the feasibility of substantially reducing the initially pro-. Page4 expand and expedite research on the alternatives for long range water supply. For a copy of the report or to comment, please contact Pete Bauml at 905 Eikel, New Braunfels, TX 78130, 512-620-0640. - PeteBauml jected demand through conservation. It L then analyzes existing and potential sup- egislation Update plies and assesses available alternatives. The Herbicide Reduction Act of 1991 A second section of the report listed (8.1916/HR 3714) would help make agri-four recommendations: cultural practices more sustainable. Your 1. Optimum uses of the aquifer. support is urged. San Antonio's principal strategy for The Wetlands Reform Act of 1992 (HR securing its long-range water supply 4255)strengthens wetlands protection, should be to maximize the dependable improves the §404 permit process, and regional supply from the Edwards establishes a sound, scientific basis for Aquifer. This requires a new regional wetlands delineation. This act needs addiauthority with the power to optimize the tiona! sponsors. aquifer's storage capacity. 2. Demand management Beyond management of the aquifer, the next best general strategy is to reduce demand before turning to development of wholly new supplies. To ensure economic efficiency, conservation efforts should rely primarily on price incentives rather than on direct regulation. 3. Additional supplies If additional sources of water are needed, they should be evaluated against the following criteria: The Montana National Forest Management Act (S.1696) seeks to open up 4 million acres of pristine wilderness on public lands to clear-cutting, roadbuilding, and mining and limits the public's right to challenge these activities. National Audubon Society is working for its defeat. (1) cost, (2) availability and reliability, Bexar Tracks (3) quality, The editor believes the information in this (4) environmental mitigation require- publication to be accurate as of March 31. We ments, and welcome contributions of interest to mem- ( ) h · · d · 1 t bers. Any submission may be edited. 5 t e time reqUire to tmp emen · Deadline for submissions is generally the 4. Research program Friday following the general meeting, Pending creation of the regional Please send your comments or contribu-authority, the City and the Edwards tions for Bexar Tracks to the editor, POBox 690028, San Antonio, TX 78269-0028, FAX to . --- .Underground Water 512-696-8053, or bring them to the meeting. The Greater San Antonio Area Citizens' Committee on Water has issued a report to the mayor and City Council. The committee, convened in August 1991,was charged to issue a "foundation strategy" National Audubon Society Chapter Membership Application 0 Yes, I'd like to join. Please enroll me as a member of the National Audubon Society and of my local chapter, Bexar Audubon Society. Please send Audubon magazine, Bexar Tracks, and my membership card to the address below. 0 A $20 check for my introductory membership is enclosed. 0 I think an Audubon Society membership is a great gift. Send gift memberships to my friends and family listed separately ($20 each). NAME ____________________ PHONE ______ __ ADDRESS --- CITY/ STATE/ZIP --- Make all checks payable to the National Audubon Society. f --- wnr·---1 Send this form and your check to: ! Local Chapter l Bexar Audubon Society L--~:_!~-~ --- j P.O.Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209 District s hou I d Or phone the editor at 512-696-6868. BAS Conservation Committee Chairman Vice Chairman Public Lands (Refuges, Forests, & Wetlands) Open Space Planning Recycling/Resource Conservation Aquifer Protection & Regional Water Plan Endangered Species Mitchell Lake Project Friedrich Park Richard Pipes Linda Tippen 1-512-569-2452 590-9371 Richard Pipes 1-512-569-2452 Linda & Ted Tippen 590-9371 Walter Barfield 736-0355 Pete Bauml Jim Garriott 1-512-620-0640 695-9520 684-2668 223-3281 Marge Flandermeyer Bill Woller PageS Keeping Track Birder Beware You could be breaking the law. Many people are unaware that it is illegal to use tape recordings of many bird vocalizations during the nesting season without a federal permit. In particular, this regulation pertains throughout much of Central Texas, Oklahoma, and Mexico to the vocalizations of the Screech Owl, Golden-Cheeked Warbler, and BlackCapped Vireo. Under the Endangered Species Act the use of such tapes can be considered a "taking" because it disrupts the reproductive cycle of the species. It has been documented in some areas that male birds are so distracted by the tape recordings they fail to breed. Please bring this problem to the attention of others you may encounter on your morning birding walks. -Susan Rust Outdoor Ethics: Respect Private Property Recently an activist from an organization which has frequently opposed oftproposed- but-yet-unpassed river protection legislation wrote me to ask for our cooperation. In a recent chapter newsletter he had seen directions to a rare bird sighting. The directions included encouraging the rare bird chaser to proceed on foot past a locked gate. It may be that permission to be in the area had already been given by the landowner, but there was no way to know from the article. This landowner, who is also a representative of other landowners, asked me to remind our members that "fences, gates, locked gates, 'Keep Out' signs, and the like are there to inform persons that entry is prohibited until [the individual is] invited in by the property owner." In Texas and Louisiana, where most of the land is private property, he's right. In New Mexico, much of the land is public, but one must know the land ownership to be assured that entry is not trespass. In any state, please remember to respect private property rights in pursuit of the rare and illusive bird. If you are not sure whether you are on private property, or whether you have permission to be on private land, don't go! In addition to the substantial legal liability one incurs when trespassing on private property, the chapter may incur good-will liability with local landowners who could otherwise be good friends, and the environmental community could incur a credibility problem when our members have or sanction a casual attitude about landowners' rights. A better way: get written permission before venturing on private land. Write the landowner after the trip and thank him/her. Furnish him/her with a list of the birds, wildflowers, geology, or other sights you found interesting on the property. Invite him/her to a chapter field trip or membership meeting. Most Audubon birders do respect private property rights. It's a good thing to say so from time to time. Happy Birding! - Dede Armentrout Regional VP, NAS Southwest Region JJ1.ooper Alert The northward migration of Whooping Cranes will continue through mid-April. If you spot a Whooper, look closely for the colored leg bands on one or both legs and be able to describe the colors and the relationship of the colored bands. Report verified sightings to your Texas Parks & Wildlife office or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at 308-381-5571. -Audubon Leader newsletter There Is Hope Those of you who missed the March 10 San Antonio Environmental Coalition's Issues Forum on grassroots vigilance missed a very special evening. A central message was "community plus caring equals conservation." For more information about the program and groups involved, contact Susan Rust, 826-4698. And don't miss the next forum, June 9 at 7 pm., at the Witte Museum Auditorium. The topic will be "Planning the Future of San Antonio," with representatives from the San Antonio Planning Department, the San Antonio Planning Commission, and the ad hoc San Antonio Master Plan Advisory Committee. Bexar Audubon is underwriting this SAEC program. -Susan Rust BEXAR TRACKS, April 1992 ~ Neotropical Migratory Bird Workshop Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will sponsor a workshop from 9 am to 4 pm, April 24, in Austin at the Commission Room, 4200 Smith School Road The meeting will introduce the Partners in Flight Program and explore ways in which individuals can participate in researching, monitoring, and managing neotropical migratory birds and their habitats. Jane Lyons of National Audubon Society is a participant in the project and speakers include Ted Eubanks of Houston Audubon Society and Rose Farmer of Audubon's Saba! Palm Grove Refuge in the Rio Grande Valley. There is no fee, but for registration and more information, call Madge Lindsay, 512-389-4772. Citizen Workshops Citizen workshops for input to development of a Master Plan for San Antonio will be held in all city council districts from May 2-30, 1992. The two-hour workshops cover a range of issues, and citizens will be encouraged to participate actively by working in small groups with a structured agenda. Call the Planning Department at 299- 7941 for a complete schedule and list of locations. !OHN J. AUDUBON 171">-W>l SEELAND FALCON AUDUBON BLANC CALIFORNIA WHITE WINE PRO[>UCE[> & BOTnH> BY AU[>L/BON CELLARS, BE.RKEl.EY, <:A ALCOHOL 12.41\16 BY VOL.UMB • CONTAINS SULF1TES ~ BEXAR TRACKS, AprU 1992 Calendar- April 7 Wildlife Conservation and the Hunting Tradition Teleconference/University of Montana. 11 am-3 pm. Free. Chapman Graduate Center. Trinity University. BAS Board Meeting. 7:30pm. Contact Audrey Cooper: .6Slc6054; 10 "Hombills: Headed for Trouble." San Antonio Zoo, Straus Education Building, 7-8:30 pm. $2. Call734-7184, ext. 169. 11 "Colden-Cheeked Warblers & BlackCapped Vireos." Second Saturday at Friedrich Wilderness Park. 9 am. Call 698-1057 for reservations. 11-12 VIVA BOTANICAl 12th Anniversary. Botanical Center. 10 am-6 pm. · 11-12 Wildflower Days Festival, National Wildflower Research Center, Austin, 512-929-3600. 12* Canyonland songbird hike, Hill Country State Natural Area 512-796-4413. 16 BAS Conservation Committee Meeting; Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia16 pm. Call Dick Pipes, 512-569-2452, or Linda Tippen, Vice Chair, 590-9371. 16 BAS General Meeting ~ "Balcones Canyonlands:' 7pm. See page] for details. 22 Earth Day 24 Migratory Bird Workshop. 9 am-4 pm. Austin. See within. 512-389-4772. 25 Cibolo Native Plant Sale & Demonstration. Cibolo Wilderness Trail, Boerne. 9 am-noon. Call512-537-414l. 25* Matagorda Island State Park, spectacular spring bird migration bus tour, 7:30am- 5 pm. Fee. 512-983-2215. 25* Guided birding tour, Black Cap Wildlife Management Area 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. 915-376-2216. 25* Cavern and bat emergence tour. 3-5 pm and 7 pm. Kickapoo Cavern State Natural Area. 512-563-2342 for details. OFFICERS AND BOARD May Bexar Audubon Birdathon. See I special section within. 2 Natural history hike. Friedrich Wilderness Park. 9 am. Call 698-1057. 2 Texas Nature Conservancy Annual Meeting. Witte Museum. 224-8774. 2-3 "Your Yard: How Wild Can it Be?" Susan Rust. Botanical Center. 9 am-12. 821-5143. 9 "Wildflowers of Friedrich Wilderness Park." BAS Second Saturday at Friedrich Wilderness Park. 9 am. Call 698-1057. 12 "Paraguay: Native Peoples; Native Problems." San Antonio Zoo, Straus Education Building, 7-8:30 pm. $2. Call 734-7184, ext. 168. 14 < BAS Board Meeting. 7:30 pin. 21 BAS Conservation Committee Meeting,< Roble Center. 6 pm. Call Dick Pipes, .·.· 512-569~2452. . 21 BAS General Meeting -!'Endan~ gered Springs Ecosystems:• 7pm. 23 Reptile & herpetile program. Diana Sarratt Junek. Cibolo Wilderness Trail, Boerne. 10 am-12. Call512-537-414l. 23 Friends of Friedrich Wilderness Park Annual Meeting and picnic supper. Entertainment by naturalist David Mckelvey. 6 pm. $15. June 1-12 U.N. Conference on Environment & Development. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 6 Natural history hike. Friedrich Wilderness Park. 9 am. Call698-1057. 9 SAEC Issues Forum. 7pm. See within. 10 Project Wild environmental training for educators. 8:30 am-3:30 pm. AAT credit. Free. To register call 821-5143. 13 "Insects of the Night." Second Saturday at Friedrich Wilderness Park, 9 pm. Call 698~1057 for more information: Page6 13-19 Act forWildlife in '92: Endangered Species Need Youl_:NAS coriverition in Washington, D.C. Write Audubon Convention Office, 4150 Darley Ave. #5, . . Boulder, CO 80303. 27 "Gardens by Moonlight." Botanical Center. 7-10 pm. Call Betty Hughes, 821-5143. 27-28 Aransas Shoreline Protection Project. See within. Call512-991-1443. July 11 "Bats." BAS Second Saturday at Friedrich Wilderness Park. 9 pm. Call 698-1057. August 8 "StargaZing.'' BAS Second Saturday at Friedrich Wilderness Park. 9 am. Call 698-1057. Ongoing *The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department offers nature activities too numerous to list here- archaeology to native plants, birding to bats. Buy your annual Texas Conservation Passport for $25 to invest in Texas and its natural resources, and get free entrance to parks, a discount on overnight faci I ities, and naturalistguided tours on wildlife management areas and state parks - some not regularly open to the public. Also receive a quarterly calendar of activities, as well as a discount on Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. In Texas, 1-800-937-9393. Every Thursday, 1 pm, San Antonio City Council meetings City Hall. Fourth Tuesdays, S-6 pm, Open Space Advisory Board meets, City Hall. San Antonio Light CreenLine offers environmental tips & event reminders 24 hours a day at 512-554-0500, category 7220. National Audubon Society's Actionline -a weekly update. Dial202-547-9009. For status of federal bills, call Legislative Information & Bill Status, 202-225-1772. Walter Barfield Marge Flandermeyer Betty Minyard President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Board Member Board Member Board Member Board Member 736-0355 ~ 684-2668 344-6128 653-2860 651-6054 226-6808 696-6868 824-8199 BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY P.O. BOX 6084 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Caryl Swann Audrey Cooper Ronald "Rusty" Guyer Susan K. Hughes Thelma Nungesser COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Conservation Richard Pipes 1-512-569-2452 Education Betty Minyard 344-6128 Finance Membership Thelma Nungesser 824-8199 Outings Marge Flandermeyer 653-2860 Programs Nathan Ratner 826-4462 Publicity Barb DeLuca 492-4291 Bexar Tracks Editor Susan K. Hughes 696-6868 PO Box 690028, San Antonio, TX 78269-0028•FAX 696-8053 Printed on recycled paper. Please recycle in the interest of the present and the future. SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209 Address Correction Requested SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Permit No. 590 1!1 .1!1 ~ BIRDATHOJY '92 Slated for May 2 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ It's BIRDATHON time again. Time to get your binoculars cleaned and adjusted. Time to hone your hearing and study the ~ ~ bird book again. Time to circle MAY 2 on your calendar. Time to commit to a role in Bexar Audubon's celebration of ~ ~ National Audubon BIRDATHON '92. ~ ~ What Is BIRDATHON? ~ ~ Much like a walkathon or bikeathon, BIRDATHON is a fund-raiser, whose proceeds depend on how well somebody does ~ ~ something . in this case, spotting different species of birds. During one 24-hour period, BIRDATHONers try to spot and ~ ~ identify as many bird species as possible. Spotters obtain monetary pledges from friends and associates to recognize their ~ ~ accomplishments in recognizing each of many bird species. Therefore, the key to a successful BIRDATHON has at least two ~ ~ parts- seeing and identifying birds and pledging money. ~ ~ Does It Have To Be May 2? ~ ~ Absolutely not. If May 2 is not a good day for you, you may select another 24-hour period - close to May 2 - during ~ ~ which to count. (You don't have to stay up 24 hours, either.) The important thing is for you to participate. We must turn in ~ ~ all BIRDATHON money by June 15, however, so be sure to line up and collect your pledges in order to meet that date. ~ ~ The BIRDATHON Outing ~ ~ There is a special outing for BIRDATHON participants who wish to bird as a group. Rex Wahl, Audubon Sanctuary ~ ~ Manager for the Audubon Coastal Island Sanctuaries has invited Bexar Audubon to come to the Corpus Christi area on May ~ ~ 2 for an extra-special BIRDATHON experience. Plan to arrive Friday evening, count all day on Saturday, and on Sunday, Rex ~ ~ will offer casual birding and possibly an opportunity to view some of the nesting islands of the sanctuary, depending on fac- ~ ~ tors such as weather, nesting conditions, etc. ~ ~ If you want to join those birders who are trekking to the coast for BIRDATHON, call Leslie Linehan, BIRDATHON chair- person, at 558-6594. She will have a list of motels and hotels at which you may wish to stay during the BIRDATHON. ~ ~ Advance reservations are advised. ~ ~ Do I Have to Go to Corpus Christi? ~ ~ ~ ~ That's your choice, too. You can celebrate BIRDATHON by birding at Mitchell Lake, at Friedrich Wilderness Park, at ~ ~ Cibolo Wilderness Trail, at Brackenridge Park, at the San Antonio Botanical Center, or in your own back yard . wherever you want to do it is OK with BIRDATHON organizers. ~ ~ Do I Have to "Bird" to Participate in BIRDATHON? ~ ~ ~ ~ No, you don't even have to bird to participate. You can ~ ~ • solicit pledges for other spotters or help spotters line up and collect pledges; • make a monetary pledge to your favorite spotter or team (teams usually spot 80-100 species); ~ ~ • make a flat donation to the BIRDATHON- whatever your circumstances permit. ~ ~ Who Can Participate? ~ ~ ~ ~ Members of Bexar Audubon. Interested non-members. Friends. Family. Supporters. Students. Teachers. Naturalists. Businesspeople. Executives. Children. Professionals. Technicians. School classes. Doctors. Nurses. Dentists. The retired. ~ ~ The unemployed. Each of us needs to take one or more active parts in BIRDATHON 1992! ~ ~ There are roles for bird spotters, for pledge solicitors, for recorders, for drivers, for pledgers, and for others as well. ~ ~ There's at least one role that's right for you. And YOU are needed. ~ ~ Say you don't know a sparrow from a condor? No problem. Experienced birders will be glad to bring you into the ranks ~ ~ on-the-job. The most important thing for you to spot for BIRDATHON is pledgers who will support the worthy programs ~ ~ BIRDATHON funds. ~ ~ How Are the Funds Used? ~ ~ BIRDATHON is fun, educational, and a worthy cause. Money earned through BIRDATHON is divided between regional ~ ~ Audubon projects and our Audubon Adventures classroom support. This year we funded 61 classrooms. How many in '92? ~ ~ The BIRDATHON chairperson is Leslie Linehan. Call 558-6594 now to discuss what you will do for BIRDATHON '92. ~ ~ BIRDATHON TODAY FOR A BETTER WORLD TOMORROW. ~ 1~ !1.~ @] 1!1.1!1
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