Bexar tracks : the newsletter of the Bexar Audubon Society, Vol. 10, No. 07

• Main Author: Bexar Audubon Society
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: San Antonio, Tex. : Bexar Audubon Society, 1992
• Subjects: Birds > Conservation > Texas > Periodicals.; Ornithology > Texas > Periodicals.; Nature conservation > Texas > Periodicals; Clubs and Organizations; Science and Technology; Arctic; Audrey; Austin; Bandera; Bayside; Beardmore; Blanco; Fulton; Gonzalez; Grotto; Hummer; Reeves; Swann
• Online Access: http://digital.utsa.edu/cdm/ref/collection/p15125coll10/id/8153

Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). 512-822-4503 JULY 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 • Ancient forest update • Songbirds in decline • Partners in Flight: Neotropical migratory birds and the Endangered Species Act • NAS issue-oriented fact sheets • Endangered species treatise • Big Thicket expansion • Mexico's ecological rigor • BAS volunteers keep in' on • Washington address list • A busy summer calendar BAS Member Activities San Antonio's Solid Waste Management Is July Topic On Thursday, July 16. at the Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia, the topic of our monthly pro­gram will be San Antonio's solid waste man­agement system and the problems we face as our landfill's overflow and the quantities of garbage continue to grow. How big is the problem? What solutions are under considera­tion? What can each of us do to help? After the Conservation Committee meeting at 6 pm, there is socializing (cookies and bever­ages- bring your own mug) at 7 pm, followed by the program at 7:30. Meetings conclude by 9 pm and are open to the public at no charge. Come to the meeting, and bring a friend! Westcave Preserve Outing Highlights July Events President's Letter We will head for the hills again for our Saturday, July 18 outing. This time we will visit the Westcave Preserve. which lies approximately twelve miles west of Austin. Our meeting place will be the Target parking lot at US Highway 281 and Bitters Road. Arrange to be there between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m for departure at 8:30 am sharp. The hike through Westcave is not extensive, but it is defi­nitely memorable, featuring a grotto and unusual plant life. Wear cool, comfortable clothing; bring a lunch and plenty of water. Picnic tables are available outside the entrance for picnic lunching following the tour. To make reservations (or for further information) call Marge Flandermeyer, 684-2668. You may also sign up for the trip at our July 16 meeting. There is no charge for the tour, but donations to the Westcave Preserve Corporation would be accepted and are encouraged. Enjoy Nature. Get Out. On June 13th, 1992, I had the opportunity to participate in the American Airlines/Nature Conservancy "Teamwork for Nature" volunteer workday at Clymer Meadow Preserve. Clymer Meadow is a 311 acre remnant of black­land prairie owned and managed by the Nature Conservancy of Texas. The preserve is located approximately sixty miles northeast of Dallas in Hunt County and, along with other coopera­tively managed adjacent properties, totals almost 700 acres of native prairie. These parcels repre­sent the largest single tract of blackland prairie remaining in the state. (continued, page 2) fij BEXAR TRACKS, July 1992 Page2 Bexar Facts A BAS Update President's Letter, continued In all of Texas, only 6000 acres of black­land prairie remain. The remnant prairies exist largely because families who owned them used them as native "hay meadows." These people realized the native forbs and grasses would always provide nutritious forage for the live­stock, even in times of drought. The annual harvest of native hay largely retained the soil structure and plant diversity, and simulated the effects of the now suppressed prairie fires. Other agricultural practices. however, were not so benign. Fences and fire sup­pression allowed woody plants to estab­lish into the prairie. Livestock confined to fenced pastures selectively grazed the most nutritious or flavorful plants. and exotic grass species were introduced to increase production. Row crops replaced prairie or ancient forest. This is why renewal and strengthening of the Endangered Species Act is so important, as are programs to limit expanding human populations. Susan Hughes has just returned from the "Act for Wildlife in '92" National Audubon Convention in Washington, DC, held from June 13-19. She reports that the eight members of the Texas legisla­tive delegation she visited have received far more letters opposing the Endangered Species Act than in support of its continuation and strengthening. I urge you, our members, to contact your senators and representatives and ask that they co-sponsor and support HR 4045, "The Endangered Species Amendments of 1992." - Walter G. Barfield prairie plants, resulting in reduced soil Conservation Comments fertility, reduced plant diversity, and increased soil erosion. Plows and cows reduced the vast .12 million acre black­land prairie ecosystem of Texas to scat­tered plant communities. The deep clayey soils. rich in organic matter accu­mulated over millennia by soil organ­isms. were simply too fertile not to be exploited. Soil erosion. woody plants. and exotic species all threaten Clymer Meadow. Gullies formed on adjacent properties slowly invade the prairie. Old cro'ss fences provide a foothold for briar, vines. and trees. Introduced fescue, john­songrass, and fire ants continue to make inroads into the native floral and faunal communities. Many of the one hundred plus volunteers present that Saturday addressed those issues with hard physical labor; however. decades of abuse cannot be corrected in a single day. Only time. dedication, and proper management can return the Meadow to its former grandeur. The lesson of Clymer Meadow is this: it is far easier to preserve an ecosystem and prevent degradation than to repair and restore one. Human activities are the greatest threat to the earth's great ecosystems, whether they be bl ackland The BAS Conservation Committee meeting is now held at 6 pm at the Ruble Center- one hour in advance of the regular monthly meeting of BAS. Learn more about local and national conserva­tion issues and what you can do to help. More subcommittee members are needed, including YOU. For more information contact Richard Pipes. BAS Conservation Committee chair, at 1-512-569-2452. Songbirds in Decline; "Silent Spring" Revisited? Those who are long-term birders have seen an obvious decline in the numbers of American songbirds. Population drops of up to 30 percent had already been observed in some eastern U.S. regions between the '40s and the '70s. Long dis- . tance migrants had plummeted about 90 percent, and several once-common species became locally extinct. Significant reductions in numbers of some other notable bird species had already occurred in the '50s and '60s. Peregrine falcons, American bald eagle, brown pelican, and other water birds and raptors suffered precipitous drops in numbers, to the extent of being virtually extirpated from many areas of the coun­try. Fortunately for these birds, the source of the problem was discovered, and after a 1972 ban of DDT and related pesticides, these latter species began a steady recovery. Although still reduced over prior populations, they are now much more secure in their status. It was not until the late '70s that ornithologists and amateur bird-watch­ers noted that a number of songbirds had suddenly become scarce or absent in pre­viously well-populated habitat. The most drastically affected were the long-dis­tance migrant songbirds, although all species were affected in varying degrees. In one well-observed urban park in the District of Columbia, a one-third decline in the number of breeding species and a 90 percent drop in long-distance migrants had occurred between the 1940s and the 1970s. A concomitant drop in waterfowl and wading birds and in prairie-dwelling species, like bobolinks and meadowlarks, could easily be attributed to drainage of wetlands and to intensification of agri­cultural practices, such as application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and her­bicides that were depriving those species of breeding habitat and insects upon which they depend. But, the mystery of forest nesting song­bird decline could not be solved so easily. It was noted that those same declining species could still be found in prior num­bers in contiguous forest habitat, and the decline was initially attributed to a forest fragmentation effect. Detailed studies, however, determined that many of the species nested just as well in forest edges or small fragmented woodlots in certain locations, but were absent in others. I REDUCE • REUSE • RECYCLE • REDUCE • REUSE • RECYCLE • REDUCE • REUSE I Page3 Another theory blamed the decline on tropical deforestation, since most affected species were long-distance migrants. However, there were inconsistencies with this theory, since some species that were disappearing winter in areas with ade­quate wintering habitat and others whose winter habitat was being rapidly lost were holding their own in breeding numbers. It was discovered that the long-distance migrants (the most affected) arrived later than short-distance migrants, had smaller clutches of eggs, and had time for fewer nesting attempts. It then became obvious that these species would be most affected by any habitat distur­bances. Nest predation was considered as a possibility, and several experiments dis­covered a dramatic effect. In contiguous forests, such as the Great Smokies. only one nest out of fifty was discovered and raided. In suburban and fragmented for­est habitat, however. the rates were much higher. In some smaller tracts, nearly 100 percent of the nests were raided, usually by bluejays, raccoons. and opossums. The same pattern was found to occur with nest parasitism by the . brown-headed cowbird (BHC). Two hun­dred years ago the BHC was relatively uncommon. However, the extensive con­version of formerly forested habitat to agricultural and grazing land led to a veritable population explosion, so now they are considered agricultural pests. Studies have shown that up to 65 percent of songbird nests were parasitized by lll:f~llll~!ltl~llt\1 AUDUBON COLLECTION AUDUBON BtANC CALIFORNIA \'QHITE W1NE r•F«)[>U<:fl) &:.1:\(>Tn.f.(> I:IY AU['U~II)tl •:El.l.AK>. Bt.RK.flt:.Y ·~A ALCOHOL 12.4'11 8Y VOL.UME • ClJNTAINS SliLFfTE." BHCs in some areas. The black-capped vireo, least Bell's vireo, and Kirtland's warbler are all on the verge of extinction. In all these cases, nest parasitism by BHCs is the probable cause. In Shawnee National Forest, the largest forest in the state of Illinois, songbird nests suffer 80 to 100 percent parasitism by BHCs. It is assumed that there may be no place in the state of Illinois for songbirds to nest successfully. This tragedy at home, however, is only half the story. The greatest threat to American songbirds is undoubtedly tropi­cal deforestation. Radar studies to detect migratory bird flights over Louisiana have shown only half the migrant waves in the late '80s that were seen in the '60s. Some species such as the Bachman's warbler have already been lost due to loss of winter habitat. At current rates of deforestation, the last hectare of tropical forest woufd disappear by 2045. Even with this impending threat, however, John Terborgh, Duke University Professor of Environmental Science, believes many species of songbirds will succumb to cowbirds before they do to tropical deforestation. Much can be done to alleviate the situation, but it will soon be too late for some species of songbirds. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (published in 1962; the absence of spring songbirds due to overuse of pesticides) may yet occur in many of our lifetimes. -Jim Garriott [Reference: John Terborgh, "Why American songbirds are vanishing," Scientific American (May 1992) p.98-104. ,-,exas Partners in Flight ~ Benefits Songbirds You can become directly involved in songbird conservation on your property by participating in this volunteer program jointly organized by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the National Audubon Society, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Texas Partners in Flight is part of a larger North American conser­vation network, the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Program. Neotropical migratory birds winter in Central and South America, crossing the Gulf of Mexico in the spring to nest in Texas and other North American states. Conservation tools include backyard habitat plantings, research and monitor­ing, and helping with volunteer projects. If you are interested in more informa­tion, call TPWD at 1-860-792-1112, ext. 4771, or 512-389-4771; Carol Beardmore with USFWS at 512-482-5436; or Jane Lyons with NAS at 512-327-3249. r;tducation Committee 1J Active Year-Round Contact Betty Minyard, Education Chair, 344-6128, for information about any of our education programs, such as Audubon Adventures, the bi-monthly newspaper and teaching guide for ele­mentary classrooms, and the extensive BAS collection of video tapes. Teachers interested in Audubon Adventures for the 1992-93 school year should contact Betty now. Remember that the BAS video library is available at no charge for use by teachers or groups for educational purposes. Betty even delivers and picks up. A free list of videos will be sent on reguest. Thanks to Our Volunteers The June issue of Bexar Tracks was pre­pared for the mail by Tracy Egan, John Neill, Anita Reeves, and Tatjana Terauds. Susan Rust brought cookies to the June meeting. Thanks, everyone! Your Interest Is Needed We know from the membership demo­graphics that Audubon members are busy people: many of you belong to several orga­nizations and are involved in one or more of them. We are proud of the fact that, as a whole, National Audubon Society is one of the most active and effective grassroots organizations around. Today, however, we are asking you, regardless of your other activities, to make a commitment to Bexar Audubon. There are big jobs to be done, and small jobs, too. (continued) fij BEXAR TRACKS, July 1992 Financial Planning Can you spell "planning"? If so, maybe you have a future as our finance chair. This position is not the same as the treasurer's, but it is the person who b.e.lm the Bexar Audubon board formulate long- and short­range financial plans and- oh, by the way - helps develop ways to make those plans come true by supplementing our allot­ments from National Audubon with funds from special activities, grants, and the like. BAS has been without a finance chair for many, many months, now. To meet the local challenges we face today and in the immediate future, we must have solid financial footing. There are people available to help, but this activity needs a~. Call BAS President Walter Barfield, 736- 0355, if you want more information or are willing to help with this task. New Member Interest Forms When you joined or renewed you may have received an interest form. If you did not return it, or you need to update it, please call Thelma Nungesser, Membership Chair, with your interests and preferences. Or you may call any officer or committee chair listed on page 6 to express your inter­est or to receive more information. A Sweet Little Job Cookies at the meetings are a nice addi­tion. Can you bring cookies to the July or September meeting? If so, please let Susan Hughes know at 696-6868. Come to a Meeting; Show You Care Page4 Keeping Track Thanks, Susan Monday Susan McAtee Monday, environmental reporter for the San Antonio Light, is mov­ing to the food section. BAS offers its best wishes and thanks for good reporting in the past. We will miss you on "our beat." Shop 'til You Drop .• Out "The number or U.S. shopping malls reached 32,563 in 1987, more than the number of high schools," according to The Christian Science Monitor, April 30, 1992. Mexico's Eco-woes Environmental problems on the Rio Grande border have been making local headlines for weeks, and there is consider­able concern about the health and welfare of our neighbors on both sides of the river. In the July/August 1992 issue of Sierra, John Ross profiles five Mexican communi­ties that are trying to deal with their eco­logical disaster situations: •Coatzacoalcos, a petrochemical center whose lifestream river may be the most pol­luted place on earth; •Vera Cruz, with a dangerous, reputedly leaky nuclear plant; •Chimalapas, whose Lacandon mahogany forest has been razed; • Huatulco, the fastest growing area in the country, where development for tourism has displaced not only the human resi­dents, but the native landscape and birds; and, finally, •Chincua, the home of the monarch but­terflies, being encroached upon from all sides by deforestation and the attendant problems of aquifer depletion, deliberately set fires, and human settlement. A side note to this dreary portrait is a plea to write your elected officials and urge them, as we discuss free trade agreements between the U.S. and Mexico, to ensure that adequate and appropriate environmental controls, protection, enforcement, and sup­port are a part of any pacts that are executed. If free trade means only exporting our industrial headaches to a location less able to enforce health and safety regulations, we do disservice to everyone - ourselves as well as the innocents on both sides of the border whom we poison in the process. Big Thicket Expansion Bill HR1592 was approved by the House and how awaits Senate action. Senators Bentsen and Gramm both have bills pending to expand the Big Thicket. Bentsen's S1302 is a companion bill to the House legislation, which adds 15,018 acres in five units, pro­vides for exchange of timber industry land for national forest acreage of equal value, National Audubon Society Chapter Membership Application Critical Issue Fact Sheets Available Audubon fact sheets are available on ancient forests, wetlands, the endangered species act, the Arctic Refuge, and the "wise use" movement, which NAS has dubbed the "resource abuse" move­ment, to expose the veiled agendas these organizations promote. 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 ________________________________ __ ADDRESS ____________________________ ___ CITY/STATE/ZIP _____________ _ PHONE ______________________________ __ Make all checks payable to the National Audubon Society. Send this form and your check to: Bexar Audubon Society P.O.Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209 r --- wrg --- 1 !' Local Chapter I' ! Code 7XCHA ! ' --- ~ These excellent two- to four-page summaries are straightforward explanations of the issues, relate the topics to population and eco­nomics, and dispel myths and misconceptions that underlie much of the opposition to the responsible goals of environmentalists. Copies of these fact sheets are available from NAS, 666 Pennsylvania Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20003, 202-547-9009. Endangered Species Coalition Publishes Definitive Discussion of ESA NAS is a member of the 40-organization Endangered Species Coalition that has published an excellent 28-page booklet about the Endangered Species Act. Request it from the NAS Washington office (address and phone number above). PageS BEXAR TRACKS, July 1992 fil The Bexar Essentials and excludes all private ownerships except willing sellers. Gramm's S780 does not include the Blue Elbow or Lower Neches River units. Urge your senators to work to protect this unique Big Thicket ecosystem in as coherent a status as possible. Ancient Forest Action Last month House Speaker Tom Foley made some strategic calls to swing votes on the Interior Committee, causing the chairman, Representative Miller, to can­cel the scheduled committee markup of HR4899. The Interior's version of this bill offered the strongest protection for ancient forest ecosystems. The Agriculture Committee reported out a weak version of the bill that NAS will not support if it comes to the floor of the House in this form. Now. Senators Adams and Leahey have presented S2895, the Rural Develop­ment and Ancient Forest Ecosystems Conservation Act, a strong commitment for preserving ancient forests. It incorpo­rates elements such as protection for the west-side owl forests (at a level equiva­lent to 12-C of the House scientific study}, study and protection of east-side forests, worker retraining programs, and a ten-year ban on log exports. It is critical that you write your senators and urge them to fully support S2895. If your elected officials say they are seeking "balance" on this issue, you may wish to point out that "balance" was passed up a long time ago. Less than 10 percent of our ancient forests remain, and much of that is fragmented. Cutting ancient forests is nQt a sustainable industry. The vast majority of timber­related jobs from 1979-1987 were lost to automation and export of logs- not the effects of conservation - and continu­ing to log at present rates will only mini­mally prolong an inevitable end. Moreover, continuing to conduct such forestry operations will result in an esti­mated taxpayer loss of $2 billion over the next 10 years on timber sales alone. This is due, in part, to the extraordinary cost of roadbuilding- some $45,000 a mile for major logging roads (there are now more than 340,000 miles of operable log­ging roads in the National Forests). Eliminating the export tax subsidy on log exports (proposed in Representative Pete Stark's HR4208, the Log Export Tax Subsidy Elimination Bill, which NAS supports) could provide up to $100 mil­lion per year to reinvest in timber communities for retraining and estab­lishment of "green" and/or sustainable business and indus try. For more information. contact the NAS Washington office; Susan Hughes, Bexar Tracks editor, 696-6868; or Dick Pipes, BAS Conservation Chair, 1-512-569- 2452; or come to the July 16th meeting. Hlzere to write or call? President George W. Bush • 202-456-1414 The White House• Washington, DC 20500 The Honorable Lloyd Bentsen • 202-224-5922 730 Hart Senate Bldg. • Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Phil Gramm • 202-224-2934 370 Russell Senate Bldg. • Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Albert Bustamante, District 23 202-225-4511 • PAX 202-225-3849 1116 Longworth House Bldg.•Washington, DC 20515 727 E. Durango • San Antonio. TX 78206 • 229-6191 The Honorable Kika De La Garza. District 15 202-225-2531 • PAX 202-225-2533 1401 Longworth House Bldg.•Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Henry B. Gonzalez, District 20 202-225-3236 • PAX 202-225-1915 2413 Rayburn House Bldg.•Washington, DC 20515 727 E. Durango • San Antonio, TX 78206 • 229-6195 The Honorable Greg Laughlin, District 14 202-225-2831 1033 Longworth House Bldg.•Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Lamar Smith, District 21 202-225-4236 • PAX 202-225-8628 509 Cannon House Office Bldg.•Washington, DC 20515 10010 San Pedro • San Antonio, TX 78216 • 229-5880 Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 -r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r When you contact your national elected officials, send a copy to NAS headquarters, 950 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10022. Let BAS know when you act on local issues. The association monitors member concern and support and "reminds" officials about their constituents' opinions. --- ~Whooping Crane T-Shirt The striking new Bexar Audubon Society 100% cotton T-shirts are black with an M.C.Escher-inspired pattern of 14 small gray cranes and 2 small full-color cranes in the background, and one large full-color crane in the foreground. r --- , BEXAR Au DuB 0 N 0 Please indicate quantity desired for each size@ $12.00 each: SOCIETY · __ Extra-Large __ Extra-Extra Large $ __ _ d Th ap:.~ars 1 n 0 Add $3.00 shipping and handling for the first shirt $ 3.00 re · e w 1 e mes- plus $1.50 for each additional shirt $ sage text reads as 0 Enclosed is my check/money order for: TOTAL$ ___ _ follows: Prices include sales tax. Pre-paid orders only. Allow 2 weeks for processing. "The bustle of their great migrations and the passage of their mighty armies fills the mind with wonder." - Nul/all, 18/l in 1940, only 32 Whooping Cranes remained in the world. Today, 210. Recovery or extinction, it:'i our choice. NAME _______________________ PHONE ____________ _ SHIPPING ADDRESS ______________ _ CITY/STATE/ZIP --- ­Make all checks or money orders payable to Bexar Audubon Society. Complete and mail this form with your check or money order to: Bexar Audubon Society, PO Box 6084, S;m Antonio, TX 78209. L --- ~ ~ BEXAR TRACKS, July 1992 Calendar- July ~ !il{itlll,IIJill~ _ 11 World Population Day. Join in the world­wide effort to find a balance between population, development, and the natu­ral environment which sustains us all. 11 *Edwards PI at eau ecosystem tour, Honey Creek, Coma! Co., 512-438-2656. 11 *Painted bunting hike, McKinney Falls State Park, Austin, 512-243-1643. 11 *Twin Falls nature trail, Pedernales Falls State Park, Blanco County, 512-868- 7304. 12 *Canyonland songbird hike, Hill County State Natural Area, Bandera County, 512- 796-4413. 12 *Painted Bunting hike, see above. 16 SAS C?nservatioiTCQmfl")itteeMeeting. Ruble Center, 419 E. M~gnolia, 6 pm. · · Chll hiCk Pipes, ·l-512c569-2452. All members &.interested people invited. ·. BAS ¢~iteral Meeting:-:- San Ant.onio's · .SolldW.isUs. Aflli~ Ruble Center, 419 · .~h0~[~[/£ !J~Ifc:ge .·lfor detaHs BASOutiitgtoWestc<l~.e . f.'reselve; . 8:15 arll . C~II MargeFlaiiderriteyer; 684-2668. See pag{ifor d~tails. · · · 18 *Marine life - tour of bayside marshes and the Gulf Coast, Matagorda Island State Park, 512-983-2215. 18 *Bat Emergence Tour, Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area near Fredericksburg, 512-896-2500. 18 *Edwards Plateau ecosystem tour, see above. 18 *Painted bunting hike, see above. 18 *Twin Falls nature trail, see above. 19 *Native plants tour, Hill Country State Natural Area, Bandera Co., 512-796-4413. 19-24 NAS Population Lobby Week. Washing­ton, DC. Tanya Thomas, 202-547-9009. 21 Sierra Club, 7 pm. Information, 828-0919. 25-27 Project Earth- first national wholesale environmental trade show, Portland, OR. 503-231-5127. August ;~;~1;~!Rillil&l~ 13-14 "Reverence for Life: Ethical Solutions to Environmental Problems." Symposium sponsored by Albert Schweitzer Institute for the Humanities. UN Headquarters, New York. Contact: POB 308, Wallingford, CT 06492, 203- 284-9990. 120 . NO BAS GeneralMeetihg in Allgust. September 10-12 National Watchable Wildlife Conference, Missoula, MT. Defenders of Wildlife, 1244 19th St NW, Washington, DC 20036. 11 · ·• ~t~?~:v~Ommitt~ tvl~etiilg{ 17 HAS General Meeting. Tom 1\rglffi is re, scheduled to discuss Endangered . Springs Ecosyste111s, 7p~.Huble .Center .• 17-20 Fourth Annual Hummer/Bird Celebration, Rockport-Fulton. Migration of ruby-throated hummingbirds through the area, 14 speakers on shorebirds to butterflies, and more. Reservations rec­ommended: 1-800-242-0071 (Rockport­Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 1055, Rockport, TX 78382). 19 7th Annual Texas Coastal Cleanup. 26-27 Public Land Grazing. 1992 New Mexico Audubon Conference, Las Cruces. For Page& information, call Cathie Sandell, 505- 382-5767, or Tom and Eleanor Woote, 505-522-8068. October 4 Ornithology Group of Houston pelagic trip out of Port Aransas on the 80-foot Scat-Cat. Oeparts 5:30 am and returns 6:30 pm. For birders only. $40 per per­son. Call Brandford at 713-855-2615. 8-9 "Ethics in Environmental Communica­tion." National Association of Profes­sional Environmental Communicators Conference. Chicago. 312-661-1721. Ongoing *The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department offers nature activities too numerous to list here. 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 facilities, and naturalist-guided tours on wildlife management areas and· state parks - some not regularly open to the public. Also receive a quarterly calendar of activ­ities and a discount on Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. In Texas, call 1-800- 937-9393. Every Thursday, 1 pm, San Antonio City Council meetings, City Hall. Fourth Tuesdays, 5-6 pm, Open Space Advisory Board meets, City Hall (call to confirm location). San Antonio Light GreenLine offers environ­mental tips & event reminders 24 hours a day at 512-554-0500, category 7220. National Audubon Society's Actionline - a weekly update of environmental news. Dial 202-547-9009 and ask for the Actionline; after hours, press 4 when the line answers. For status of federal bills, call Legislative Information & Bill Status, 202-225-1772. OFFICERS AND BOARD Walter Barfield Marge Flandenneyer Betty Minyard President Vice President Treasurer Secretary 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. POST AGE PAID Caryl Swann Audrey Cooper Ronald "Rusty" Guyer Susan K. Hughes Thelma Nungesser Richard Pipes · Board Member Board Member COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS 1-512-569-2452 Conservation Richard Pipes 1-512-569-2452 Education Betty Minyard 344-6128 Finance Membership Thelma Nungesser 824-8199 Outings Marge Flandenneyer 684-2668 Programs Nathan Ratner 826-4462 Publicity Christina O'Connell 308-0959 Bexar Tracks Editor Susan K. Hughes 696-6868 PO Box 690028. San Antonio. TX 782G9-0028•FAX [phone] The editor believes the information in this publication ~ . , to be accurate as or July 6. We we.k~nle ('Ontributi?ns ~AUIITED WIT~! '•: of interest to n1e.m hers. Any submiSSIOn may be ed1lecl. 1SOV INKJ. Acid-free 50% rf:'f:yr:led paper~IO% post<OIJsumer waste). SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209 Address Correction Requested SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Permit No. 590