| Summary: | Bexar Tracks began with Vol. 4, no. 1 (January 1986). It continues Newsletter (Bexar Audubon Society). §racks 21 0-822·4503 DECEMBER 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 • Cast your ballot for BAS Board IJoliday Meeting Features Favorite Photos, Holiday • By-laws changes ~Foods, Fun, Fellowship, and Futures for BAS • Land Trust challenge grant update On Thursday, December 17, at our monthly general meeting, the holiday traditions will include election of officers and board members for 1993. In addition, members and friends are asked to bring a selection of their favorite 35mm slides of wildlife, plants, other nature topics, or trips of general interest to share. There will also be a silent auction of selected books, prints, and similar objects. • Alaska wetlands action request • Enchanted Rock outing report • Be an Annchair Activist • Military cleanup is SAEN topic The nieeting will be held at the Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia, and is free and open to the public. If you wish, please bring a favorite holiday refreshment to share at 7pm • Audubon Council of Texas report (beverages will be provided). Our special member slide program will follow at 7:30. Come at 6 and attend the Chapter Conservation Committee Meeting, too. • Conservation update • Auction success story and thanks to donors and volunteers Don't be shy. This is D.Q.t a photo contest! It's just a casual opportunity to share your experiences with people of like interests. Also, if you have photos of BAS outings, please bring them to share. To help us plan, give a call to Thelma Nungesser at _ 824-8199, if you know you will be bringing slides . or just come with carousel or slide , stack in hand. We'll have a projector and spare carousels available. • No outing in December • Dec. 5 Nature Company sale . .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;• .;•,; DONT FORGET-BRING YOUR SLIDES AND, IF YOU WISH, A SNACK TO SHARE. lf11d Horse Canyon Ranch Presents Rare Opportunity "A. Site Location and Conditions "The site is known as Wild Horse Canyon Ranch, originally part of the San Antonio Ranch. The site is located in the Extra Territorial Zone of the city of San Antonio. It is located west of the city limits near Helotes [see map at left]. The site is approximately 5,152 acres. This site has been revisited by several representatives of regulatory and resource agencies and various environmental groups due to its uniqueness, potential to support endangered species, the presence of possibly the largest cave in the county, and for protection of the Edwards Aquifer. . "The portion of the site along Galm Road contains several active farm fields, . most of the remaining acreage consists primarily of juniper and live oak. The understory is diverse and includes Texas mountain laurel, Mexican buckeye, elbow bush, flame-leaf sumac, catclaw acacia, and several other species. Along creek bottoms, black willow, pecan, black walnut, American sycamore, button bush, cedar elm, Texas oak, and shin oak were observed . "1. Sole source aauifers and ground water "The site is located partially in the recharge zone and partially in the transition zone of the Edwards Aquifer. (continued) fij BEXAR TRACKS, December 1992 Wild Horse Canyon, continued recharge zone of this site is included in the federal sole source aquifer designation. "2. Wetlands and flood plains "Several creeks traverse the site. They are Government Canyon Creek, Wildcat Canyon Creek, and Culebra Creek. . Most of Government Canyon Creek and Culebra Creek and part of Wildcat Canyon Creek are designated as Zone A: Areas of 100-year flood [Federal Emergency Management Agency zone designations]. The areas of the site within Zone A comprise approximately 20 percent of the site." "4. Threatened and endangered species " . The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have identified that the Black-capped Vireo and the Golden-cheeked Warbler and/or their habitat potentially exist in the site's vicinity. Based on the habitat requirements of the two species, the types of vegetative communities present and the Jl Tature Company Offers J. W Discount Saturday, December 5, 9-10 am The Nature Company, North Star Mall, is offering a 10 percent discount on all purchases made by Audubon members. Refreshments will be served. Bring your Audubon membership card (your copy of this newsletter will do) to demonstrate your membership and be eligible for the discount. Thanks to the Nature Company for its continuing support of Audubon. THE NATURE ciir' Jl Tew Committee ChairJ. W persons Needed In January Dan and Christie Davis will take over membership for the chapter, and Thelma Nungesser will become the program committee chair. Thanks to Nathan Ratner for his service lining up programs for us and to Thelma for ably managing the membership duties for several years. Now, we also need a new PR chair, and are still seeking someone to head our finance committee. If you are interested in any of these areas, please contact Walter Barfield at 736-0355. Your participation is needed and will be valued. Fulfill your New Year's resolution-early or late-to get involved today. field assessments previously conducted by various regulatory agencies, the site likely contains approximately 90 percent (combined) suitable habitat for both of these species . . " From "Special Resource Issues, Wild Horse Canyon Ranch, San Antonio, Texas," BEM Systems, Inc., East Orange, NJ; BE-1069A, June 1992. The extensive quotation taken from a Resolution Trust Corporation-sponsored report illustrates what is at stake at Government Canyon. The Edwards Underground Water District (EUWD) has rated this site as one of the most sensitive recharge areas in Bexar County. For this reason ~ it deserves public ownership and protection under the Edwards Aquifer Preservation Program. The Trust for Public Land, headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has been in extensive negotiations with the RTC to give this region the option to acquire this Environmental Initiatives by the Military The San Antonio Environmental Network Public Forum will convene on Tuesday, December 8, at 7 pm, at the First Unitarian Church, 807 Beryl (access road, southeast of Loop 410 and I-10; across I-10 from Crossroads Mall). Speakers will be Mr. David Kowalski, US Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Engineering Research Lab, Champaign, Illinois; and Col. Jose Saenz, US Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence, Brooks Air Force Base, in San Antonio. Col. Saenz will discuss the Center for Environmental Excellence and the Air Force's Installation Restoration Program. Mr. Kowalski will discuss the DOD's Legacy Program and the Army's new environmental protection and land management initiatives. Admission to the forum is free and the public is encouraged to attend. For further information, see the November issue of Bexar Tracks or call 826-4698. "'Tear-End Giving Reaps ~ Tax Benefits Memorials, tributes, gifts, or other donations to Bexar Audubon can benefit your 1992 tax results. Contact Walter Barfield, 736-0355, for information on how your tax-deductible year-end gift can help BAS and you. Page2 property at a very favorable price. Should the appropriate governmental agencies fail to act, then this region will have lost one of the greatest open space, water supply, and habitat protection opportunities we are ever likely to see. I urge you to contact the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the EUWD (at right). Ask them to purchase the Government Canyon Property. Remind them that time is of the essence and that staff have identified this tract as a "premium watershed." Also remind them that public ownership is the most effective way to protect water quality, quantity, and land use for this particular property. If you have any questions on this issue, please contact me at 736-0355, Kyle Cunningham at 695-3159, or Danielle Milam at 828-3960. Have a safe and happy holiday season and a prosperous 1993. -Walter G. Barfield Armchair Activists Needed-Enlist Now The first issue of the BAS edition of the Armchair Activist will be distributed in December. To get your year's subscription, just send in the coupon on page 4, or call 696-6868. You get carefully targeted, concise communications on important issues each month, ready for you to take action that requires only a few minutes of your time. BAS Challenged for Land Trust Grant On September 29, 1992, Bexar Audubon Society was awarded a $5,000 challenge grant by the World Wildlife Fund's 1992 Innovative Grants Program, as reported in the November issue of Bexar Tracks. The BAS board is continuing efforts to raise the required $5,000 in matching funds by January 31, 1993. Members of BAS are encouraged to make individual contributions toward this matching fund, with the understanding that if the goal is not met, your contributions will be refunded, if desired, or set aside for future special projects. If you can help meet the $5,000 challenge, or if you have ideas of ways to achieve this goal or particular funding sources, please contact me at 736-0355. - Walter Barfield Page3 r;tdwards Underground IJ Water District Board Edwards Underground Water District 910 E. Quincy, San Antonio 78215 (210)222-2204 * indicates executive committee • Chairman Charles Rodriguez* PO Box 7386, San Antonio 78207 • Robert Hasslocher 8520 Crown hill, San Antonio 78209 • JoAnn DeHoyos 315 S. Main, San Antonio 78204 • Jesse Zuniga, Jr. 2407 Towncliff, San Antonio 78238 • Carol Patterson* 410 Larkwood, San Antonio 78209 • Hans Helland PO Box 6949, San Antonio 78209 • Dr. Kenneth Ikels Rt 10 Box 45F, New Braunfels 78132 • Jack R. Ohlrich* PO Box 242, New Braunfels 78130 • S. Craig Hollmig 410 N. Seguin, New Braunfels 78130 • Jerri W. Mar.tin* PO Box 814, San Marcos 78666 • Frances Emery 1421 Schulle Dr., San Marcos 78666 • Harry Bishop PO Box 1763, San Marcos 78667 Did you know? The amount of water used in production of the average cow is sufficient to float a destroyer. BEXAR TRACKS, December 1992 fil Recommended By-Laws Revisions These revisions represent the combined opinions of the by-laws committee, comprising Leslie A. Linehan, Bill Woller, and Susan P. Rust, and members present at the annual planning meeting. There was general agreement as to the need for these revisions. Article 1, Sec 6: add punctuation to " . category, except Life Membership, shall be . " Article II, Sec. 1: change the first sentence to read . "shall be held on the third Thursday of each month, except for the annual planning meeting. Regular meetings of members shall . " Insert an additional line reading, "The date for the annual planning meeting shall be determined by the Board of Directors." Article II, Sec. 2: revise first sentence to read, " . . shall be held once each year at a time to be determined by the Board of Directors." Article III, Sec. 6: capitalize the word CHAPTER. Article Jv, Sec. 1: add an additional line. " . at large. Election of Board members shall occur at a CHAPTER meeting not less than one month, nor more than two months, before the Annual Meeting. If deemed necessary, additional Officers or Directors At Large may be appointed by a majority vote of the Board. (See Article V, Section !.)" AUDUBON COLLECTION JOHN J. AUDUBON 17Sj -1 5H SEEU.ND FALCON AUDUBON BLANC CALIFORNIA WHITE WINE PRODUCED &BOTTUD BY AUDUBON Cf.I.L.\RS, BERJ<fLEY, CA ALCOHOl. 12 .4"' BY VOLUME • COI'll'AJNS SUU'rrES Article IV, Sec. 4: add punctuation, " . on the Board; however, no Officer . " Add sentence to the end of the section to read, "Exceptions to this tenn limitation may be authorized by a majority vote of the Board." Article Jv, Sec. 5: revise first sentence to read, " . after the annual meeting and at least five times per year." Article VII, Sec. 1: add to the last sentence, " . three consecutive years, unless authorized by the Board of Directors." If you wish to see a copy of the existing By-Laws, please contact Caryl Swann, Secretary, 653-2860. Please vote on the ByLaws changes at the meeting or below. r --- , BAs to Elect Officers, Board Members • BALLOT- BAS 1993 BOARD ELECTION Following is the slate of candidates presented by the BAS Nominating Committee. Thanks to the committee members, Bill Woller, Mary Kennedy, and Nathan Ratner, for presenting a well-qualified slate. The election will occur at the BAS Meeting, December 17 at 7 pm. Please be there to show your support for the BAS Board, to make your interests and concerns known, and to take an active role in the future of BAS. If you cannot attend the meeting, but wish to vote by mail ballot, please mark and cut out this ballot and mail it to the address below. Your name and address as it appears on your newsletter label must be clearly marked on the outside of your mailing envelope in order to validate your vote, but need not appear on your ballot to protect the privacy of your vote. Mail ballots must be received by December 16 in order to be counted. (Write-in candidates must be current members of BAS, and ballots with write-ins must be accompanied by a statement signed by the candidate indicating willingness to serve if elected.) MAIL TO: BAS Teller, PO Box 6084, SATx 78209 President. 0 Walter Barfield (write-in) --=,.-:-::---=, --- ,---Vice President. 0 Marge Flandermeyer (write-in) --=~---;,---;:: --- Secretary. 0 Caryl Swann (write-in) ---==-= --- =-= --- =-- Treasurer. . . 0 Betty Minyard (write-in) --=--:: --- :::-::--:---Board Member. 0 Susan Hughes (write-in) --=-:::--:-:---:---;-; --- Board Member . 0 Patty Leslie (write-in) --=-=-=-=---=--=-= --- Board Member . 0 Richard Pipes (write-in) --=--=--:-:--= --- Board Member. 0 Anita Reeves (write-in) --=-=-=~=-:-., --- Board Member. 0 Bill Woller (write-in) --- :---::---;:: --- : By-Laws revisions 0 approved 0 disapproved REPORT POLLUTING VEHICLES [LICENSE, LOCATION, & TIME] TO 1-800-453-SMOG ~ BEXAR TRACKS, December 1992 Enchanted Rock Outing Eleven hearty and enthusiastic souls took a look at the wet and windy weather and decided to take a chance that it would clear up by the time we reached our destination, November 21. We were not disappointed. Enchanted Rock is an awesome example of the tremendous power of nature to -shape and form our world. While the rain stopped, the temperature dropped and the wind picked up, making the climb to the top too unpleasant for our group. However, we all managed to walk or climb enough to build up a good appetite for the picnic. While Enchanted Rock appears to be simply a bare mountain of granite, life abounds on the slopes of that mountain. Ferns, lichens, moss, tiny flowers, grasses, shrubs, and even trees grow in every nook and cranny. My personal favorite plant was the fern called Fairy Sword that is unique to the area. Abundant animal life also occurs in this state natural area. Among the most fascinating are fairy shrimp, which come to life when the indentations in the rock catch enough rainwater to support them. Birds were a little scarce on this blustery day, but we did see numerous Black Vultures drying their wings in the treetops. Other birds sighted or heard were Belted Kingfisher, Black-crested Titmouse, Kestrel, and Meadowlark. Good fellowship, stimulating conversation, and the pleasure of spending time in the fresh air with other individuals with an appreciation of our natural world were the rewards for braving the elements. -Marge Flandermeger AcT Fall Meeting Report The Audubon Council of Texas met on October 16-17, 1992 with post-meeting birding trips on October 18. Marge Flandermeyer and Doris French attended this meeting in Lubbock, which allowed us to see a total of seven Ferruginous Hawks. Believe me, folks, you will know you have seen a different species of hawk. And we were taken to see some Burrowing Owls. The weather was superb. The setting was the City Park of Lubbock, with very nice meeting facilities. The two speakers gave us excellent information and great audio/visuals. Jim Ray from Texas Parks and Wildlife talked about "Waterfowl and Wetlands Habitats in the High and Rolling Plains of Texas." We got good information about "What are these playas?" And I finally learned that, as I fly between San Antonio and Las Vegas, those strange, perfectly round patches that I see are the playas. Perfectly round. The most important business of the meeting was setting the legislative priorities for the 1993 Texas Legislature. Dede Armentrout, Audubon VP for the Southwestern Region, listed fifteen very important issues for us to consider. After member reports and discussion and using a rating scale, the Council chose: 1. Protecting our water and promoting Clean Water 2000. . 2. Protection of the Edwards Aquifer. Several bills are being prepared. 3. Air quality through control of auto emissions and stationary emissions from factories, city incinerators, cotton gins, etc. National Audubon Society Chapter Membership Application Page4 4. Conservation exemption. A bill is being drafted to establish an ad valorem tax exemption equivalent to an agriculture exemption for landowners who manage for wildlife, including non-game and endangered species. 5. Support of parks and natural area funding. New sources of income are needed for acquisition and management of state parks, natural areas, and wildlife management areas. Options include increasing cigarette tax, increase in parkrelated fees, document transfer tax, excise tax on outdoor recreation equipment, RVs, etc. No bill is written. Although five general issues were chosen for us to concentrate on, there'll likely be more than five bills. As you already know, some bills we want to help pass and some we want to help defeat. So, when you get the word after January 1993, be ready to write to your represen- . tatives and senators and any other people who need a letter. Our after-dinner speaker was a physician who had lived in Alaska for four years and showed us a grand bunch of slides of where the people lived and the villages and gardens, in addition to the spectacular mountains and glaciers. -Doris C. French I'MTondering about W'W Holiday Decorations? Trees and lights are festive additions to your holiday celebrations, but consider the impact and the alternatives. If you do choose a cut tree, be sure to recycle it. Armchair Activist You'll get monthly mailings on national and · local issues telling you what to do and how to do it, sample letters, easy instructions-tools for quick and effective action. For more information call (512) 696-6868. 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. NAME ___________________________ _ 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 ~ --- w~-g --- 1 I o ! Local Chapter ! ! Code 7XCHA ! L --- .J rl H r/ududO-H S 0-det Richard Solis on "OrienteeYing( 9 am> For more ihfor> rnation, call 698-1057. . . . . 15 Sierra Club Meeting and pot-luck supper, 6:45pm, 828-0919. 17 BAS Conservation Committee Meeting. .····•·• 6-7 pm. Ruble Center, 419K Magnolia,. .•. ···· Call Di.ck Pipes, .1-569~2452 for more inforrnatiori All members and interested people invited. . . ·• 17 BAS CeneraiMembership Meeting, . member slide show, silent auction, and holiday snack-sharing. 7-9 pm. Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia, Free &open to the public. See page 1 for details. 22 Native Plant Society. Lions Field Clubhouse. 7-9 pm. 824-5143. January 14 BAS .Board Meeting. 7:30pm. Call Walter Barfield for location, 736~0355. 21 • BAS Conservation Committee Meeting. 6-7 pm. Ruble Center, 419 E. Magn()lia. Call Dick Pipes, 1-569-2452 for more I •• ~7~;~i~i0i~:.llrl)emb~rs and interested 21 BAS General Membership Meeting~ 7~9 . .prri. Ruhl~Cefiter,J19 KMagnoliafFr~e & opeiif()thepiiblit. . . . ,. . 24 Where Does the Water Co? San Antonio River Authority at Cibolo Nature Center. 10-11 am. $2 donation. (210) 537-4141. 30 Ornithology Croup of Houston "Pelagic" trip out of Freeport, Texas. Departs 6:30 am on the 65-foot Lady Ana and returns to the dock about 6 pm. Available for 40 birders and no fishermen. Intent is to look for near~shore wintering sea birds, such as northern gannet, seaters, pomarine and parasitic jaegers, and blacklegged kittiwake. Will not go more than 20 miles from shore. To reserve a place, send check for $46 per person payable to Captain Elliot's Party Boat, to David Bradford, 18046 Green Hazel Dr., Houston, TX 77084. Deadline is January 5. For directions and more information call David at (713)855-2615 or Captain Elliot's at (409)233-1811. February 13-21 The Llanos of Venezuela. Travis Audubon Society tour. Deposits by November 15. Approx. cost $1500. Call (512) 327-1173 or 471-1675 for more information. March 14 National Audubon Society board meeting, Lafayette, LA. 26-30 Celebrate 20 Years of the Endangered Species Act, Washington, DC. · 28-April2 Audubon Spring Bootcamp: Training Volunt_eers in Politictl Advocacy, Washmgton, DC. · Mag 8 2nd Annual North American Migration Count. Jim Stasz, NAMC Coordinator, PO Box 71, North Beach, MD 20714. Latin American Audubon Council, Costa Rica. (512) 327-1943. PageS Ongoing The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department offers nature activities too numerous to list here. Buy your annual Texas Conservation Passport for $25 and get discounts and other benefits. Call1-800-937-9393 for a complete listing of events. Every Thursday, 1 pm, San Antonio City Council meetings, City Hall. National Audubon Society's Actionline-a weekly update. Dial202-547-9009 and ask for the Actionline; after hours, press 4 when the line answers. Bexar Audubon Society meets every third Thursday for its general membership and Conservation Committee meetings. Board meetings are the second Thursday. 'EJ'elp Save the Attwater ~Prairie-Chicken The Fort Worth Audubon Society is offering for sale a colorful 3.5-inch cloth patch featuring the Attwater Prairie-Chicken. From each patch's purchase price of $5+$.35 postage, the FWAS will immediately forward $4 to the official Attwater Prairie-Chicken Recovery Program at Fossil Rim Wildlife Park in Glen Rose. It is believed that the 1992 wild hatch was a complete failure, so the survival of the Attwater chickens depends entirely upon the success of the recovery effort that collects eggs from remaining tiny patches of habitat and raises them to eventually increase and enrich genetic diversity of the dwindling wild populations. Order your patches from Mike Patterson, 2205 Glade Rd., Colleyville, TX 76034-4569. Checks for $5.35 each should be made payable to Fort Worth Audubon Society. OFFICERS AND BOARD Walter Barfield President 736-0355 Marge F1andenneyer Vice President 684-2668 BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY P.O. BOX 6084 NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Betty Minyard Treasurer 344-6128 Caryl Swann Secretary 653-2860 Audrey Cooper Board Member 651-6054 Ronald "Rusty" Guyer Board Member 226-6808 Susan K. Hughes Board Member 696-6868 Thelma Nungesser Board Member 824-8199 Richard Pipes Board Member 1-512-569-2452 Conservation Education Finance Membership Outings Programs Publicity COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Richard Pipes 1-512-569-2452 Betty Minyard 344-6128 Thelma Nungesser Marge F1andenneyer Nathan Ratner 824-8199 684-2668 8264462 Armchair Activist Tatjana Terauds 696-6868 Bexar Tracks Editor Susan K. Hughes 696-6868 PO Box 690028, San Antonio, TX 78269-0028•FAX 696-8053 The editor believes the infom1ation in this publication to be accurate as of November 30. We welcome contributions of interest to members. Submissions may be edited. De.1.dline is the day niter the general meeting. A ·"· Printed with soy-based ink on acid-lree 50 percent lr.-'~.\.l".'" =.,.=o o=IIIT=•I '-. recycled paper(ilO percent post-<:onsumer waste). l~ls.<JYU1~KL SAN ANTONIO, TX 78209 Address Correction Requested \~\1 ~ ~ +~ott ~0 ~s~ ~\I~ SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS Permit No. 590 December 2, 1992 BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY Chapter of the National Audubon Society Post Office Box 6084 San Antonio, Texas 78209 Dear New or Transferring Audubon Member or Visitor: Bexar Audubon Society is proud to have you as a member-<>r a potential new member-and the board of directors and committee chairs urge you to enjoy the benefits of membership and fully participate in the work and fun of the chapter. This month is special because of our annual member slide share and holiday celebration. We hope you will come to this special meeting at which we will also elect our officers and board members for 1993 and vote on By-Laws changes-this shouldn't take more than ten minutes! We urge you to look through your slides from the past year or so and to bring 10 or 15 to share with the group at the December meeting. This is NOT a photo contest, and it's fun to see other members slides of wildlife, native plants, "scenery," trips they have taken, outings they have been on, and the like. Please share yours, too. We also share our holiday treats. so bring a favorite snack. The board will provide the beverages. Our fellowship time and refreshments begin at 7. In this issue, you will read about some recent activities and ongoing concerns. At informative monthly programs you can meet with other members and also learn about an environmental issue, a natural feature of the region, or another interesting topic. The meetings, which are held on the third Thursday of the month at the Ruble Center (419 E. Magnolia Avenue, near Trinity Baptist Church), are two hours long, with a 30-minute fellowship time prior to each program. Outings are planned monthly (except December), so members can get together and have a special look at nature. Be sure to watch for outings announcements and sign up to attend, or help plan an outing to your favorite spot. The Conservation Committee, which monitors a wide range of issues of local, national. anJ mternational ;mportance. meets one hour prior to the general membership meetings. Attending Conservation Committee meetings is a great way to keep up with what's going on and to learn what you can do. You may wish to volunteer to be an issues monitor. to attend hearings or council meetings, to write letters to elected representatives, or to participate in our phone bank for critical issues action. We are launching a new program-Annchair Activist. This network helps you make a difference from home by writing letters, monitoring issues, and the like. We are seeking more Annchair Activist participants and·hope you will sign up. There is a subscription form in this issue and you may call 696-6868 for more information about the program. There are other opportunities to get involved, too. Bexar Audubon sponsors Second Saturday programs at Friedrich Wilderness Park. Visitors to the park can learn more about topics such as wildlife, archaeology, geology, botany, or other aspects of the park. Some members help maintain trails and tend to other details of park operation; others come and enjoy the informative programs. Routine contributions like bringing refreshments to meetings and helping ·with newsletter mailings are important, too. Maybe you would be interested in helping with publicity, membership, or the education committees.Do you like to write or do illustrations? The newsletter editor would welcome your contributions. Does your business have services it could offer the chapter? Do you know other organizations we could join with to achieve mutual goals? Bexar Audubon is also implementing programs to help local residents and visitors enjoy the natural wonders the San Antonio area has to offer-and to protect them for our future and our children's futures. Another current drive is to seek corporate sponsors so we can support more Audubon Adventures classrooms this school year. Audubon Adventures is a bi-monthly environmental education program that provides a topical newsletter to each child in a class, along with a helpful teacher's guide. During 1992-93 Bexar Audubon is sponsoring 60 classrooms in the San Antonio area. We need some help to fund at this or a greater level next year. If there is a special project you'd like to see the chapter undertake, just let the board know. We welcome your input and concern, and you are invited to attend the board's monthly meetings. We know each member has a different level at which he or she can be active in the work of the chapter. Please participate however you can. It's with all of us working together that things get done. The greatest benefit of participating in chapter activities is that it is fun and gratifying to be with like-minded people committed to making a difference and to taking a few hours each month to appreciate the world around us. Please complete the form on the reverse of this letter and return it to Bexar Audubon-<>r call 822-4503 or any one of the board members or committee chairs listed in the newsletter and let us know you'd like to be involved. We are at an important, critical juncture if we are to preserve our options for the future. Your concern and actions are needed. Thanks for being a member of Bexar Audubon-and, if you were a visitor last month, we hope you'll join today. I want to get involved with Bexar Audubon. I'm especially interested in the following committees/activities(please place an "H" by those areas with which you would be willing to help): __ Conservation __ Phone bank __ Issues monito.ring __ Education __ Audubon Adventures __ Letter writing __ Help with 1993 auction __ Land trust __ Finance __ Newsletter/writing-illustration __ Newsletter/mailing __ Outings __ Pub! i city __ Legislation __ Programs __ Refreshments __ Membership __ Fund-raising __ Special projects __ Armchair Activist __ Attending hearings __ Planning __ Friedrich Wilderness Park/Adopt-A-Park __ Other interests/expertise you could share or comments? __________________ _ Do you prefer outings that are (circle all that apply): half-day, ali-day, weekend, educational, service, social Are you willing to contact your elected officials regarding environmental issues? ______ _ (additional comments are welcome, or feel free to contact an officer or committee chair, listed in each issue ofthe newsletter) NAME:~ __________________ PHONE: _____ -:--(day) ADDRESS: PHONE: (evening) CITY/STATE/ZIP: DATE:. _______ _ 0 Sign me up as an Armchair Activist. Here's my subscription check for $6 to cover one year's postage and supplies. please complete this form, fold, stamp, tape, and mail recycled paper V PLACE STAMP HERE BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY Chapter of the National Audubon Society Post Office Box 6084 San Antonio, Texas 78209
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