BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIE1Y
P.O. BOX 60H4 • SAN ANfONIO, TEXA'; 7H209
VOL.2 N0.2 FEBRUARY 1984
fEBRUARY 16th GENERAL MEETING ••• Unitarian Church, 7:30
ADOPTION OPTION FOR BEXAR AUDUBON?
Have you been wondering what active role Bexar Audubon might
play in our local community to promote our primary goals
of habitat and species conservation and environmental education?
We think we have an answer that will be fun, challenging
and exciting to the membership and at the same time make
a significant contribution in this region - ADOPT A PARK!
At the February meeting you will have a chance to view National
Audubon's spectacular slide presentation on the "Adopt a
Refuge" program. Then Bexar Audubon's Conservation Committee
will present and discuss the three parks in San Antonio
they feel would make good candidates for adoption - Frederich
and Schnabel (City owned) and 0 rs inger (County owned) •
Representatives from both the City and County Parks Depts. will
be on hand to comment on the parks and answer questions.
Members at the meeting may also suggest other areas for
consideration. Please come and comment, THE PARK YOU SAVE
WILL BE YOUR OWN!
With governmental budgets becoming ever tighter, and loss
of . native habitat occuring faster and faster as demand for
developed land grows, concerned volunteer groups, like ourselves,
have been coming forth to help. The type and level of invol­vement
will, in large part, depend on the needs of the park
we choose to adopt and the governmental agency with which
we would be working. The types of activities would likely
include designing and maintaining trails, monitoring wildlife
populations, developing trail guides, conducting outings
and environmental workshops, the possibilities are enormous.
Tell your friends and ask them to the meeting and the special
outings. This i s an opportunity for all Bexar area residents
to get involved in their natural environment.
SPECIAL "Adopt a Park" OUTINGS ••••
Next month you will be asked to vote for the park you feel
is most appropriate for adoption, so during February and
March special half-day outings are planned to the candidate
parks to provide everyone first-hand knowledge of them. Please
try your best to get out and see all three of the parks
so that your vote will be an informed one.
SCHEDULE
DATE TIME PARK LEADER
FEB. 18 (Sat) 9:00 I Schnabel Johns -684-3578
19 (Sun) 1:00 Frede rich Rust -653-3105
25 (Sat) 9:00 Frede rich Leslie -824-1235
26 (Sun) 9:00 Schnabel Johns -684-3578
MAR. 3 (Sat) 9:00 Orsinger Grey -691-1026
3 (Sat) 1:00 Orsinger Grey -691-1026
4 (Sun) 1:00 Schnabel Rust -653-3105
18 (Sun) 9:00 Orsinger Grey -691-1026
18 (Sun) 1:00 Orsinger Grey -691-1026
24 (Sat) 1:00 Frederich Leslie -824-1235
31 (Sat) 1:00 sghnabel Rust -653-3105
APR. 8 (Sun) 9:00 Frede rich Huffman -695-8894
PLACES TO MEET FOR: 1
-ORSINGER PARK - HEB parking lot at Wurbach and I-10.
-SCHNABEL PARK - HEB parking lot at Bandera near Huebner.
-FREDERICH PARK -Stop N Go parking lot a~ . Camp Bullis
exit off I-10.
There is no charge for thes~ . outings. Invite your friends
and come as many times as you like. If you have any problems
with times or transportation, call one of the leaders to
make special arrangem~nts.
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HABITAT TIPS ••• Bexar Audubod is proud to announce that the
San Anton1o Light Newspaper i~ featuring a new column called
"Habitat Tips", written by members of our own group! Mary
Burton, our publicity chairperson, persevered in her endeavors
and the first column appear~d in the January 21st edition
of the Light. The column will be used on a space available
basis and will be featured in ~he garden pages of the newspaper.
We wish to thank Sam Blakely of the S.A. Light staff, for
his interest and support of Bexar Audubon.
1ST ANNUAL MEETING REPORT
Thirty-seven stalwart souls from San Antonio shrugged at
the stormy weather (how's that for alliteration!) and gathered
at the marine lab. at Pt. Aransas for Bexar Audubon's 1st
Annual Meeting on January 14-15.
Photographers Tony Amos and Nancy Kent discussed with partic­ipants
of the Nature Photography outing the fine points
of obtaining exquisite bird photographs -before venturing
forth to see first-hand some of the best (soon-to-be-condominium)
birding locales. The participants of the Shorebirding outing,
led by David Blankenship, apparently were enjoying the cold
and seeing so many birds that they were an hour late in
returning. Nearly everyone joined Rick Tinnin to go behind-­the-
scenes at the Marine lab. and to explore the not-too-roomy
accommodations aboard the UT research vessel, before gathering
to warm up at the social hour and dinner ( ••• and "just
one more announcement").
The meeting that night recounted some of the events of Bexar
Audubon's first year and discussed prospects for 1984.
For the coming year: it appears we should end financially
in the BLACK; upcoming programs will be focused on species
and habitat issues close to home; future outings will continue
to offer opportunities to learn more about various aspects
of birds, habitat and species conservation, and enjoyment
of the environment; major projects to be undertaken will
include adopting a local park, participation in Bird-a-thon,
and support of the Nongame Funding Program and the Texas
Heritage Program. Needless to say, it promises to be a
challenging and rewarding year. The evening ended with
a beautiful and informative program given by David Blankenship,
Coastal Sanctuaries Director for National Audubon, on the
importance of Texas sanctuaries in species conservation.
Next morning, after an early breakfast, some participants
went off with Bill Grey to stalk the dunes of Padre Island
and learn more of their delicate ecology, some went to Aransas
Nat'l. Refuge with Susan Rust to learn a little more about
the Refuge System and the Coastal Plains, and some poked
around the area eyeing birds at a leisurely pace. A number
of participants capped off the weekend with a trip aboard
the Whooping Crane to catch a closer view of one of Texas'
most important natural resources.
It was a time characterized by enthusiasm and good fellowship,
learning and fun - truly a successful 1st Annual Meeting!
Thanks,Thanks,Thanks!!!
David Blankensh1p, Rick Tinnin,
Audubon members who helped i make
a super success.
FEBRUARY CALENDAR
Tony Amos and all Bexar
the annual meeting such
9 ••• SAAS General Meeting, Garden Center, 7:30
lO ••• Audubon Wildlife Film -"Summer in Kiwi Land"
7:30, Trinity Baptist Church, Becky Shipp-496-5436
12 ••• AFE Meeting in Austin
16 ••• Bexar Audubon General Me~ting- "Adopt a Park" Program
7:30, First Unitarian Church
18 ••• Austin Ponds/McKinney Falls Park (Bexar Audubon)
Jesse Walker-694-6516
18 ••• Native Plant Society Gen~ral Meeting
Botanical Center, 11:00 a.m.
2l ••• Sierra Club General Meeting, Unitarian Church, 7:30
29 ••• Bexar Audubon Outings Committee Meeting
Jon Johnson-822-4915
MARCH CALENDAR I
l ••• Bexar Audubon Board Meeting, 7:30
Thelma Nungessers', 2922 Oakleaf
6 ••• Audubon Wildlife Film -"Hawaii: An Insider's View"
7:30, Trinity Baptist Church, Becky Shipp-496-5436
7 ••• Bexar Audubon Conservation Committee Meeting
7:00, Bill McKees', 155 ~unston
8 ••• SAAS General Meeting, Ga~den Center, 7:30
14 ••• Paul Ehrlich, noted Population/Ecosystems Ecologist
Laurie Auditorium, Trinity University, 8:00
15 ••• Bexar Audubon General Meeting- Sam Crow
"Eagles and other Centra1 Texas Raptors"
7:30, First Unitarian Church
16 ••• Conservation Symposium, UTSA
30/l.Lesser Prairie Chickens (Bexar Audubon)
Lubbock/Amarillo Area, R9n Huffman-695-8894
PLEASE BE SURE TO MAKE NOTE :JoF THE SPECIAL HALF-DAY OUTINGS
PLANNED FOR "ADOPT-A-PARK" IN !FEBRUARY AND MARCH,- DESCRIPTIONS
AND INFORMATION APPEAR IN THIS NEWSLETTER.
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Please submit articles, news and items of interest for the
March newsletter to Nora Bonsignore, 826-8531/824-3293,
9514 La Rue, S.A., 78217 by February 24
I
My apologies to the membership for the "tardiness" of this
February newsletter. The o~ly thing worse than the love
bug is the flu bug!!
BEXAR AUDUBON OUTINGS
AUSTIN PONDS & MCKINNEY FALLS PARK (Feb.l8, Jesse Walker
- 694-6516) ••• This birding outing will first involve scouting
for shorebirds and ducks at Platts Pond, and then continue
on to McKinney Falls Park. For more info on this day trip,
please call Jesse.
LUBBOCK/AMARILLO AREA BIRDING (March 30-April 1, Ron Huffman
-695-8894) Get your reservations in ea~ly for this trip,
which will include stops at Buffalo Lake Refuge and Muleshoe
Refuge. Lesser Prairie Chickens, Long Eared Owls and three
species of Longspur were observed last year. Contact Ron
Huffman for details and reservations.
COlHNG IN APRIL
THE NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY BIRDATHON
April is especially significant to Audubon members because
John James Audubon, for whom the society is named, was born
on April 26, 1785. To draw attention to the programs and
activities of the organization, April has been designated
as Audubon Society Month, with the National Audubon Society
Birdathon as a focal point of the month's activities.
A birdathon is a contest similar to a walk-a-thon, used
to raise funds. For Birdathon, counters obtain pledges
from sponsors (neighbors, friends, anyone!) who agree to
contribute money for each bird species seen by the counter
during Birdathon weekend.
The National Audubon Society Birdathon project will be
fun. Members will participate in an activity which, for
some, is an important pastime, and will introduce others
to the pleasures of birding while competing for prizes at
local, regional, and national levels. This method of raising
money will emphasize the society's role regarding the outdoors
and wildlife conservation. The proceeds from this activity
will be divided equally among our chapter and regional and
national offices.
We need volunteers now in four major project areas:
publicity, recruiting counters, arranging prizes, and handling
materials, money, and records. To volunteer or for further
information call Starr Kavanagh at 493-1381 or 826-0685.
we at Bexa~udubon wis;-to express our condolences to Rhea
Copening on the death of her mother. Rhea is the s.w. Regional
Representative for National Audubon. We are truly sorry
for your loss.
CONSERVATION BULLETIN BOARD ••• Nancy Kent and Mary Burton
will have a bulletin board full of interesting conservation
and environmental news set up at our general meetings. Be
sure to indulge! ••• and feel free to contribute items of
interest.
CONSERVATION NEWS
RED WOLF: Although the red wolf has been eliminated
from the wild and exsists on1y in captivity, this situation
may change due to State and Federal restoration efforts.
The demise of the red wolf was caused by expanding human
populations and extensive land clearing in the South, especially
bottomland hardwoods. Not only did the clearings help eliminate
the wolf, they also created conditions which allowed the
more adaptable coyote to expand eastward from its traditional
prairie range. The small wolf readily inbred with the coyote
and was ·in danger of being hybridized out of exsistence
when the remaining genetically pure individuals were captured
and put into captive breeding programs. Pending approval
.from the USFWS, and after consideration of public respon~e,
wildlife agencies in Kentucky and Tennessee and the TVA
plan to release five pairs of red wolves beginning in 1985
on land owned by the TVA.
WETLANDS: In a major decision, the u.s. Court of Appeals
for the 5th Circuit has unequivocably ruled that land clearing
to convert wetlands to agricultural or other uses requires
a permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, (the
law that regulates activities that are destructive to wetlands).
Agricultural conversion i~ estimated to be the cause of
80% of the nation's wetlands losses.
FISH KILL: Preliminary estimates by Texas Parks and
Wildlife Dept. biologists indicate well over 15 million
fish, crabs and shrimp were killed at the Texas coast during
the December freeze. It is believed that this is the worst
kill on record, and it will surely have a considerable effect
on the commercial fishing industry along the coast.
CONSERVATION SYMPOSIUM: The Conservation Committee of the
Texas Academy of Sciences will be holding a half-day symposium
on March 16 entitled "Classification and Preservation of
~at~ral Co~mun~ties ?f East and Central Texas." The symposium
1s 7n con]uct1on w1th the Academy's annual meeting at UTSA.
It 1s open to the public. For more information, call Susan
Rust, 653-3105 or Jim Neal, 1-475-0660.
THE AUDUBON WILDLIFE FILM SERIES continues with its second
presentation "Summer In Kiwi Land". During summer New Zealand's
natural world comes alive. In the Bush native birds teach
their young to .feed and fly. Along the coast, seals, penquins
and cormorants come ashore to raise their young, together
with vast numbers of seabirds that live in the southern
oceans. The tuatara, the only surviving member of an ancient
order of reptiles, and which has been ex~inct elsewh~r~
for 135 million years, dwells here. Endem1c falcons, k1w1
birds, keas (parrots), and wild deer ~re all highlighted
in "Summer in Kiwi Land". Grant Foster's film is sure to
be a delight and is being presented Friday, February 10
at 7:30, Trinity Baptist Church. Admission is $2.50 •.
This film series is a program of National Audubon and is
being presented here by the San Antonio Audubon Society.
RECYCLE!!! For the purposes of fundraising and in keeping
with our emphasis on conservation, members are asked to
save aluminum cans and bring them to the March meeting. One
of our members will collect them for recycling. Let's all
make a contribution.
fROM THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE: We extend our apologies
to those who joined us after September, for their names
did not get added to our roles until the end of January.
It seems National had some computer problems, which resulted
in a two month delay. Therefore, we extend a belated welcome
to all, and look forward to seeing you at our meetings and
outings.
NEW MEMBERS: John Longoria, San Antonio Optical, Claud
Perry, Eddie Runnels, John Saunders, Jeff Thompson, Mrs. E.C.
Wells,Jr., Avis Wilkinson, Genie Hall, James Lindsey, Clyde
Stokes, Bill Biersehwale, G.G. Giles, Joseph Goetz, Carla
Hallada, Mr & Mrs. Ernest Keizer, C.N. McMillin, Dr.& Mrs
Brant Mittler, Robert Clark, Larry Girton, Janet Huston,
Denise Hutzler, Tamara Richards
***************~**************i*****************j*****
The most effective tool we have as citizens-as parents-is the
sheer force of our numbers. When confronted with superior size
and strength-the gentle dolphins band together, turning en masse
to defend themselves against a shark, for example, defeating
it with their superior intelligence. On behalf of future genera­tions,
let us rise as a human family to compel the powerful
and profit-only minded to consider life the greatest priority.
We can take our inspiration from the dolphins, who mass togehter
in the face of danger ••• and attack power with wisdom.
~EXAR AUDUBON OFFICERS AND BOARD M~MBERS At-La~ge Boa~d Membe~s
PRESIDENT
V. PRESIDENT
TREASURER
SECRETARY
By~on Stone
Susan Rust
Thelma Nungesse~
Judi Lipsett
699-1971 Sta~~ Kavanagh
653-3105 Nancy Kent
824-8199 Patty Leslie
821-5675 Bill McKee
493-1381
532-3732
821-5143
826-6077
822-4159
1984 MEMBERSHIP DUES INCREASE
Individual
Family
Student
Senior Citizen Individual
Senior Citizen Family
BEXAR
AUDUBON
... , << (--- I SOCIElY
$30.00
$38.00
$18.00
$21.00
$23.00
Russell Smith
Committee Chai~pe~sons
Outings
Publicity
Membe~ship
Conse~vation
Publications
Prog~ams
Finance
Education
Jon Johnson
r1a~y Bu~ton
B~uce Makuk
Bill McKee
822-4915
532-3732
No~a Bonsigno~e
Susan Rust
Sta~~ Kavanagh
699--1433
826--6077
826-8531
653--3105
493-1381
Bonnie Williams 824--9850
BULK RATE
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 590
SAN ANTONIO, TX .