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Volume XVI, No.12
December 1998
Saturday, December 12, 1998
Volunteer for a Rewarding Experience!
Bexar Audubon to Take
Part iri Girl Scout
Environmental Program·
The Bexar Audubon Society will help
staff one of five stations at the Girl Scout
Botanica ornithology sessio'n to be held on
Saturday, December 12, from 9 a.m. to
· 11 :30 a.m. at the Botanical Gardens. BAS
Education Co-Chairs Mary Kennedy and
Karen Peissinger will lead the girls in the
game Habitat-Lap-Sit. This is an'
environmental game that teaches about tbe
habitat requirements of the golden-cheeked
· warbler, one of Be~ar County's two
endangered bird species.
Girl Scout Botanica was created by the
San Antonio Botanical Gardens and the
local Girl Scout council as a program to
cover five topics: community service, native
trees and plants, gardening, .ornithotogy, .
and conservation. By participating in. the
program, individual Girl Scouts are abl~ '
earn a special badge created just for Bexar
County Girl Scouts.
a;:A&S
BEXAR
AUDUBON
SOCIETY
SAN ANTONIO·
TEXAS
Thursday, December 17, 1998-Chapter Party .c...:.
You Are Cordially Invited to a Holiday Happening §{; ,-
Documenting Our Diversi f
BAS Members Invited t
Show Travel/Nature. Slid s
'
7 p.m. -Party Time!
Free and open to the public
0 m
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co
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Ruble Center, 419 E. Magnolia (east of McCullough; take Mulberry exit off 281)
For VIA public transportation: take Route 5 (St. Mary's/McCullough/ North Star Mall) to Magnolia
· Happily bowing to historic:al precedent, the Bexar Audubon Society
will devote its December meeting to a holiday gathering at which members
are invited to show slides or still photos of their recent travels and/or
wildlife adventures. A carousel projector will be provided.
There will be wide assortment of (mostly) healthful refreshments,
lots of (mostly) stimulating conversation, and a welcome opportunity to
. . get to know each other a little better. ~··
· The usual suspects will be rounded up to
help identify that little brown bird that just appeared at your feeder. ~
Likewise, helpful tips will be dispensed (if you ask) on socially
acceptable ways to cope with squirrel and dove invasions. Those with documented sighting
of colorful and rare birds will be permitted to brag. ·
Come one, come all, and bring a friend. Please bring a holiday treat to s~are.
Approximately 250 Girl Scouts and
Troop Leaders are expected to attend Girl
Scout Botanica . . If you are free to assist
with this event, please contact Karen
Peissinger at (21 0) 738-3209 between
7 a.m. _ 9 p.m. ( 0 r pe issi nge r46@ ate- Editor's note: Grandparents are respectfully requested not to succumb to the temptation
enviro.com). of slipping a slide of the newest grandchild in amongst the_ goldfinches.
,-----1-9-9-8-- C--h-r-i-s-tm--a-s- -B--ir-d-- C--o-u-n-t-s- ----~ Saturday & Sunday: January 9-10. 1999
Have you ever participated in a.Christmas Bird Count (·~BC)? Texas Audubon Society's
Not only are the number of different bird species counted, but also 1 Tr • • .e 'T'
the number of individuals of each species seen is estimated. Each ssues aiDing tOr .texans
CBC consists of a 15-mile-diameter.circle in which the count focuses. • th 1999 L • 1 • S •
Bird watchers of all experience levels are invited to participate. In e . egis ative ess.Ion
Locally, there are several CBCs to choose from; · The closest is' ·"Please make plans to attend this training put on for Audubon
the San Antonio CBC, which is sponsored by 'the San Antonio members' benefit by the Texas Audubon Society," invites Catrion.a
Audubon Society. Local birders can also participate in CBCs in · Glazebrook, Executive Director. ''The goal is to inform Audubon
Boerne, Comstock, and Del Rio. Please con.tact the coordinators members about natural resource issues of importance, Texas
listed if you wish to participate. Legislative representatives' stance on conservation issues and
Ernie Roney, (210) 656~4239: San Antonio CBC, 20 Dec ·· legislative bills to keep an eye on as well as to provide sp~cific
Sue Wiedenf,eld, (830) 995-2300, is the coordinator for: · training for members. Excellent speakers have been lined up. I
Comstock CBC, 26 Dec will provide travel costs to members coming from outside of Austin."
Del Rio CBC, 27 Dec ~ Final details were not available at press time, please contact
Boerne CBC, 02 Jan Bill Sain at 408-7731 for more information.
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BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY
Chapter of the National Audubon Society
P. 0. Box 6084, San Antonio, TX 78209
210-822-4503
GOALS
The Chapter's primary goals are
to promote species and habitat
conservation and environmental education
in the community.
OFFICERS
President Bill Sain (71634.230@compuserve.com) .. .. 408-7731
Vice Pres. Mike Mecke ...... (mmecke@saws.org) ..... ... 344-3737
Treasurer Betty Minyard ... (mink@texas.net) ........... ... 344-6128
Secretary Deborah Robinson ........................ ................ 493-4663
" ........................ (dlr2spi"rit@compuserve.com)
Past Pres. Susan Hughes . . ........ ............................ ... 532-2332 •
........................ (Susan @wordwright.com)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Term Ending 1999:
Kim Hoskins .......................................................... .... ... ..... 696-3780
Jane Nelka ......................... Osneal@texas.net) ..... ..... 561-0313
Harry Noyes ......................... . ...................................... 490-3124
Term Ending 2000:
Chris Dullnig ....•........ ............ (cdullnig@juno.com) . 830-980-8156
Maria Elizalde ..... ..... .............. .. .... .. ..................... .......... 695-4256
Janis Merrit ........ ........ ......... .. ...... ...... .. ...... ...... ........... 698-1095
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Adopt-a-Park Bill Woller ................................................... ... 696-3186
Aud. Adven. Betty Minyard ... (mink@texas.net) .............. 344-6128
Birdathon Bill Sain (71634.230@compuserve.com) .... 408-7731
Conserv. Richard Pipes .. (rjpipes@flash.net) .. .. 830-281-2452
Education Mary Kennedy .. (mbkenned@aol.com)698-7175x267
Karen Peissinger .. .... .... ........ ...... ...... .... ...... .. 266-4300
Hospitality Nancy Johnson ............ .. ..... .. ...................... .. 655-1338
Memb. Deborah Robinson .... .. ........................... ..... 493-4663
..... ...... .. ..... .... (dlr2spirit@compuserve.com)
Naturallnit. Tom Wilson .. .. .. (twilsond@AOL.com) .... .... 492-4799
Outings ....... ........................... .. ....... .. ....................... .. available
Programs Chris Dullnig .... (cdullnig@juno:com) . 830-980-8156
Publicity ........... ..... ..................................................... available
SAEN Coord. Fred Loxsom .... (floxsom@trinity.edu) ........ 736-7425
Ways & Means Bill Sain (71634.230@compuserve.com) ..... 408-7731
Bexar Tracks Tom Wilson .. .... (twilsond@AOL.com) . ...... .. 492-4799
Editors Jill Sondeen .......................... ......... ....... 830-980-3277
Osondeen@ NetXPress.com) ...... .. Fax: 830-438-7393
Mailing Karen and Mel Shupp .. ..... ......... ..... .............. 494-3134
Bexar Tracks is your newsletter.
We welcome your contributions.
Next deadline: December 18, 1998
Please fax Jill or email Tom as above; diskettes
and hard copy should be sent to Tom Wilson,
13227 Hunters Spring, San Antonio, TX 78230.
Printed with soy ink on
recycled paper.
Visit Bexar Audubon's
Web Site:
http://www.audubon.prg/chapter/txlbexar/
Suggestions and con\ributions are welcome.
Please contact Bill Hurley at
BILLHUR@aol.com
December 1998
Yesterday morning, while I was out working in our wildscape, I saw the first
robin of the season. Moments later I was thrilled to hear, and then see, a flock of 25
or so sandhill cranes flying over. Later still, a red-shouldered hawk joined a couple
of turkey vultures soaring nearby. After a few hours of yardworklbirding, I went out
to Eisenhower Park to see our exhibit at the Texas Public Radio-sponsored
Hands-On-Nature program.
I am writing this on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and my experience of the
previous day hints at the many things I have to be thankful for. As environmentalists
we frequently focus on all the problems that we fight on a daily basis. There never
seem to be enough time, money, or volunteers to do all the work we feel must be
done to meet our goals.
This time of the year though, especially here in the San Antonio area, we have
to count our blessings. We are blessed with mild weather, birds migrating through
or arriving for the winter, the beauty of the Hill Country, the South Texas brushlands,
and blackland prairies. We are blessed by the many wonderful volunteers (I am
doubly-blessed because I can call them my friends) that work on the issues, run our
organization, and support our efforts. It would take this entire newsletter (and probably
most of the next) to thank all of the folks who have worked so hard over the past
year. I will have to settle for a collective THANK YOU!
I hope all of you have glorious holidays. Thanks again and keep up the good
work.
-Bill Sain
EDUCATION NEWS
November.21, 1998, Report on Hands-On Adventure Event
BAS Helps Radio Active Kids
Learn About Their Environment
On Saturday morning, November
21, despite the chill in the air, volunteers
from Texas Public Radio, Bexar
Audubon Society, the Master Natualists,
the Wild Bird Center, San Antonio
Audubon Society, and Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department gathered in the main
pavilion of Eisenhower Park to transform
it into a hands-on learning center for the
children. of TPR members.
Approximately 60 children and
adults braved the cool morning and
enjoyed bird feeder construction, animal
track printing, environmental games,
birding and general nature hikes, as well
as nutritious, natural snacks provided by
Sun Harvest. By mid-morning the
participants were rewarded with warm
sunshine and the visit of a phoebe to the
top of the park pavilion.
This event was a landmark for Bexar
Audubon as it was the first at which the
Education Committee's new display was
unveiled. The theme of the display was
"The Endangered Species of Bexar
County" spotlighting the golden-cheeked
warbler and the black-capped vireo.
2
BAS provided Wildlife Sightings Field
Books to the children so they could draw
pictures and describe what they observed
on the various hikes offered that morning.
Additionally, a variety of hand-outs on
wildscaping, wild bird feeding, Texas birds,
and bird identification were available for the
participants to take home.
Two people joined as new members
because of BAS's presence at this event:
Linda Hanson and Katrina Theiss! Bexar
Audubon welcomes these new members
and looks forward to seeing them at future
events and meetings. If you meet Linda
or Katrina, be sure to give them a warm
BAS welcome.
Thanks to all the volunteers (see
Applause on page 8). If you missed this
opportunity to be a volunteer (no
experience necessary, just a friendly
smile), you may contact Education
Committee Co-Chairs Mary Kennedy at
698-7175 , ext.267, or
mbkenned@aol.com; or Karen Peissinger
at 738-3209 before 9:00 p.m. or
peissinger46@ atc-enviro.com.
-Karen Peissinger
Bexar Tracks
November 6-7. 1998. Fall Meeting:
Texas Audubon
Society Update
One of my roles
as President . of
Bexar Audubon is
to represent our .
chaprer on the .
Board of Directors
of the Texas
Audubon Society
(TAS). I am joined
on that board by fellow BAS members
Susan Hughes and Dick Pipes· who, until
recently, both filled At-Large 'positions on the
TAS Board. The TAS board held its
quarterly meeting in Ft. Worth on November
6 and 7, 1998. As most of you know, TAS
is the state-level organization in the National
Audubon Society family.
· Our first order of business on the
evening of November 6, was to hear from
the thr!')e candidates for the Southwest
Regional Director to the National Audubon
Board of Directors (see separate article). .
Among items of interest on November 7 was ·
the election of officers. Our own Dick Pipes
was elected as the Chairman of the Board
of Directors. Nada Wareham (Central Texas
Audubon) is the new Vice Chair, John
Whittle (Golden Triangle Audubon) is the
Secretary, and Alan Jaeger (Travis
Audubon) is the Treasurer. It was.
announced that outgoing Chair, Lynne
Aldrich (Houston Audubon), was moving to
Colombus OH. This is a tremendous loss
to the Audubon fami ly here in Texas. Lynne
is a wonderful indivi.dual who is a great birder
and an outstanding organizer. I had the
privilege of working with her on developing
the Conceptual Plan for the NAS state office
that has become theTAS. I wish Lynne and
Peter the best of luck and good birding. I
know they will be returning to Texas often.
TAS board ·meetings· are open to· all
National Audubon members residing within
the state of Texas. Upcoming meetings are
scheduled for January 23 and 24, 1999, in
Austin; March 27, 1999, in Corpus Christi;
July 24, 1999, back in Austin; and finally,
October 9, 1999, here in San Antonio.
You should all be receiving the· .
semi-annual newsletter of. the TAS. Issue
number 3 was mailed out within the last few
weeks. If you have not received your issue,
let "me know. I have a number of extra
copies and will gladly send you one.
-Bill Sain
December 1998
CHAe.TE.R_:NEWS _ ,...._,.._.._~
Susan Hughes Elected to National
Audubon Board of Directors
Former BAS President (and former Audubon Council of Texas President) Susan
Hughes was recently elected by the National Audubon Society chapters in Texas and
Louisiana as the Southwest Regional Representative to the NAS Board of Directors.
Ted Eubanks, who has so ably served our region in this position for the last four
years, resigned several months ago to focus more time on his business. We at BAS are
very grateful to Ted fpr all the hard work and dedication during his term as a member of
the NAS Board of Directors.
We joined Houston Audubon in nominating Susan for this extremely important position
which represents the 20 Texas and 4 Louisiana Audubon chapters on the NAS Board of
Directors. Other nominees. included former Audubon Council of Texas President, Carole
Wilmoth (nominated by the Prairie and Timbers Chapter) and Michael Crago (President
and nominee of the Orleans Audubon Society in New Orleans). I have known and worked
with Carole for a number of years now and had heard many good things about Michael so
I knew that no matter how the elections turns out, the Southwest Region woul9 be ably
represented. Congratulations, Susan!
-Bill Sain
November 19, 1998, Meeting Recap:
TPWD Scientist Charts a Course
to Environmental Achievement
Landscapes of all descriptions are nt Cf2ndiMns and what effect
complex but their components and · ' y~ .
processes are simple, Dr. Jerry Cooke, large , 'l':W'bW what is the
game specialist for the J&~as Parks anq . . ~rtthe problem or the
Wildlife D.epartment, toi~B.- ~· members at )!t it can be strengthened or
the monthly meeting No e'(t\b£H 19. · attac . ecessary.
· · Dr. Cooke describe hi§ ~search into · 3\ .. o~·~~Ys~em Response-know
range and ranch condition~" n ~arious parts the r~:~of ~ll~Rose9" acti~~ns not only on
of Texas which showedi<thatboth therigt),t the t• ~uedtale gqal.· bUt the entire
plants <and the right a~lmals, doing. what ecos)lstem. :: ..,;"' ~1c:,~·
comes naturally, c/!n , jncr@a.se . .the· . MaiQtnat·(:iollar Response- know
· productivity and durq.bil~y'~f WEftaodseap,e· ~ .,it;'o.yr PP~!iised actions are cost effective,
while increasing their ~n n_. u1 bws. ~.· "J · bpth -irl{havjng fufids to carry them out and
'There is only on~o!Jf nergy, · ~'in .. ,., · · bility tq}maintain .the project on a
he pointed out, "the tri ·, i~ 'tutla it"• "so onornlC footing. ~
Dr. Cooke gave this e @.[nPie: Grazing :~~ ociai,Culturall~surs.l.k~ow if your
animals disturb the·soil wliiJcM••p~l'nits soil "' propose~ Ftdtons will be .~ccepted by the
algae to flourish whic IR pLant'S'Q1o\IV )oaal 'socit tg or be m·a·~~ <;f'ational and
which provides org·anic tt~r ~{~~ hoi~ unders~~pd~ble to those aff9£ted financially
moisture . ~vYhich sustains the la'n ~ during ~ ·-.....an a:esthettcally. "''{ z.;:
drought. Eliminating soil distur , fro ' Yf!, the science of' wildlife
animal~ o~ ot~~~ise, allows mo '0: .gti mana rrJ:: . ntcan~Jp '}£i~·lil'ot\qany number
the sot I, tnhtbttmg th~ algae, re . ~f desire-~;,clls~lt~:1 pJo)y~~ing there is
plants and exacerbatt~g dry ancJ , S' S~bstan!i?l~tl R_Or,t fortheir i!llplementation.
conditions. In .this situation, witbbq1t'Ii!19 lf~p.lf a ,orh.~d i tl eding deer and
grazing animals, rather than allowinQ 'tl:l · the oth ·.!tYln9'fo c~ase them out of
desert to restore itself, hasten?A;fis . !}ttte lirtel~l'l'ood of a wildlife
destruction. ,"Disturbance is a necessa providing that .. neighborhood with
component of maintenance." lution to its deer problem, he said.
Dr. Cooke listed his five tests of good "If you don't know where you are going,
environmental management: any roaq will get you there."
1 . Cause and Eff~ct-know what is ' -Tom Wilson
.3 Bexar Tracks
Success Abounds for
Master Naturalists
, The Master Naturalists Program is off
to a roaring start. The fourth class of Master
Naturalists graduated on November 19.
With this class, there will be approximately
150 Master Naturalists providing a
significant amount of volunteer hours (5,564
hours have been reported since the
inception of the program in 1997). Master
Naturalist programs are also being started
(under the auspices of the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department) in Austin and Dallas.
Bexar Audubon is proud of its
participation in the development and
continued success of the Master Naturalist
program. We continue to act as a funding
agent for this organization and to work
closely with the Master Naturalist
leadership. Congratulations are also in
order to the Master Naturalist program.
They were recently notified that the
Kronkosky Foundation has awarded them
a $5,000 grant to fund computer equipment
to be used by the organization.
-Bill Sain
Update after Flood:
Mitchell Lake Aceess
Due to the torrential rains in
mid-October, the roads around some of the
polders and decant basins at Mitchell Lake
have been deemed hazardous by the safety
people at SAWS. SAWS has elected at this
time to temporarily deny public access while a more controlled approach is devised. As
of this date, 11/28/98, Ernie Roney of San
Antonio Audubon has been permitted to
lead the regular fourth Saturday outing. The
conditions for this permission are that each
person will sign a Waiver of Liability and that
there will be no driving around the polders
or decant basins, i.e., birding will be done
on foot.
At the present time there are no plans
to repair the roads as SAWS and the
Steering Committee representing outside
public interests are in the process of
developing a master plan for the Mitchell
Lake site. The time line for finalization of
the master plan is December 1999.
To attend the monthly fourth Saturday
outing, just show up at the gate to Mitchell
. Lake at 8:00AM. And stay tuned for further
developments.
-Marge Lumpe,
Mitchell Lake Wetlands Society
December 1998
LOCAL NE-WS
(Editor's Note: The next two news items concerning the Medina River area come from BAS
Veep Mike Mecke).
Dated: November 3, 1998
Report of Flood Damage at the
Medina River Property
I just returned from a quick survey of
the Medina River property to see if there
was any major flood damage. The river was
still running pretty high and out of its banks.
You can see that during the flood it must
have been REALLY impressive! Major trees
are down everywhere and debris is found
30-40 feet high.
The old rock Applewhite house (ruins)
had some damage: half of the south side of
standing wall (with cactus) is down to the
ground now. The Watson house looks OK.
The pond that had always been in front of
Watson house until the drought of 95-96, is
back now! It's about a quarter of a mile
long and wa:s flowing over the road to form
another shallow pond. It had a pretty pair
of wood ducks on it checking out the flooded
brush! I'd never seen woodies there before,
just black bellies.
Dated: November 10, 1998
The AIT site on river is gone-just
flattened grass-the jacala frame, etc., are
gone. The road into the pit is also about
gone-1 started down then chickened out,
no 4wd today. The grass everywhere was
2-4 feet tall, great for game and recovery,
but will be a potential fire hazard next year!
Scissor tails were really bunching up­from
5-12 everywhere! I watched ~2 wild
turkeys at the cattle guard near the Watson
house, really pretty. I saw our sparrow
hawk, the caracara and a couple of other
hawks. Hog trails were everywhere! The
river took out some fence and banks at
Applewhite Road-otherwise everything else
seemed OK. I saw some egrets and
cormorants at the creek above Mitchell on
Pleasanton Road. I thought I had a flock of
swallows in the car with me, but turned out
to be mosquitoes! Huge and plentiful!!!!
Potential Good News for-the
Southside and
I hope everyone noted the San Antonio
Express-News front page and Metro section
story regarding yesterday's Palo Alto
meeting with Texas A & M University
Chancellor, Alamo CCD Chancellor, Palo
Alto President and Senator Madia. TAMU
was invited down to a special luncheon
yesterday-by the SA Greater Chamber­to
describe what they are presently doing
in San Antonio and what they COULD do
for SA with a local university presence.
TAMU is intent upon a southside site, likely
with Palo Alto. They plan to start as a junior/
senior level institution, and then, when both ·
San Antonio!!
reach a combined 5,000 students, they
would merge and become a 4 year
university.
If TAMU is successful regarding the
Medina River site application, it may play a
major part in both schools' plans as a nearby
adjunct field lab site for biology,
archaeology, history, water resources/
engineering, agriculture, cultural resources,
wildlife biology, etc. Hopefully all our hard
work over the past four years in saving this
beautiful, historic site will pay off in even
bigger dividends than we had originally
anticipated.
To Be Held in Austin. TX-December 15-17. 1998
Second Annual "Partners for Smart Growth" Conference·
This conference, organized through a cooperative agreement between the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and the Urban Land Institute, will cover smart growth in
depth. It will demonstrate the importance of identifying common ground where developers,
environmentalists, public officials, citizens, and lenders can work together to accommodate
growth in ways that enhance the quality of life and protect the environment.
Call 1-800-321-5011 or see the ULI web page at www.uli.org for more information.
-Mike Mecke forwarded this message from Ken Awtrey
4 · Bexar Tracks
ENVIRONMENTAL N~EWS
What Makes San Antonio: a Description of Our Environment
Editor's Note: This comprehensive description of the geology of San Antonio was writen by BAS member and all around envrionmental
maven Susan Rust who chairs the San Antonio Open Space Board.
Underpinnings out parts of the old limestone surface,
San Antonio lies at the junction creating numerous steep-sided hills and
between the two great land forms of the drainage canyons before coalescing into
western United States; the Great Plains to larger creeks and rivers which flow across
the west and the Coastal Plains to the east. the Coastal Plain to the Gulf of Mexico.
In Texas, the boundary between these Much of this water, as it flows across or falls
regions is p. zone of considerable geologic upon the Balcones fault zone with its
faulting and relative displacement of the honeycomb of conduits, enters and is
earth's crust. Perhaps its most dramatic temporarily stored in the Edwards Aquifer
expression of this displacement occurs as it moves underground to the east before
along the Balcones Escarpment below resurfacing as springs and continuing on
which is situated San Antonio. The land to . its way to the coast.
the west is known as the Edwards Plateau;
the land to the east is known as the Gulf
Coastal Plain; and the rugged, highly
dissected edge of the escarpment is known
as the Balcones Canyonlands.
The soils and rocks, as well as the
topography are markedly diffe.rent above
and below the Balcones Fault. Thin, fragile,
alkalkine soils over exposed limestone rock
characterize the rugged land to the west,
- while deep, fertile, clay soils cover the gently
undulating land to the east. In addition,
drainages cutting across the two zones from
west to east have deposited rich, alluvial,
· silty soils along their floodplains, and fingers
of old sand dunes with their dry, acid soils
extend into the clay soils to the south.
Along the southeastern edge of the
Edwards Plateau, water draining toward the
Gulf Coast has cut through and dissolved
iltl£>~~
However, not withstanding the
importance of water in shaping the
landscape and people of the San Antonio
region, it is a dry place; a place
characterized as semi-arid. Although the
average annual rainfall is about 30 inches,
the rain falls in a dramatic feast or famine
fashion. The Balcones Escarpment is the
first significant topographic break inland
from the Gulf of Mexico. lt is here where
the moist, warm air from the Gulf routinely
meets the waves of drier, cooler air from
the north and west, resulting in some of the
largest flood-producing storms in the
continental United States. Rainfall often
arrives in heavy pulses, and is seasonally
somewhat unpredictable. Major drought
cycles of approximately 25 years seem to
characterize the broader climatic pattern of
south central Texas, as though to
Good Ideas from a Site Planning Roundtable
emphasize the critical importance of
regional aquifers.
The Living Landscape
The dramatic differences in the abiotic
characteristics of the land on the two sides
of the Balcones Escarpment in the San
Antonio area were clearly reflected in the
native plant communities and wildlife which
were associated with them.
On the upper portions of the Edwards
Plateau to the west, the vegetation prior to
the 1840s would have been characterized
as an open savanna of mixed grasses with
irregular clusters of trees and shrubs, while
the plains to the east were primarily
extensions of the Blackland Prairies with tall
grasses and abundant wildflowers.
, This unique convergence of diverse
plant communities and land forms
supported a wonderful diversity of bear,
antelope, deer, birds, and fish.
Man and the Land
The tremendous and wonderful
diversity of plants and animals in the San
Antonio area is a direct reflection of the mild
weather, complex landscape, and the
availability C?f water. This is what attracted
Paleoindians to the area. This is why the
Spanish established missions here. This
is why San Antonio is.
~ .• . '". - ..... _.,., ..t'
Better Site Design: Changing the Rules ....... .
Better site design {building) is a term
that describes a fundamentally different
approach to the design of residential and
commercial development. Three goals are
sought: reduce impervious cover, increase
the amount of land conserved, and use
pervious areas for more effective
· stormwater treatment and management.
Reduced impervious cover equals smaller
pollutant loads and reduced flooding in
downstream areas.
Recent studies in Delaware, Maryland
and Virginia derr10nstrate that better site
designs in residential subdivisions can
reduce impervious cover by 25 to 40
percent. Other studies show about 20
percent reduction in shopping centers and
office parks. The same studies d9cumented
December 1-998
that better site designs cost 5 to 20 percent
less to build.
So why are developers slow to
change? The primary reason is outdated
development rules that collectively shape
developments-subdivision codes, zoning
regulations, parking/street standards and
other regulations. Few developers are
willing to experiment and invest in
something which may not be approved.
A new movement may make it easier.
Developers, water quality managers and
planners are reforming land development
rules to permit· better site development.
Many of these professionals attended a
recent national. roundtable of transportation,
public works, safety, planning ahd
engineering organizations that strongly
5
affected past development rules and
designed a nationally accepted set of model
principles fostering improved site develop­ment.
The principles are on The Center for
· Watershed Protection's website:
www.pipeline.com/-mrrunoff/
Known as a local site planning
roundtable, the process can be long,
arduous, and even contentious, but it can
be a very wise investment, given the many
economic, environmental and quality of life
benefits that it can produce.
-Tom Schueler
Center for Watershed Protection
(Editor's Note: This abstract was provided
by BAS VP Mike Mecke)
Bexar Tracks
MISCELLANEOUS
Book Review: Just in Time for Christmas
Big Bend in Black and_ White
COLLEGE STATION, TX-A fortunate overlap between profession and hobby has produced
"Land of the Desert Sun," a new book of quietly stunning black-and-white photographs by
D. Gentry Steele.
Steele's love of the outdoors and his first visit to Big Bend National Park in 1989
spurred his desire to photograph the region in his own way. Desiring a slow; deliberate
process of creating photographs, Steele chose to work with a large-format camera, one
that requires a heavy tripod. "It creates in me a way of seeing and feeling that smaller, more
portable photographic equipment cannot seem to bring out in me," Steele writes in his
preface. "I enjoy the process of photographif]g with a large-format, the hunting for the
potential image, the task of isolating and creating that image on the ground glass, and
previsualizing the final photograph."
When Steele looks at his prints hanging in a gallery or printed on the pages of his new
book, he can still sense the anticipation and excitement he felt as he waited for the right
level of sunlight or the breeze to calm so he could snap the shutter. ,
Steele is professor and associate head of anthropology at Texas A&M University. A
member of the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, he is past president of the Brazos Valley
Museum of Natural History's board of trustees. His photographs have been exhibited at
galleries in Austin and College Station.
"Land of the Desert Sun" is available at stores or direct from Texas A&M University
Press, College Station, Texas 77843-4354, Tel. 409-845-1436 x112, FAX 409-847-8752
(800-826-8911 M-F 8-5 central; secure online ordering at www.tamu.edu/upress/). The
book is 8% x 10. It has 152 pages and contains 51 photos and 3 maps and costs $29.95
plus shipping and handling.
-Maureen L. Creamer, Texas A&M University Press
Texas Renewable
Energy: Back in. the
Saddle Again
Folks-we are in a period of renewable
energy growth in Texas right now-and we
are just beginning to tap Texas' renewable
energy potential. While Texas ranks first in
ihe United State_s in potential to generate
electricity from wind, solar and biomass
sources, we had fallen to 51st in actual use
of the resources in the last two years.
Thanks to growing public support for
renewable energy and the very hard work
of energy activists, we are seeing important
developments take place. The Public Utility
Commission just passed a rule so utility
companies can offer customers renewable
energy, and several utilities and power
providers are making announcements
about new wind energy projects.
By next summer nearly 200 MW of new
renewables will be installed in Texas .....
$200+ million dollars worth of projects
distributed in a dozen different locations.
-Mike Sloan
Texas Solar Energy Society
UT Researchers Taste Success with Electronic Tongue
AUSTIN, Texas-While artists may complain
that critics' taste exists only in their mouths,
UT Austin engineers and scientists have
now s'uccessfully placed it on a silicon chip.
Using chemical sensors, these
University of Texas at Austin researchers
designed an electronic tongue that mimics
the real thing. Like its natural counterpart,
it has the potential someday to distinguish
between a dazzling array of subtle flavors
using a combination of the four elements of
taste: sweet, sour, salt and bitter. And in
some ways it has outdone Mother Nature:
it has the capacity to analyze the chemical
composition of a substance as well.
The device, which has the potential to
incorporate hundreds of chemical
microsensors on a silicon wafer, has a
multitude of potential uses. The food and
beverage industry wants to develop it for
rapid testing of new food and drink-products
for comparison with a comf:Juter library of
tastes proven popular with consumers. But
the artificial tongue can also be used for
more distasteful purposes, to analyze
cholesterol levels in blood, for instance, or
cocaine in urine, or toxins in water. The
National Institutes of Health recently gave
the UT group $600,000 to develop a tongue
version to replace the multiple"medical tests
December 1998
done on blood and urioe with one fast test.
The tongue research, reported this
summer in the Journal of the American
Chemical Society, began in 1996 when
electrical and computer engineering
professor Dean Neikirk and chemists John
McDevitt and Eric Anslyn began casual
discussion of the idea. The collaboration
incorporated the work of Ans!yn, a UT
chemist and tongue researcher, who uses
polymer microbeads to synthesize DNA and
its proteins.
The team attached four well-known
chemical sensors to Anslyn's minute beads
and placed the beads in Neikirk's
micro-machined wells on a silicon wafer.
Like a human tongue, the wells· mimicked
the tongue's many cavities that hold
chemical receptors known as taste buds.
Each bead, like a tongue's receptor, had a
sensor that responded to a specific
chemical by changing color. One turned
yellow in response to high acidity, purple
under b<=\Sic conditions. Then the
researchers read the sensor's results
·through an attached camera-on-a-chip
connected to a compute~.
The sensors responded to different
combinations of the four artificial taste
elements with unique combinations of red,
6
green and blue,
enabling the device to F-'-::::=:::-':::::::6:.--~~
analyze for several
different chemical
components
simultaneously. This
is where the group employed the:expertise
of chemist Jason Shear, who developed the
dye photochemistry.
'The most pleasant aspect of our work
haS, been the really neat way the expertise
of the various team members has meshed.
This has been a great example of how
science and engineering can work together
to produce something that will be of real
utility." said Neikirk.
From the silicon tongue, the team
hopes to create a process to make artificial
tongues more cheaply and quickly, placing
them on a roll of tape, for example, to be
used once and thrown away.
"Surprisingly this technology has
created interest in vastly different areas,"
said McDevitt. "Besides the food industry,
environmental and tourist industries want
to incorporate it into hand-held monitors for
feedback about local air and water. And
there are huge markets in biomedical
applications."
Bexar Tracks
! -
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__ QIRD TALES_,_.~
Texas Audubon Society and Austin Metro Trails and Greenways Present:
First Annual Native Wildlife
Photography Contest
Dust off that old camera lens and prepare to photograph birds and habitat!
The competition is open to professional and novice photographers across Texas.
There are also two divisions for junior photographers as well.
The categories are as followS':
Grassland Birds Scenic Regional Landscape/Habitat
Woodland/F'orest Birds Quintessential Texas Bird (Humorous)
Raptors/Owls Abstract/ Artistic/Fantasy Nature Photo
Upland Gamebirds and Waterfowl Photo That Tells a Story
Coastal/Water Birds (shorebirds, waders, marsh birds, colonial waterbirds, etc.)
Austin Trails
Deadline for entries is February 15, 1999 so send for your entry form today!
Junior Photograph~rs
The categories are the same, but it will cost you only $5 to enter up to three pictures.
There arE) two divisions: Division 1: Ages 14 and younger
Division II: Ages 15 through 18
Winners for each category will be selected. ·From those winners a "Best of Show"
will be chosen for Professional Photographer, Novice Photographer and Junior
Photographers (Division I and Division II). .
The four grand prize winners will be special guests at the 1 OOth Anniversary Gala on
March 5th, 1999, at Bass Performace Hall in Ft. Worth where they will receive awards.
All winning photographs will be displayed at GSD&M advertising firm in Jt,me, 1999.
Winners will also have their photographs (with photo credit) highlighted in the Spring
Edition of the Texas Audubon Newsletter that reaches 26,000 households statewide.
Entry Fee: $25 (limit of 3 entries per entry fee)
Contact: Pamela McCroskery, Director of Communications, Texas Audubon
Society, (512) 306~0225 or e~mai/:pmccroskery@audubon.org
.What's Going On?
Birds Do Their Bit to· Keep Bites Down
Editor's Note: This account was· reported on the TEXBIRDS Listserv by Petra Hockey of
Port O'Connor, Texas. ' .
Yesterday around 1 0:30 a.m., my hwsjjand, Ladd, and· I witnessed an absolutely
awesome phenomenort concerning tree s~all.ows. We were but two blocks·away from our
house when. w.e spot~ed ~ne _of those wh~ell~g, twisting ~pd turnin~Jouds" of birds that I
usually assoc1ate w1th ncei1elds. But thH~1lme they ~ere not assorted bl birds, but
~housands and thousands of tree swaiiOIJI(,S (We4gues between 59.&f> , 00). They
JUSt about blackened th(;'l sJ<ypver an area ,9f scrub br swirling and ttl nan irregular
but always clock\'{Jse motton. .,.. i
We quickly c~~ht up with them and obs'erve,d ho they..,@ur area of about four
city blocks at a height of 50-~00 feet. All we could figure"Was · hey.,w\'lre after the
plentiful mosquitoes that had hatched after the recent rains had caused 111qch stanoing
water all over town. After a while they descended en masse and .started to work the lower
elevations. From practically ground level, all around the trees and bvshes the activity was ·
frantic and the chattering drowned out all other noise. ,
They reminded me of a giant mosquito vacuum cleaner, and for a short time Ladd and
I could stand in a freshly de-mosquitoed zone without gettin'g a bite. But fresh supply is
constantly hatching and we will be ready for the next "clowd" of swallows in no time at all.
December 1998 7
Rio Grande Valley Festival,
Highlights of a Grand Event
Editor's Note: This account of the Rio
Grande Valley Birding Festival was provided
by Mike-Quinn of the Lower Rio Grande
Valley Audubon Society, Donna, TX.
The birds and birders of the Rio Grande
Valley put on another great show!!! I believe
10 hook-billed kites were seen at
Bentsen-RGV State Park on Saturday (Nov.
14) and all the birders got long looks at
multiple brown jays at Chapeno. The birding
was so good at Santa Ana NWR on
Thursday that it was well over a half hour
before we left th!3 parking lot!
The Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden
across the street from the Harlingen
Auditorium actually produced some of the
rarest critters seen during the festival. On
Friday, after the morning birding tours, a
couple of the leade-rs went ·out for more.
They decided to first check the garden
across the street and found an unusual
butterfly that Mike Overton identified as a
blue metalmark.
The news of its occurrence spread
quickly. Carrie Gate and 1 heard of it while -
in the back of the auditorium. We grabbed
our binos and ran like the house was on
fire! We passed Father Tom and were
shouting "blue metalmark" all the way out.
(S9me peo.ple a~parently were scratching
their heads wondering what's i'l "blue
meadowlark"!)
The blue,metalmark is a small butterfly
with an incredibly gorgeous iridescent
sky-blue sheen above. Only the Audubon
field guide captures its beauty (see photo
#491 ). It's life cycle is unreported. No one
apparently knows what its caterpillars feed
on. The Audubon guide lists its range as
"Honduras north to extreme S. Texas
arou'nd Pharr and Brownsville." .
'' It was a life butterfly for nearly every
person at the festival. Three or four blue
metalmarks were seen on Saturday and I
heard the high count on Sunday was
seven!!!
UPCOMING
CHAPTER MEETINGS
January 21, 1999-Establishment of a
Tanzania Game Management Program
·Jim Stinebaugh, USFWS.
February 1999-Master Naturalist
Program - TPWD
Bexar Tracks
~ububon ~pplau~t
The Education Committee would like to
recognize the generosity of the members
who volunteered their Saturday morning to
work on the Hands-On Adventure event:
Tom Wilson, Bill Hurley, Toni Villarreal,
and Bill Sain. A special thank-you goes out
to Texas Public Radio for inviting ·BAS to
participate in the Hands-On Adventure!
""" """" """'r Animal Organizations Need Help
The floods of October devastate<? not only
human shelters, but animal shelters as well.
"The animal victims of this disaster must rely
on the kindness and compassion of people like
you to getthem through," says Wallace Swett,
President of Primarily Primates, Inc., a
sanctuary in San Antonio vyhich sustained
considerable damage during the flood.-"Fencing
has been swept away .... debris left behind by the
floodwaters are piled up in the enclosures. And,
most frightening of all, many of the animal's
heated shelters were swept awaY:" If you can
help, please send your tax-deductible
contributions to PO Box 207, San Antonio, TX
78291. (830) 755-4616 ..
Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, Inc.
has been inundated with homeless animals and
is also in need of contributions: WRR, PO Box
34FF, San Antonio, TX 78201. (21 0) 696-1709. r------------.. lntroducto·ry Membership
National Audubon Society
Bexar AudubonSociety
(Chapter Code W19)
New memberships to .National
Audubon Society, including a
subscription to Audubon magazine, are
$20 ($15 for seniors or full-time
students). This inc)udes membership in
Bexar Audubon ar)d a subscription to
Bexar Tracks,as well.
Makes a gteat gift!
Name ____ ~------~~------
Add~·-------------------
c~--------~--------- 1
State I
Phone: >~. -----~ I
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I
r
Bexar Audubon Society, hie.
P. 0. Box 6084
San Antonio, TX 78209
Address Servi'ce Requested
Non-profit
Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
San Antonio
Permit #590
UNIV Of TEXAS
LIB SERIALS
W19
NOV99
6900 N LOOP 1604 W
SAN ANTONIO TX 78249-1130
r-~------~--------~-------~ :~Gift Membership I I .
1 Please senp a gift membership to:
1 Name ______ ~------------------------------------
. Address~--------~--------------~~---------------
CitY--------~--------'------------------------------
State _· ---"------Zip ________ From: (BAS will send a card announcing your gift to the recipient)
Name~----------------~----------~~----------~-
Address· ------~~---------------------------------
CitY----------~--~~-----------------------------
State _____ Zip ---------,--- Phone: ( )- -------
Mail this coupon and your check for $20 payable to "National Audubon
Society, Chapter W19'; to:
, Bexar Audubon Society
P. 0. Box 6084
San Antonio, TX 78209
Mail this coupon and your check -
payable to "National Audubon Society,
Chapter W19" to:
Bexar Audubon SocieJy
P. 0. Box 6084
San Antonio, TX 78209
~ :· D . Check the box to m.ake a tax-deductible donation of $_· ~-­payable
t6 "Bexar Audubon ~ociety". Thank you.
I I . --
~------------~~--------~-----~----------~ December 1998 8 Bexar Tracks
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