Thursday, November 13, 2008, 6:00 PM
January Chapter Meeting & Program at the McNay, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009—6 PM
Beloved Audubon Gems on Rare Public Display
January's chapter meet-ing
will be a special outing
to the McNay Art Museum
for their exhibition "Prints
Gone Wild: John James
Audubon."
The date will be the
same as always, the second
Thursday (Jan. 8), which
has two benefits for us.
First, the McNay charges no
admission on Thursday eve-nings.
Second, prints
curator Lyle Williams
will be giving a public
lecture on the exhibi-tion
that evening in
the Lawson Print Gal-lery.
The lecture starts
at 6 PM, a half hour
earlier than our nor-mal
meeting time and
an hour earlier than
our usual program
time. So we encour-age
you all to make a
note on your calen-dars
to arrive early.
After the lecture, we
will have until 9 PM to
view these magnifi-cent
prints.
Bexar Tracks Volume XXVI, No. 4
January-February 2009
For the latest news and updates, see www.bexaraudubon.org and www.sa-naturecenter.org.
Inside this issue:
The Unexpected
President
2
Trinity River Audubon
Center
Project FeederWatch
3
Mitchell Lake
Audubon Center
4
Community Events:
Cibolo Nature Center,
San Antonio Natural
Areas
5
Sustainable Landscapes
Guidelines Report
7
Membership 8
The McNay display has
20 mostly hand-colored
lithographs from the books
on birds (double-elephant
size) and quadrupeds
(imperial size). Featured in
“Prints Gone Wild: John
James Audubon” are three
great Texas subjects, Texas
Wolf, Nine-banded Arma-dillo,
and Texas Rabbit, plus
one of Audubon’s most fa-mous
images, American
Flamingo. This particular
lithograph, printed on a
sheet of paper nearly four
feet long, has not been on
public display for over 15
years.
A few of these lithographs
belong to the McNay but
have never been exhibited
before. Others have been
loaned by San Antonio-area
collectors. Come and join us
for a “dazzling visual ency-clopedia
of America’s native
flora and fauna.”
February 2009: Reproductive Strategies (of Wildlife)
Thursday, February 12, 2009, 6:30 PM
Valentine Program
Reproductive Strategies
of Wildlife
Join Richard Heilbrun,
TPWD Wildlife Biologist, for
an informative and light-hearted
presentation on
"Reproductive Strategies of
Wildlife." Selfish genes, nest
parasitism, and explosive
breeding strategies are par
for the course in this Valen-tine
special!
Richard is an Urban Wild-life
Biologist with Texas
Parks & Wildlife Depart-ment.
He holds a B.S. and a
Masters in Wildlife Ecology
from Texas A&M and cre-ated
this presentation while
guest lecturing at UTSA.
Richard provides technical
guidance to landowners
around San Antonio and
assists city officials in creat-ing
wildlife-friendly city ordi-nances
and in protecting
wildlife habitat.
Bexar Audubon Society
regular chapter meetings
are the second Thursdays
monthly with programs at
Trinity University, Cowles
Life Science Bldg., Room
149; uphill from Laurie Audi-torium
near the library. Feel
free to call 210.837.0577 for
further information and di-rections.
(Map on page 6)
(Courtesy McNay Art Museum)
John James Audubon's "American Flamingo."
The McNay Art Museum
is located at 6000 New
Braunfels, San Antonio. For
more information call
210.824.5368 or log on at
www.mcnayart.org.
Bexar Audubon Society
is a chapter of the National
Audubon Society. Its primary
goals are to promote species
and habitat conservation and
environmental education in the
community.
The
Unexpected
President
expert bird carver who cre-ated
our magnificently real-istic,
hand-painted Conser-vation
Hero quail trophies;
and the 70 participants
whose presence and con-versation
made the banquet
the festive occasion it was
meant to be.
Finally, but perhaps most
important of all, because we
are thanking them not only
for their role at the banquet
but for a lifetime of service
to our community and its
gram; Caryl Swann, who
handled the RSVPs and
finances; and Susan
Hughes, whose expert ad-vice
and historical knowl-edge
of Bexar Audubon
saved us from several po-tential
blunders.
But I would be remiss not
to also praise and thank
numerous other people who
made the banquet a suc-cess:
the generous and
highly professional man-agement
and staff at Los
Patios; John Karger and his
colleagues (human and
avian) from Last Chance
Forever for an outstanding
talk on how falconry con-tributes
to bird conserva-tion;
James Middleton, San
Antonio Audubon Society’s
Page 2 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks
Thank goodness for the
extraordinarily skilled and
dedicated people who con-stitute
the core of Bexar
Audubon Society’s team.
Our November award-and-
anniversary banquet
was a triumph. I cannot
count how many compli-ments
I received for that
marvelous event. Not that I
deserved them.
As you may recall, I was
suffering from a serious
ailment during the critical
weeks leading up to the
event, and I had to hand off
the responsibility for plan-ning
and arranging it to my
colleagues. Special praise
and gratitude are due to
Tony Wood, who negoti-ated
the details with Los
Patios; Patty Pasztor, who
arranged a wonderful pro-
- Harry Noyes -
environment, I must cite the
three inaugural recipients of
the new Bexar Audubon
Society Conservation Hero
trophy: Bill Sinkin, founder
and sustainer of Solar San
Antonio; and Ruth Lofgren
and Ernie Roney for dec-ades
of work to protect
Mitchell Lake and their con-tinued
volunteer work there.
Let me conclude by urg-ing
all of us to follow their
examples as best we can.
(Continued on page 6)
Bill Sinkin & Bill Hurley
Marge Lumpe & Ruth Lofgren
John Karger of LCF
Tony Wood & Bill Sinkin
Bill Skinner & LCF Friend
with Peregrine Falcon
Kelly Rayner of LCF
with Bald Eagle
Ernie Roney
Celebrating
our
Conservation
Heroes
Trinity River Center is flagship site for
National Audubon Society
with the
B l a c k l a n d
Prairie, bot-tomland
hard-wood
forest
and surround-ing
wetlands.
It’s amazing
that this site
was once an
eyesore, but
now is helping nature
come back to life.”
Built on top of a re-claimed
former landfill, the
Trinity River Audubon
Center is the first major
signature development for
the Trinity River Corridor
Project, a $2 billion City of
Dallas public works pro-ject.
A flagship location
for the National Audubon
Society, TRAC is located
just eight minutes from
downtown Dallas on 120
acres of the Great Trinity
Forest—the largest urban
bottomland hardwood
forest in the United
States. The Center will
serve as the gateway to
the Great Trinity Forest,
which is more than 6,000
acres in all. In addition to
bird watching and outdoor
conservation programs
and clubs, the Center
serves as a teaching facil-ity
for 25,000 students.
Read more about the
Trinity River Audubon
facility opening at www.au
dubon.org/news/Trinity
Opening.html, or log on to
www. t r i n i t y r i veraudu
bon.org.
Page 3 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks
Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
The information they pro-vide
helps generate the
world’s largest database on
feeder-bird populations.
FeederWatchers across
North America submitted
more than 115,000 check-lists
during the 2007-08 sea-son,
documenting unusual
bird sightings, winter move-ments,
and shifting ranges--
information scientists use to
monitor the health of the
birds and of the environ-ment.
Project FeederWatch wel-comes
participants of all
ages and skill levels. To
learn more and to sign up,
visit www.feederwatch.org
or call 800.843.2473. In re-turn
for the $15
fee ($12 for Lab
members) partici-pants
receive a
FeederWatcher’s
Handbook, a bird-i
d e n t i f i c a t i o n
poster, a calen-dar,
instructions,
and the Feeder-
Watch annual report, Winter
Bird Highlights, summariz-ing
the season’s findings.
Photos are available at
www.feederwatch.org; visit
the “Explore Data” section
of the web site to find the
top 25 birds reported in your
state, rare bird sightings,
and bird summaries.
The Cornell Lab of Orni-thology
is a membership
institution dedicated to inter-preting
and conserving the
earth’s biological diversity
through research, educa-tion,
and citizen science
focused on birds. Visit the
Lab’s web site at http://
www.birds.cornell.edu.
The diversity of habitats
and birds in Texas makes
bird watchers in the state
the envy of nature lovers
elsewhere. Many stunning
species readily visit bird
feeders, and may be at-tracted
to your own back-yard.
Scientists are asking
Texas bird watchers to re-port
what they see at their
feeders through Project
FeederWatch.
“Being a FeederWatcher
is easy and fun,” says pro-ject
leader David Bonter
from the Cornell Lab of Or-nithology.
“Scientists learn
something new from the
project each year, whether
it’s about the movements of
common backyard birds or
unusual sightings of rarely
seen species.”
For example,
Texas has recently
seen the spread of
two dove species
throughout the state:
the White-winged
Dove and the Eura-sian
Collared-Dove.
As the name implies, the
latter species is not native to
the United States. Will this
new dove have an impact
on populations of native
doves? “We need to hear
from more bird watchers in
Texas to get an accurate
picture of what’s happening
with bird populations from
year to year,” says Bonter.
“Anyone who sees birds at
feeders can help.”
The 2008-09 season of
Project FeederWatch is un-derway
and runs through
April 3. Participants can sign
up at any time. Feeder-
Watchers track the numbers
and kinds of birds seen at
feeders each week and then
send the information to the
More than 10,000 peo-ple
attended opening
weekend at the new
Audubon Center in Dal-las,
offering a powerful
example of how Audubon
connects people with
nature. Twice the number
of visitors expected were
drawn by workshops on
topics such as backpack-ing,
paddling, outdoor
cooking, how to live near
urban wildlife, planting
community gardens and
more. Kids joined arts-and-
crafts projects; lec-tures
included how to
landscape with native
species, make compost,
and raise bees and
chickens. Highlights at
the center include hiking,
bird-watching, hands-on
exhibits, conservation
and outdoor-skills work-shops,
yoga classes and
a children's discovery
garden.
Anne Brown, vice
president of National
Audubon Society, said,
“We had an amazing
turnout opening weekend
as the community was
ready to see the Center
and to enjoy all the activi-ties
that we’d planned.
Also, the building is
uniquely designed so that
everywhere you are, you
are drawn to the outside,
Calling All Texas Bird Watchers
More eyes needed to tally state birds
Berle Environmental Integ-rity
Award. To be given
annually to up to two U.S.
citizens who provide inno-vative
leadership in helping
confront the challenges of
climate change, renewable
energy, depletion of the
oceans, species extinction,
air, water and soil contami-nation,
and the urban envi-ronment,
the first award
(which includes a prize of
$2,000) will be presented in
Last November in New
York, Audubon President
John Flicker announced that
the Century Foundation, in
cooperation with the Na-tional
Audubon Society, the
Natural Resources Defense
Council, the Environmental
Defense Fund, the Environ-mental
Law Section of the
New York State Bar Asso-ciation,
and former col-leagues
of Peter Berle, have
created The Peter A. A.
2009. Nominations should
be submitted via e-mail on
or before February 1, 2009
to BerleAward@tcf.org.
Peter Berle, National
Audubon Society President
from 1985-1995, died in
2007, but his conservation
legacy was honored in mem-oriam.
Learn more at www1.
audubon.org/news/press
Release.php?id=1020.
Second Saturday
Beginners’ Walks
Join San Antonio
Audubon Society on the
second Saturday of the
month (Jan. 10, Feb. 14);
start at 8 AM, meet at the
Judson Nature Trails next
to the Alamo Heights
swimming pool on Viesca
Street. For more informa-tion,
call 210.342.2073.
Newbies Welcome!
Peter Berle Environmental Award Announced
Page 4 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks
What’s Happening at Mitchell Lake?
Mitchell Lake – Bird Lovers – 10K Run
February 14, 2009 Time: Race Start 9 AM
$2 of Entry Fee Benefits Mitchell Lake Audubon Center
Information: Contact Gib Hafernick, 210.492.7517
or Gibguy76@Yahoo.com
Course: Flat with gentle slopes on gravel/unimproved roads
and trails circumventing 9 holding ponds separated by dikes
with abundant watering fowl.
T-shirt with Shirts guarantee First 200
Entry Fee: $18—SARR Members & Active Military; $20—
Non-Member; $25—RACE DAY
Snail Mail AND Online Registration Close February 10, 2009
Note: "NO REFUND" or "Rain Check Date" for this event.
Online registration available at the San Antonio Road Run-ners
Calendar, www.saroadrunners.com.
MLAC: Connecting People with Nature
Explore a place where nature is continually renewing itself.
Where birds, insects, and wild plants surprise you with a
new spectacle around every corner. A place where families,
school groups and individuals can reflect and learn about
the natural world, just minutes from downtown San Antonio.
Mitchell Lake Wildlife Refuge: An Illustrated History
Want to know more about Mitchell Lake and how it became the restful place it is today? Look no further! We have a book
for you—Mitchell Lake Wildlife Refuge: An Illustrated History. The book is published by the Mitchell Lake Wetlands Society,
Dwight Henderson, president. Mr. Henderson, a retired history professor at UTSA and docent at the ML Audubon Center,
co-authored this book with Ruth Lofgren, retired biology professor (City University of New York) and also a docent at the
Center. Artist Rita Schimpff illustrated the book. She was a member of the Junior League Wetlands Project at Mitchell Lake
in 1990. Susan Ives is the graphic artist who created the cover and set up the pages so beautifully. The book is only $6
(including tax—what a deal!!), available at the Nature Store at the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. PLUS it may be ordered
from www.amazon.com. Discounted prices for bulk orders can be arranged for bookstores, schools and libraries. Call
210.732.5392 and leave a message, or write to MLWS, 434 Hermine Blvd., San Antonio TX 78212 for one to three copies
for $6 each + $4 S&H.
If you enjoy being out-doors,
bird-watching, gar-dening,
working with chil-dren,
or sharing your love of
nature with others, then you
will feel right at home at
Mitchell Lake. Whatever
your talents and interests,
we have an opportunity for
you: become a docent!
Please call 210.628.1639
for more information.
Docent Training
Docent training is an 8-
week course that will be
held Saturday mornings
from 9 AM to 12 PM begin-ning
Jan. 10, 2009. Training
includes the history of
Mitchell Lake, bird and plant
identification, wildlife man-agement,
nature center pro-cedures,
and educational
nature interpretation. The
cost to participate is $35
and covers instruction and
materials.
Mitchell Lake
Audubon Center
10750 Pleasanton Rd.
San Antonio TX 78221
210.628.1639
www.mitchelllakeaudubon.org
Become a Mitchell Lake Audubon Center Docent
Community Events SAN ANTONIO NATURAL AREAS
For more information on listings below,
visit www.sanaturalareas.org or www.
bexaraudubon.org.
First Saturday Hikes
Interpretative Walks in January and February
Call 210.372.9124 or 210.564.6400 for
reservations or information on First
Saturday Hikes detailed below. Hikes
may be cancelled if there are no reser-vations;
participants limited to 15 per
hike. Donation $2/person suggested.
EISENHOWER PARK
19399 NW Military Hwy.
January 3, 2009, 9-11 AM
Get some exercise after the holiday
feasts and learn about this great Natu-ral
Area at the same time! Nature isn’t
sleeping in the winter—come see
what’s going on! Reservations recom-mended;
hikes occasionally change.
FRIEDRICH WILDERNESS PARK
21395 Milsa
February 7, 2009, 9-11 AM
It may be warm, it may be cool and it
may be downright cold! (San Antonio
winter.) And the weather will determine
what you see on this walk—could be
early wildflowers or could be snow!
Second Saturday Programs in
EISENHOWER PARK, 10 AM–12 PM
Reservations recommended, 210.564.
6400 or 210.372.9124. Suggested do-nation:
$3/individual, $5/family.
Jan. 10, 2009: Bare Branches! Explore
our trees in winter: learn how they can
be used in urban situations and think
about trees to plant in your yard this
year.
Feb. 14, 2009: A Perfect Red! What
insect colonizes prickley pear cactus
and is the source of a “a perfect red”?
Come meet his insect and explore sym-biosis.
Sample “bug juice” and join us
as we brew a perfect red dye to make a
Valentine’s Day treat. Family fun!
Eisenhower Park, 19399 NW Military
Hwy. Take FM 1535/Military Highway/
Shavano Park exit off Loop 1604 on the
city’s northwest side. Go north 2 miles.
Park entrance on left, just before Camp
Bullis. Gates open at 9:30 AM.
Wildlife Tax Valuation Seminar
Session I: Overview/Property Inventory
January 10, 9 AM-1 PM
Session II: Management Practices and
Application Procedures
January 17, 9 AM-2:30 PM
Session III: WTV History and Update
On Current Law and Regulations
January 24, 9 AM-12:30 PM
Location: CNC auditorium
Cost: Members $70/person and $90/
couple; non-members $90/person and
$110/couple. Pre-registration required;
call 830.249.4616. Limited to 30. Pro-gram
especially for owners of less
than 500 acres and will emphasize
wildlife management for songbirds.
Boerne Birders—Boerne Lake
January 17, 8-10 AM
Meet in the parking area near the dam.
FREE. Information, call 830.230.5551
or 210.710.3981.
Tree Management ALL NEW
February 7, 9 AM-12 Noon
Members $15/person: non-members
$20/person. Limited to 30. Pre-r
e g i s t r a t i o n r e q u i r e d . C a l l
830.249.4616. Presenter: TFS forester
Paul Johnson.
Rainwater Harvest Workshop
February 14, 9 AM-12 Noon
CNC auditorium and visit to Kight in-stallation.
Members $20/person: non-members
$30/person. Limited to 30.
Pre-registration required. Call
830.249.4616.
Boerne Birders—CNC—Great Back-yard
Bird Count (GBBC)
February 14, 8-10 AM
Meet at the CNC pavilion. Free. Infor-mation,
830.230.5551 or 210.710.3981.
Composting Made Easy ALL NEW
February 21, 10-Noon
Members $15/person: non-members
$20/person. Limited to 30. Pre-r
e g i s t r a t i o n r e q u i r e d . C a l l
830.249.4616. Presenter: Master Gar-dener
Chris Seifert.
Habitat For Birds
Part I: Attracting Birds to Your Property
February 28, 9-Noon
Members $15/person: non-members
$20/person. Limited to 30. Pre-registration
required, 830.249-4616.
MEDINA RIVER NATURAL AREA
(MRNA)
15890 Highway 16 South
San Antonio TX 78264
Medina River Natural Area is located
approx. 4½ miles south of Loop 410 on
State Highway 16 South.
Second Saturday Programs
January 10, 2009, 9-11 AM
RAMBLING REPTILES! Join Dr. Cary
Guffey, Professor at Our Lady of the
Lake University, with a discussion and
demonstration about the world of Texas
Reptiles. $3 suggested donation or $5
per family.
February 14, 2009, 9-11 AM
ReDuce, ReUse and ReCycle, pre-sented
by San Antonio Solid Waste
Management Dept. and Keep San An-tonio
Beautiful, Kid Friendly Recycled
Art activity included. $3 suggested do-nation,
$5/family.
March 14, 2008, 9-11 AM
Native American Dancing and Singing,
presented by Boy Scout Troop 10 and
Troop Leader; Native American Kid
Friendly activities included. $3 sug-gested
donation, $5/family.
Reservations are re-quested
for all MRNA
events. For more infor-mation
or to RSVP for
any event in the MRNA
call 210.624.2575.
Page 5 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks
CIBOLO NATURE CENTER
All listings are on Saturdays
unless otherwise indicated
For more information , call 210.564.6400 or visit www.cibolo.org/calendar.
Hail our Conservation Heroes!
Page 6 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks
Bexar Audubon Society Contacts
President/Webmaster: Harry Noyes—210.490.3124, harrynoyes@satx.rr.com
Vice President: Tony Wood—210.867.2363; tonywood@sbcglobal.net
Treasurer: Caryl Swann—210.653.2860; c.swann@att.net
Secretary: Anita Anderson—210.533.8726; ajandrsn@sbcglobal.net
At-Large: Amy L. Whitley—210.340.0114; nueces66@yahoo.com
At-Large: Kathy Ikerd— kathy@wordwright.com
At-Large: VACANCY
Programs/Outings: Patty Pasztor—210.824.1235; pasztor@ix.netcom.com
Editor: Michele Wood—210.492.4684, editor@bexaraudubon.org
(continued from page 2)
Even if we never reach their level of
achievement, we can support them and
by all working together we can, as Isaac
Newton put it, “stand on the shoulders of
giants.” If you aren’t sure what you can
do or want to do, contact me: let’s talk.
Finally, some personal good news. My
illness, which turned out to be anxiety/
panic attacks (probably related to my
retirement from the civil service being
more of a “what do I do now?” shock
than I expected) is under control. (In time
for me to attend the banquet, thankfully.)
The pills reduce my energy level, but I
think I will be able to fulfill my Audubon
duties. If I ever feel that I cannot, you
have my word that I will resign and allow
someone else to take over. (By the way,
my thanks to Vice President Tony Wood
for filling in during the worst phase of my
illness.)
Let me conclude by repeating my les-son-
learned from the previous column:
“There is no substitute for your health.
Use it while you can. Take that trip to
Europe now. Write that novel now.
START YOUR VOLUNTEER WORK
NOW, whether for Bexar Audubon or any
other worthy cause.
Cowles is just uphill from Laurie Auditorium &
between Library and Chapman Graduate Center.
Park by Laurie or in lots or on streets to the west.
Handicapped parking across from Cowles. Enter
from Oakmont or Rosewood. Call Patty for addi-tional
directions, 210.824.1235. or see additional
map at bexaraudubon.org/map.jpg.
Map to Cowles Life Sciences Building, Trinity University, west of Highway 281.
There are many ways you can help!
Conservation Heroes
come in all shapes and sizes;
email Harry Noyes at
president@bexaraudubon.org.
Together Green
Audubon and Toyota launched the five-year TogetherGreen initiative earlier
this year to fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders, and offer
volunteer and individual action opportunities that significantly benefit the envi-ronment.
To date, TogetherGreen volunteers in 40 communities have do-nated
more than 15,000 volunteer hours to community conservation efforts.
Funding totaling $1.4 million was recently awarded for the first year of innova-tive
conservation projects nationwide.
Reprinted from Audubon Newswire & In the News
Volume 6, Number 19
Audubon Issues Statements on Changing of the Guard
"Audubon believes the election ushered in a new era of hope for our environ-ment;
and the people, birds and other wildlife that depend on it," said Betsy
Loyless, Senior Vice President, National Audubon Society, as part of a tele-conference
with reporters and representatives of wildlife conservation organi-zations.
To hear audio of the news conference and other statements including
those by Mike Daulton, Audubon's Legislative Director, visit http://web1.audu
bon.org/news/pressRoom.php.
Cowles
Library Laurie
Chapman
Creating Sustainable Landscapes
Focus of
First Comprehensive Report
Page 7 January-February 2009 Bexar Tracks
Earth Share of Texas raises money for environmental and conserva-tion
organizations through workplace giving. If your employer partici-pates
in such programs, please ask them to add Earth Share to your
giving options. By designating the Audubon Foundation of Texas
(AFT), Bexar Audubon Society can benefit. BAS receives credit for
our support and receives funding annually form AFT. For more infor-mation,
call, email or log on: 800.GREENTX, ESTX@earthshare-texas.
org, or www.earthshare-texas.org.
The Sustainable Sites Initiative, a partner-ship
that includes The University of Texas at
Austin's Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Cen-ter,
invites public comment on a new report
that offers the most comprehensive set of
voluntary guidelines yet developed for sus-tainable
landscapes. Titled "Guidelines and
Performance Benchmarks Draft 2008," it pro-vides
more than 50 prerequisites and credit
options that cover everything from initial site
selection and design to construction and
maintenance.
The Sustainable Sites Initiative, which also
includes the American Society of Landscape
Architects and the United States Botanic
Garden, is asking for comments before Janu-ary
20, 2009 on the report that is available for
download at www.sustainablesites.org.
The report is timely because of increased
concerns about such environmental issues
as scarce resources, climate change, waste,
and air and water pollution. Landscapes have
the potential to use resources more efficiently
and to improve air and water quality, and
they can reduce the urban heat island effect
and remove carbon dioxide, an important
greenhouse gas that contributes to global
warming, from the atmosphere.
Reprinted from In the Flow, the weekly
freshwater news wrapup and analysis pre-pared
by the River Systems Institute.
Environmental Notes
1. It has often been assumed that less sunny
places can not use solar, but Germany is doing it
despite its location. Part of this is because they
are using amazing cables that lose no more than
15% energy over very long distances.
2. There has been much illegal logging going on
in the world, and it still goes on today. When
prized merbau trees were cut down in Papua, the
locals were paid $11 per cubic meter. By the time
they reached China, their value was $240 per cu-bic
meter. When they arrived as flooring in the US,
they brought $2288 per cubic meter. Building a
new home? Replacing flooring, paneling, siding?
Check on the history of the wood you use. This is
one way to stand for law and sustainability.
3. When using a tea kettle, only fill it for the
amount of water you are going to use. This will
save heating times and also save water.
Ya Gotta Let ‘em Know You’re Out There!
In all my years as an environmental activist, one of the things I have
heard most often is “Oh, my U.S. Representative (Senator, State Rep,
Councilperson, etc.) is _________. S/he’s so unconcerned about the envi-ronment
there’s no point in contacting him/her. It’s just a waste of my time.”
I have heard almost as often, from the kind of representative mentioned in
the preceding sentences, “Well, I’m surprised about your position on this
issue. You’re the only one who has ever contacted me about it.”
My message to all who read this is: Write or call your political reps! If you
have the sort of rep who doesn’t give a fig about what concerns you the
most, that rep is the one who should get the most contacts. If enough of
his/her constituents needle him/her, some very rigid stances may change,
even with vested interests calling a lot of the shots. In the end a political
leader has to win votes, and votes come from individuals, not corporations.
If the leader believes there is a groundswell about a particular issue—let’s
say, global warming—that leader just might come around sooner rather
than later.
You have a voice—use it! Your message to the representative doesn’t
have to be long or involved. Postcards to Congress don’t have to go
through the screening that letters do, and there are always phone calls and
e-mails. But the contact has to be made, and made as often as possible.
And don’t forget to write letters to newspaper editors!
Loretta Van Coppenolle
Alamo Group Conservation Co-Chair BACK
Reprinted with Permission
Bexar Tracks is the official newsletter of the Bexar
Audubon Society, a Chapter of the National Audu-bon
Society. The Chapter’s primary goals are to
promote species and habitat conservation and
environmental education in the community.
Your membership includes National Audubon and
Bexar Audubon and subscriptions to both Audubon
and Bexar Tracks.
www.bexaraudubon.org
Bexar Audubon Society
PO Box 6084
San Antonio TX 78209-0084
Membership and Support for Your Environmental Voice in Our Community
Bexar Audubon welcomes new members to join Audubon through the chapter. This brings 100 percent of the first year’s
dues directly back to support local work. The same applies to gift memberships placed through the chapter. Your additional
tax deductible donation is greatly appreciated. Bexar Audubon receives only a few thousand dollars each year from Na-tional
Audubon Society as dues share. The rest we must raise ourselves. Your help is needed, and your donations will be
put to good use right here in South Central Texas to provide environmental news and education to the community, includ-ing
the newsletter, programs, San Antonio Environmental Network Issues Forum, Second Saturday programs, and other
activities you may or may not hear about.
Individual introductory memberships are $20; seniors and students join for $15. Please provide the following information
for each personal subscription or gift:
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Mailing Address with Zip Code: _______________________________________________________________________
Phone w/Area Code: _________________________________ e-mail ________________________________________
Do you wish to opt out of other mailings by Audubon or those with whom it shares lists? ____ yes ____ no
Make checks payable to “Bexar Audubon Society” and mail to the address above.
Enclosed: $__________ for subscription(s) $_________ additional donation
NOTE: If you change address or cancel membership, you do NOT need to contact Bexar Audubon but MUST contact National Audubon (and we
will automatically get that change when we download labels). Save time and energy by mailing your change of address information to National Audu-bon
Society Membership Data Center, PO Box 52529, Boulder CO 80322-2529; phoning 800.274.4201; or e-mailing CHADD@audubon.org.
For the latest information on environ-mental
events and happenings through-out
the San Antonio community and
surrounding areas, check out
www.bexaraudubon.org and
www.sa-naturecenter.org.
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage Paid
San Antonio TX
Permit #1527
Bexar Tracks January-February 2009