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. Bexar Tracks Volume XXVI, No. 12
For the latest news and updates, see www.bexaraudubon.org and www.sa-naturecenter.org. Inside this issue:
Audubon &
The Gulf Oil Spill
2
LHI Report
MedDropSA
3
Commentary:
The Costs of Energy
4
MLAC
Community Events
6-8
August-October 2010
The Headwaters at Incarnate
Word: The “Spiritual Reach”
of the San Antonio River?
September 9, 2010
The Headwaters Coalition recently
hosted a visioning workshop on the Blue
Hole, surrounding acreage, and San An-tonio
River north of Hildebrand and
Brackenridge Park: in other words, the
iconic “Head of the River” and that part
of the San Antonio River that flows from
the Blue Hole down through Incarnate
Word to the Park. Helen Ballew will pre-sent
an overview of the historic Headwa-ters
at Incarnate Word as well as high-light
current activities and developments
in this complex project to protect, re-store,
honor and share this sacred place
in the heart of San Antonio.
Helen Ballew shares a passion for na-ture
and the outdoors, for learning and
teaching, and for experiences that help
humanity stay connected to Mother
Earth. Ms. Ballew, a native Texan and a
graduate of Middlebury College in Ver-mont
and the Yale School of Forestry
and Environmental Studies, is a profes-sional
conservationist and a community
volunteer in education and environ-mental
organizations, including the Bam-berger
Ranch Preserve and the Brackenridge
Park Conservancy. She is married to
David Ribble, chair of Biology at Trinity,
and mother to three spirited little women:
Programs: San Antonio River, Habitat Conservation
Bexar Audubon Society Meetings
Thursdays, September 9 & October 14, 2010
Trinity University, Cowles Life Science Bldg., Room 149 (map on pg. 8)
Announcements at 6:45 PM, Program begins at 7 PM. Everyone Welcome!
Habitat Conservation Planning
for Endangered Songbirds
October 14, 2010
Richard Heilbrun, Urban Wildlife Biologist
with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will
present an update on the Habitat Conserva-tion
Plan for the Southern Edwards Plateau.
The ongoing HCP process will provide the
framework for a
multi-county pre-serve
system for
the Golden-cheeked
Warbler,
Bl a c k -c a pped
Vireo and several
cave inverte-brates.
Mr. Heil-brun
will discuss
the origins of the program, the goals, the
conservation priorities, and public input op-portunities.
Mr. Heilbrun is an urban wildlife biologist
with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. He
holds a BS and a Masters in Wildlife Ecol-ogy
from Texas A&M. He provides technical
guidance to landowners around San Anto-nio
and also provides assistance to
city officials in creating wildlife-friendly city
ordinances and in protecting wildlife habitat.
Mr. Heilbrun is currently the chairman of the
Biological Advisory Team developing the
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Southern
Edwards Plateau.
Elena, 9; Olivia, 11; and Natalie, 13. Ms.
Ballew is the new director of the Headwaters
Coalition and feels honored and blessed to
be a part of the Headwaters project.
Read more about the Headwaters Coalition:
www.headwaterscoalition.org.
Will the Gulf Oil Spill
Affect
Backyard Birds?
Scientists ask bird
watchers to monitor nests
As oil washes ashore
along the Gulf Coast,
the Cornell Lab of Ornithol-ogy
is asking birders to keep
an eye on nesting birds-not
just near water, but hun-dreds
of miles inland.
Anyone with an interest in
birds can learn how to find
and monitor nests as part of
the Cornell Lab's NestWatch
project. It involves visiting a
nest for a few minutes, twice
per week, and recording in-formation
such as how many
eggs it contains, how many
chicks hatch, and how many
leave the nest.
To help the effort, visit
www.nestwatch.org. In addi-tion
to accepting observa-tions
from the general public,
NestWatch is available as a
data repository for wildlife
agencies and scientific or-ganizations
to support their
research on the impacts of
the oil spill.
Visit the Cornell Lab’s web site at
http://www.birds.cornell.edu.
Black-Capped Vireo
Picture courtesy TPWD
As these words are written, deadly crude continues
to spew from a mile beneath the Gulf of Mexico. Amid
the horror of the Gulf disaster, images of birds again
serve as the most visible indicators of damage to our
environment and of hope for the future.
Once again, a crisis for people, for wildlife and for
birds demands all the commitment and expertise we
can muster. And again, the Audubon network is deliv-ering.
As the crisis mounted, Audubon chapters across
the Gulf coast took action. In Louisiana, Baton Rouge
Audubon helped develop a protocol for reporting on
oiled birds, while also assessing protection needs at
nearby sanctuaries. hey, along with Orleans Audubon,
began reporting on birds’ status as the oil moved in.
Meanwhile, in Alabama the Mobile Bay Audubon
Society deployed teams of trained volunteers to moni-tor
impacts on birds and beaches along that state’s
coastline. Chapters of the Suncoast Shorebird Partner-ship,
along with the Francis M. Weston Audubon Soci-ety,
Collier County Audubon and the Coastal Island
Sanctuaries, all came together to provide information
on vital bird habitats to aid Florida’s Fish and Wildlife
Commission in establishing protection priorities.
They were not alone. State and National Audubon
staff immediately launched efforts to help coordinate
on-the-scene volunteer support for emergency re-sponse
crews across the region. Though the disaster
was unfolding in slow motion, they anticipated the
need for far more volunteer help. Now, a fully-functioning
Audubon Volunteer Response Center is
operating in Moss Point, Mississippi. More than 30,000
people nationwide have registered to lend a hand. And
there is plenty to be done.
Opposing images from the Gulf help to tell the story.
We are all too familiar with sickening pictures of oiled
and dying birds, among them Brown Pelicans, only
recently removed from the Endangered Species List. Yet
when I travelled to the Gulf just weeks ago, I saw
scores of thriving pelicans nesting on an island in Mo-bile
Bay awaiting the arrival of their next generation.
We can’t yet know how many of that new generation
hatched in the Gulf will survive and how many will die.
As southbound migrating sandpipers arrive in early
summer, it is likely that many will never continue their
journeys. What will become of the Reddish Egrets,
Least Terns, Mottled Ducks or Seaside Sparrows that
have been trying to nest along the shores? Without a
doubt, the future health of countless birds and habitats
depends, in part, on us. We will fight to restore the
health of Important Bird Areas fouled by the spill. But our ef-forts
must extend further.
Audubon’s unique network can show Americans how birds
connect us all to the Gulf, and how we can help them. Con-servation
and citizen science efforts will provide new insights
into the spill’s impacts on populations in the Gulf and beyond.
Habitat and IBA protection will take on greater significance
nationwide.
Though not everyone can take direct action to save a peli-can
or an oiled habitat, we can all protect vital flyways and
healthy populations to benefit species impacted by the disas-ter—
from Common Loons in the Great Lakes to Ospreys in a
mountain lake in Montana. Together, we can empower volun-teers
flocking to respond to the spill to make vital contribu-tions
that will make a difference, while still working closer to
home.
Our collective responses must include redoubling our ef-forts
to secure saner policies to protect fragile resources from
risky energy extraction wherever it might occur. The Arctic
Sea was given only a short-term reprieve from misguided
deepwater drilling in the wake of the disaster—we must make
it permanent. We need stricter regulation of deepwater drilling
to make sure that accidents like the Gulf spill never happen
again. And we can use the grim realities of the spill to further
strengthen our push for a cleaner, safer and renewable en-ergy
future.
The Gulf disaster is truly America’s crisis and it demands
our unified response. It is hard to say how long it will take to
restore the well-being of the birds, other wildlife and commu-nities
that depend on the Gulf. But Audubon is in it for the
long haul to ensure not just emergency relief, but long-term
restoration of the environment and of hope. Along the way,
our combined conservation efforts can benefit birds, habitats
and communities across America.
Click on www.audubon.org for updated news.
Deepwater Horizon Unified Command Website
The link below leads to the official website for the Deepwa-ter
Horizon Unified Command and includes continually up-dated
and comprehensive information from all agencies,
state, federal, and others, involved in the overall US re-sponse.
For specific information updated daily from US Fish
& Wildlife Service on wildlife impacted, where, and status,
click on the Current Ops button at the top bar and select Fish
and Wildlife Report from the dropdown menu. USF&WS re-ports
include avian, mammalian, and herptile records.
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/site/2931/
What is Audubon Doing to Help in the Gulf Oil Spill?
Audubon Chapter Networker - Volume XIV, No. 2, Summer 2010
A message from Frank Gill, Audubon President
Page 2 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks
Page 3 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks
Keeping Medication
Out of Our Water Supply
San Antonio Water System helped collect more than
1,300 pounds of unwanted or expired medications as part
of its initial MedDropSA pro-gram.
MedDropSA is a part-nership
between San Antonio
Water System, the San Anto-nio
Police Department and the City of San Antonio Solid
Waste Management Department. Through this program,
local residents can properly dispose of the medications
collecting dust in their medicine cabinets, and keep medi-cines
that might otherwise get flushed down the drain out
of our water supply.
MedDropSA will host a series of collection events
whereby residents can drop off old medicines. San Anto-nio
police officers collect the medications, remove all
identifying information and ensure that they are disposed
of safely.
The next scheduled event will be September 11th at
the Alamodome. Information: www.MedDropSA.com.
Land Heritage Institute Report
By Bill Hurley
On a Saturday in May, many from Bexar Audubon met
at the Land Heritage Institute (Old Applewhite Property)
on the Medina River for an enjoyable morning field trip.
Over 20 people took a hayride to the historical homestead
where LHI President Mark Oppelt and wife Peggy, also on
the board of directors, gave us a very interesting look of
this place. There’s 1,200 acres out there right beside the
Medina River State Natural Area. It’s truly a treasure!
Archaeology, environ-ment
and the beautiful
Medina River overlooks
were the order of the
day and revealed San
Antonio’s many-layered
history of this region. We
learned how archeolo-gists
have unearthed
evidence of occupancy by ancient hunter-gatherers
12,500 years ago on the banks of the Medina River. In
the 19th century the Presnall-Watson families settled
there and built a house with numerous barns. San Anto-nio
recently named the Presnall-Watson Farmstead one
of the historic farms in the area. Longhorns were once
gathered here to begin the travel up the Chisholm and
Great Western trails.
Today, visitors will also get to
see and use the brand new hike
and bike trail that winds through
the property. As soon as reno-vation
of another on-site struc-ture
is complete, and proper
attendant organizations are
selected, a future nature center will soon appear. Cer-tainly
an exciting and worthwhile development of an
“ecosystem with history” in San Antonio that’s sure to get
more attention. And we got a preview!
Ghost Bird
San Antonio Audubon Society invites everyone to a
special screening of Ghost Bird on Thursday, Sept. 2nd,
7 PM, Lion’s Field Community Center, 2809 Broadway,
San Antonio. Ghost Bird is a feature length documentary
about an extinct giant woodpecker, a small town in Arkan-sas
hoping to reverse it misfortunes, and the tireless od-yssey
of the bird-watchers and scientists searching for the
Holy Grail of birds, the elusive Ivory-billed woodpecker.
Tickets are $5/person, presold and also available at the
door as space is available. To purchase an advanced
ticket, contact Patsy Inglet at tpinglet@satx.rr.com with
Ghost Bird in the subject line.
Rainwater Harvesting Training Camp
Aug.16-20 in Junction
Educational camp will provide hands-on experience
A new statewide Rainwater Harvesting Training Camp
has been set for Aug. 16-20 on the Texas
Tech University campus in Junction. The
course is sponsored by the Texas AgriLife
Extension Service and Texas Tech Uni-versity
in Junction.
The course will include tours of rain-water
harvesting systems ranging in size
from 50 to 250,000 gallons, 12 hours of
hands-on construction experience and 20 hours of 300-
level American Rainwater Catchment Systems Associa-tion
classes. For more information on the program: http://
rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu or contact Brent Clayton,
979.845.4116 or jbclayton@ag.tamu.edu.
MRNA—LHI 10K Race
October 16, 2010
This is NOT a fun run, but a serious 10K race between
the Medina River Natural Area and the Land Heritage
Institute properties. Race starts at 8 AM near the MRNA
entrance on Hwy. 16. MRNA's Fall Fest will also be held
this Saturday. Watch for more information on Land Heri-tage
Day at LHI, with nature and heritage events. Look
for more info at bexaraudubon.org, saaudubon.org, land-heritageinstitute.
org, or sanaturalareas.org; or call MRNA
at 210.624.2575.
Page 4 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks
The Costs of Energy
jor by-product of the extraction proc-ess–
a single methane bore discharg-ing...
approximately 25,000 gal per
day." Source: http://www.rangemaga
zine.com/archives/stories/fall00/water
world.htm.)
Ever see an aerial photo of oil and
gas fields? Looks like a war bombing
site. How many hundreds of thou-sands
of surface acres of land has
been permanently ruined from well
drilling and roads—or from surface
mining? Nothing is free or all good.
We have to be careful, thoughtful
and do the best we can for the re-sources,
wildlife and people. As we
strive to replace expensive/unfriendly
overseas oil and become USA en-ergy
sufficient we must select the
least damaging energy or mineral
sources and the best methods of
production and transporting to mar-kets.
We must each use less energy
and water in order to put less stress
on our environment—conserving it
for nature and our children.
Comment Re: Pelican Article: The
loss of a single pelican or a hundred
we hope is an isolated or rare case.
No one wants to see a bird or other
wildlife die needlessly. Certainly not
Auduboners!
But issues occur with a new in-dustry,
even a green one—probably
a few birds have been hurt on solar
panels, too; we know eagles and
hawks die on electric towers. No
energy source is going to be totally
100% safe or "green".
Many thousands of birds, mainly
waterfowl, have been lost in petro-leum
"ponds"—not well known. No
doubt birds have flown into well rigs
at night or in storms. Or into radio,
TV and cell phone towers? No tell-ing
how much valuable fresh
groundwater has been ruined by
salt water injection of oil
wells. Rangeland habitat and fresh
water has been ruined or wasted
due to coal bed methane gas ex-traction.
("Water, in fact, is the ma-
This excerpt is from an email sent in June to
Mike Mecke from David Newstead, Presi-dent
of the Coastal Bend Audubon Society,
re White pelican struck by turbine on
Kenedy Ranch:
This morning I went down the Laguna
Madre to the Land Cut, doing some
monitoring of breeding skimmers and
terns, and foraging egrets. In the Land
Cut area, we observed a flock of around
fifteen American White Pelicans kettling
from some wetlands west of the brushy
edge of the Kenedy Ranch shoreline.
After a couple minutes they turned and
headed on a northerly trajectory. We
watched as the pelicans continued soar-ing
between us and the turbines. It ap-peared
that they were getting closer and
closer to the next turbine, but it was
hard to get a handle on how close they
actually were. Finally, they were ap-proaching
one of the most easterly tur-bines
in that particular string, and we
watched as the last bird in the group
was struck and literally “erased” from
the air (a blade is about the width of a
city bus, and moving about 180 mph). It
was flying at or just below hub height,
and was hit on the downstroke.
Excerpted from e-Quail Newsletter, Vol. II, No. VII (July 2010)
A Bird Nest on the Ground
by Dr. Dale Rollins
The saying "a bird nest on the ground" implies a windfall, a stroke of good
luck, indeed a bonanza. For over a dozen species of Texas animals that
prey upon quail nests, the phrase is an appropriate one. But for quail, or
other birds that nest on the ground, the saying portends a challenge, if not
an omen.
Consider this: If 100 quail eggs are laid in June, how many adult quail
would you expect to result from them a year from now? Forty? Twenty?
How about five! Here’s the math. Average hatch rate across the range of
bobwhites is about 30 percent, so we have 30 chicks hatched. Chick mortal-ity
is high, so perhaps 40 percent of those (or 12 birds) live to September.
Survival through the winter months might be about 40 percent, so now we
have five birds alive come May. And you think you have a tough row to
hoe?
Read the full story: www.quailresearch.org; click on Publications, Vol. 2, Issue 7.
No Energy Source is Totally Free of “Costs” or All Green!
Commentary by Mike Mecke
Former BAS President
From Philanthropy News Digest:
American Bird Conservancy Receives Grant From Leon Levy Foundation
The three-year, $743,130 grant will support a campaign to encourage the use of techniques designed to eliminate bird
collisions with wind turbines and promote the selection of safe sites for wind farms. Read more about it at
http://foundation center.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=294400025.
The Tale of the
Bar-Tailed Godwit
SCIENCE | May 25, 2010
7,000 Miles Nonstop,
and No Pretzels
By Carl Zimmer
Tiny transmitters and even smaller
geolocators make it possible to track the
bar-tailed godwit and other species on
their travels. Read more about this little
bird and the “longest non-stop flight
ever recorded” at http:// www.ny times.
com/2010/05/25/science/25migrate.
html?emc=eta1
Copyright 2010
<http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/
copyright.html> The New York Times Company
<http://www.nytco.com/> | Privacy Policy
<http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/p
rivacy.html>
From Conservation International: www.conservation.org
Our oceans are facing unprecedented threats. It doesn’t take too
much work to crunch these numbers. Take a look for yourself—
and then pass them along to friends and family to see how much
they know about the biggest blue spaces on our planet.
70 Percent of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans.
1 Percent of the earth’s oceans are protected.
1 billion People worldwide depend on the ocean as their main
source of protein.
52 Percent of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited. Another 20
percent are moderately exploited, and 19 percent are over-exploited.
3/4 Of tropical commercial fish depend on mangrove forests for
food, habitat, breeding or nursery grounds.
Up to 35 Percent of the world's mangrove forests have been
destroyed in the last 30 years.
1,400 Pounds—potential weight of a northern bluefin tuna. Top
predators like this one are vital to the ocean food chain.
90 Percent of large predatory fish populations—including cod,
shark and bluefin tuna—that have disappeared worldwide due to
unsustainable fishing practices.
1 in 4 Of all marine species live in coral reef ecosystems. (It’s
no wonder reefs are often called "the tropical rainforests of the
ocean.”)
20 Percent of the world’s coral reefs have been lost to date. An-other
20 percent are degraded.
70-80 Percent of the oxygen we breathe is produced by the
ocean.
150,000+ Is the combined size in square miles of pollution-caused
"dead zones"—marine habitats that no longer support oxy-gen-
using species. That’s larger than the state of Montana.
97 Percent of all water on earth is located in the planet’s oceans.
1 The number of "blue planets" called Earth.
Now that you have the facts, take the quiz:
http://getinvolved.conservation.org/site/PageServer?
Page 5 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks
Feral Hog Workshop
The Texas AgriLife Extension Service and partnering
organizations will be presenting a Feral Hog Workshop
from 9 AM—3:30 PM, Aug. 24 at the 4-H building in
Helotes, located at 12132 Leslie Rd.
Workshop presentations will be provided by experts
from AgriLife Extension, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Texas
Parks & Wildlife Department, Texas Department of Agri-culture
and Texas Animal Health Commission, as well
as a professional feral hog trapper. Topics will include a
feral hog overview, tips on reducing watershed pollution,
potential feral hog problems and damage, brucellosis
and other diseases, laws and regulations, and the hunt-ing
and trapping of the invasive species. More info at
http://www.alamorcd.org.
EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY
Distinguished Lecturer Series
Understanding Karst Characteristics and the Transport
and Storage of Contaminants Within Them
Featuring: Dr. Ralph O. Ewers
Ewers Water Consultants, Richmond, Kentucky
Friday, September 17, 2010
Southwest Research Institute
San Antonio, Texas
9 AM—4:30 PM
Cost: $20 for the day; includes lunch and supporting
materials. $10 for students. Payable at the door by
cash or check. Registration deadline is Tuesday, Sep-tember
14; contact Elida Bocanegra at 210.222.2204;
800.292.1047; or ebocanegra@edwardsaquifer.org.
Dr. Ralph O. Ewers will present a one-day workshop
on karst aquifers, discussing the means by which we
can understand their characteristics and the transport
and storage of contaminants within them. Discussions
will focus on:
 karst aquifers, a few fundamental ideas;
 the problem of prediction-contaminants, models,
assumptions, and authority;
 wells, tracers, and electronics, and what they
can tell us;
 the behavior of floating and sinking hydrocar-bons
in karst aquifers; and
 how not to diagnose contaminant problems in
karst.
About the Presenter
Dr. Ewers obtained his bachelor’s and master‘s de-grees
from the University of Cincinnati, and his doctoral
degree from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada.
He served as professor of geology and hydrogeology at
Eastern Kentucky University, where he is emeritus pro-fessor,
and at the University of Kentucky.
Page 6 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks
Mitchell Lake Audubon Center to prevent, tolerate, and
manage the bugs that bug
you! RSVP; program fee,
free for members.
October
Free Family Program Won-derful
World of Insects
Oct. 2, 9—11 AM
Get immersed in the world of
insects with this 30 minute
Entomology lesson for kids
of all ages. Learn what
makes an insect an insect,
where they live, which ones
are good, and more. Live
and preserved insects will be
available as well! Stick
around after the lesson to do
an activity on insects.
MLAC Fall Wildlife
Festival & Plant Sale
Oct. 23, 9 AM—4 PM
MLAC’s annual fall celebra-tion
of nature features plant
sales, hayrides, a raptor
show, exhibit booths, kids
activities, SAWS Autumn
Bloom Giveaway and more. Free.
September
Basic Birding for Adults
Sept. 4, 8:30—11:30 AM
Do you enjoy watching birds &
find birds interesting and
beautiful? MLAC Docents Tom
& Patsy Inglet share tools,
tips, & techniques for you to
build your birding skills. 1.5
hours of instruction and 1.5
hours in the field. Bring bin-oculars
& a bird field guide; we
also have some to loan. Dress
for a bird walk: long pants, dull
colors, walking shoes, & a hat.
RSVP. Program fee.
Organic Pest Control
with Molly Keck
Sept. 18, 9—11 AM
Many ways to manage pests
without using pesticides, and
many organic options to help
preserve our beneficial in-sects
and environment. Pres-entation
will cover cultural &
mechanical control methods
Monthly Birding Tours
No reservation necessary
Every 2nd Tuesday, 2nd
Sunday, and 3rd Sunday,
all at 7:30 AM.
Bird Count/Survey: Every
4th Saturday, 8 AM.
Birding Tour Fee: $5 for
nonmembers, $3 mem-bers.
More info, email or
call 210.628.1639.
Phil Hardberger Park
13203 Blanco Rd
Hardberger Park encompasses 311 acres of former Voelcker Farm property located between Blanco Road and NW
Military. The first phase of the park features a 1.5-mile loop trail, a playground, a 1.8 acre dog park and parking located
at 13203 Blanco Rd. Other future amenities will include additional trails, two play fields, picnic areas, children’s play-ground,
urban ecology center, restored oak savanna, Salado Creek overlook and a classroom pavilion.
Phil Hardberger Park Monthly Education Programs
Arachnids!
Sept. 4, 9—11 AM
Explore the interesting & fascinating world of spiders.
Walk through the park looking for spiders in various habi-tats
and enjoy a kid friendly activity. Presenter: Dr. Cary
Guffey, Our Lady of the Lake University.
Birds & Fall Migration
Oct. 2, 8—10 AM
Take a birding walk and discover which birds are normally
found in the park and which birds are migrating through.
Enjoy a kid friendly activity. Presenters: Tom & Patsy In-glet,
Birding Experts.
Wild About Turkeys!
Nov. 6, 9—11 AM
Learn many things about our “national bird” including how
to call for it, its typical habitat, and how different the “wild”
bird is from the one on our Thanksgiving table. Enjoy a kid
friendly activity. Presenter: Phil Stratton, National Wild
Turkey Federation.
Info: www.sanantonio.gov or www.sanaturalareas.org
MLAC
10750 Pleasanton Rd.
San Antonio TX 78221
210.628.1639
www.mitchelllakeaudubon.org
Susan Albert
Center Director
Bats, Bees and Butterflies at the Witte Museum
Sunday, November 5th, 1:30—3:30 PM, the Witte Museum will host a workshop on attracting bats, bees, butterflies,
and other pollinators to your backyard. The workshop will feature Kim Hoskins, whose affiliations include Bat Conserva-tion
International, and a TPWD representative. Each workshop participant will receive a bat house kit and lots of take-home
information. The workshop will be held in the Witte’s Memorial Auditorium and (weather permitting) on the Witte
grounds. Attendance is limited. Reservations, call 210.357.1910, or for information, tomkinsey@wittemuseum.org.
About Mitchell Lake
Just south of downtown
San Antonio, Mitchell
Lake Audubon Center is
located on a 1200-acre
natural area. This unique
and beautiful bird haven
consists of the 600-acre
Mitchell Lake, 215 acres
of wetlands and ponds
and 385 acres of upland
habitat. Audubon Texas
has partnered with the
San Antonio Water Sys-tem
(SAWS) to showcase
this wonderful natural
area and welcomes na-ture
enthusiasts, school-children
and families.
MLAC programs are held on
Saturdays unless otherwise
noted. Limited space, RSVP
required for many programs.
Some programs have fees.
Info/RSVP: mlac@audubon.
org, 210.628.1639.
Community Events
First Saturday
Nature Walks
Reservations are suggested; walks
occasionally change. 210.372.9124
or peggy.spring@sanantonio.gov.
Participants limited to 15 per hike.
Donation of $2/person, max $6/family
suggested. Not for groups; contact us
to schedule a walk for your group.
Eisenhower Park
19399 NW Military
Aug. 7, 10—11:30 AM
Bring your family, especially those
with young children, on a nature walk
designed especially for families. Pace
will accommodate the group; this will
be shorter than our regular nature
walks. At the end, look at the inside
of trees and make a tree “cookie”.
Remember to bring water!!
Friedrich Wilderness Park
21395 Milsa
Sept. 4, 10 AM—Noon
This walk will begin with a display in
our classroom of limestone and fos-sils
from this area and others. Then
as we hike the trails we’ll explore the
legacy that the limestone has created
for us in Friedrich Park. Remember to
bring water for the hike!! Haven’t
been to Friedrich Park lately? Things
have changed. See the website for
directions.
Nature Walk with the Artist
Walker Ranch Park
12603 West Ave.
Oct. 2, 10 AM—Noon
Join local artist and Master Naturalist
Joy Hein for a nature
walk at this great Natu-ral
Area. Joy is respon-sible
for the wonderful
artwork on the interpretive panels at
the park; you’ll want to hear her story
of how she painted them!
“Wild! Wednesdays”
Extraordinary Experiences in Nature!
Friedrich Wilderness Park
21395 Milsa
Aug. 4, 9:30—11:30 AM
Water Water Everywhere: Hike to
our windmill; study a model of a
stream; take home a test tube with
an oil/water demo.
Aug. 11, 9:30—11:30 AM
Roaches to Go: Explore the lives of
insects with Holly Camero’s six-legger
critters. Make an insect habi-tat.
Family oriented; target ages: 7–
11 years. $5/class, max $10/family.
www.sanaturalareas.org
Friends of Friedrich Wilderness Park
Nature Discovery Series
Karst Critters
Friedrich Park Classroom
21395 Milsa
Wednesday, Aug. 25, 7—8 PM
Come hear Dr. Andy Gluesenkamp,
TPWD herpetologist and one of the
most knowledgeable biologists about
the rare and unique animals that live
in the limestone caves in this part of
the Hill Country. Free for members;
small donation from nonmembers.
Reservations for all programs call
Natural Areas 210.372.9124; limited
space available. Map at http://
www.fofriedrichpark.org/Information/
Maps/Directions.html.
Second Saturday
Beginners’ Walks
Join San Antonio Audubon Soci-ety
on the second Saturday of the
month; start at 8 AM, meet at the
Judson Nature Trails next to the
Alamo Heights swimming pool, on
Viesca street. More information, call
210.342.2073. Newbies Welcome!
Page 7 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks
All listings are on Saturdays
unless otherwise indicated
First Saturday Nature Walks sponsored by
San Antonio Natural Areas: sanaturalareas.org
MEDINA RIVER NATURAL AREA
(MRNA)
15890 Highway 16 South
San Antonio TX 78264
MRNA located approx. 4½ miles
south of Loop 410 on SH 16 South
Reservations requested for all MRNA
events. Information or RSVP for any
event in the MRNA call 210.624.2575.
Fishing Fridays Clinic
Aug. 13 and 27, 8—10 AM
Join Matthew Driffill from
the San Antonio River Au-thority
for a kid-friendly
Fishing Clinic. Learn how
to bait your own hook and
cast. Bring your own fishing poles;
may have extras to share. Bait pro-vided.
No fishing license required for
children under 17. For children ages
4-10. Very popular event! Limited to
20 so reserve your spot early.
SECOND SATURDAY PROGRAMS
Bicycle Safety on Trails
Aug, 14, 9—11 AM
Park Police Officers will
conduct a clinic about bicy-cle
maintenance, its parts and trail
riding safety. Bring your own bike and
ride with the SA Park Police Officers.
Program appropriate for ages 5-12.
Free bicycle safety booklets and wa-ter
bottles included for each child.
Native Plants of the
South Texas Brushlands
Sept. 11, 9—11 AM
Hike with author and local botanist
Patty Leslie Pasztor as she talks
about edible and native plant uses.
6th Annual Fall Fest
Oct. 16, 8 AM—Noon (3rd Saturday)
Bring the whole family for a fun filled
third Saturday morning of activities
such as Art in the Park, Fly Fishing,
Texas Mammal Skins and Skulls,
Flint Knapping, Native American Arti-facts,
Falconry, Snakes and Search
& Rescue Dogs.
www.sanaturalareas.org
Suggested donation for each
program is $3/person or $5/family.
Page 8 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks
SAN ANTONIO NATURAL AREAS
For more information on listings below, visit www.sanaturalareas.org or www.bexaraudubon.org
WELCOME TO MY WEB
Presented by
Dr. Cary Guffey, OLLU
Oct. 9, 7—9 PM
Enjoy this lively investigation of spiders
with a brief presentation and a flashlight
walk to look for them and their webs along the trail.
When you have questions about visiting a Natural Area or
participating in a Natural Areas program, please call
210.372.9124.
ROACHES TO GO!
Presented by
Holly Camero, Master Naturalist
Aug. 14, 10 AM—12 Noon
We all love those creeping and crawling bugs. Holly Cam-ero
leads our exploration into the world of the six-legged.
Lots of live critters and specimens to observe/examine!
ANIMAL TRACKING
Presented by
Richard Heilbrun, Wildlife Biologist
Sept. 11, 10 AM—Noon
Join Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. wildlife biologist Rich-ard
Heilbrun for an interactive workshop to explore wildlife
tracks of central Texas. Gates open at 9:30 AM.
Second Saturday Programs
Co-sponsored by Bexar Audubon Society and City of San Antonio
Reservations recommended: 210.372.9124 or email peggy.spring@sanantonio.gov.
Suggested donation $3/individual or $5/family.
Because of some extreme terrains, Natural Areas parks have elements that will be challenging or limiting for accessibil-ity,
physical strength and endurance. Second Saturday Programs listed below are all held in the large gated pavilion.
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.
Library Laurie
Chapman
Cowles
BAS Programs at Trinity University
Room 149, Cowles Life Science Building
Digital Bird Watcher's Digest!
There is now an electronic edition of Bird
Watcher's Digest (eBWD). Get all the great
content you've come to expect from BWD in
digital format, available anywhere you have an
Internet connection, a FREE bonus to our print
subscribers!
Great for quickly finding information on your
favorite birding topics! If you run into problems
and all else fails, real humans stand ready to
assist you! Call 800.879.2473 or e-mail us at
digitalhelp@birdwatchersdigest.com; more info
at www.birdwatchersdigest.com.
South African Birds
The July 2010 issue of "The Birder" has been
uploaded onto our web site. Read about birds'
feeding strategies & adaptations, how vultures
are being impacted by the Soccer World Cup in
South Africa, conservation news, Bird & Wild
Animal of the Month and more...FREE down-load.
Check this link to receive your copy:
www.lifers-birding.com/monthly-e-zine/
Carry a Tune with Digital Warbler Songs
A compilation of 310 songs and calls for 57 species of war-blers
is now available from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s
Macaulay Library, the largest archive of wildlife sounds in
the world. The newly digitized version can be used on any
device that plays MP3 files and is $14.99 at
www.macaulaylibrary.org.
Bexar Audubon Society Contacts
President: Tony Wood—210.867.2363; tonywood@sbcglobal.net
Vice President: Anita Anderson—210.533.8726; ajandrsn@sbcglobal.net
Treasurer: Caryl Swann—210.653.2860; c.swann@att.net
Secretary: Susan Hughes—210.532.2032; susan@wordwright.com
At-Large: Bill Hurley—210.823.1023, billhurley@satx.rr.com
At-Large: Greg Pasztor—210.824.1235, gpasztor@ix.netcom.com
Webmaster & At-Large: Harry Noyes—210.490.3124; harrynoyes@satx.rr.com
Programs/Outings: Patty Pasztor—210.824.1235; pasztor@ix.netcom.com
Education Chairperson: Mary Kennedy—mbkenned@sbcglobal.net
Editor: Michele Wood—210.492.4684, editor@bexaraudubon.org
Page 9 August-October 2010 Bexar Tracks
Earth Share of Texas raises money for environmental and conservation or-ganizations
through workplace giving. If your employer participates in such
programs, please ask them to add Earth Share to your giving options. By des-ignating
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 information, call, email or log on: 800.GREENTX,
ESTX@earthshare-texas.org, or www.earthshare-texas.org.
Montana wildlife regulators
set this year's wolf-hunt quota
at 186, more than doubling
2009's quota, with the
aim of reducing the
state's wolf population
for the first time since
they were reintroduced
to the Northern Rockies
in 1995. Advocates for
the wolf hunt hailed the
decision, although some
said they would still like
to see a bigger number.
But whether a hunting season
actually happens may be in the
hands of a federal judge, ex-pected
to make a ruling after
hearing arguments in June in a
lawsuit brought by environ-mental
groups seek-ing
to restore Endan-gered
Species Act
protections for
wolves in Montana
and Idaho. Oppo-nents
of the wolf
hunt argued the Fish
Wildlife & Parks
Commission should
end the hunt before
the courts act.
Read more about it:
www.defenders.org
Fall Alamo Area
Master Naturalist Training Program
AAMNs root out invasive shrubs, educate hik-ers
along city park trails, and work with other vol-unteers
to improve city parks and natural areas.
Become a Master Naturalist! Classes will be held
every Thursday for 10 weeks beginning Sept. 9,
plus four field trips. If learning about this area’s
unique natural systems interests you, download
an application at www.alamomaster naturalist.org
and email it along with any questions to
pball12@satx.rr.com. Application deadline Aug.
23rd; some scholarships available.
Join the NABA Count!
North American Butterfly Asso-ciation
counts are conducted from
March to October in nearly every
state. For more information about
the Count Program in general, visit
www.naba.org, email naba@naba.org, or call
NABA’s national headquarters at 973.285.0907.
Location of counts and contact information for
their compilers can be found on the NABA web-site
at www.naba.org/counts/maps08.html.
About NABA:
The North American Butterfly Association, Inc.
(NABA), a non-profit organization, was formed to
promote public enjoyment and conservation of
butterflies. In addition to running the Butterfly
Count Program, NABA publishes two maga-zines,
American Butterflies and Butterfly Gar-dener,
works to conserve butterflies throughout
North America, and operates the National But-terfly
Center in Mission, Texas. Membership in
NABA is open to all those who share our pur-pose.
Visit www.naba.org.
Test Case for Endangered Species?
By Matt Volz and Matt Gouras, Associated Press
from a greatfallstribune.com posting 7/9/10
Native Plant Society of Texas
The Native Plant Society of Texas promotes
conservation, research, and utilization of the na-tive
plants and plant habitat of Texas, through
education, outreach and example. Find out more
about NPSOT in this recent issue of Bexar
Roots, the newsletter of the San Antonio Chapter
of NPSOT: http://tinyurl.com/BexarRoots-
MayJune-2010.
Texas Residential Incentives
Check out this list of incentives, rebates and
loans to help us all “go green”, right in our own
backyard: http://www.dsireusa.org/incentives/
homeowner.cfm?state=TX&re=1&ee=1
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
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 di-rectly
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 National 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, including the newsletter, programs, San Antonio En-vironmental
Network Issues Forum, Second Saturday programs, and other activities you may or may not hear about. Individual intro-ductory
memberships are $20; seniors and students join for $15. Please provide the following information for each personal subscrip-tion
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: Renewals should be sent directly to National Audubon Society.
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 Audubon Soci-ety
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 environmental
events and happenings throughout the San Anto-nio
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 Audubon Society
PO Box 6084
San Antonio TX 78209-0084
Bexar Tracks August-October 2010
It is time to VOTE AGAIN for Audubon at the American Express Members Project
Audubon can receive a $200,000 donation for our Gulf of Mexico response by getting the most votes in the Environ-ment/
Wildlife category of the American Express Members project. Simply go to http://www.takepart.com/members
project/vote. You can vote ONCE A WEEK through August 22nd!!