NEWS
Events Volunteer Opportunities Education & Training
Alamo Area Chapter www.txmn.org/alamo Volume 15 No. 8
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
August, 2011
By Liz Robbins
The Board Retreat of 2011 First, we wish to thank Linda Mitchell, Class #27, for hosting the annual board retreat at her lovely home, situated in the beautiful Cross Mountain Trail area. Board members, committee chairs and committee members arrived early morning, bearing their savory and sweet dishes, ready for a day of discussion and planning. After a short general meeting, the committees broke into small groups. Click here to see photos taken at the Retreat, all taken by our host, Linda. After a wonderful lunch, all committee chairs reported back to the group.
Donation Request After much discussion by everyone present at the annual retreat, it was decided that we would begin to collect donations at the monthly AAMN hosted one-hour advanced training sessions. Continued: See Donation on Page 4.
Board Meeting August 9th 5:30 p.m. Agrilife Extension Classroom #208 General Meeting 7:008:00 p.m. Agrilife Extension Classroom #208 3355 Cherry Ridge San Antonio, TX 78232
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Membership Issues: Our Chapter needs to address two issues being driven by the State. Some good news for Texas Parks and Wildlife is that they have found a new source of grant money that matches $3 for every state dollar versus the previous $1 for $1—so our volunteer hours become more valuable. TPWD also provide liability insurance to all Master Naturalist members. This means that if a Master Naturalist is working on an approved MN project and something happens that you get sued, you would be covered. This coverage would be secondary to your personal policies. The state insurance costs are based upon the total number of members. Thus, the state wants to cover only active members. The state requires each member to have a background investigation every three years. We need to comply. We currently do a background investigation prior to class graduation, but don‘t repeat every three years. Background investigations make sense in that we don‘t want the wrong kind of people out doing MN activities with kids, etc. Our school systems do an investigation on volunteers before allowing a person to participate. The basic suggestion is that a member is considered active if they have a current background check and have participated in approved activities within the past three years and submitted those hours. Our Membership Committee is drafting a letter to members to explain the new policies. . Continued: See Membership, Page 4
July Awards Our June report to State showed that the Alamo Chapter has just over 10,000 volunteer service hours. We currently have about 175 active Google files to review each month in order to compile the list of awardees. Billie Murrell should have been listed last month. The following have earned awards this month. Name Class Award Ben Lewis 27 Dragon Fly Marti Nordstrom 28 Dragon Fly Kathy Binetti 27 Horned Lizard Nancy Brown 21 Horned Lizard Stan Drezek 27 Horned Lizard Linda Gindler 23 Horned Lizard Josie Gonzales 13 Horned Lizard Janie Henry 19 Horned Lizard Sharon Kilmer 27 Horned Lizard Nancy Klepper 23 Horned Lizard Billie Murrell 26 Horned Lizard Rick Pulis 21 Horned Lizard Judith Rodriguez 17 Horned Lizard Mary Sanders 27 Horned Lizard Mike Startzell 28 Horned Lizard Roy Yarnold 24 Horned Lizard Kim Carrell 24 Horned Lizard Karthleen Blankenship 22 250 Hours Patty Gaskins 18 250 Hours Dwight Henderson 26 250 Hours If I have missed someone or you have questions or concerns about the Google process, don‘t hesitate to contact me. John Wolcott, membership chairperson jwolcott@satx.rr.com or 210-497-4365
President Liz Robbins srobbins@gvtc.com 830-336-2778 Vice-President Linda Gindler ljgindler@earthlink.net Treasurer Jamie Daily jdaily8289@wildblue.net Secretary Barbara Harder dbjharder@sbcglobal.net
Immediate Past President Anton Hajek tonyhajek@yahoo.com
NEWS FROM THE BOARD COMMITTEES Projects to be reviewed for approval as a Master Naturalist activity must be submitted on the Submission for Activity Approval form before the event. Forms can be obtained by contacting Pamela Ball, pball12@satx.rr.com, or from the AAMN website at: http://txmn.org/alamo/jointhe-alamo-chapter/activity-approval-form/
PLEASE REPORT YOUR HOURS ! ACTIVATE YOUR 2011GOOGLE DOCS ACCOUNT TODAY Reporting hours is easy on Google Docs or with the EXCEL spreadsheet form that was developed for e-mail submission or for mailing in your hours. The Excel spreadsheet form is available for download at AAMN Volunteer Hours Log . Google Docs is quicker and easier.
Where to report your hours by mail or e-mail: Last names A-H Last Names I-M Last names N-Z Nancy Thoss Howard Homan Ling Yin Liu 1610 Forest Spring 1218 Olympic Club 4946 Dare Lane San Antonio, TX 78232 San Antonio, TX 78260 San Antonio, TX 78217 nthoss1610@yahoo.com hhoman@satx.rr.com ling.liu@sanantonio.gov John Wolcott, jwolcott@satx.rr.com, & Roy Yarnold, royyarnold@sbcglobal.net, have not only volunteered to assist you with this effort but also serve as the clearing-house for information regarding reported hours, hours that have vanished and those that have gone unreported. ‗One of a kind‘ certification pins are awarded each year to those who achieve eight hours of advanced training and 40 hours of volunteer service. This year that pin is a Horned Lizard. Milestone dragonfly pins are also awarded for 250, 500, 1000, 2500, and 5000 VSH.
Membership Directory
MONTHLY MEETINGS The Membership Directory is finally available online. If you have entered your inAugust 9th Meetting, 8:00p.m. formation into the Directory and accepted What’s Happened to All the Horny Toads? your invitation to join the aamndirectoryusAsk a child today what a Texas horned lizard is and ers group, it will appear in your Google they will probably give you a confused look. Ask Docs directory. that child‘s parents or grandparents that same quesCLICK HERE and become part of the tion and it will most likely invoke fond childhood growing AAMN membership directory. memories. Once common throughout Texas, Thanks to Arless Lenz, Judith Shockley, horned lizards are now found only in the western David Reichert, and the entire Media & and southern parts of the state. Join Peggy Darr, Technology Team for making this direc- Nature Preserve Officer at Medina River Natural tory available to members who participate. Area (City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department), to learn all about these lovable lizards Over 100 people have signed up and 38 and what can be done to help them. have joined the group to access the data. Photos on website are on flickr The AAMN has had a flickr account for some time, but is beginning to use it more and more. We have recently created a AAMN Group to make it easier to use. The plan is to make flickr a central repository for AAMN photos since it is easy for members to upload photos and also provides a good site for member discussions. There are several ways to access the AAMN flickr site. On the AAMN web homepage, there are 4 pictures at the bottom under a flickr logo. Click one of these pictures and it takes you to the main Continued: See flickr, Page 4 2
September Meeting Conservation Along the Gulf Coast Approved for Advanced Training
Mr. Mark Dumesnil‘s talk will focus on restoration efforts by the Nature Conservancy along the Gulf Coast including seagrass protection, oyster reef restoration, and colonial nesting bird island restoration using a variety of conservation strategies. Speaker Biography Approved for Advanced Training
Notice to Members The program committee is open to any ideas you may have for speakers or topics for advanced training opportunities. If you have an idea or topic you would like to learn about, let Jessica Leslie know at her email address: jleslie01@hotmail.com.
Activities Information Chair Pam Ball pball12@satx.rr.com Community Outreach Lissa Martinez lisa@satx.rr.com Historian Nancy Phillips anrjp1@aol.com Hospitality Chair Nancy Brown nan.bro@att.net Membership & Pin Awards Chair John Wolcott jwolcott@satx.rr.com Hours Submission Nancy Thoss nthoss1610@yahoo.com Howard Homan hhoman@satx.rr.com Ling Yin Liu Ling.liu@sanantonio.gov Media & Technology Chair David Reichert reichert@satx.rr.com Newsletter Editor reichert@satx.rr.com Calendar Frank Ballard fm4459@sbcglobal.net Web Pages Evelyn Penrod epenrod@gvtc.com Marketing Info & Materials Milly Alejos mildred.alejos@sbcgloball.net Programs Chair Jessica Leslie jleslie01@hotmail.com Education & Training Chair Pam Ball pball12@saxt.rr.com
Update Your Contact Info CLICK HERE to update your contact information. Just fill in the form and click SUBMIT.
Vol. 15, No. 8—August, 2011
TMN Southeast Regional Meeting
Turtle Soup? Submitted by Ron Tullius
TogetherGreen Community Volunteer Day Sat, August 6th, 13th 8am – 11am Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, 10750 Pleasanton Road, San Antonio, Tx (map) Come help us prepare our native plant gardens for the fall. Some simple garden maintenance will help us to provide fall habitat for butterflies and other wildlife. You will learn about our great plants and what you can do at your home! No experience necessary, ages 12 and up. Free, but space is limited, RSVP is required For more information or to RSVP, email: mlac@audubon.org Approved for Volunteer Service Hours.
MLAC Docent Training Sat, August 20th, 27th 9am – 2pm Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, 10750 Pleasanton Rd, San Antonio, TX (map) Docent training is a 5-week course that will be held every Saturday morning starting August 20, 2011. Training includes the history of Mitchell Lake, bird and plant identification, wildlife management, nature center procedures, and educational nature interpretation. The cost to participate is $35.00. Lunch is provided. For more information, please contact the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center at 210628-1639 or mlac@audubon.org
A quarter of a million turtles were shipped from Texas to Asia from 2000-2005. Texas Turtle Watch is monitoring cooters, softshells, and redeared sliders, and public Texas waters have been closed to commercial turtle collection, according to TPWD Wildlife Biologist Leeann Linam, who spoke to TMN members from 10 chapters about the threat to turtles not only in Texas, but across the entire country, where 63% of U.S. turtles need conservation action NOW. Linam spoke at the TMN Southeast Regional Meeting sponsored by the Heartwood Chapter at the Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center at Spring, 20 miles north of Houston on a cool, overcast day in mid-July. The day began with a hike and field study at Beaver Pond. Waterfowl spotted there included Little Blue Heron, Great Egret, White Ibis, Green Herons, and Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. A resident beaver pair is girdling pondside Loblolly Pines and Winged Elms. The beavers only sharpen their teeth on the pines, but they fell the elms, carrying branches to their den. The woods around the pond are filled with Water Oaks, Loblolly Pines, Sweetgum, Winged Elm and American Elm. Common invasives include Chinese Privet, Chinese Tallow, and Rattlebox. Pepper Vine and Muscadine Grapes wind their way among the Yaupon Holly and American Beautyberry bushes.
Bird Count/Survey
TPWD Wildlife Biologist Greg Pleasant gave a presentation on identifying animal tracks and led the field study in a track-obliterating rainfall.
Sat, August 27, 8am – 12pm Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, 10750 Pleasanton Road, San Antonio, TX (map) Bird count/Survey is conducted every fourth Saturday. Be sure to wear appropriate clothing, including a hat, long pants, closed-toes shoes. Wear sunscreen and bring water! We can even loan you binoculars if you need them. For more information, email us at mlac@audubon.org or call (210)6281639.
The excitement of the pond, the waterfowl, the beavers, the piney woodland, and the rain was tempered somewhat by a sober report form TMN Assistant State Coordinator Sonny Arnold, who announced that funding cutbacks have caused the elimination of his position in the current TPWD reduction in force. Without mentioning specifics, he assured master naturalists, however, that a contingency plan is being adopted to ensure ongoing support of the Texas Master Naturalist program from our state sponsors.
Approved for AT & VHS
Approved for Volunteer Service Hours.
Book swaps and nature swaps during the lunch break led to the exchange of names and contact information and promises to visit other chapters.
Vol. 15, No. 8—August, 2011
Class 19 Cal Eichler 210-828-0833 Class 20 Suzanne Benavides & Palani Whiting Class 21 Nancy Brown nan.bro@att.net & Wendy Thornton Class 22 Linda Painter Darst donlindadarst@msn.com & Jamie Daily jdaily8289@wildblue.net Class 23 Steve Guerrant & Gary Trede gtrede@earthlink.net Class 24 John Wolcott jwolcott@satx.rr.com & Susan Hunnicutt schunnicut@aol.com Class 25 & State Representative Ron Tullius 210-739-2566 rvtullius@sbcglobal.net Class 26 Dwight Henderson 210-496-5934 dwight10@hotmail.com Class 27 David Reichert reichert@satx.rr.com & Evelyn Penrod epenrod@gvtc.com Class 28 Joe Novy novyja@gmail.com & Phil Minor minorpa@hotmail.com
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Donation — Continued from Page 1 The money collected will enable AAMN to begin giving an honorarium of gift to the speakers and to defray any other costs associated with hosting the sessions, (e.g., plates, utensils, copies). Each participant will need to decide if they wish to give or not and also the amount. The board's recommended donation is $3 per person or $5 per couple. Again, the donation will be strictly on a volunteer basis. Please look for a basket at the August 9th advanced training session and contribute if you can. Thank you very much for your understanding. Minutes of the gathering will be available for your viewing on the website after their approval at the August 9th meeting. These minutes and minutes of past meetings can all be found on the AAMN website at txmn.org/alamo under the main menu item, "CHAPTER BUSINESS". Lots of thanks go to the twenty three AAMN members that gave up their Saturday to attend and especially to Linda for being such a wonderful host. Membership Issues — continued from page 1 We will need money to finance the background check. We have had two suggestions and welcome your comments or other suggestions. First, just require each active member to pay the $10 fee when their background check is due. The second idea is to establish annual dues of $10 and cover the background checks as well as build some revenue for chapter activities. Our committee favors this latter option. We would like to hear from you. The informational e-mail that members will receive soon will include a link to a survey so that we can get your opinion on the best way to proceed. Or feel free to e-mail me at jwolcott@satx.rr.com or Linda Gindler at ljgindler@earthlink.net . My wife and I are working on our bucket list and will be traveling sans computer through August 17, but we will incorporate your ideas into future monthly chapter meetings. John Wolcott Membership Committee Flickr — Continued from page 2 the AAMN flickr site where you will see an enlargement of the photo. Above and to the right of the photo, you will see a small navigation bar with Newer, Enlarge, & Older options. This will let you scroll through the pictures. Or to the right of the picture, you will see several small photos and the words "Alamo Area Chapter's photostream " and if you click on the this, you will see a number of Photo Sets. Click on a given set and it will display one medium sized picture and a menu of small pictures of all the other photos in the set. The new Group that we have created is available at http:// www.flickr.com/groups/alamoareamasternaturalist/ and shows a different view of flickr. This page shows the group pool of photos and a variety of discussion topics. Anyone may go to the site and view these pictures and read these discussions, but only members may upload new pictures and post entries to the discussions--members can also comment on individual photos. There is an option to Join on the page, which lets you create a flickr account and gets you an invitation to join the Group. All new members must be approved by an Administrator. One my use a variety of credentials when creating a flickr account. We encourage you to sign up and begin uploading your event photos and pictures. These pictures can be used on both our website, our Facebook page, and in our scrapbook. 4
Government Canyon State Natural Area Hike the Canyon Sat, August 13th 8am – 12pm Government Canyon State Natural Area, 12861 Galm Rd, San Antonio, Tx (map) Join the Friends of Government Canyon and the Sierra Club for a jointly-led guided hike on one of the many trails at Government Canyon State Natural Area. Length of hike will range from 4 to 7 miles depending on the group. Open to ages 13 and over; minors must be accompanied by an adult; group size limited to the first 12 people; no pets please; Natural Area entrance fees apply. Dress appropriately and wear sturdy shoes for hiking over rough terrain; bring two liters of water and a snack. Meet at the Visitors Center by the rainwater harvesting tower; subject to cancellation. For more information and to confirm program, call (210) 688-9055, ext 291. Approved for Volunteer Service Hours if Assisting
Explore the Canyon Sat, July 16, 8am – 12pm Government Canyon State Natural Area, 12861 Galm Rd, San Antonio, Tx (map) Knowledgeable guides discuss the flora, fauna, natural and cultural history of this awesome natural area on this exploration. Length of walk and interpretive topic will vary, depending on the group. Open to all ages; group size limited to the first 12 people; Natural Area entry fees apply. Dress appropriately, sunscreen and hat recommended, and wear sturdy footwear appropriate for rough trails; bring two liters of water and a snack. Meet at the Visitors Center by the rainwater harvesting tower. No pets please; subject to cancellation. For more information and to confirm program, call (210) 688-9055, ext 291. Approved for volunteer service hours if a hike leader. Approved for Volunteer Service Hours if Assisting
Animal Signs Sat, August 20, 9:00am – 11:30am Government Canyon State Natural Area, 12861 Galm Rd, San Antonio, Tx (map) Spend the morning with TPWD Urban Wildlife Biologist Judit Green learning about some of our local Texas wildlife with hands-on activities that will include skins, skulls, tracks and scat. There is no scheduled hike. This class is for children, but parents are encouraged to attend. Class size is limited to 40. Reservations are required and will be accepted beginning at noon July 20 and ending at noon August 19th. To make your reservations email reservations@friendsofgc.org. Please include names of each participant, age if under 18, and email address and telephone #. Natural Areas fees apply. (210) 6889055. Ext 291. Approved for Advanced Training
Vol. 15, No. 8—August, 2011
TRIP TO HUMMER HOUSE by Jamie Daily On May 14th fifteen AAMNs traveled to Cristoval, Texas to visit the Hummer House. Hummer House is a bed and breakfast owned and operated by Dan and Kathy Brown. The land was purchased in the 1930s by Dan‘s father, and when he and Kathy acquired the land, they began exploring nature tourism in 1995. In addition to a variety of hummingbirds, painted buntings, various warblers, cardinals, Lincoln sparrows, various wrens and even a red shouldered hawk were visible on the property. We arrived around nine and were able to watch a group of licensed bird banders in action. Birds are captured for banding in a large net which has the equivalent of a pocket which captures the bird when it hits the net. The nets are set up in the flight pattern area and must be monitored at least every thirty minutes to ensure that no birds die from being captured in the nets. When we went with the bander to check the nets, we saw painted buntings, Lincoln sparrows, cardinals, and wrens caught in the nets. The bander removed the birds one at a time and placed them in a cloth bag. The birds were taken to the banding station and weighed, sexed, and measured for wing span, and age is determined. This information was recorded as well as the band number, and then the bird were released. We actually got to release several of the birds, and were warned to be sure to take them out from the covered area, so the bird did not become injured. We did not see hummingbirds being banded as this requires a smaller mesh net, as well as a special license. We were informed that only ten people in the entire state have this license. After watching the banding for an hour or so, we walked down to check the nets and the feeding station. The area by the river was covered with broadleaf milkweed and we were told the Monarchs come through on the way to and from Mexico. If you have ever been to West Texas, you probably think of it as dry and flat. However, if you did not know where you were, you would think yo u were in the Texas Hill Country while walking on this ranch. Oak trees, native pecans and walnuts are everywhere. After watching more banding, we went inside the gift shop area for lunch. After lunch we were treated to Dan talking to us about hummingbirds. He is a wealth of information about many subjects. I was unaware that hummingbirds need protein to grow and develop and they obtain it by feeding on soft bodied insects. The nectar is an energizer, but they must have the insects to survive. Hummingbirds lick 12-15 times every second when devouring nectar. This licking introduces germs into the solution and eventually contaminates it. Dan suggested adding two drops of color per gallon as this will make a pale pink transparent solution which will allow you to see when it becomes cloudy and must be changed. He also suggested filling the feeders only one third full at first until more birds start coming. They have twenty-eight feeders and they employ one person to fill and clean the feeders. If you have fed hummingbirds, you know they can be territorial. Therefore, the more feeders you have, the more hummingbirds you will have. Feeding solution will last a maximum of four days in the summer. Hummingbird migration, like all animal migration is determined by the length of the day. However, some may choose to overwinter in South Texas. If you choose to feed them in the winter, he suggested putting heat tape on the feeders if we have prolonged periods of twenty two-degree weather. During the nighttime, the bird‘s body temperature drops from 104-108 to a temperature at which the bird cannot fly. Hummers hang upside down at night and are awakened by the sunlight. The heart beat rate slows from over 1200 beats per minute in sunlight to 250 beats per minute. Hummers have nine air sacs in the body that are connected to the lungs by tubes. Eight birds would weigh one ounce and the eggs are roughly the size of a Tic Tac. For nesting material the birds will use what they can find including moss, leaves, and hair from road kill. If you want to provide nesting material unbleached cotton is a good choice. In fact, you can make a wreath using various nesting materials and the birds will use it. Heloise, to the contrary, lint is not a good material as it is really dust. As I said Dan Brown is a wealth of information on many subjects. After the hummingbird part was finished, and everyone was leaving, Johanna and I went into his work area as we were interested in jewelry with the Lone Star cut, which is the official gem of Texas and was designed by the Brown family. As he said a cousin had the idea and needed a nerd to design the cut. We were treated to an hour discussion on geology and gem stones. I was under the impression that gems which were heat treated were not going to hold the color. I found out that all gems are heat treated to intensify the color and set it. We saw opals, topaz, citrine and many other stones in the raw and finished states. I know that everyone who attended had an enjoyable experience and would recommend it to anyone. (More pictures on page 8.) Vol. 15, No. 8—August, 2011
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Snap! Crackle! Pop! by Ron Tullius They weren‘t Rice Krispies, but they were snapping, crackling, and popping, firing in all directions--four feet vertically and six feet laterally. The sounds were loud and seemingly out of place in the meadow of the Hill Country Trail at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. AAMNs were watering along the trail as part of their regular Tuesday morning trail maintenance activities. A water hose was directed at a few dry, but still blooming plants at the edge of the trail. No sooner did the watery spray hit them, then the popping noises started. Simultaneously, small, black seed-projectiles fired high and far, some landing on sleeveless arms several feet away. The rat-a-tat-tat and seeds bursting in air—what was going on? Ruellia nudiflora (Common Wild Petunia) at the trail‘s edge were rife with ripe seed pods. When the water hit the pods, they burst open violently, flinging their lifeholding treasures high into the air. Water hitting the pods was rain to the plants, and rain meant moist soil Photo by Susan Morgan conducive to germination. And thus Mother Nature disseminated her seed, giving space and opportunity for her new children to grow.
WaterSaver Walks Fri, August 5 & 20H, 10am – 10am San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Pl (map) Sponsored by the San Antonio Water System. Looking for ideas about how to have a beautiful landscape at your home AND conserve water? Wondering what plants grow best in San Antonio soils and are the most efficient water users? Get answers to your landscaping questions by joining San Antonio Botanical Garden Guides for a tour of the WaterSaver Garden exhibits. The tour includes information about planning, planting and maintaining your low-water use landscape year-round. WaterSaver Walks are free with Garden admission. Participants receive a FREE copy of the San Antonio Water System's Landscape Care Guide. For more info contact: Sasha Kodet sasha.kodet@sanantonio.gov (210)207-3270 Approved for Advanced Training
Leon Creek Greenway. This past month of July the Balcones Satellite of the Texas Invaders have spent time exploring and eradicating invasives along the Leon Creek Greenway. We have been joined by returning volunteers on a regular basis. Alan Kuentz travels to and from the Greenway on his bicycle. We are thinking that this is a great opportunity for bicyclists to get their exercise and bike time as well as contribute to removal and flagging of invasive species. Most of the invasives we have removed have been chinaberries – some are next to the paved path and some are in the creekbed. We welcome any new bike riding volunteers who would like to join us for two hours of invasive activity. Activities range from flagging invasive species to eradication activities to dragging cut specimens off the trail. No prior experience or invasive plant recognition expertise is required – just bring gloves and water and let us know if you are coming so we can have loppers and saws available for you. It‘s a great way to get in some of your AAMN volunteer hours. If you want to join us and get detailed information contact lonnieshockley@satx.rr.com to get put on the mailing list. Details of invasive work locations are sent out weekly to those on the list. August schedule. 7:30 am – 9:30 am August 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30th – Leon Creek Greenway Other sites regularly served by the members of the Balcones Satellite group include Madla Natural Area, Rancho Diana, and Headwaters Sanctuary Because we will be changing locations of entry frequently and will cancel in the event of severe weather conditions be sure to email Lonnie (lonnieshockley@satx.rr.com) by 6 pm on Monday if you plan to join us. Approved for Volunteer Service Hours.
Beginning Bird Walk Sat, August 20, 9:00am – 10:30am San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Pl (map) third Saturday of each month. Meet at Carriage House. Enjoy birds in native habitats at the Garden and check out our Bird Watch in the South Texas area. Our bird checklist is at www.sabot.org. Walks held on the third Saturday of the month. Free for SA Botanical Garden members; nonmembers $8/adult. 555 Funston. 207-3250.
Please email Michelle Dangler, michelle.dangler@amormeus.org for information about First Friday Workday, August 5th, 2-5 p.m. Approved for Volunteer Service Hours
Approved for Advanced Training
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Vol. 15, No. 8—August, 2011
Cibolo Nature Center Estate Planning in the TX Hill Country-AT Wednesday, August 10, 6:30-8:30 pm, CNC Auditorium CNC members: $20; non-members $25. Pre-registration required. Call 830-249-4616. Sustainable Concept House Workshop-AT Saturday, August 6, 9 am - noon, Cost: CNC Members $20/person; non-members $25/person. Meet at CNC pavilion 8:45-9 am and carpool to house at 9 am. Program will include: efficient building practices, in-ground rainwater storage, sub-surface drip irrigation and gray water reclamation for outdoor watering. Rainwater Harvest Workshop-AT Saturday, August 20, 9 am - noon, CNC auditorium and visit to Kight installation, Members $25/person; non-members $35. Pre-registration required. Call 830-249-4616. Limited to 30. Basic Birding for Adults-AT Saturday, August 27, 9 am – Noon, CNC Audiorium Cost: CNC Members $10/person; non-members $20/person. Would you like to move beyond casual birding and develop more expertise in looking at birds, categorizing birds, and recognizing common birds—and perhaps even develop bird watching into an engaging hobby? If so, then this class is for you. It will help prepare your mind for birding by teaching you how to see and what to look for before you go into the field. . Dress for a bird walk in the field: long pants, dull colors, walking shoes, and a hat. You may also want to bring insect repellent and sunscreen.
River Walk Garden Workday Has been cancelled for July and August. Regularly scheduled Second Friday of each month workdays
Hot Tub Naturalist by Anton Hajek Rain in a drought is an odd thing. The couple of rains that fell on the hot tub in July were ―just better‖ rains (just better than none.) Usually a half inch rain would produce mosquitoes. Not hardly this month. No regrets as to loss of mosquitoes, but the loss of their habitat also must affect something else. A strange glow was glimpsed at the barn. Turned out to be a lone fire fly looking for love. I hope there was a union because we usually have several fireflies. No bats as there are are few insects here. Rat chunks thrown on the barn floor disappear, not in weeks, but overnight. Who knows what all I am killing? A snake was glad I keep a water tub on the ground. Vol. 15, No. 8—August, 2011
San Antonio River Mission Reach Public Tour Sat, August 20, 10 am & 11 am Roosevelt Park, 331 Roosevelt Avenue, San Antonio, Tx (map) Guided nature tours of Phase 1 will begin at Roosevelt Park in the small pavilion by the river and basketball courts and will last approximately 45 minutes. For more information about the guided hikes, contact (210) 227-1373. Approved for AT/VSH If Assisting The Monthly walks are going to be phased into a quarterly themed walk much like the Wildflower walk that many of you helped Maura out with this past May. September 17, 2011 – First quarterly walk that could potentially have a different format that is TBD. This walk is coinciding with the San Antonio Business Journals going green week and will be promoted with/through the business community as well as SARA‘s normal outlets.
Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation Opportunities Sat, August 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th; 10am – 11am (map) Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation (WRR) offers many volunteer opportunities. The first step for any volunteer wishing to work hands-on with animals would be to attend an orientation. We hold orientations at 2 locations: one in San Antonio (137 Earl Street, 78212) and one in Kendalia (335 Old Blanco Rd, 78027). The SA orientations are on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, the Kendalia orientations are on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays. Orientations begin at 10:00 am. Potential volunteers can fill out an application on the day of the orientation. It is requested that anyone attending an orientation first contact the Director of Outreach, Krystal Mathis, at krystalm@wildlife-rescue.org or by phone at 830-336-2725, x304. Alternately, those wishing to participate in WRR‘s mission without working hands-on with animals can help in other ways. For those in the Master Naturalist progam, potential volunteers in the fields of diet preparation, gardening, landscaping, maintenance, and construction do not have to first attend an orientation, if not desired. There are periodic group opportunities as well as daily individual or small-group opportunities. Anyone wishing to become involved should contact Krystal Mathis, using the information above. Approved for AT & VHS
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Painting Bunting above Blue Grosbeak on the right. Photos from Hummer House visit. (See story on Page 5.) More photos available here