Events Volunteer Opportunities
News
Education & Training Alamo Area Chapter
Volume 13, Issue 12, December 2009
What’s Past is Prologue . . . This is my last column as your President, a bittersweet moment. It has been a tough year for me physically with a broken leg, Vertigo, and an upcoming surgery. Still I presided over every Board meeting, hosted the annual review, and produced two columns a month for the newsletter. Gary Trede, your president elect, inherits a functional, albeit a volunteer, organization. The newsletter is published monthly, the website is maintained, students are selected, the lectures occur, classes graduate, service projects are approved, and hours are maintained. The Board conducts our chapter's business in an orderly fashion. Our chapter is solvent (better than most!). We still have some original grant monies from thirteen years ago. We are frugal. Some of our expenses have actually dropped, such as the newsletter. We mail one tenth the number we used to, thanks to E-Mail delivery. So take care new Board. — WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP Saturday, December 12, 2009 Palo Alto College Performing Arts Building, 1400 W. Villaret Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78224 (210) 486-3000 8:00-8:30 am Registration 8:30-8:35 am Welcome Bexar Appraisal District Bob Duclos, Land Appraisal Supervisor 8:35-9:10 am Objectives of Wildlife Management Richard Heilbrun, Wildlife Biologist, TPWD-San Antonio 9:10-9:45 am The 7 Wildlife Management Actives, Defined Bryan Davis, Natural Resource Agent, Texas AgriLife Ext Svc 9:45-10:00 am Break 10:00-10:45 am Prescribed Fire as a Habitat Management Tool Matt Reidy, Bexar Co. Regulatory Biologist, TPWD-San Antonio 10:45- 11:15 am Rainwater Harvesting for Wildlife Bryan Davis, Natural Resource Agent, Texas AgriLife Ext Svc 11:15-Noon Conducting Wildlife Surveys Richard Heilbrun, Wildlife Biologist, TPWD-San Antonio Sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and Bexar Appraisal District Registration fee is $10 per person. RSVP by Dec 11 to Angel Torres at (210) 467-6575. Make check payable to: Bexar County Ag Education.
Anton Hajek Government Canyon “A-Z “Training Saturday January 9, 2010. This training is provided to GCSNA staff and volunteers who will be in direct contact with visitors and/or leading monthly hikes. This clinic is not open to the general public, as it is aimed at training docents who will make a commitment to learning how to lead hikes and/or assist with interpretive programs and presentations at GCSNA. I encourage all Master Naturalists who want to be an active part of our volunteer team at GCSNA to attend this clinic. Please do not sign up for this clinic if you are not able to commit to joining our volunteer team of hike leaders and program assistants. Many of our current and former volunteers are Master Naturalists.
John H. Koepke Park Peace Officer/Interpreter Government Canyon SNA San Antonio, TX 78254 (210) 688-9055; Ext. 291
Officers President Anton Hajek 648-3634 tonyhajek@yahoo.com Vice President Holly Camero 210-490-4882 chcamero@aol.com Secretary Jamie Daily jdaily8289@wildblue.net Treasurer Prem Nored 210-626-8982 rpsnored@satx.rr.com Members-at-Large Pete Cowger
petercowger@gmail.com Class Representatives Linda Painter Darst-Class 22 donlindadarst@msn.com Jaime Daily-Class 22 Steve Guerrant-Class 23 Gary Trede-Class 23 John Wolcott-Class 24 Susan Hunnicutt-Class 24 Ron Tullius - Class 25 Ivan Estes - Class 25 Immediate Past President J.W. Pieper 830-336-3241 jwp1@gvtc.com
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NEWS FROM THE BOARD Projects to be reviewed for approval as a Master Naturalist activity must be submitted on the Submission for Activity Approval form. Forms can be obtained by contacting me, Pamela Ball, pball12@satx.rr.com, or from the AAMN website at www.alamomasternaturalist.org. PLEASE REPORT YOUR HOURS !! Reporting hours is easy with the new EXCEL spreadsheet that was developed for e-mail submissions or for mailing in your hours. It is available online at www.alamomasternaturalist.org .
W he re to re po rt yo ur ho urs: Last names A-M: Wilt Shaw 104 Dove Meadow Boerne, TX 78006-4222 Email : WShawjr888@aol.com
Last names N-Z: Ling Yin Liu 4946 Dare Lane San Antonio, TX 78217 Phone: 210-207-0021 Email: ling.liu@sanantonio.gov
DO YOU WANT YOUR PIN AWARDS? DID YOUR HOURS GET LOST??? A new committee of Alamo Area Master Naturalists is taking action in an attempt to provide members with award pins for hours earned. Some of our old records have been lost, especially regarding the 2002-2006 timeframe. If you have records of hours earned during those years, we hope to hear from you so that we can complete our records. John Wolcott jwolcott@satx.rr.com and Roy Yarnold royyarnold@sbcglobal.net have not only volunteered to assist with this effort but will also serve as the clearing-house for information regarding reported hours, hours that have vanished and those that are unreported. As most of you know, each year we award ‘one of a kind’ certification pins for those who achieve 8 hours of advanced training and 40 hours of volunteer service. This year that pin is a salamander. Additionally, throughout the year, the milestone dragonfly pins are also awarded for 250 hours, 500 hours, and 1,000, 2,500 and 5,000 hours of volunteer service. We know there are members who have reached these milestones, but because of lost records we do not have a true total of hours performed. If you have records, by year, of your volunteer hours, and if you feel that you have earned a milestone award pin which you have not received, please contact Roy Yarnold or John Wolcott. Perhaps you will be seeing your name in print in this newsletter in the next few months. Let’s try to break the records set in 2008 for hours reported and number of members reaching recertification!
AAMN Holiday Party Wednesday, December 9, 6:00 - 8;00 p.m. Auld House, San Antonio Botanical Garden It’s a Pot Luck Party! Bring your favorite appetizer or dessert. Please come and join us as we finish the year with a nature-lovers PARTY!! Great food, drinks, laughs, & good cheer for all! Contact Cindy Sims at SABOT if you have any questions: cindy.sims@sanantonio.gov
COMMITTEES Activities Information Pam Ball pball12@satx.rr.com Application Review Holly Camero chcamero@aol.com Community Outreach Pam Yarnold
pyarn@sbcglobal.net Development Thea Platz 696-8260 tplatz2@sbcglobal.net Education / Training Committee Pam Ball (Chair) pball12@satx.rr.com Liz Robbins srobbins@gvtc.com Nancy Brown Anne Gulley Lonnie Shockley Gary Trede Education Outreach Cindy Sims Cindy.Sims@sanantonio.gov Historian Susan Blaker susan.blaker@sanantonio.gov Hospitality Nancy Brown Membership/Hours Submission Wilt Shaw WShawjr888@aol.com Ling Yin Liu ling.liu@sanantonio.gov Newsletter Joann Smith sanantoniosmith@yahoo.com Jamie Daily jdaily8289@wildblue.net Outings Thea Platz 696-8260 tplatz2@sbcglobal.net Nominations Holly Camero chcamero@aol.com Public Relations/Media Relations J.W. Pieper
830-336-3241 jwp1@gvtc.com
Web Site Sam Glass webmaster@alamomasternaturalist.org
Visit our website at www.alamomasternaturalist.org
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Volunteer News and Announcements Congratulations to the Newly Elected
CITIZEN SCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES
AAMN Board for 2010
BIRDING IN THE WINTER MONTHS It’s Time for Project FeederWatch—a Citizen Science Program run by the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology!
President: Gary Trede
Help collect data for the ornithologists at the lab, from November through April. This project has been approved for volunteer hours for 2010. For more information see: http://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/
Vice President: Liz Robbins Treasurer: Pete Cowger Secretary: Jamie Daily
The Audubon Society sponsors the Great Christmas Bird Count (http://www.audubon.org/bird/cbc/index.html - it’s not too early for an ambitious MN to begin planning an AAMN count! In February, it’s time for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count (http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/). The local Audubon groups always participate - check their websites if you’d like to participate with them - they are always happy to have enthusiastic birders join them too.
Member at Large: Roy Yarnold Member at Large: Lonnie Shockley Member at Large: John Wolcott ELECTIONS WERE HELD WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11 a 7 pm
Thanks to all AAMN members who came to the November General Meeting for the Election of Officers for the AAMN Board for 2010. It was gratifying to see the level of interest and participation in this year’s election process. AAMN is full of energy and the coming year looks to be an exciting one.
These are great opportunities to participate in citizen science Opportunity awaits! (Be sure to fill out the paperwork for approval for GCBC & GBBC before participating, if you want the vol hours)
Riverwalk Garden in December... The winter garden still needs our loving attention. Our December work day is Friday, December 11, 9 am-noon, weather permitting. New volunteers always enthusiastically welcomed and appreciated!
Many thanks to the outgoing board for the hard work that went in to making 2009 another successful year for our chapter, and best wishes to the incoming Board as AAMN heads into new year.
Spring Class (No, 26) Tentative Schedule: Docents are always needed to help with the classes. Contact the training committee if you are interested. The schedule will also include one more outdoor field study day on a Saturday in March (TBA). Applications are currently being accepted - please pass this information on to anyone you know that may be interested. The application is available at www.alamomasternaturalist.org
DATE Thursday, Feb. 25 Thursday, Mar. 4
The garden is located at the corner of Aubrey and Old Guilbeau, north of Durango on the west side of the SA river. Contact: Lan Eng lanbceng@gmail.com Approved for Volunteer hours
TOPIC
TOPIC
LOCATION
Intro to TMN
Ecology Ecosystems
Texas AgriLife Bldg
Geology & Soils of Texas Geology & Soils of Texas
Texas AgriLife Bldg
Thursday, Mar. 11
Aquatic Ecology
Entomology
Texas AgriLife Bldg
Thursday, Mar. 18
Nature of Naming
Volunteers as Teachers
Texas AgriLife Bldg
Ethnobotany
Ornithology
Texas AgriLife Bldg
Mammalogy
Volunteers as Teachers
Saturday, Apr. 3
Field Trip: Birding
Tom & Patsy Inglet
Texas AgriLife Bldg Mitchell Lake Audubon Center (MLAC)
Thursday, Apr. 8
Wetland Ecology
Archaeology
Texas AgriLife Bldg
Forest Ecology
Ecological Concepts
Thursday, Apr. 22
Herpetology
Urban Systems
Texas AgriLife Bldg
Thursday, April 29
Volunteer Conduct
Rangeland Ecology
Texas AgriLife Bldg
Saturday, May 1
SABOT tour
GRADUATION
SABOT Carriage House
Thursday, Mar. 25 Thursday, Apr.1
Thursday, Apr. 15 Saturday - Apr. 17
Texas AgriLife Bldg Historical Info: San SAPAR Natural AreasPlants & Ethnobotany Antonio Natural Areas FP/CR
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Volunteer News and Information
There’s a New Ant in Town Molly Keck, an entomologist with Texas AgriLife Extensions, presented a program on the Rasberry ants (aka “crazy ants”) at our November meeting. Her presentation was a fascinating, science-based look at this newlydiscovered critter, an ant that we would do well to get familiar with. A recap of her presentation is printed below for those who were unable to attend. RASBERRY “CRAZY” ANTS 2002 marked the start of a new era in ant infestation in Texas. In the Deer Park area of Houston a new species of ant was discovered. The ant which was named the Rasberry ant after its discoverer, is also referred to as the crazy ant because it travels in erratic movements instead of a straight line as do other ants. They are about ¼ of an inch long and are reddish brown in color. They do bite, but do not have a painful sting. However, this ant is not to be confused with the common black crazy ant, which has been in Texas for many years. This confusion probably resulted from the media hype about the “crazy ant”, which caused many people to assume their property had been infested by this new ant. Although the problem is more widespread in Houston, fourteen counties including Bexar have had confirmed reports of infestation. The presence of the Rasberry ants in Bexar county was confined to several areas near Loop 410 and Hwy 151. It was found in mulch at several new hotels in this area and the nearby Lowes store. These ants pose several problems to both urban and rural communities. For farmers and ranchers there is the problem of infestation of the hay as they will nest in mulch, plant material and under dead wood or logs. Their presence stresses the livestock, and they have been reported to suffocate chickens by their numbers. They also decrease the diversity of the wildlife as the number of other invertebrates decreases and the other ants leave. This may be a problem for birds and other wildlife that feeds on invertebrates. Unlike other ants, they do not nest in mounds or hills. They nest throughout the landscape and each colony contains multiple queens which can lay millions of eggs. In the lab one queen laid two eggs in an hour which means in a day she could lay forty-eight eggs, 14,400 in a month and 288,000 eggs in a year. If disturbed the entire colony will leave and the queens leave first. It is thought that they spread through ground migration and do not have mating flights, as only recently has a female with wings been discovered.
The colony can spread twenty to thirty meters in a month in the urban landscapes. How do they spread? The main method of spreading is found in the human factor. As we transport plants from one area to another we often bring these ants with the plants. Since every colony has multiple queens, it is easy to see how they manage to hitch rides with us. We do not yet know if barriers as roadways, rivers and streams will impede their travel. The colonies discovered in San Antonio seem to suggest that they may be able to transverse roadways. The major problem in eliminating this pest is found in the magnitude of the colony. Pesticides can work but as millions of ants go over the pesticide, and die, the pesticide becomes diluted and there can be an inch of ants that the other ants are crawling over to reach their destination. Perhaps the major problem they present for homes and businesses is that like most ants, they are attracted to electrical wiring. when electrocuted they send out a pheromone to attract other ants. Again, the numbers in a colony can quickly ruin electric wiring. The good news is that despite what the media reports, there are treatments that can be used. The bad news is that because of the numbers in the colonies, it will probably take several treatments. Termidor appears to work if used against buildings outdoors. Indoors, Phantom seems to be effective, and Advance Carpenter Bait appears to work if used around the perimeter of the property. Homeowners also need to be diligent about picking up anything that could become a potential nesting site. We can do our part by not buying plants in infested counties, and checking all plants for ants before buying. You might even carefully lift the plant out of the pot to check it before buying. There is further research being done regarding their foraging activity (night or day, or both), their ability to go over natural or man made barriers, the question of whether they have mating flights, and what are the best management practices. These and other questions will hopefully be answered in the future and will provide us with more information on how to combat them. However, since we do not know where they came from, it is difficult to determine the natural enemies they may have. For more information consult the Texas A&M website at http://urbanentomology.tamu.edu/ants/exotic_tx.cfm — Jamie Daily
JOB OPENING at SAN ANTONIO BOTANICAL GARDEN: SEASONAL INTERPRETER FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS Hi, there! We are looking for a seasonal interpreter to assist with monthly childrens’ programs, summer camps and other education programs next year. The posting is open through December 18. If you are someone with some experience who is enthusiastic, energetic, and good with kids, please get in touch with us. Check the link at http://www.sabot.org/ or contact Sasha Kodet at (210) 207-3270 or sasha.kodet@sanantonio.gov for more information.
Volunteer News and Information INVASIVE PLANT ERADICATION AT RANCHO DIANA Master Naturalists and members of the San Antonio Invaders Satellite invite you to join us in our efforts to eradicate invasive plants at Rancho Diana. To date, 26 volunteers have accrued 241 volunteer hours, identified nearly 4,000 specimens of nine invasive species and eradicated 3,848 invasive plants! Invasive plant species have included: Chinaberry, Chinese Photinia, Chinese Pistachio, Giant Reed, King Ranch Bluestem, Indian Lantana, Ligustrum, Pyracantha and Nandina.
Medina River Natural Area NEEDS YOU To be a member of the newly forming
WHEN:
1st Wednesday of Each Month
WHERE:
Palo Alto College Library – Ozuna Building Room 206
TIME:
6:00-7:00 pm
The work is very satisfying, and no prior experience or training is required. We hope you can join us on one or more of the following dates: Tuesday, Dec. 8th Tuesday, Dec.15th NO ERADICATION ON TUESDAY, DEC. 22ND OR TUESDAY, DEC. 29TH Volunteers meet outside the gate at Rancho Diana at 7:30 A.M. and conclude at 9:30 or 10:00 A.M. (We have the advantage of earlier daylight with standard time as of Sunday, November 1st.) If you are interested in joining us, contact Cheryl Hamilton at cryhm@hotmail.com or 210-342-9721. It is important to email or call by no later than 9:00 P.M. the night before if you will be joining us, as we enter Rancho Diana as a group and lock the gate behind us. Approved for Volunteer Hours
MEDINA RIVER NATURAL AREA SECOND SATURDAY PROGRAMS December 12, 2009 10am-Noon Teddy Roosevelt, “The Conservation President” Come experience an unforgettable program presented by Tom Jackson, internationally-known living historian, as he portrays President Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. Jackson recounts in TR's own words his life-long appreciation of nature which inspired his dedicated efforts on behalf of the American conservation movement . January 9, 2010 9am-11am Peregrine Falcons and the Art of Falconry Matt Reidy, Wildlife Biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will provide information on the peregrine falcon and their adaptations for survival, the natural history of the peregrine falcon, the endangered species act and why the peregrine falcon was in trouble, and information on the sport of falconry. Medina River Natural Area is located at 15890 Highway 16 South For more information or to RSVP for any event call (210) 624-2575. Suggested donation for all events is $3.00/ pp or $5.00/per family.
www.sanaturalareas.org
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Call or email: E. Gail Dugelby, Nature Preserve Officer, 210.624.2575, gail.dugelby@sanantonio.gov www.sanaturalareas.org
Volunteer in San Antonio Natural Areas First Saturday Hike: Friedrich Park December 5 9:00 am - 11:00 am Take a nature walk with us before you start your holiday shopping. Come learn about the plants, animals and geology of this great Natural Area! STAR PARTY! At Eisenhower Park December 14, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Join the Bexar Audubon Society and the San Antonio Astronomical Society to take a look at the winter sky. Telescopes available. For the entire family. Reservations recommended; Suggested donation of $3.00/pp - $5.00/family. First Saturday Hike: Crownridge Canyon Natural Area January 2, 2010 9:00 am - 11:00 am Take a nature walk to ring in the new year! It may be winter but nature never sleeps-come see what is going on! Second Saturday Hike: Eisenhower Park January 9, 2010 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Take a walk with city forester, Michael Nentwich, to explore our trees in winter. Learn how they can be used in urban situations and begin to think about trees you may want to plant this year. Free tree to the first 20 families!! For more information or to volunteer, please call Peggy Spring at 210/564-6402 or email at pspring@sanantonio.gov www.sanaturalareas.org Approved for Volunteer Hours if assisting with the programs
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Approved Volunteer/Training Opportunities City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department Natural Areas December Stewardship Activities with Jayne Neal and Wendy Cooley Leonard
With December comes the solstice on December 21st, telling us that winter is officially here. The cool temperatures have brought about a spectacular change in leaf color this fall. Looking out on the hillsides with the dappled red from the Texas red oaks (Quercus texana) and the green from the junipers (Juniperus ashei) one can tell Christmas is definitely in the air. The ruby-crowned kinglets (Regulus calendula) are singing and the alligator lizards (Gerrhonotus liocephalus) are searching for a cozy winter refuge. The frostweeds (Verbesina virginica) will soon be bursting with icy sap, a phenomenon you can observe on a chilly morning after a hard freeze. With plants scattered along the trail, Crownridge Canyon Natural Area is the best location for frostweed. This holiday season get out in nature to observe winter at it finest. In December, we will continue with restoration activities, focusing on removing secondary growth junipers and protecting seedling and sapling deciduous trees. Our goal is to improve golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chyrsoparia) habitat. This activity involves rigorous hiking through dense brush and steep terrain. No experience is needed. We will furnish tools, but if you have work gloves, please bring them (ours are all size large). Please bring water and dress appropriately. If you have any questions, please contact Jayne Neal (210-372-9124, jayne.neal@sanantonio.gov) or Wendy Cooley Leonard (210-372-9124, wendy.leonard@sanantonio.gov). Thurs, Dec. 3
8:30am-12:30pm Golden-cheeked warbler habitat restoration at Woodland Hills West. Meet at the Woodland Hills West gate on Heuermann, just southwest of Friedrich Wilderness Park. Construction on IH10 has changed the exit you will want to take to get to Friedrich. From San Antonio, take Interstate Highway 10 west about 1/2 mile past Loop 1604. Take the Dominion Drive exit # 552. Drive approximately 1.5 miles and take the turn-around under the Interstate, then take the second right turn on Milsa. Milsa makes a left turn. Friedrich Park will be on your right about 600 yards down. To get to the Woodland Hills West gate, continue on Milsa and it will turn into Heuermann and the gate will be on your right. If you go all the way to Babcock, you have gone too far.
Thurs, Dec. 10 8:30am-12:30pm Golden-cheeked warbler habitat restoration at Woodland Hills West. Meet at the Woodland Hills West gate on Heuermann, just southwest of Friedrich Wilderness Park. See Dec 3 notes if you need directions. Thurs, Dec. 17 8:30am-12:30pm Golden-cheeked warbler habitat restoration at Woodland Hills West. Meet at the Woodland Hills West gate on Heuermann, just southwest of Friedrich Wilderness Park. See Dec 3 notes if you need directions. Thurs, Dec. 24 Christmas Eve-OFF-have a great holiday! Thurs, Dec. 31 8:30am-12:30pm Golden-cheeked warbler habitat restoration at Woodland Hills West. Meet at the Woodland Hills West gate on Heuermann, just southwest of Friedrich Wilderness Park. See Dec 3 notes if you need directions.
Guadalupe River State Park: Interpretive Training December 6, Volunteer Opportunities Too! Guadalupe River State Park has opened a Discovery Center at the park. It is housed in the newly renovated Interpretative Center which is next to the park amphitheater. Tara Tucker, regional interpretative specialist, will be doing training on Dec. 6th from 1-4 pm at the Discovery Center. This 3 hour period will give volunteers an overview of the exhibits and to get you more familiar with them so you are prepared to guide the visitors when they come to the Center. Even more important will be the activity boxes and backpacks. This Center is focused towards children (and thus, their parents) to get them engaged in the outdoors – there will be several activity boxes with furs, skulls, books, etc. These boxes will give visitors a hands-on experience with natural resources found at the park. So we will need volunteers to guide visitors in their exploration of the boxes and activities. Backpacks will be available for visitors to “check out” for further exploration outside. The packs will have binoculars, field guides, magnifying glasses, etc. During the volunteer orientation, Tara will orient you to the activity boxes and their contents in addition to giving an overview to the building’s exhibits. Lastly, she will talk a little about customer service and how to convey these resources (interpretation) to the public.
This may not take the entire 3 hours, it may only take 2, but she wants to leave plenty of time for questions and exploration. Because the park is in the process of filling the Interpretative position The Friends of Guadalupe River State Park/Honey Creek State Natural Area will be assisting Tara in filling volunteer time slots. Upon completion of the training the Friends would appreciate you signing up for a 2 hour time slot or more. At the present we have the center open on Saturdays and Sundays. The center would be open from 9-5 each of these days. If enough people volunteer we could have a rotating system that would only require someone to volunteer once or twice a month. Once you see this exciting “hands on” center I believe you will also realize what a contribution this is to the park and what a great way to volunteer. If you are able to attend this training please contact Tom Anderson tanderson46@satx.rr.com or by phone at: 210-241-1916. If you are unable to attend this session but are interested in attending a training session in the near future please contact Tom and let him know so he can have your contact information and notify you of upcoming trainings.
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Congratulations to Class 25
Welcome to our newest Master Naturalists! What’s Happening at Cibolo Nature Center in December and January? Dec 5, 2009 Winter Sparrows and Wrens workshop Presenter is Byron Stone, expert birder and sparrow specialist . Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Location: CNC Auditorium and Park Dec 5, 2009 A Walk in The Park – Photography Come to Boerne's beautiful Cibolo Nature Center to photograph the striking landscapes by the Cibolo Creek. Instructor: Nancy Cavender-Garcia Time: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Dec 12, 2009 Kids Club - Tis the Season of Giving Nature gives us wonderful gifts each and every day. How about joining us in giving back to nature? Time: 10:00 am - 11:30 am Dec 13, 2009 Winter Prairie Bird Survey - Cibolo Nature Center Annual survey of winter birds in our tall-grass prairie. We need a few birders, who can help three Thursdays in December, January and February. Time: 9:30 am - 1:00 pm Dec 15, 2009 Mother Nature's Storytime: A Very Berry Holiday!
Presented by: Constance Keremes, Youth Librarian. Time: 10:00 am - 11:00 am Location: CNC Visitors Center Dec 17, 2009 Winter Prairie Bird Survey - Cibolo Preserve Annual survey of winter birds in the Cibolo Preserve grasslands. We need a few birders, who can help three Thursdays in December, January and February. Time: 9:30 am - 1:00 pm January: Wildlife Tax Valuation Seminar Session 1: Overview & Property Inventory Saturday, January 9, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Session 2: Management Practices & Habitat Assessment Saturday, January 16, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Session 3: WTV History and Update on the Law, Application Procedures, & Putting It All Together Sat., January 23, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost: Mem: $80/pp;$100/couple; non-mem: $100/pp; $125/couple. Limit: 35. Pre-registration required. Call 830-249-4616.
HOT TUB NATURALIST — DECEMBER November and December are good hot tub months. The nights are mainly clear allowing for good star gazing, though we have had some rains. As the temperatures cool, the warm waters become more cozy. Haven't seen the coon or the possum for a while. Foods dumped on the compost heap are there the next morning, much to the delight of some other animals, such as butterflies. While I am delighted to compost, I miss the possum, our only marsupial. The rains have filled the tanks (earthen ponds). After three years of drought, with this water, ducks have returned. They paddle about searching for tidbits to eat. Sometimes I catch a landing. More often as I do my chores, I just watch them from a distance, swimming and murmuring in subtle quacks. Sometimes a momma duck will stay — Tony Hajek and raise a brood, but I doubt this year. No cover or food.
Master Naturalists are volunteers dedicated to the conservation, preservation and restoration of our natural resources, promoting ecological education for all ages.
The Alamo Chapter Texas Master Naturalist Newsletter is published monthly for the members and friends of the chapter. News and information
The Alamo Area Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists gratefully acknowledges the support of our sponsoring organizations:
for the newsletter is always welcome. Please contact Joann Smith, Editor, by e-mail at sanantoniosmith@yahoo.com.
Spring 2010 classes now forming - find the application at: WWW.ALAMOMASTERNATURALIST.ORG
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Master Naturalist P.O. Box 690356 San Antonio, Texas 78269 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED