Volume XXVI, No. 4 November-December 2008

8/14/2019 Volume XXVI, No. 4 November-December 2008

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Time to break out theholiday cheer and join to-

gether for an evening of funand relaxation. Come gearup for the holidays withBexar Audubon, at thehome of Bruce and SusanHughes in the King Williamarea. Call for directions andto reply: 210.532.2032.

Bring a covered dish ortreat to share; beverages,plates, utensils, etc., will be

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 6:00 PM

November Program & Celebration! All BAS members and guests are invited!

Bexar Audubon Society

is a chapter of the NationalAudubon Society. Its primarygoals are to promote speciesand habitat conservation andenvironmental education in thecommunity.

ers will unhesitatingly af-firm, Yes, he/she deservesthat.

Please join us Nov. 13to witness the first presen-tation of this honor to RuthLofgren, Ernie Roney, andBill Sinkin.

Cost of the banquet is$35 per person. Pleasesend your check, made outto Bexar Audubon Societywith 'banquet' on the memoline, to Bexar AudubonSociety, P.O. Box 6084,San Antonio, TX 78209.Include a note with thenames of individuals cov-ered by the check. Or feelfree to use the form onpage 7 of the newsletter.

Questions? E-mail [email protected] orcall Harry Noyes at210.490.3124. Read moreabout John Karger & LastChance Forever on page 3.

Bexar Audubon Turns 25!

December Elections and Party

For 25 years, a small butdedicated band has foughtfor the environment of theEarth and the San Antonioregion under the banner ofthe Bexar Audubon Soci-ety. As we mark a quartercentury of hard but gratify-

ing work, we invite thosewho have helped our chap-ter's efforts, our allies inother organizations fightingthe same good fight, andfriends who share our con-cern, to join us in celebra-tion. A 25th anniversarybanquet will take placeThursday, Nov. 13, at 6p.m., in the Brazier Roomof Los Patios Restaurant,and YOU ARE INVITED.NOTE:This is the chapter's

usual meeting date, so nochange in schedule isneeded during the busy pre-holiday season.

We are pleased andproud to announce that theaffair will include a presen-

tation by John Karger andhis magnificent birds ofprey from Last ChanceForever. Karger will dem-onstrate his birds' intelli-gence and skills and ex-plain how the ancient art offalconry contributes to the

modern goal of conservingbirds of prey.

The occasion will alsounveil Bexar Audubon'snewest and highest honor,the Conservation Heroaward. This is a specialtribute to the bravest of thebrave among our region'senvironmental strugglers. Itis an award for heart asmuch as achievement andwill go to people who havededicated many years of

their lives to conservationor have made extraordinarypersonal sacrifices for thecause. In coming years,only a handful will earn thisspecial honor, but they willbe people of whom all oth-

Bexar TracksVolume XXVI, No. 4November-December 2008For the latest news and updates, see www.bexaraudubon.org and www.sa-naturecenter.org.

Thursday, December 11, 2008, 6:00 PM: Happy Holidays!

Inside this issue:

The UnexpectedPresident

2

Last Chance ForeverNovember Program

3

January 2009 ProgramMcNay Art Museum

4

Mitchell Lake AudubonCenter

4

Happenings: Cibolo, SANatural Areas

5

Banquet Reply Form 7

Los Patios is located at2015 NE Loop 410 be-tween Harry Wurzbach and

Starcrest (four exits east ofthe airport on the west-bound access road fromExit 25A, Starcrest, justdown the hill from AlamoToyota).

provided so we can all enjoy a scrumptious array of

holiday fare.And its White Elephant

Gift Exchange time! Bringsomething youd just HATEto part with (you knowyouve got em!) and seehow much itll be enjoyedby some lucky other personat the party. And whoknows what youll end uptaking home with you?

Gifts in recent years haveincluded fuzzy-teddy-bear

binoculars, a glow-in-the-dark dashboard ornament,a starling trap, and otherwonderful treasures!

Well also conduct alittle chapter business. Thisis an election year, so theformal part of the meetingwill be electing new chapterofficers and two boardmembers; then well get

down to the serious busi-ness of partying!

Do come and join in.EVERYONEis invited! Itsa casual opportunity tospend some time with like-minded conservationistsand be grateful for ourcommitment to make theSan Antonio area andthe world a better, moresustainable place for us all.

Happy Holidays!


2/8

The Unexpected Presidentnio's "greenest restaurant,"both literally and figura-tively. I look forward to

seeing you there.I was gratified to get

two promising responsesto my last column callingfor more people to helpBexar Audubon pursue itsgoals. I want to assurethose folks we will be intouch with specific sugges-tions when we get a few(unprescribed) fires putout. But for now, to all theother BAS members, I'dlike to pass a personal

message.

Don't delay! I have be-come agonizingly awarehow quickly we can losethe ability to achieve whatwe want to with our lives. Ihave just been through aweek of misery, not surewhat triggered it, and mytreatments are very slow totake effect.

Bottom line: I've foundhow fast perspectives can

change, from focus on theworld to a narrow and total

obsession with one's ownhealth. I've lost interest inthe election, in hurricanes,in the aquifer, in birds,even in my beloved books.

I've had tocut back onthe volun-teer activi-ties that Icounted onto make my

re t i r ementas busy andr e w a r d i n g

as work. Only the pressureof necessity enables me tokeep up my Bexar Audu-bon work via e-mail. I amgetting a little better andhope to be well by Nov. 13,but the lesson is burnedinto my mind forever:

Second, we realizedthat this was not just anopportunity to celebrate

past successes but also achance to implement oneof our strategic-plan goals.That is our desire to sup-port and foster the entirel o c a l c o n s e r v a t i o n / environmental community.One of the tactics we se-lected was to honor out-standing contributors tothat community and itswork.

We have given awardsbefore, but this will be the

first time that we will pre-sent the award ofawards, the new BexarAudubon Society Con-servation Hero trophy.

This is an honor not fora one-time or short-termeffort, however noble oreffective, but for manyyears of struggle or excep-tional sacrifice for thecause. It is an award morefor heart than achieve-

ment, though most recipi-ents will surely be achiev-ers as well as people ofdedication.

There won't be manyConservation Hero awardsbut we are determined thatall selectees will be peopleof whom you will say,"Indeed, those are trulyworthy honorees"...andpeople with whom earlierrecipients will be proud tobe associated.

We are confident thatthis is the case with ourfirst three selectees.(Ordinarily we will beunlikely to give more thanone Conservation Heroaward a year, on average,but we are trying to catchup a little on people whohave deserved such anhonor for many years.)

This first honorees areRuth Lofgren and ErnieRoney for decades of work

to protect Mitchell Lake,their leadership in its be-coming a successful Audu-bon Center, and their con-tinued volunteer workthere. No matter what theodds or how intense theadversity, Ruth and Erniedisplayed remarkable resil-iency and would not movefrom their goals of estab-lishing Mitchell Lake as aworld-class refuge for birdsand a jewel of south San

Antonio. Completing theslate is Bill Sinkin, foun-der and sustainer of SolarSan Antonio and an advo-cate for the environmenteven when being greenwasnt cool. Along with hiswife Fay, whom we hon-ored at BASs 20th Anni-versary celebration for herwork in protecting the Ed-wards Aquifer, Bill isclearly among the mostinfluential individuals work-

ing for good in San Anto-nios civic history.

All three inaugural he-roes have been quiet war-riors for their causes,achieving their goals withtenacity and effective per-suasion, armedwith good infor-mation and afervent desire tomake San Anto-nio a better placeto live for us all.

I urge you totake advantageof this chance tothank these true conserva-tion heroes. And by theway, we will have a specialprogram with John Kargerand his raptors from LastChance Forever and, ofcourse, an excellent mealat what may be San Anto-

You are invited tohelp us celebrate our

2008 BexarAudubon Society

Conservation Heroes:

Ruth Lofgren

Ernie Roney

Bill Sinkin

Page 2 Bexar TracksNovember-December 2008

I will start with the most impor-tant Bexar Audubon Society

news of the season and thenend on a personal note that

may seem at first glance tohave little to do with our mis-sion of conservation education

and advocacy...but perhaps

more than we realize.

On the first page of thisnewsletter you will finddetails about one of themost exciting events of ouryear, our Nov. 13 banquetcelebrating 25 years ofBexar Audubon's work. Wewere so busy with the mis-sion that we almost forgotthis milestone and havehad to scramble to makethe necessary arrange-ments in time to get theminto this newsletter.

I want to express mygratitude to BAS vicepresident Tony Wood, pro-gram chair Patty Pasztor,all-around chapter guruSusan Hughes and all ourboard members for theirideas, wise counsel and

support of this surge effort.It would have been

easy to ignore the anniver-sary, but we forged aheadfor two reasons.

First, it would be unfairto the many hardworkingpast chapter leaders andactivists who built our leg-acy to let such an occasionpass unmarked.

- Harry Noyes -

Conservation Heroes:

people of whom

you will say, Indeed,

those are trulyworthy honorees.


3/8

...UnexpectedPresident

There is no substitutefor your health. Use it whileyou can. Take that trip to

Europe now. Write thatnovel now. START YOURVOLUNTEER WORKNOW, whether for BexarAudubon or any other wor-thy cause.

Editors Note: Theresmany ways you can help!Email Harry Noyes [email protected];log on to www.sanaturalareas.org or www.bexaraudubon.org.

More Information on

November 2008: Last Chance Forever with John Karger

Thursday, November 13, 2008, 6:00 PM at Los Patios


Dear AQUIFER GUARDIAN,

The AGUA office recently received a request from the Green Spaces Alliance to assistthem in identifying land in the Edwards Aquifer region for conservation. Specifically, they are

looking for land that contains, or is likely to contain, endangered species the Golden-cheeked warbler, Black-capped vireo, or Karst invertebrates. Many of these endangered spe-cies serve as health indicators for the Edwards Aquifer, so the more we protect them, themore we protect our drinking water source. The GSA is looking for property in several coun-ties across the Edwards region, including Bexar, Medina, Comal, and Bandera counties.

If you have property you would like to dedicate to conservation or know of a propertythat might be a good candidate, please contact Cherie Heuser at: 210.222.8430 x 5(Monday or Friday, 9 AM2 PM) or [email protected]. THANK YOU!

Elyzabeth Earnley, Technical Research Director

Aquifer Guardians In Urban Areas (AGUA)

210.320.6298; www.aquiferguardians.org

In the Flow is a weekly freshwater news wrapup and analysis prepared by the River Systems Institute. In the Flowpartners with Public Strategies, Inc. to keep you apprised of the latest news and events concerning the river systems ofTexas and important freshwater issues on a regional, national and world level.

An editorial in the Austin American-Statesman avers that bald eagles, such as those at Lake Buchanan, could facethreats to their habitat under changes to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Rule, if the birds or their nests are in the way ofdevelopment. Published in the Aug. 14 edition of the Federal Register, the explanation of the change is chilling, says thewriter, in its outline of what's about to happen. The new program is "designed to protect bald and golden eagle populations,while providing the flexibility necessary for people to manage their land and businesses. This program would allow issu-ance of permits under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act authorizing activities that may disturb eagles, require nest

removal, or otherwise result in the death of or injury to a bird." We're protecting them by allowing them to be killed or in-jured, the writer asks? What we're saying, he asserts, is that managing land or businesses can take precedence over mega-raptors that are just beginning to assert themselves after nearly being wiped out. He goes on to say that if we're trying toprotect eagles, do that. Don't set up parameters that would allow them to be killed or injured."

Excerpt From

In The Flow: Eagles

John Karger is Executive Director of Last Chance Forever, The Bird of Prey Conservancy.He is a Master Falconer, Certified Veterinary Technician, and recipient of a Bio-engineering be-havior certification from Southwest Research Institute. He holds wildlife rescue, rehabilitation,and educational permits to care for and teach about native wildlife including endangered spe-cies. His educational background is in the wildlife and veterinary sciences.

For over 30 years, Mr. Karger has been deeply involved in wildlife rehabilitation releasingwell over 2,000 birds. The impact of his work is national, and international.

His public educational programs have touched well over a million people, exposing them tothe importance of birds of prey and their living within a healthy ecosystem. He currently directsand performs an average of 350 educational programs annually, reaching an audience of ap-proximately 250,000 people throughout Texas and the United States.

To read more about Last Chance Forever: The Bird of Prey Conservancy, log on at www.lastchanceforever.org.

John KargerLast Chance Forever

AGUA News


4/8

Second SaturdayBeginners Walks

Join San Antonio

Audubon Society on thesecond Saturday of themonth (November 8,December 13); start at8:00 AM, meet at theJudson Nature Trailsnext to the AlamoHeights swimming poolon Viesca Street. Formore information call,210.342.2073. NewbiesWelcome!

bition that evening in theLawson Print Gallery.

HOWEVER, the lecturestarts at 6 p.m., a half-hourearlier than our normalmeeting time and an hourearlier than our usual pro-gram time. So we encour-age you all to make a noteon your calendars to arriveearly. After the lecture, wewill have until 9 p.m. toview the prints.

Williams says they willhave about 20 hand-

January's chapter meet-ing will be a special outingto the McNay Art Museum

for their exhibition "PrintsGone Wild: John JamesAudubon."

The date will be thesame as always, the sec-ond Thursday (Jan. 8),which has two benefits forus. First, the McNaycharges no admission onThursday evenings. Sec-ond, prints curator LyleWilliams will be giving apublic lecture on the exhi-

colored prints from thebooks on birds (double-elephant size) and quadru-

peds (imperial size). A fewbelong to the McNay buthave never been exhibitedbefore. Others have beenloaned by San Antonio-area collectors.

(NOTE: On Sunday,Nov. 2, from 2:30-4 p.m.,there will be several freeafternoon activities for chil-dren related to the Audu-bon exhibition, including

"Where the Wild ThingsAre Drawn," by KateCarey, museum educator;

"Nature Talk & BirdW a t c h , " b y I l i a n aPena, Mitchell Lake Audu-bon Center; and "Up Closewith Critters," a San Anto-nio Zoo educator with trav-eling animals.)

The McNay Art Museum islocated at 6000 NewBraunfels, San Antonio.Info? 210.824.5368 for orwww.mcnayart.org.

January 2009 Meeting: Audubon Exhibition at the McNayThursday, January 8, 2009, 6:00 PM; the McNay Art Museum


Whats Happening at Mitchell Lake?

chance to explore the habi-tat at Mitchell Lake.

These programs areboth free; space is limitedand RSVP is required. Formore information or toRSVP on any MLAC pro-grams, [email protected] 210.628.1639.

Mitchell LakeAudubon Center

10750 Pleasanton Rd.San Antonio , TX 78221210.628.1639

mitchelllakeaudubon.org

Mitchell Lake

Audubon Center

Connecting Peoplewith Nature

Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008

9:00-11:00 AM

MAKE YOUR LAND-SCAPE A WILDSCAPE!

Judit Green of TexasParks and Wildlife willteach you about wildsca-ping your yard. A Wild-scape is a landscape inwhich plants provide food,water, and shelter for wild-life. Wildscaping also pro-vides habitat and food for

wildlife, including hum-mingbirds, butterflies, songbirds, lizards, and amphibi-ans. Plants discussed arenot only food sources forwildlife, but are also watersources. Wildscaping isalso very helpful for pre-serving soils water con-tent, reducing the need towater ones yard. The pro-gram concludes with aWildscaping Plant Walk..Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008:Kids Birding 101

A class for children tolearn more about this funactivity. They will learn howto use binoculars and howto identify the birds theysee. Theyll also get a

Conservation Conversation

Susan Campbell, new Education Coordinator of Medina River Natural Area, is looking for people who are willing to have

a conversation about the possibility of helping create a Friends of Medina River Natural Area organization. If you are inter-

ested in this possibility for Medina River Natural Area, please call Susan at 210.624.2575. For more information on the

Medina River Natural Area, log on at sanaturalareas.org.

Coastal Sanctuaries vs. Hurricane Ike

Please check our website for updates on the status of our coastal sanctuaries after the damage sustained by HurricaneIke. High Island, Sundown Island, and many other sanctuaries all up and down the coast were affected. Log on for moreinformation and to find out how you can help: www.bexaraudubon.org.

Dont Forget!

Nov. 13: BAS 25th Anniver-

sary Banquet & Program

Dec. 11: Elections & Christ-

mas Party

Jan. 9: Outing to the McNay


5/8

Whats Happening?All listings are on Saturdays unless indicated otherwise

SAN ANTONIO NATURAL AREASFor more information on listings below,www.sanaturalareas.org.

Medina River Natural Area (MRNA)

Medina River Natural Area is located

approximately 4 miles south of Loop410 on State Highway 16 South.

Art in the Park, MRNA

November 8, 2008: 9:00-11:00 AMJoin artist Susan Blaker to learn basicnature printing techniques. Explore theshape and texture of elements found inthe natural world. Learn to apply ink orpaint directly to plants and flowers tocreate life-sized images. Make your ownnote cards using natural materi-als. RSVP, 210.624.2575. $3 suggesteddonation, $5/family.

www.sanaturalareas.org

Creatures of the Night, MRNA

November 8, 2008: 5:00-8:00 PMRichard Heilbrun, TPWD Wildlife Biolo-gist, joins us for an evening about nightcritters & the sounds they make.

First Saturday Hikes

Interpretative Walks in November andDecember

Call 210.372.9124 or 210.564.6400 forreservations or info on First SaturdayHikes detailed below. Hikes may becancelled if there are no reservations;

participants limited to 15 per hike. Dona-tion $2/person suggested.

Friedrich Wilderness Park

21395 Milsa

November 1, 2008: 9:00-11:00 AMTake a break & come learn about theplants, animals, rocks and how peoplehave used and shaped our land.

Crownridge Canyon Natural Area

7222 Luskey Blvd.

December 6, 2008: 9:00-11:00 AMLearn about the flora, fauna, geology of

this great natural area!

Second Saturday Program: Cibolo!

Eisenhower Park

19399 NW Military Hwy.

November 8, 2008: 10:00 -12 noonJoin us as Master Naturalist CharlieMcCarl leads an excursion into the lifeof the buffalo and we learn where theyhave gone. Call 210.564.644 for reser-vations/information.

For more information on CNC events(those listed and others), www.cibolo.org/calendaror 210.564.6400.

Rainwater Harvest Workshop

November 8, 2008

9 AMNoon; CNC Auditorium & visitto installation.

CNC members $20/person and $30/couple; non-members $30/person,$40/couple. Preregistration required.Call 830.249.4616. Limited to 30.

John Kight, engineer and rainwatercatchment owner, gives the latest

technological information and themost practical advice. Learn aboutdesign and materials from someonewho has done it himself! The Kighthome, with no well or outside watersource, is in a traditional develop-ment. Their system comfortably sup-plies delicious water for all householdand landscape needs.

Second Saturday

Volunteer Service Workdays

November 8, 2008 &

andDecember 13, 2008

9:00Noon; CNC Pavilion

Bring family and friends to spend themorning pulling weeds, picking uptrash and assisting with other to-doprojects to help keep the CNC lookingbeautiful.

Sustainable Concept House

November 15, 2008

9 AM-12:30 PM

CNC Auditorium; preregistration re-quired. Call 830.249.4616.

CNC continues its green theme byoffering a workshop on the Sustain-able Concept House. Topics include:Passive Solar Design, GeothermalHeating & Cooling, sustainable Build-ing Materials, and Passive Solar HotWater Heating. Team members fromthe Sustainable Concept House(www.boernegreenhouse.com) will beon hand to showcase best practices

and applications for sustainable build-ing and living. The house, co-sponsored by CNC, is one of only ahandful of LEED certified houses inthe state. Great opportunity if you areplanning to remodel, build, or are inthe industry.

Boerne Birders

November 15, 2008

8:00-10:00 AM

Meet at the CNC pavilion. Join afriendly group of birders who arehappy to share knowledge and guide

this bird walk and monthly census. Wewill bird the 100-acre Nature Centerproperty that includes marsh, prairie,woodland and Cibolo Creek. Bringyour binoculars and favorite bird book.Free. For more information, call830.230.5551 or 210.710.3981.

Mother Natures Storytime:

Talkin Turkey

Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008

and

Mother Natures Storytime: Natures

Homes (Home for the Holidays)Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2008

10:00-11:00 AM

CNC Visitor CenterChildren (ages 3-5) and their care-giver are invited to join Miss Con-stance, Boerne Public Library YouthServices Librarian, for a fun hour ofnature activities at the CNC. Partici-pants will listen to themed nature sto-ries, enjoy motion games, fingerplays, and make a craft.

Kids Club: Nature Ornaments

December 13, 2008

10:00-11:30 AM

Come out to Kid's Club with the kidsin their life. This month we'll createChristmas ornaments for the birds.You can make two: one to take homeand one for the Nature Center birds.


CIBOLO NATURE CENTER


6/8

Earlier this summer, theNational Audubon Societyreleased a definitive studyof population trends of

North American birds, amonumental effort basedon decades of Christmasbird counts and breedingbird surveys. The studyconfirms what my grandfa-ther feared and what mostof us now know. Birds thatI used to see routinelygrowing up in New Eng-land evening gros-beaks, eastern meadow-larks, northern bobwhites -are in free fall. The losses

are mind-boggling. Sincemy grandfather introducedme to birds just half a life-time ago, once-commonspecies have declined byas much as 80 percent dueto the usual suspects:habitat loss, pesticides,introduced species, andclimate change. The songsof tens of millions of birdshave been silenced. Itfeels as if the lights aredimming.

In one sense, extinctionis hugely overrated. Thevast majority of animalsand plants that disappearhardly leave a ripple in thepool of life. Species be-come rare, they disappear,

yet ecosystemspersist. In somecases biologicalc o m m u n i t i e sare fundamen-tally alteredbecause of themissing pieces,but most of thetime the eco-logical effects

of extinction of species likeBachman's warbler or evenivory-billed woodpeckersare hardly measurable.

The true loss is spiritual

(continued on page 7)

Brunswick, Maine Forty-three years ago,when I reached what mygrandfather imagined to be

the eve of puberty, I wassummoned to spend theweekend with him at hishouse in rural Connecticut.

I knew what to expectbecause my four olderbrothers had undergonethe same rite of passage.The climax of the weekendwould be the ceremonialpresentation of a double-barreled shotgun, followedby sober instruction onfirearm safety and generalmanliness. Next, mygrandfather would take meon an excursion into thewoods and we'd fire off afew rounds.

But when my turn camethe ritual had changed.Instead of a gun, I wasgiven a double-barreledpair of binoculars, and thenmy grandfather took me onmy first bird walk.

I was bewildered. But

within an hour my disap-pointment was forgotten,shoved aside by sheerawe at the sight of a red-start hovering in midair, thesound of a wood thrush'sflute music, the swoosh ofchimney swifts rushing information overhead. Out ofthe cacophony of the dawnchorus, my grandfathertaught me to pick out therhythm of a dropped ping-pong ball in the field spar-

row's song and the tow-hee's exuberant "drinkyour tea!" By their silhou-ettes alone I learned todistinguish a phoebe and akestrel.

That weekend mygrandfather lifted the veil toa world that had not ex-isted for me before. I didn't

want our time together toend because I would haveto go back to my family'sfarm where, to the best of

my knowledge, there wereno birds.

Of course, back homein the Berkshires of west-ern Massachusetts, I foundall the birds I'd been intro-duced to in Connecticutand many more, ambassa-dors of every color: electric-blue indigo buntings,blood-red scarlet tanagers,earth-toned veeries. I stillremember the first black-burnian warbler I ever saw,his throat and cheeks sovividly orange, his facelooked like it might burstinto flames.

Spring and summermornings thereafter, I'dwake up and listen to thebirds singing in my back-yard. If there was a sound Icouldn't recognize, I'dthrow on a shirt and pair ofpants, grab my binoculars,and track it down, some-

thing I still do today.In his later years, my

grandfather used to grum-ble that birds were becom-ing scarcer and scarcer. Itwas tempting to write offhis gloom as the naturaltendency ofthe elderly tor o m a n t i c i z ethe past, ormaybe just anold man's de-t e r i o r a t i n g

hearing andeyesight. But itwas true thatthe whippoor-will that had kept meawake nights when I vis-ited him as a boy had gonequiet, and the woods andfields of the Northeast feltemptier to me.

A Connecticut Lesson: Intro to Birds and BirdingBy Nathaniel T. Wheelwright


The climax of theweekend would be theceremonial presentation

of a double-barreledshotgun(but) the ritualhad changed. Instead ofa gun, I was given adouble-barreled pair ofbinoculars, and then my

grandfather took me onmy first bird walk.

Indigo Bunting


7/8

... Intro to Birds and Birdingand aesthetic, not func-tional or economic. Lifewould go on if everyShakespeare play and

Beethoven sonata weredestroyed, but to use thewords of the Audubon re-port, our skies would be "alittle quieter and the land-scape a little drabber." Ofcourse, we'll always haveCDs of bird song andDVDs of bird behavior tofall back on a digitalmemory, as it were butwill that be enough?

I can see now that mygrandfather's rite of pas-sage was really about con-necting us with the land. It

was about learning how tobecome intimate with ourworld's signs, smells,sounds, textures and

rhythms. It was aboutknowing where we are andwho we are. How wonder-ful it would be to be able topass that gift on to my owngrandchildren.

Nathaniel T. Wheelwrightstudies the behavioralecology of birds andteaches biology at Bow-doin College in Brunswick,Maine.

Reprinted with authorspermission.


Bexar Audubon Society ContactsPresident & Webmaster: Harry Noyes 210.490.3124, [email protected] President: Tony Wood 210.867.2363; [email protected]: Caryl Swann 210.653.2860; [email protected]: Anita Anderson 210.533.8726; [email protected]: Amy L. Whitley 210.340.0114; [email protected]: Kathy Ikerd [email protected]: VACANCYPrograms/Outings: Patty Pasztor 210.824.1235; [email protected]: Michele Wood 210.492.4684, [email protected]

can be found at www.tceq.state.tx.us.

Goodwill Industries andDell, Inc. have worked tomake free computer recyclingavailable at Goodwill outletsin Waco, Austin and San An-tonio, among other places.

Environmental groups saycomputers take up space inlandfills and pushed for thelaw because some computercomponents can be toxic ifdisposed of improperly.

More info also atwww.epa.gov/epawaste/ conserve/materials/ecycling/index. ecycling, not recycling.

Companies now takingback, recycling com-puters for free

Manufacturers sellingcomputer equipment inTexas are now required tooffer consumers a way toconveniently recycle theirold computers for free.

This state law ordersmanufacturers to take theold computer equipmentback from consumers with-out charge. The manufac-turers' recycling plans arelisted with the Texas Com-

mission on EnvironmentalQuality; more information

Computer Recycling

Join us for Bexar Audubon Societys 25thAnniversary Celebration at Los Patios,Thursday, November 13, 2008, 6:00 PM atthe Brazier. Program by John Karger of LastChance Forever: Birds of Prey Conservancy,and special celebration of our three Conser-vation Hero recipients: Ruth Lofgren, Ernie

Roney, and Bill Sinkin.

______ Yes! I/We will be there!

______ No, sorry, cant make it, but enclos-

ing a donation.

PLEASE PRINT

Please indicate below your reservation

name(s) and a contact number/email

Name(s): __________________________

_________________________________

Phone and/or Email: __________________

_________________________________Banquet is $35 per person; please make yourcheck payable to Bexar Audubon Society andmark banquet on the memo line. Pleasereturn this form with your check to BexarAudubon Society, PO Box 6084, San AntonioTX 78209. Questions? Contact Harry Noyes,210.490.3124 or president@ bexaraudu-bon.org. We look forward to seeing you for

this very special celebration!

Earth Share of Texas represents the Audubon Foundation of

Texas and the National Audubon Society in payroll contribution

plans throughout Texas. For information, call 1-800-GREENTX

or email [email protected]. Or please visit our website

at www.earthshare-texas.org.


8/8

Bexar Tracks is the official newsletter of theBexar Audubon Society, a Chapter of the

National Audubon Society. The Chaptersprimary goals are to promote species andhabitat conservation and environmentaleducation in the community.Your membership includes National Audubonand Bexar Audubon and subscriptions to bothAudubon and Bexar Tracks.

www.bexaraudubon.org

Bexar Audubon SocietyPO Box 6084San Antonio TX 78209-0084

Membership and Support for Your Environmental Voice in Our Community

Bexar Audubon welcomes new members to join Audubon through the chapter. This brings 100 percent of the first yearsdues directly back to support local work. The same applies to gift memberships placed through the chapter. Your additionaltax deductible donation is greatly appreciated. Bexar Audubon receives only a few thousand dollars each year from Na-tional Audubon Society as dues share. The rest we must raise ourselves. Your help is needed, and your donations will beput to good use right here in South Central Texas to provide environmental news and education to the community, includ-ing the newsletter, programs, San Antonio Environmental Network Issues Forum, Second Saturday programs, and otheractivities you may or may not hear about.Individual introductory memberships are $20; seniors and students join for $15. Please provide the following informationfor each personal subscription or gift:

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing Address with Zip Code: _______________________________________________________________________

Phone w/Area Code: _________________________________ e-mail ________________________________________

Do you wish to opt out of other mailings by Audubon or those with whom it shares lists? ____ yes ____ noMake checks payable to Bexar Audubon Society and mail to the address above.Enclosed: $__________ for subscription(s) $_________ additional donation

NOTE: If you change address or cancel membership, you do NOT need to contact Bexar Audubon but MUST contact National Audubon (and wewill automatically get that change when we download labels). Save time and energy by mailing your change of address information to National Audu-

bon Society Membership Data Center, PO Box 52529, Boulder CO 80322-2529; phoning 800.274.4201; or e-mailing [email protected].

For the latest information on environmental

events and happenings throughout the San

Antonio community and surrounding areas,

check out www.bexaraudubon.org and

www.sa-naturecenter.org.

Non-ProfitOrganization

US Postage PaidSan Antonio TX

Permit #590

Bexar Tracks November-December 2008

Documents

Volume XXVI, No. 4 November-December 2008