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"There are some who can live without wild things and some who cannot."

Aldo Leopold, from the foreword of A Sand County Almanac

Chapter News & Announcements

  • 10 Year Anniversary

    Over Ten Wonderful Years! The Master Naturalist Program started here in San Antonio over ten years ago with the formation of our chapter.

  • From The President

    Remembering To Say Thank You And A New Opportunity Comes Our Way

    by Tony Hajek

    Anton Hajek

    Molly Keck of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service sent our chapter a handwritten thank-you for our participation at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. We’ve often
    been thanked and appreciated, but this handwritten note is a first!

    Michelle Haggerty, State Coordinator for Texas Master Naturalists (the statewide organization), sent out a press release noting the Texas Master Naturalist program has passed the milestone of 1,000,000 service hours since inception ten years ago.

    While true, Paul Harvey must be turning his grave since she missed “the rest of the story:” she completely ignored the origins of the Master Naturalist program that began right here in San Antonio, twelve years ago, with the Alamo Area Chapter.

    I know because I was there then - and have been here ever since - and we don’t need to be forgotten! Debbie Reid, Rufus Stephens, Judit Green, and Mark Peterson still support the chapter they started.

    Class 24 is rocking along. The Montessori School is a beautiful location! The campus has a very outdoors-like feeling. They even have a composting bucket for our meal waste. These guys are living green. Every class night finds several members of the training committee and helpers present making things move along.

    Our chapter has been offered the opportunity to help with Friesenhahn Cave, a private cave in northern Bexar County that is now in public hands. Not only can we get some hands-on experience, but we might get into management. This is a very exciting opportunity for our chapter, and one I hope we will be able to do well. Look for future updates.

  • Stewardship Activities For The San Antonio Natural Areas

    April San Antonio Natural Areas Stewardship Activities

    by JayNe Neal and Wendy Cooley

    JayNe Neal

    The recent rains were welcomed by the parched plants in our area that are struggling to bloom. This beneficial precipitation fell at about the same time as our migratory birds like the golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) began arriving in drought-stricken central Texas. The golden-cheeked warblers are busy singing and foraging and remain an active attraction in our Natural Areas.

    Now is the time to get outdoors to view some of these spectacular avians.

    On Thursdays this month, we are continuing our savanna restoration work at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area. We use loppers, handsaws, and pruners to mechanically remove small junipers and shrubs and then we apply herbicide to shrub stumps.

    We also have a special Easter weekend workday at Rancho Diana during which we will be mechanically removing King Ranch bluestem (Bothriochloa ischaemum var. songarica), an exotic invasive, and planting small pots of the native grass, little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium var. scoparium).

    Check our chapter newsletter for details and the monthly schedule. Whether you volunteer on Thursdays or on Saturdays, be sure to bring plenty of water and wear appropriate clothes that protect you from the brush and the sun.

    Don’t forget your binoculars! You may be able to get a glimpse of a golden-cheeked warbler.

    If you have any questions about our savanna restoration activities, please contact JayNe Neal or Wendy Cooley.

  • The Hot Tub Naturalist

    April Hot Tub Naturalist

    by Tony Hajek

    Anton Hajek

    For months, I have been writing about the drought. Indeed, the San Antonio Express-News reported in their March 6th edition that the drought was statewide. Then, that very next week, the hot tub received 2.5 inches of rain by Friday the 13th!

    Quite a bonus at one time. My wife disputes the amount of rain we actually received. The ground certainly soaked it all up. I dug a test hole in the field going down to about 8 inches to a hard pan, finding the earth above it moist. I expect if there was a crop planted in the soil, this would all have been good. And I expect more rains would be needed to grow the crop. Considering we are 20 inches short for the past 15 months, the recent rain was a good start! Perhaps by the time you read this, more rain will have fallen.

    We’ve had some strong winds this month. It is interesting to watch the trees bend and shake while soaking. It is not like there are bats flying by. Not enough wet to produce bugs.

    I thought the rains would green up the lawn. Not! My dead, brown yard is still brown and - apparently - still dead. There are a few clumps of green after 5 days. I’m thinking of reseeding, maybe with Buffalo grass. I can’t do any prairie planting with the lawnmower woman around. I haven’t seen Henbit since she wiped it out 3 years ago. The two earthen ponds are still dry: one firm enough to drive over without breaking through.

    Most people making their living off the land are praying for a hurricane this summer that will produce widespread rains.

Thank you! Your visit counts with us!