"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
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This is our 10th Anniversary year! The Master Naturalist Program all started here in San Antonio ten years ago with the formation of our chapter.
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Important Hours Notice
Unfortunately, we had a computer glitch that may have resulted in the loss of some of our volunteer hour counts for this year.
If your last name begins with the letters N through Z, and you have submitted volunteer hours for this year so far, please resubmit them to Monta to ensure that they are properly recorded.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you.
By the way, if you have not yet submitted your volunteer hours or advanced training hours for 2007, please do so now. It is time for the second quarter hour reports.
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Mark Your Calendars Now For A Very Special Weekend on October 12-14, 2007 for the Texas Master Naturalist 8th Annual Meeting!
Big things will be happening in October in San Antonio!
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Master Naturalists from throughout Texas, and maybe some from other states, will gather in our city for the 8th Annual Statewide Meeting to commemorate ten years of the Texas Master Naturalists. Thea Platz, a member of class 1, is chairing the planning committee for the Alamo Area chapter and will be sharing with you some exciting plans to showcase our city and the Texas Hill Country. Email Thea Platz if you are interested in helping her out.
Now more than ever, please be generous with your time for we need many local members lending a hand to make this happen in a way that will make all of us proud of our chapter's hospitality. There will be committees formed and you will be notified on how to get involved in the many opportunities necessary to help make this a memorable occasion.
All of the 38 chapters in Texas have been notified to make their plans to be in our Alamo City and to make the San Antonio Airport Hilton Hotel near the corner of Loop 410 and San Pedro their headquarters for the weekend event.
Registration information is being finalized: there will be different levels of registration to accommodate members whose schedules will not allow participation in every activity. If anyone would like to book a room at the Airport Hilton for that weekend, special rates are available when you use this code when making reservations: TPWD. Room costs are $85.00 per night and you may get this rate by booking by September 14. Call 1(888) 728-3031.
There will be a large selection of advanced training sessions offered and, as one of the highlights of our Annual Meetings, there will be a big community project to improve or enhance an area of the host city. This is always a very popular event, and in previous years has had over 50 Master Naturalists from around the state participating.
Watch your email and watch our Web site for the latest information about this exciting event. The Web site has been greatly enhanced by our Webmaster Sam Glass in the past few months and everyone should take the time to investigate our site to see how well you are being represented to the world. Sam is always interested in receiving pictures to put on our site of chapter members in action. Who knows? Your picture may already be out there! There is also on our site a current calendar of volunteer opportunities to choose from.
In early June, our hard-working training committee oversaw the completion of spring training with the graduation of class 20, a truly outstanding group of new Master Naturalists joining our chapter ranks. My sincere congratulations to class 20 and a hearty "Job well done!" to this very active and volunteer-minded group of individuals!
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Interested In Learning How to Become a Bird Bander?
Texas Parks & Wildlife Biologist Richard Heilbrun is conducting research into the movement patterns and mortality rates of White Winged Doves in Bexar County. He hopes to trap, band, and release over 700 birds this summer. If you are interested in this science project, please email Richard Heilbrun or contact him at (210) 688-6444.
He will arrange training and banding protocols and locations for volunteers. Training consists of teaching volunteers how to identify White Winged Doves, trapping techniques, handling and banding protocols, as well as aging techniques and identifying the feather molt period.
This project is available only to serious volunteers willing to expend substantial effort on this project. Training sessions will take only one hour and will be scheduled with volunteers after signing up. This project is approved for advanced training and volunteer hours.
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Alamo Area Master Naturalists on Television!
During one of our successful plant rescue efforts with the help of the Cibolo Nature Center and the Boerne and San Antonio chapters of the Native Plant Society of Texas, we got a chance to spread our mission to a wider audience when some of us appeared briefly on the local evening news.
Mentioned along with the Cibolo Nature Center, the local ABC affiliate filmed our efforts at removing native plants from a planned construction site at the invitation of Northwest Vista College. Appearing in the brief KSAT-12 story with small speaking roles were the young members of the Taylor family and yours truly.
We were given the opportunity to transfer native plants to other locations within our community because Northwest Vista College takes very seriously their goal of integrating campus development with the local environment. In fact, in May 2002 NVC received the Master Naturalist Award For Preservation from our very own Alamo Area Master Naturalist chapter. We recognized NVC for preserving over 80 percent of their trees and native vegetation during the construction of their college campus, the first phase of which was completed in 1998. Our chapter also recognized NVC President Dr. Jackie Claunch for her leadership role and continued effort at preserving the natural environment.
If you missed it, you can download the 1.15 MB QuickTime file and watch the KSAT-12 story that was broadcast on March 18. Since it was originally recorded on VHS tape, the sound could be better. If you don't already have it, you need to download the free Apple QuickTime Player to view it.
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Our New Chapter T-Shirts Have Arrived!
Our new soft green t-shirts with the Texas Master Naturalist logo on them have arrived! They will be available for 10 dollars each in various sizes. This is our new and improved style; It’s what every stylish Alamo Area Master Naturalist will be wearing this season! Contact Pamela or Liz for more information.
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Fall 2007 Master Naturalist Training Session Applications Are Now Being Accepted
Applications are now being accepted for the Fall 2007 Master Naturalist training course. Classes will be held on Thursdays, 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM starting September 6 through November 15. All classroom work will be at Friedrich Wilderness Park.
We provide extensive training from some of the leading experts in the state. Learn about our native plants and animals, soils, climate, hydrology, geology, and how it all works together in our local environment. If you don’t know what karst is, you will by the time you have completed our classes! And, you will appreciate its importance!
Three field trips will be conducted, all of which will be on Saturday mornings, September 15, October 6, and October 27. Graduation will be held on the morning of November 17. Tuition is 125 dollars. Applications are available on our join page. Forward applications to Pamela Ball or mail them to Pamela Ball, 6 Park Deville, San Antonio, Texas 78248. To request more information, contact Pamela or call (210) 842-7967. Applications must be received by August 10.
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Neighborhood Tree Planting Challenge
The purpose of this challenge is to bring us together for a common purpose: to help in the greening of San Antonio and to help us have a stake in the future of our communities by organizing and working together on a project that will enhance our neighborhood and be environmentally beneficial as well.
Master Naturalists! If you can help a local neighborhood in this effort, you will be using your training in the best possible way! If you can at least help spread the word about this to neighborhood groups, you could be the spark that gets a neighborhood involved.
For more information, download the Neighborhood Tree Planting Challenge application in Adobe PDF, or contact City Forester Michael Nentwich (Alamo Area Master Naturalist Class 17) at (210) 207-3108 or email him.
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Citizen Foresters to be Trained in San Antonio
There are advanced training opportunites for 2007 with the San Antonio Parks & Recreation Deptartment and City of San Antonio experts. These new projects headed by Michael Nentwich will include native and exotic species identification, educating the public in proper tree planting techniques, urban forestry management, city tree inventory, non-native invasive control, tree rescue and propagation, and the development of a Citizen Forester Brigade.
The activities are approved for advanced training or volunteer hours, as appropriate. This is a newly energized initiative to train volunteer naturalists in the many aspects of tree and plant identification and management.
Keep checking for updates in upcoming newsletters and on our Web site for more information as training classes are organized. We will publish the times and dates of classes as they are organized. If you have any questions, or want to put your name on the list of interested potential volunteers, contact City Forester Michael Nentwich (Alamo Area Master Naturalist Class 17) at (210) 207-3108 or email him.
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San Antonio Riverwalk Garden Summer Break
We will not be working in the garden for the months of July and August. But in September, we'd love to see some new faces in this garden, our own Master Naturalist project at the corner of Aubrey and Old Guilbeau (north of Durango, the west side of the San Antonio river) on the Riverwalk. The garden is looking great! New members are always welcome! Approved for volunteer hours. Contact Lan Eng (830) 980-2300 or lanjim@earthlink.net.
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Viva Voluntarios! at Medina River Natural Area on Saturday, August 25, 2007
Come on down! We are counting on you! The Medina River Natural Area is San Antonio's new 500-acre south side natural area. Our trails offer visitors opportunities to hike, bike, and fish, as well as having world-class birding. The hiking trails have varying levels of accessibility, with surfaces ranging from concrete to crushed gravel to cleared natural trails. Volunteers are needed on the last Saturday of every month to help beautify this wonderful area from 8:00 AM to Noon.
The Medina River Natural Area is located at 15890 Highway 16 South (Poteet Highway) between Loop 410 and Loop 1604 on San Antonio's south side. To volunteer, call E. Gail Dugelby, Nature Preserve Officer, at (210) 624-2575, or fax (210) 624-3121.
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Training & Volunteer Opportunities For Field Guides and Summer Camp Assistants
Hello all! We still have such nice rains and somewhat moderate weather. Unbelievable in light of the drought last year!
We've got a lot going on in June and July at the San Antonio Natural Areas, so please take time to look at the schedule listed in the monthly newsletter or on the new activities calendar and see what you would like to attend, observe, or help with and then let me know. It helps if I know you are coming so that when there are changes, I know to notify you.
For the new field guides and for those of you who did not get to attend the spring training: You are most, most welcome to be at all these events. Even if you don't think you could be very helpful, you might be surprised! And if you let me know you want to help with something, I will do my best to get extra information out to you.
For the field guides who haven't been able to help for a while: You are so very welcome any time you can be with us!
All field guides who have worked so hard this spring: Don't stop now; the best is yet to come! You all are my heroes! Call Park Naturalist Peggy (210) 564-6402. All activities are approved for advanced training or volunteer hours, as appropriate.
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San Antonio Parks & Recreation Department Natural Areas August Stewardship Activities
Last report I heard says San Antonio is having one of the wettest Julys on record. What a respite from last year's drought! However, these extremes in weather do make one wonder just how all this may be related to global climate change. Please think about and act on ideas for how you personally can conserve water and energy. Everything adds up-anything you do can be part of the solution.
I am eternally grateful to all the volunteers who continue to help in our collection of vegetation data. The work these folks are doing is forming the basis for good management decisions. We are all learning better plant identification and more efficient ways to measure 10 meters through live oak-juniper woodlands.
In August, we will keep working on Thursday and Friday mornings as well as on one Saturday morning. Also, on Thursday, Aug. 16, we will continue our new tradition of having lunch together and celebrating birthdays every couple of months. So, on August 16, plan to stay after our survey and bring something to share for lunch. Also, to reduce impact on the environment, please bring your own washable utensils, plate, etc. One of our volunteers who recently adventured to the Grand Canyon will show his pictures to us during lunch.
We are continuing our collection of Natural Areas Land Use Management Plan (NALUMP) vegetation richness data at Rancho Diana.
See the activities calendar and note that I am working on Saturday, August 25. Our work involves using GPS units, maps, and compasses to navigate to our data collection points. Once at our points, we do our best to identify every vascular plant we see. I provide training and equipment, including pictures of plants, so even if you do not know many plants, you are still welcome to join us. The training is hands-on, in the field. Our work includes hiking in rugged terrain where there may be poison ivy and mosquitoes, so I recommend that folks wear long-sleeve, lightweight, and light-colored shirts; long pants; a hat; sunscreen; and comfortable hiking shoes or boots. Bring binoculars (just in case), a compass, and work gloves, if you have them. It’s also helpful to have a backpack and water.
It is difficult to put into words what a great feeling of accomplishment we all share realizing that the work we are doing is contributing to vital conservation and management of our precious lands. Many recent volunteers have remarked about how much they enjoy the work.
Rancho Diana is not open to the public and all access is strictly controlled. Here are the directions to RD: From the intersection of Loop 1604 and IH 10 on the north side, near Friedrich Wilderness Park, go west on Loop 1604 and take the Hwy 16 (Bandera Road) exit and go north on Hwy 16 (Bandera Road). Continue through Helotes to the Scenic Loop Road traffic light and turn right. Travel to the first 4-way stop and turn right on Menchaca Road. Continue through the next stop sign, staying on Menchaca Road. Proceed straight to the big iron gate at the end of Menchaca Road. This gate marks the entrance to Rancho Diana. Proceed through the gate and down the road to the White House, where you can park in the parking area in front of the White House.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me or contact me at (210) 372-9124.
Peace, JayNe Neal
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What A Wonderful Ten Years It Has Been!
What a wonderful gathering we had at Friedrich Wilderness Park to mark the 10th anniversary of the graduation of Class One in 1997!
Debbie Reid, Rufus Stephens, Judit Green, and Mark Peterson developed the concept of the Master Naturalist Program as a means of training outdoor volunteers and to create a core group of outdoor enthusiasts interested in preserving the environment. They obviously did a wonderful job, for the concept spread throughout Texas and is making its way across the country. There are 35 chapters in Texas and several more are forming. Several states have Master Naturalist Programs and every state in the continental United States has at least considered forming chapters.
Friedrich Wilderness Park was the meeting place for Master Naturalist Class One, and to commemorate their graduation in May 1997 we dedicated our May chapter meeting to the Master Naturalist Founders and to Class Number One by having a potluck supper. Members brought their favorite dishes and we all enjoyed an anniversary cake.
After this feast, which included Paul Martin’s freshly picked dewberries, Rufus Stephens led us in a spirited discussion of the impact of global warming in Texas and the potential changes that could occur.
City Arborist Debbie Reid accepted for the City of San Antonio a commemorative plaque from Anton Hajek marking the event and the thousands of hours of volunteer time Master Naturalists have contributed to make San Antonio and surrounding areas a better place to live.
The first class members honored were: Carol Abitz, Charles Barlett, Bruce Bennett, Judy Buck, Sherry Cardenas, Holly Carp, Patti Christensen-Kruse, Catherine Crawford, Albert Del Rio, Maria Elizalde, Bebe and Mary Fenstermaker, Anton Hajek, William Hendrick, Patrick Horn, Michael Hymel, Steven Knight, Louise Lowes, Fred Loxsom, Paul Martin, Lottie Millsaps, JayNe Neal, Linda Peacerider, Thea Platz, Kelly Ann Robinson-Morales, Pat Seawell, Toni Villareal, Bill Woller, and Mikal Young.
The attending Class One members were given a copy of their original class photo shown at the top and gathered together again to be photographed for the group photo above.
A great time was had by all! Thanks to those who prepared or provided the food and drink and to those who participated in the event!
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Beautiful Blue Bonnets and More!
Here are two pictures of beautiful blue bonnets and more!
Now would be a good time to put in a caution to everyone who goes outside!
It has been many months since we have had to be concerned about rattlesnakes. We are starting to enjoy warm days and that has brought out the snakes in high numbers.
Don’t forget that the outdoors is the natural environment for these movers and shakers and we need to watch out everywhere we step. Otherwise, we will discover that the stick which you just stepped on is not really a stick!
When you walk in the woods, walk with a friend for fun, friendship, companionship, and safety.
Don’t be afraid, just be aware; and enjoy your time outside!
