Bexar Audubon Society

is a chapter of the
National Audubon
Society. Its primary
goals are to promote

Bexar Tracks
species and habitat
conservation and envi-
ronmental education
Volume XXV, No. 2

in the community.
March-April 2007

For the latest news & updates, see http://www.bexaraudubon.org & http://www.sa-naturecenter.org

Thursday, March 8•6:30PM gathering; 6:45 announcements; 7:00 program

Trinity University Cowles Life Sciences Building, Room 336 (see map, p. 3) •Free; open to the public
Connecting People and Nature:
San Antonio’s Natural Areas
San Antonio’s Natural Areas mission includes
providing protection for the Edwards Aquifer
and habitat for both flora and fauna…but they
also provide an outdoor classroom through
which to educate the ever-growing number
of local residents about the natural world. Park
Naturalist Peggy Spring pays Bexar Audubon a
visit to share how she fosters a connection
between people and nature. Peggy will discuss
plant and nature-based educational programs
offered at some of our city parks, including
Eisenhower, Walker Ranch, and the newly
opened Crownridge Canyon Natural Area,
enlightening us about successful methods of
interpreting our natural world. Peggy will
also share materials for “show and tell” and
guide us in some hands-on activities with plants
and other natural materials to help us connect.
Peggy Spring earned a Master’s degree in Plant
Ecology from the University of Georgia. She has
35 years of environmental education experience
with nature centers, public and private schools,
youth organizations, adult education, and envi-
ronmental consulting firms. Peggy currently
serves as a Park Naturalist with the City of San
Antonio and she assists Bexar Audubon with
Second Saturday programs, which are co-spon-
sored by Bexar Audubon Society and the Natural
Areas Program of SA Parks & Recreation. Visit
www. sa na tur a la r ea s. or g

Thursday, April 12 •No Bexar Audubon Society Program: Please attend the TOS evening program
Texas Ornithological Society Spring Meeting
April 12-14 • Hosted by the San Antonio Audubon Society
Where East Meets West and the Hill Country Meets South Texas
Did you know??? San Antonio—2006 Birdiest Large Inland City
Bexar County—2006 Birdiest Inland County, Central Flyway
Target Birds: Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo, Green Kingfisher, Painted Bunting,
Vermilion Flycatcher, Black-throated Sparrow, eastern AND western migrants!
There are MANY great field trips on the agenda (including places not normally open to the public),
evening speakers, scientific presentations, vendors, the banquet, and a silent auction. (You do not
have to be a TOS member to attend.) Airport Hilton, 611 NW Loop 410, San Antonio 78216
Download registration and field trip information at www. t exa sbi r ds. or g/ or contact Barbara
Kyse (210)824-8884, kyse125@ msn.com, and see www.sa a udubon. or g/ for late-breaking n e w s .
 Words from the Wood
Just after Christmas it was brought
to the attention of the Bexar
Audubon Society board that a signifi-
cant amount of native vegetation at
the San Antonio Botanical Gardens
(SABG) had been removed. It was
feared this loss of understory might
deprive our feathered friends of nec-
essary winter forage and habitat.
I’m a scientist, so rather than imme-
diately jumping into the fray, I want-
ed to personally investigate. I
assumed the decision-maker at the
helm of the SABG was a profession-
al, but I had never met him or her.
So I dropped a note and soon got a
reply. Candace Andrews, San Antonio
Botanical Society managing director,
invited me to tour the gardens with
her and the Director of the SABG. I
hadn’t been there in a few years, so it
was time I saw the recent develop-
ments for myself.
Managing the SABG — One thing I
quickly learned was that a botanical
garden requires a lot of management
and constant maintenance. I was
pleased to understand that Director
Bob Brackman, from Dallas/Fort
Worth and Nashville, is indeed a pro-
fessional and appreciates native
plant habitats and xeriscape. His
work is a bit like managing a zoo,
because the collected and displayed
species want to wander, but good
management requires keeping each
species in its designated location.
Displays change from time to time
and there are significant “theme”
areas within the 33 acres of gardens.
It is a complicated job to manage
such a large footprint and wide vari-
ety of native and non-native species
for the aesthetic enjoyment and edu-
cation of the general public.
Master Planning — I asked Bob if
they have a mission statement and a
master plan to manage such a large
expanse. Their stated mission is:
“Connecting people to the plant
world through experience, educa-
tion, and research.” My experience,
even in the winter, was great.
Education includes areas where
children and adults in various orga-
Bexar Tracks
nizations and programs can enjoy
learning about or cultivating plants,
sometimes in established beds on
the east side of the gardens. The
research done here includes the
development of new hybrids of low-
water use landscape plants that per-
form well in the local environment.
I was disappointed to learn there is
not yet a master plan for the long-
term design of the SABG. The issues
and complaints about these public
gardens might be stemmed if a well-
vetted plan were developed. A pro-
fessionally developed plan should
incorporate significant input from
local stakeholders. It all comes down
to money, and the planning is not yet
fully funded. In the meantime, the
layout and design follow general
concepts established years ago.
Native Texas Areas — I was especial-
ly impressed with the conservation
efforts underway at the SABG and
the preservation of both Texas native
and internationally endangered
species. Many native plants are prop-
agated, preserved, and exhibited in
three distinct native Texas habitats.
The Hill Country display includes
trees typical of our immediate area:
live oak, juniper (mountain cedar),
and mountain laurel. Recent rains
should assure that in spring the blue-
bonnets, buttercups, red salvia, and
Texas bluebells will be abundant in
the area clearings, just as they will
throughout the Hill Country itself.
The Southwest Texas area exhibits
trees and shrubs like mesquite,
huisache, cenizo, blackbrush, ebony,
and sotol. The third area replicates
East Texas Pineywoods habitat, with
pine, magnolia, sweetgum, sassafras,
and dogwoods. The dominant feature
is the one-acre pond surrounded by
cypress trees and cat-tails.
All three native Texas areas have
healthy understory. Typical life-cycle
is demonstrated by keeping some
downed and/or decaying trees,
attracting lots of birdlife, including
waterfowl at the pond.
Management Choices — While there
have been significant removals of
2 March-April 2007
native and non-native invasive
species, the recent removals were
not in the three Texas habitat zones.
Most were from a berm around the
amphitheater. Some native trees and
shrubs were taken out, but so were a
good number of invasive lantana
and chinaberry trees. Most removals
were of volunteer plants. While the
plants that were removed could have
provided bird and butterfly habitat,
they were not in the original design
or plan. More importantly, some
plants will continue to be removed.
As exhibits are changed, improved,
or redesigned, we should expect
occasional removals. Right now
some problems with the Pineywoods
habitat must be fixed. The pond is
filling in due to naturally occurring
aging and deposition processes. It
also appears to be leaking. The pond
needs to be dredged to an appropri-
ate depth and a clay liner reinstalled
to stop the leaks. Some plants will
likely be removed to facilitate access
and construct the necessary
improvements.
Diverse Exhibits — If you haven’t
been to the Botanical Gardens lately,
you should visit them this spring.Visit
the native Texas exhibits and the
water-saver garden. Then visit the
garden for the blind, children’s,
Japanese, rose, and herb gardens. See
the specialty collections that include
alpine plants, epiphytes, desert cacti
and succulents, equatorial tropicals,
palms and cycads, tropical fruits,
ferns and aroids, insectivores, and
aquatic plants. As you walk through
each habitat, realize that these plants
are housed in their own well-man-
aged and human constructed envi-
ronments. Many must be climate-
controlled. Appreciate that folks care
enough to propagate, cultivate, and
display plants from around the state
and the world for our common
enjoyment.
The San Antonio Botanical
Gardens is located north of Ft. Sam
— 555 Funston at N. New Braunfels
Ave.Visit their occasional plant sales
for interesting garden materials.
— H.A. Tony Wood, President
 M a p t o Cowl es Li f e S cie nc es Buil di ng, Tri ni t y Univ er s i ty, wes t of Hig hwa y 281 F i r s t S a t u r da y H i k e s
The first Saturday of each
month, San Antonio Natural
Areas Program of the San
Antonio Parks and Recreation
Department holds a hike at one

Chapman
of the Natural Areas. Contact
Library Laurie
(210)565-6400 for the schedule,
Cowles
locations, and reservations.

Cowles is just uphill from the Laurie Auditorium W i l dFes t 2007 — M a y 4- 6

and between the Library and the Chapman
Graduate Center. Park by the Laurie or in
San Antonio’s First Annual Bird &
lots or on streets to the west. Handicapped Nature Festival will include a
parking is across from Cowles. Enter from
Oakmont or Rosewood. Call Patty for addition- broad spectrum of workshops
al directions (210)824-1235 or see additional
map at bexaraudubon.org/map.jpg
and field trips that will draw
nature-oriented tourists to our
Second Sa tur da y Pr ogr a ms a t Ei s enhower Pa r k area and will help local children
Co-sponsored by SA Parks and Recreation Natural Areas Program get involved in nature.
and Bexar Audubon. Reservations required; details occasionally For information and to volunteer
change. Call (210)565-6400. $3 each or $5 per family donation and/or get involved, see
suggested. www.sanaturalareas.org www.wildfestsanantonio.com
M ar ch 10 — Bi r di ng: The Ba ck y a r d a nd Bey ond — Explore the
world of birds with Tom and Patsy Inglet. 10am-noon Cel ebr a te Ur ba n Bi r ds !
M ar ch 10 — St a r Pa r t y — Presented by the San Antonio Sponsored by the Cornell Lab of
Astronomical Association, this program is designed to give people Ornithology, this nationwide
with little knowledge about astronomy the opportunity to view fea- event seeks participants and
tures of the winter sky. The show will go on whether or not there local organizers. See
are clouds — the SAAA has some great videos and will still have www.urbanbirds.org/celebration
some scopes set up. 7-9pm for ideas and free registration.
A pr i l 14 — Bi z a r r e a nd Bea ut i f ul Bugs — Join Gail Dugelby to ven-
ture into the world of bugs. 10am-noon A l l A b o u t Bi r d s webs i te:
M ay 12 — Bea ut i f ul Spr i ng Na t i v e Pl a nt s — Janis Merritt will lead
www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAbout
a hike to enjoy spring flora and help you get ideas for using native
Birds/birding123/identify/quiz
plants in your yard. 10am-noon

E a r t h S h a r e ? W h a t a b ou t i t ?
Earth Share of Texas raises money for environmental
and conservation organizations through workplace giv-
ing. If your employer participates in such programs,
please ask them (if they don’t already) to add Earth
Share to your giving options. When you and your co-
workers designate the Audubon Foundation of Texas
(AFT), Bexar Audubon Society can benefit. BAS
receives credit for our support of Earth Share — getting
the word out and promoting participation. Then BAS
receives funding annually from AFT. Want more info?
1-800-GREENTEX or ESTX@earthshare-texas.org
March-April 2007 3 Bexar Tracks
Help Stop A ntif reeze Poisoning ing a bittering agent to be added Na tur e Ques t 2007
Over the last fifteen years, three to all antifreeze sold in the U.S. The 8th annual nature festival
states have successfully passed Until then, protect curious crit- offers an exciting opportunity to
legislation requiring that a bitter- ters from antifreeze’s sweet—but
get acquainted with the beauti-
ing agent be added to ethylene deadly—spell:
ful Texas Hill Country River
glycol antifreeze to make it 1. Switch to antifreeze that con-
tains propylene glycol instead of Region of Uvalde County. This
unpalatable for wild and domes-
tic animals and children. Other ethylene glycol. year’s event will be held April
states have considered similar 2. Keep antifreeze sealed and 24-29.
laws, but they have failed to pass. away from animals; clean up See www.thcrr.com/index.cfm
The Antifreeze Bittering Act of spills completely, and fix any for descriptions of field trips,
2005 (S. 1110 and H.R. 2567), now leaks immediately. (From workshops, seminars, and other
being considered in Washington, w w w .hsus.org/ pets/ pet_ca re/ a nti activities and to download a reg-
would trump state laws by requir- freez e.html) istration form.
Tex a s Spr i ngs : Pr otect i on, Res t or a t i on & Stewa r ds hi p
Friday, March 30 • Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Austin
A tt wa ter ’s Pr a i r i e Chi ck en
Environmental Defense is focus- • Regional and state-level ground-
ing its annual state-wide water water-management efforts and
Fes ti v a l at the National Wildlife
conference on, arguably, our state’s how these affect and can be Refuge, off IH-10 near Eagle
most precious and at-risk water used to protect springflows Lake, east of Columbus, Texas.
resources: our springs. • Testimonials from spring owners Dates: April 14-15
As our state’s population and and caretakers on how they’ve Activities: various van and walk-
water demands grow, we must built relationships for protection ing tours focused on prairie
manage groundwater resources — and managed their land to chickens, marsh birds, general
especially our springs — soundly. restore and protect flows birding, and native plants.
With the majority of our springs • Tools and financial resources For more information, call the
located on private property, the available to landowners to pro- Attwater’s Prairie Chicken NWR
roles of steward, caretaker, and tect and restore springflows at (979)234-3021.
advocate fall to landowners and • Ins and outs of springflows from
the local community. Travel to the Edwards Aquifer
Austin for a day of stimulating dis- More information, including the N ew R ep o r t M e a s u r es
cussions including: full agenda and registration form, B e n e f i t s o f Pa r k s
• The history and diversity of are located at www.texaswater- The Texas Parks and Recreation
Texas springs matters.org/conference_ Foundation has released a new
• The Florida Springs Initiative: springs_march30-2007.htm report by economist Ray
www.floridasprings.org Perryman showing that local
parks contribute billions to
W ho’s W ha t ?
Texas’s economy and help cre-
a n d how t o c o n t a c t t he m ate tens of thousands of jobs.
Pr es id ent , To ny W oo d — 210-492-4684 — tonywood@sbcglobal.net The report includes detailed
VP & W ebmaster, Har ry Noyes — 210-490-3124 — harrynoyes@satx.rr.com
numbers for every metro area in
Tr ea s u r er, Ca r y l Swa nn — 210-653-2860 — cjswann1@earthlink.net
Texas.
Secr et a r y, Ji l l Son deen — 830-980-2377 — jls2003@gvtc.com
A t - l a r ge: K a r a R y f — 503-803-2856 — kararyf@hotmail.com HB 6, introduced in the Texas
A my L . W h i tl ey — 210-340-0114 — nueces66@yahoo.com Legislature, would increase
K at hy I k er d — kathy@wordwright.com funding for state and local parks
Ed i to r, Sus a n Hugh es — 210-532-2032 — editor@bexaraudubon.org by more than $90 million. HB 6
Pr ogr ams /Out i ngs , Pa tt y Pa s z t or —210-824-1235 — information can be viewed at
pasztor@ix.netcom.com www.ca pi t ol .s t a t e.t x .us
Bexar Tracks 4 March-April 2007
M i t chel l L a k e A udubon Center Pr ogr a ms — www.mitchelllakeaudubon.org
Sa t ur da y, M a r ch 17 — The A r t of Na t ur e Fa mi l y Pr ogr a m
Visual arts activities led by local arts educators from the Mobile Arts Program (MAP) of the Young
Artist Programs (YAP) of the Southwest School of Art & Craft.
10 am-noon: Paper Freshwater Fish
Noon-2: Drawing Bugs & Flowers
2-4 pm: Mobiles with Natural Materials
Come for one session or all three! FREE, reservations required: Call (210)628-1639.
Sa t ur da y, M a r ch 24 — Pa pel Pi ca do W or k s hop — 9a m- noon
Artist/author Kathleen Trenchard has developed original cut-paper applica-
tions of this most unusual technique of “punching paper.” She designed the
distinctive T-shirt for Mitchell Lake! You will learn about the technique at this
hands-on workshop.
Papel picado, “punched paper” in Spanish, describes the traditional Mexican
folk art used to decorate altars, tables, ceilings, and plazas during festivals.
Papel picado artists use hammer and chisel to punch designs out of stacks of
up to forty layers of tissue at once. copyright © Kathleen Trenchard
Registration and pre-payment required: $30 for Mitchell Lake Audubon
Center members, $35 for non-members (includes all materials). Call (210)628-1639.

Sa t ur da y, A pr i l 14 — Bi r da t hon 2007 — A l l da y beg i nni ng a t 7am

Our annual fundraiser, Birdathon, is similar to a walkathon, but with a twist – nature lovers collect
pledges from friends, family, and co-workers (per species seen or a lump sum) — then count bird
species and report back to their supporters. It’s all about getting outdoors, discovering nature, and
helping raise money for education, conservation, and restoration programs at MLAC.

Sa t ur da y, A pr i l 21 — St a r r y, St a r r y Ni ght s — 6- 8:30 pm
Evening program of stargazing and astronomy education provided by the San Antonio Astronomical
Association. Admission free; reservations required.

Sa t ur da y, A pr i l 28 — Bi r di ng 101 f or K i ds — 9- 11a m
Morning birding classes for children to learn about bird identification, behavior, and habitat.
Admission free; reservations required.

Sa n A nt oni o Ci t y Bond I ss ue Coul d Benef i t M i t chel l L a k e A udubon Center

In the upcoming 2007 $550 million bond issue,
$125,000 is earmarked for Mitchell Lake Audubon
Center. The citywide vote for the bond issue will be
held May 12, 2007. For a complete report on the
bond issue proposals, go to http:/ / w w w .sananto-
nio.gov/ 20 07/ bond/ . Click on “Community Bond
Committees Report and Recommendations.” The
197 page report in full color shows the details of
Project Number 1857 at MLAC on page 121.
Learn about the bond issue and plan to vote.
The funds proposed for MLAC are to be used for
construction of an Education Pavilion at the Center,
including more restrooms, a place for group orien-
tations, and craft and nature studies.“Thanks to the
great work by Susan Albert and Iliana Peña, the
District 3 City Councilman and staff agreed to inclu-
sion of this project,” wrote Charles Bartlett,Vice
Chairman, Parks & Rec Advisory Board; District 3
Member, Linear Creekway Parks Advisory Board;
and President, Gardening Volunteers of South Texas.

March-April 2007 5 Bexar Tracks

Tex a s B r i ga des Seek t o • “Feathered Forces Brigade,” July
15-19 at Pineywoods Conservation
M u s t er N ew R ec r u i t s Center near Lufkin.
Texas Cooperative Extension’s “The core curriculum stresses
Texas Brigades announces this leadership development and nat-
year’s summer camps: ural resources conservation,” said
•“South Texas Buckskin Brigade,” Dr. Dale Rollins, extension wildlife
June 10-14 at La Bandera Ranch specialist at San Angelo and origi-
near Carrizo Springs. nator of the camps. He said each
• “Rolling Plains Bobwhite camp forges these skills into fun
Brigade,” June 16-20 at Krooked and interesting activities. A partic-
River Ranch near Lueders. ular species forms the nucleus for
• “South Texas Bobwhite Brigade,” each camp, which typically
June 24-28 at 74 Ranch near involves 30 youth, ages 13 to 17.
Pleasanton. “This marks our 15th year and
• “North Texas Buckskin Brigade,” I’m proud to say that the fire still
July 22-26 at Stasney’s Cook Ranch burns brightly among our various
near Albany. volunteers who conduct these
camps,” Rollins said.
“We’ve been doing these
camps long enough now to
begin to see the fruits of
our labors,” he said.“We
have young professionals
in place who were active in
the Brigades ten years or
more ago. Some of them
are coming ‘back home’ to
dedicate their time and tal-
ents to the Brigades. This
helps bridge the generation gap
between an ever-aging corps of
instructors and an ever-younger
group of cadets.”
The camps are also sponsored
by the Texas Wildlife Association,
the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s Natural Resources
Conservation Service, Quail
Unlimited, the National Wild
Turkey Federation, the Texas Deer
Association, local Soil and Water
Conservation Districts, private busi-
nesses, landowners, and, recently,
several foundations.
Tuition is $300 per cadet per
camp, but Rollins said cost should-
n't deter applicants.“We have
sponsors ready and willing to pro-
vide financial aid whenever it is
needed.”
Applications are available at
w w w .texa sbrigades.org and are
due by April 15. For further infor-
mation contact Rollins at
(325)653-4576, d-rollins@tamu.edu,
or contact Helen Holdsworth,
(800)TEX-WILD, (210)826-2904, or
h_holdsworth@texas-wildlife.org

Bex a r A udubon a mong Hundr eds of Or ga ni z a t i ons A udubon Tex a s A nnounces

E n d o r s i n g F a r m a n d F o o d Po l i cy R e p o r t :
“ Seek i ng Ba l a nce i n U.S. Fa r m a nd Food Pol i cy ”
The FFPP believes that all the
major sections of the Farm Bill
— commodity, nutrition, rural
development, credit, conserva-
tion, research, and energy —
hold significant opportunities
for crafting more cost-effective
and higher-impact policies that
can increase farm profitability
and improve the health of indi-
viduals, communities, and the
environment. The FFPP’s public
statement identifies core priori-
ties and opportunities for inno-
vation in five areas within the
2007 Farm Bill:
Bexar Tracks
Two A ppointments
Dr. Andrew Kasner has been
appointed Director of Bird
1. Prosperous Farms and Conservation, and Iliana Peña
Ranches: Renewing American has been promoted to Director
Agriculture of Conservation Education. Both
2. Healthy People: Reducing will office at Mitchell Lake
Hunger and Improving Nutrition Audubon Center.
3. Vital Communities: Building Andrew will oversee Audubon
Rural Businesses and Promoting Texas programs to further bird
Entrepreneurship conservation efforts and build
4. Sustainable Lands: Cultivating the capacity of the Audubon
Stewardship organization to achieve great
5. Diversity and Equity: conservation both in Texas and
Advancing Opportunities for All throughout the Central Flyway.
For more information on the Iliana will further Audubon’s cit-
Farm and Food Policy Project, izen science and education
contact (202)543-1300, efforts in Texas, including intro-
www.farmandfoodproject.org ducing a new curriculum.
6 March-April 2007
 Deep and Punkin Nature Preserve — Carta Valley, Edwards County
Geary Schindel, Property Manager, Texas Cave Management Association
In September, 2004, the Texas Cave Punkin Cave — Punkin Cave, also wildlife water system, and marked
Management Association (TCMA) located on the property, is a signifi- the boundaries. We’ve had two
purchased 225 acres including cant roost for Mexican Free-tail Boy Scout Eagle projects and have
Deep Cave and Punkin Cave, two bats. The cave is not used as a lead numerous Boy Scout Venture
large Edwards Plateau caves. The nursery cave and appears to be Crews, college classes, and recre-
property was purchased for used by males from July to early ation programs at the property.
$128,900 and included a hunting November. Punkin has two
cabin, now converted into a field entrances. The main one is approx- Hawks, Butterflies, and More —
research station. TCMA obtained a imately 20 by 40 feet and drops 50 We knew we had a very special
15-year loan and, after two years, feet into a large entrance room. place when we held our first work
has already paid off more than The second entrance is a 30 foot weekend. In one day, more than
half the principal. The property pit. This cave is generally closed 500 hawks were seen migrating
was purchased with the assistance in the summer to protect the bats overhead, along with thousands of
of Bexar Audubon Society and and birds that use the cave. The Monarch Butterflies, and a fantas-
other generous contributors. With entrance pit offers opportunities tic bat flight occurred at Punkin
successful fund-raising, we hope to for cavers to practice their vertical Cave that evening. We’ve seen fox,
retire the mortgage quickly. techniques. deer, snakes, lizards, horned toads,
A fern located in the entrance porcupines, and wild turkeys.
Project Deep — Originally room appears to be unique in Numerous songbirds make the
explored by Texas cavers in the Texas. Samples have been collect- property home, along with cliff
early 1960’s, Deep and Punkin ed and sent to biologists for identi- swallows and Great Horned Owls.
were the subject of a week-long fication. Punkin Cave was mined In the coming year, we plan to
expedition called “Project Deep” in for guano in the early 60’s. There install a permanent on-site sani-
1965. This resulted in a map of are reports and evidence that the tary system and additional wildlife
Deep Cave which indicated a cave caught fire and burned in the watering systems; plant some
depth of about 290 feet and a late 60’s. native wildflowers, including
length of over one mile. In the Historically, only the entrance Milkweed; and begin to “manage”
1970’s, the large ranch containing room of Punkin Cave was known wild hogs and cedar. The county
the caves was subdivided, and to cavers. However, exploration NRCS agent has provided valuable
cavers lost access to the property. indicates that Punkin Cave is also suggestions.
Since the purchase, remapping very large and may rival Deep in
efforts in Deep Cave have extend- size and depth. It also shows evi- Editor’s note: A BAS outing to
ed two kilometers, with less than dence of hydrogen sulfide origins the property may be arranged
half the known cave being from ascending artesian waters. in the future, if there is interest
remapped. Both have provided significant in a long-day’s event.
Deep Cave is in remarkable con- insight into the origin of caves in
dition for such a major cave. A vir- the Edwards Plateau. Sa v e t he L a j a , I nc., a Texas
gin passage has been found 501(c)(3) fostering watershed
minutes from the entrance. Noted Volunteer Efforts — TCMA volun- and habitat protection in the
for its fine formations, it is a com- teers have provided thousands of Texas-Central Mexico corridor,
plex vertical and horizontal maze. hours of work on the property.
has joined forces with Bexar
The unusual passage morphology Since October 2004, we have creat-
Audubon to increase knowl-
indicates the cave may have been ed a management plan, removed
edge and understanding of
formed by rising sulfate-rich water tons of garbage, put the cabin into
and has a similar genesis as working order, removed cedar and corridor and border issues.
Carlsbad Caverns and Lechuguilla brush, built trails, installed a rain- Look for a series of articles in
Cave in New Mexico. fall collection system, built a future issues of Bexar Tracks.
March-April 2007 7 Bexar Tracks
 Bexar Audubon Society, Inc.

The Economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Environment. — Tim Wirth

Non-profit
Organization
P.O. Box 6084 U.S. Postage Paid
San Antonio, TX 78209-0084 San Antonio, TX
Permit #590

Bexar Tracks is the official

newsletter of the Bexar
Audubon Society, a Chapter of
the National Audubon Society.
The Chapter’s primary goals
are to promote species and
habitat conservation and envi-
ronmental education in the
community.
Your membership includes
National Audubon and Bexar
Audubon and subscriptions to
Audubon and Bexar Tracks.

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-year’s dues directly back to support local work. The same applies to gift memberships placed
through the chapter. Your additional tax-deductible donation is greatly appreciated. Bexar Audubon
receives only a few thousand dollars each year from National Audubon Society as dues share. The rest
we must raise ourselves. Your help is needed, and your donations will be put to good use right here in
South Central Texas to provide environmental news and education to the community, including the
newsletter, programs, San Antonio Environmental Network Issues Forums, Second Saturday programs,
and other activities you may or may not hear about.
Individual introductory memberships are $20; seniors and students join for $15.
Please provide the following information for each personal subscription or gift:
Name

Mailing Address with ZIP code

AC & Phone + e-mail, if available

Do you wish to opt out of other mailings by Audubon or those with whom it shares lists? ___yes ___no

Make checks payable to “Bexar Audubon Society” and mail to the address above.
$__________for subscription(s) $_______ additional donation

NOTE: Renewals should be sent directly to National Audubon Society.