www.jayhawkaudubon.

org
Volume 32, Issue 9 MAY, 2008

Dylan was wrong...Maggie’s Farm is a great place to work and live!

MONDAY, MAY 19
SAVING FARMLAND
FARMING SUSTAINABLY
SECURING OUR FUTURE
Our May speaker Barbara Clark, shepherdess and citizen activist, and her husband operate “Maggie’s Farm”, a small, sustainable
farm in north Lawrence where they raise a handspinner's flock of sheep for their wool products. They also grow heirloom and
open-pollinated varieties of vegetables selling to local restaurants and through the Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market. They are
committed to growing foods and fibers organically and sustainably and working toward our region’s local food security.

Barbara has become involved in the group “Citizens For Responsible Planning
(CRP) which came together in opposition to the recent Airport Business Park
proposal which requested the Lawrence City Commission to rezone and annex 144
acres north of the airport. The area under consideration for development contains
Class 1 Prime Agricultural Soils, some of the very best soils in Douglas County,
found almost exclusively in the floodplains of the Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers.

Barbara will present an overview of the CRP’s goals and integrate the group’s www.akvarel.dk
work with her personal interest in maintaining the rural farming traditions of Douglas
County. Read more about Maggie’s Farm at www.maggiesfarm-ks.com.
~Jennifer Delisle
Dinner with Barbara Clark: 5:30 p.m. Genovese Restaurant. 941 Massachusetts in downtown Lawrence.

Meeting: 7:30 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall. 1245 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Refreshments! Parking lot east of the church. Meeting is a week EARLY because of Memorial Day.
.
All programs of the Jayhawk Audubon Society are free and open to the public

Sue Arthur. Alaska

Dept.of Fish and Game 2008 is the Year of the Frog
Sponsored by The Amphibian Ark (www.amphibianark.org), the Year of the Frog is a response to
the precipitous decline of over 1/3 of amphibian species around the globe. Frogs and toads have an
intrinsic beauty and value but are also major insect predators and food for species higher in the food
chain. They are key to healthy ecosystems. The Amphibian Ark hopes to galvanize people to act to
reduce pollution and maintain wetlands to help amphibians. They also advocate captive breeding of
threatened species by zoos and aquariums until the wild is again fit for them. See Ken Lassman’s
essay on page 5 for thoughts on listening to local frogs.
 2 JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY

Audubon of Kansas News

Ron Klataske,
AOK Executive Director Receives
Lifetime Achievement Award
The Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental
Education (KACEE) honored Ron Klataske with the John K.
WAKARUSA WETLAND
Strickler Award for his lifetime achievements, contributions and
leadership in the Kansas conservation and environmental educa- LEARNERS UPDATE
tion field. The award noted Ron “has been a leader in Audubon’s
efforts to educate citizens about the ecological value and cultural
settings of Kansas birding and nature trails, and was instrumental
Field Trips in Jeopardy
in developing the proposal that led to the establishment of the
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Chase County.” Wakarusa Wetland Learners project has
scheduled the last 6 trips for this spring. Thanks to the
Ron commented: “Kelsey Childress, our part-time KSU support of JAS, KVHA, KBS and individual facilitator
student assistant during this school year, made the nomination volunteers from the community at large, the project has
without my knowledge. When selected and first contacted, I was been surprisingly successful. When all trips are
reluctant to endorse the idea, but with the concept that it is really completed, WWL will have increased knowledge and
a reflection of the good work of Audubon in many capacities, I appreciation of wetlands for close to a thousand kids and
am now enthusiastically accepting the award. Collectively, adults.
Audubon at all levels in Kansas has and continues to achieve a
lot in terms of conservation and environmental education. Nevertheless, and despite very positive feedback
I cannot take credit for more than a fraction of this, but it gives
from students and teachers, the future of the project is
me many unique opportunities to participate in a tremendous uncertain, at best, due to inadequate funding. JAS has
diversity of activities designed to build appreciation for nature
agreed to continue providing money for buses, which is
and support for conservation.”
a crucial component. However, the plan for KVHA to
The awards ceremony was April 4th, 2008 at the Kansas
become the primary sponsor is in jeopardy due to a lack
Museum of History. Other honorees were: of funding for that agency. A call for community
PreK-16 Educator - Dr. Larry Erickson of KSU for teaching over resources to fill the shortfall left by decreased availability
1,000 chemical engineering students, serving as director of the of EPA and KDHE grants has met with limited success.
Great Plains/Rocky Mountain Hazardous Substance Research KVHA has been a very valuable incubator for countless
Center and setting up the Consortium for Environmental environmentally oriented programs in our community.
Stewardship and Sustainability at KSU in 2007. We hope adequate funding will be forthcoming so
projects such as WWL can continue to benefit residents
Community/Non-Profit Organization (2 awards): of all ages in Douglas county.
Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita which is committed to the
idea that only through the appreciation of nature will people see
- Sandy Sanders, WWL Coordinator
the necessity to conserve our environment.

The Nature Conservancy, Kansas Chapter, for protecting the Western Toad
plants, animals and natural communities of Kansas and playing Sue Arthur.
a vital role in increasing the environmental literacy of Kansans. Alaska Dept. of
Fish and Game
Rising Star: Andrea Johnson,
Ernie Miller Nature Center, Olathe.
Park naturalist and interpreter.
 JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY 3

Asclepius speciosa
Showy Milkweed

From Chip Taylor to You: Karl Urban.

USForest Service

An Invitation to
The Monarch Watch Open House
Saturday, 10 May 2008
8am-3pm
Once again, you are cordially invited to join us for our annual Spring Open House and Plant Fundraiser at Foley Hall
on West Campus of the University of Kansas. We've averaged about 500 visitors or so to these Open House events and
we expect a good turnout for our next event as well. Nearly 4,000 butterfly plants (both annuals and perennials)
including seedlings of seven milkweed species, will be available (modest contributions are suggested).

We will provide refreshments, lots of show & tell, videos and games for children, tours of our garden and lab space,
iChat videoconferencing demonstrations, and, of course, monarch butterflies!

We'd love to see you here so mark your calendars!

Directions to Foley Hall can be found at: http://www.monarchwatch.org/openhouse/

Thanks, Chip
--
Save some $ and garden space for the
Monarch Watch, University of Kansas Prairie Park Plant Sale
monarch@ku.edu May 11 & May 18 1 - 4 p.m.
http://www.MonarchWatch.org/
2730 SW Harper 832-7980
1-888-TAGGING (toll-free!) -or-
1-785-864 4441
Create, Conserve and Protect Monarch Habitats

Kansas Roadsides could provide acres of monarch habitat and scenic beauty
if KDOT cut back on mowing and followed the Best Management Practices of Integrated Roadside Vegetative
Management. KDOT manages 10,000 miles of road = 20,000 miles of roadside totaling about 146,000 acres of
potential food, nesting sites and shelter for butterflies and grassland birds. Grassland birds as a group are in serious
trouble because of habitat loss: Northern Bobwhite down 82% in the last 40 years, Eastern Meadowlark 72%,
Grasshopper Sparrow 65%, Horned Lark 56%. Many historic Prairie Chicken leks are empty of birds.
As Verlyn Klinkenborg said in a New York Times editorial 6/19/2007, “In our everyday economic behavior,
we seem determined to discover whether we can live alone on earth.” (National Audubon: www.audubon.org)

Audubon of Kansas has petitioned KDOT to adopt the following: 1) limited mowing for safety next to
the road shoulder; 2) more extensive mowing every 3rd or 4th year to preserve plant vigor; 3) do primary mowing
between November 1st and March 31st allowing plants to flower and set seed and birds to complete their nesting;
4) stop seeding with brome and fescue; 5) stop broadcast use of herbicides. See www.audubonofkansas.org for more
info and to see the aftermath of overmowing and, conversely, migrating monarchs nectaring on unmowed flowers.

Adopting these practices could yield Big Savings on Fuel & Herbicide Costs = Fewer Taxpayer
Dollars spent on something that is not in Kansans’ or the environment’s best interests. Contact KDOT, your
legislator and the governor to request action on these policy changes.
 4 JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY KIDS’ PAGE

Frogs are singing spring love songs….

Q. What did the frog order at McDonald’s?
A. French flies and a Croak

Go Look for tadpoles!

Chowing Down Swamp Style
Some frogs have loooong, sticky tongues to catch
bugs in midair.
Toads have tiny tongues and snap at their food
with their whole mouth.
Toads often stalk their prey like a cat…
creeping up on it and then *SNAP*. They
stuff big bugs in with their “fingers”.

Believe it or not:
When a frog swallows a meal, his bulgy eye-
balls close and go down into his head. The
eyeballs create pressure and actually push
a frog’s meal down his throat! * GULP*

mething great?
g say when it sees so
Q. What does a fro
Wetlands are perfect for
A. Toadly aw
ome es

frogs and toads

Frogs and toads are amphibians.
Amphibians need wet & dry places close
together to complete their life cycle.

Ponds for egg laying and tadpole stages.

Dryish Land for adult frogs and toads

to find food and hide from predators

STILL CURIOUS???
On the Web:
http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/
http://allaboutfrogs.org

At the Library:
The Frog. by Angela Royston
Warwick Press. 1989
Tadpoles. by Elaine Pascoe & Dwight
Kuhn. Includes hands-on active
ties. Blackbird Press. 1997
The Frog Alphabet Book…& Other
Awesome Amphibians: by Jerry
Pallotte & Ralph Masiello.
Frog facts, riddles and maze
Charlesbridge Pub. 1990 from www.allaboutfrogs.org
 JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY 5

Wild Douglas County by Ken Lassman

Sounds and Sights of May
Tonight, I spent the evening on my deck as darkness was descending, listening. The whippoorwill is back,
the early calls of the western chorus frogs have been joined by Cope’s tree frog and a host of other amphibious sounds,
a pack of coyotes yip in the hills, a turkey jake and his harem are gobbling about something in the valley and a high
pitch draws me to the sky where I get the glimpse of a bat, hopefully picking off the stealthy high pitched hum of the
occasional mosquito.

Nature’s airwaves are very busy this time of year, with so many animals articulating the details of spring’s
mating and birthing seasons to each other and others who care to listen. I’m fortunate to live in the rural area, which
allows me to access this aural world just by walking out on my deck and soaking up the sounds as well as the sights
of the outdoors; but anyone can have access to the wild auditory landscape by driving out to land around Clinton Lake,
hanging out along the Kaw or Wakarusa Rivers or wetlands, or even a neighborhood creek to hear the “buzzing” of life
that is going on this time of year, especially around sunrise and sunset. Just as there are now excellent resources for
identifying bird calls, I recommend that folks get a copy of the tape Calls of Kansas Frogs and Toads, by Keith
Coleman and narrated by Joe Collins. Originally made to help those involved in an amphibian monitoring program,
these high quality recordings can be used by anyone interested in putting names to the sounds of life on moist Kansas
evenings. While birds this time of year are calling out their territories, amphibians, being lunch for so many other
species, are trying to lure a mate but avoid luring a predator. This means that when you approach a very noisy pond
or wet area, the cacophony will suddenly stop as they detect your presence, and only after you have quietly been there
awhile will they resume their amorous songs.
May’s prairie greening means that the annual progression of prairie wildflowers is upon us, and no year is
complete without at least one foray into the tallgrasses to soak up the floral pageantry that awaits you. This time of
year, weekly visits are even better, as the flowers that are blooming come in waves: the small spring beauties, verbena
and violets are replaced by prairie phlox, primrose, larkspur, and salsify, then oxeye daisies, yellow then white clovers,
spiderworts, leadplant, Deptford pinks, Echinacea and milkweeds. By the end of May, the not-so-nice Canadian musk
thistles and crown vetch are also blooming their invasive flowers, and if you have pollen allergies, chances are the
wind-blown brome pollen that begins to billow up in clouds will give you grief.
Papaws, wild cherries, and gooseberries are developing in the woods, and cottonwood fluff begins to float
down and coat the waterways, and while pine trees are not native to Kansas, the new shoots of growth or “candling”
that occur in May around here are celebrated in festivals in many evergreen-dominated cultures around the world.
Finally, young animals of every persuasion can be found this time of
year and they can be a great source of entertainment if you spy them. The
Prairie Park Nature Center and other area nature centers are often flooded by
abandoned/rescued young ones, and it is an excellent time to volunteer there
to help out with this influx.

(Editor’s note: If you think a wild baby needs rescue, first see Page 6
and make sure it is truly abandoned or injured. When in doubt contact
OWL or Prairie Park Nature Center!
Also, as of press time, a source could not be found for the Calls of
Kansas Frogs and Toads. Kansas Heritage Photography, which
comes up as a source in a web search, no longer carries them.
Try contacting Joseph Collins at the Center for North American
Herpetology: www.naherpetology.org.) American Toad. Bufo Americanus.
J.H. Richard. Pacific Railroad Survey. 1855-1859
 6 JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY

If you find an “abandoned” wild baby

Operation Wildlife asks you to follow the 3 GOLDEN RULES OF REHAB:
Rule #1: If it runs from you, leave it alone!

Rule #2: If you find an uninjured wild baby, put it back! Wild animals do not naturally abandon
their young. The mother may be away finding food or watching and waiting for you to leave.

Rule #3: Call OWL before you do anything. They can tell you what to do and what not to do to help
the baby. 785-542-3625 or 913-631-6566.
For a fact sheet on baby mammals go to the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association website:
www.nwrawildlife.org. Click on the “Need help?” button, then “I found a baby animal.”

Operation Wildlife Inc.

23375 Guthrie Rd.
Linwood, Ks 66052

785-542-3625
 JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY 7

JAS officers & Board Members

President: Chuck Herman: 913-301-3921
hermansnuthouse@earthlink.net
BOOK REVIEWS Vice President: Pam Chaffee
Recording Sec’y: Joyce Wolf
By Kelly Barth Corresponding:: Susan Iversen
Treasurer: Jennifer Delisle
Feeding Your Inner Birder Member Chapter
Change Report: Chuck & Ruth Herman
Membership Promotion: Dayna Carleton
Club George won't wow veteran birders with feats of Newsletter: Susan Iversen: 785-843-1142
derring-do; what it will do is remind you how you felt when siversen@sunflower.com
you first fell in love with the hobby. Recently fired from his Conservation: Michael Fraley
job, New Yorker Bob Levy found himself with plenty of Programs: Jennifer Delisle/Joyce Wolf
time on his hands to talk to Central Park's notorious birding Education: Rex Powell
regulars. During a conversation with one of them though, Field Trip: VOLUNTEER NEEDED
he could hardly make himself heard over the loud "cheks" Publicity: Dayna Carleton
of what he would come to know as a red-wing blackbird, and Electronic Communications: Karyn Baker-Riney
more specifically, George. A regular association with this one Bird Seed Sale: Linda Lips
bird leads Levy into a world, a social circle and leafy corners Birdathon: Richard Bean
of Central Park he never knew existed. In the end, he winds up Christmas Count: Galen Pittman
caring about the world and what happens in it more than he Migratory Count: VOLUNTEER NEEDED
ever could have imagined. Eagles Day: Ed & Cynthia Shaw
(NB: Club George is out of print, but is available at the Hospitality: Esther Smith
Lawrence Public Library) Historian: Ron Wolf
Books & Feeders: Ron & Joyce Wolf
Board Member: Sharon Ashworth
Refuge, An Unnatural History Board Member: Dena Friesen
of Family and Place. Board Member: Lisa Grossman
Though many of you may be familiar with environmental Board Member: Ed Shaw
writer and activist Terry Tempest Williams, you may not have Board Member: Cynthia Shaw
read her watershed book, Refuge, An Unnatural History of Board Member: Jake Vail
Family and Place. It's an achingly beautiful memoir with
two story lines that perfectly dovetail: Williams mother's death
from cancer and the flooding of her already imperiled beloved You can still support the Birdathon
Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge on the outskirts of Salt Lake
City. It operates on many levels: naturalist diary, political Clip and send this with your check to:
treatise (her family are among Utah's downwinders), Jayhawk Audubon Society
elegy, and hymn. I can't recommend it highly enough. P.O. Box 3741
Lawrence, KS 66046

Here is my donation of _____________ to support

Wakarusa Wetlands Learners, Eagles Day, Natural
History Museum Camp Scholarships, Monarch Tag-
ging Day and special conservation projects of the
Jayhawk Audubon Society.

100% of your donation is tax deductible. 100% of

your donation is used locally for the work of JAS.
American Avocet.
Patsy Renz. U.S.
Geological Service
 Jayhawk Audubon Society Nonprofit Organization
P.O. Box 3741 U.S. Postage
PAID
Lawrence, KS 66046 Lawrence, KS
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Kids

Application for New Membership in both: National Audubon Society and Jayhawk Chapter
___$15 Student; ___$20 Introductory for NEW members; ____$15 Senior Citizen.
(Make check payable to National Audubon Society.)

Application for Chapter-only Membership (Jayhawk Audubon Society). No Audubon magazine.

___$7.50 Chapter-only (Make check payable to Jayhawk Audubon Society.) Those with National Audubon
memberships are encouraged to support the chapter by voluntarily paying these dues. Chapter membership
expires annually in July.

National Audubon Society members receive four issues per year of the Audubon magazine and are also
members of the Jayhawk Chapter. All members also receive 10 issues of this newsletter per year and are
entitled to discounts on books and feeders that are sold to raise funds to support education and conservation
projects. Please send this completed form and check to Membership Chairs at the following address:
Ruth & Chuck Herman; 20761 Loring Road, Linwood, KS 66052; e-mail contact:
hermansnuthouse@earthlink.net . {National Members Renewing: please use the billing form received
from National and send it with payment to National Audubon Society in Boulder, CO}.

Name __________________________; Address ___________________________________________;

City ___________________________; State ______; ZIP Code (9) digit _______________;

Telephone (with Area Code) ___________________

J02: 7XCH