Conservation

Conservation Events

Summaries of current/upcoming political decisions and events you can act on or participate in to benefit the environment and conservation. Scroll for: Political Actions, Education/Train-ing/Service, Citizen Science/Projects, Have Fun To Help Conservation (Including Youth Events). Most items are in date order (soonest first) and linked to details or websites. CLICK CAPITALIZED TITLES for more info. (NOTE: Inclusion of news from other groups does not constitute endorsement. Use common sense in dealing with unfamiliar groups.) Long-term conservation info and action options have been moved to Conservation Resources/Options.

POLITICAL/ECONOMIC ACTIONS

For political points of contact, click here.)

SPECIAL NOTICE: NEW NAME FOR BEXAR LAND TRUST — Bexar Land Trust is now

Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas. The new name better reflects their mission: to keep more of South Texas green. Mailing address and phone numbers remain the same, but e-mail addresses and website have changed to fit our new name.

TAKE A STAND ON NUCLEAR PLANT PROPOSAL — Whether one is against nuclear power on principle or not, well-informed local activists make a strong case that the particular plant now proposed by CPS Energy is unnecessary and wasteful. The attachment offers a summation of the “con” argument and provides City Council contacts if you want to speak up…whether in opposition or not.

DEMAND TOUGHER BIRD PROTECTION LAW — National Audubon reports that pigeon enthusiasts have been slaughtering birds of prey in vast numbers. The Society seeks an outpouring of messages to Congress calling for passage of a bill that would make it a felony instead of a slap-on-the-wrist misdemeanour to kill a bird protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The attachment includes links to an e-mail system that makes sending a message to your representative easy.

JOIN NEW GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION — CASE, the Citizens' Alliance for Smart Expansion, has been launched to address planning issues in New Braunfels and surrounding areas. Right now, the focus is the New Braunfels Outer Loop proposal.

ASK SAWS BOARD TO WITHDRAW APPLICATIONS TO EXPAND SERVICE INTO NORTHWEST BEXAR COUNTY — AGUA (Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas) urges citizens concerned about protecting the Edwards Aquifer to contact the San Antonio Water System board and urge the board to withdraw its request for Certificates of Convenience and Necessity to provide water/sewer service to new developments in northwest Bexar County. (NOTE: SAWS has suspended its application in order to study the issue further. AGUA continues to encourage citizens to write SAWS to thank them for that and to encourage them to decide for a permanent withdrawal of the CCN requests.) Providing these services would open areas of the aquifer’s recharge and contributing zones to increased development density (up to 7 homes per acre), significantly increasing the risk of aquifer contamination.

DEMAND PUBLIC HEARING ON DAM PROPOSAL — AGUA (Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas) urges citizens to ask Bexar Regional Watershed Management Committee to hold a public hearing on its proposal to put a flood-control dam on the historic Maverick Ranch-Fromme Farm in northwest Bexar County. Click link and then click on "Dam it!" for details.

BECOME A RIVER STAKEHOLDER — Or, if qualified, a science/technical advisor. A new state law creates a stakeholder process to answer questions like: How much water does a river need to stay healthy? How much water can we take out of a river for use in cities, fields, and factories before we do serious harm? Health of Texas rivers and coastal bays is at stake. Work on the Guadalupe/San Antonio river basin and bay starts in 2008. National Wildlife Federation is recruiting citizens to take part.

CURRENT ZONING HEARINGS — Permanent section for impending hearings with special conservation implications. No current posting! In addition, AGUA (Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas) maintains an on-line map of pending zonings. Go to http://www.aquiferguardians.org/blog and click on WHIMBY (What’s Happening In My Backyard) at top of web page.

EDUCATION/TRAINING/SERVICE

JOIN RAINWATER HARVESTING GROUP — Texas Rainwater Catchment Association (TRCA) is now an official organization, awaiting acceptance as an official chapter of the national American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association.

BUTTERFLY & RAINWATER HARVEST PROGRAM — Medina River Natural Area offers South Texas Butterfly and Rainwater Harvesting Educational Program on

Saturday, May 10, from 9 to 11 a.m. Lepidopterist Terry Doyle will show host plants that attract butterflies and Nelson Diarte from Agri LIFE Extension Agency will tell how to start a rainwater harvesting system for butterfly gardens.

WATER: THE THIRST FOR POWER — A high-powered experts panel will explore the intimate relationship between energy and water Wednesday, May 14, from 5-8 p.m., at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in Austin. Water helps provide electric power via hydroelectricity and cooling of thermoelectric plants, while the water sector uses energy for moving, pumping, treating, and heating. However, despite the close relationship, management of energy and water is typically by different people in separate agencies, with each sector assuming the other will be available when needed. But what might happen if the assumptions are wrong?

DRAGONFLY DAYS 2008 — From May 15-18, Estero Llano Grande State Park and the Valley Nature Center (Weslaco, TX) will host Dragonfly Days 2008. Illustrated talks and field trips acquaint visitors with the dragonfly and damselfly fauna of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. No background required except an interest in natural history.

GARDENING IN SAN ANTONIO — Bexar Land Trust offers gardening workshop series open to the public at no charge (but registration and seed/seedling donations are requested), as part of the trust’s Community Gardens initiative. All workshops are at San Antonio Botanical Garden, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Upcoming workshops include: "Keeping Community Gardens Alive through Summer," Saturday, May 17; and "Leadership in the Garden," Saturday, July 19.

NATURE TOURISM WORKSHOP SERIES — Texas AgriLife Extension Service will conduct a three-part nature tourism series of workshops on three Wednesdays, May 7, June 4 and June 18, from 1-4 p.m. The first and third session will be at the Fickett Center, 303 E. Jackson, in Burnet. The second will be at the Marble Falls Chamber of Commerce, 916 2nd Street. Free and open to the public.

HELP MAKE WATERWAYS IN YOUR COMMUNITY LITTER-FREE! — Keep Texas Beautiful (a non-profit organization) sponsors the Texas Waterway Cleanup Program. It will provide free planning tools, promotional support, and supplies for volunteer cleanups of Texas' inland waterways (lakes, rivers, creeks, streams, ponds, etc). Program runs through June 30. Sign up today to host an event of any size! Online registration available.

TEXAS WIND FARM FIELD DAY -- Windmills Anyone? Learn more Saturday, June 21, from 10 a.m. to about 3 or 4 p.m., at the 69 Ranch in Maryneal, Texas (Nolan County, south of Sweetwater). Attendance fee charged.

MITCHELL LAKE FALL WILDLIFE FESTIVAL AND PLANT SALE — Mitchell Lake Audubon Center seeks volunteers, sponsors and exhibitors for its 2008 Fall Wildlife Festival and Plant Sale here at the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. Mark calendars for Saturday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

INSTREAM FLOW CONFERENCE — FLOW 2008 interactive conference is scheduled for October 7-9 at San Antonio’s El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel.

FIRST SATURDAYS AND SECOND SATURDAYS – San Antonio’s natural-areas parks host an interpretive hike on the first Saturday of each month and a natural-history educational program on the second Saturday of each month.

MITCHELL LAKE EVENTS — Mitchell Lake Audubon Center offers a mix of family nature-education programs, recreation and service opportunities in February and March. Or visit http://www.tx.audubon.org/Mitchell_Calendar.html at any time of year to find out what’s going on at San Antonio’s southside world-class birding spot.

VOLUNTEER WORKDAYS -- Volunteer workdays are held in Natural Areas including Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, Friedrich Wilderness Park and Eisenhower Park, third Saturday of each month. Call 210-698-1057 for details, schedule. Reservations are NOT required! Bring work gloves, water, snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, energy!

BLOG ON EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE — Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance recommends Greg Harman's blog on hiking the recharge zone parks.

BUY CALENDAR — To provide information on managing ponds or land for myriads of new rural landowners, Texas Cooperative Extension offers "Wildlife and Fish Management Calendar for Texas and the Southeast" to help land/water managers attract and maintain wildlife and fish resources. Calendar offers management recommendations each month geared to specific wildlife and fish species, with extra information in the back. $7.95 plus tax and shipping.

GO GREEN! NEWSLETTER — New Environmental Protection Agency newsletter helps consumers make a difference. Monthly, e-mail newsletter provides "what you can do" information on activities and events that everyone can use to make a difference in homes, workplaces, schools and communities.

SPEAKERS BUREAU – A central clearing house for civic and neighborhood groups to contact for programs on conservation and environmental topics.

CITIZEN SCIENCE/PROJECTS

COMMUNITY GARDENS GRANTS — Bexar Land Trust is offering grants to help gardening partnerships start community gardens.

JOIN BIRD EDUCATION NETWORK — Bird conservation has stressed improving the biological science foundation, changing national policies, and increasing resources. Conservationists now recognize that it is time to bolster environmental education. Bird Conservation through Education is now developing a strategy. A team of individuals from across the U.S. is working together to develop a strategy for producing and delivering education messages, resources, and materials. A BirdEd Listserv now has over 240 people, but more bird-educators are needed.

CELEBRATE URBAN BIRDS — Urban Bird Studies at Cornell University sponsors a massive international celebration of urban birds, along with data collection on 15 selected species of urban birds. The effort started in early May but will extend through the summer and fall months. Free kits are available until they run out, and they seem to be available to both organizations and individuals. The linked announcement includes a website and e-mail address (at bottom of document).

BIRD PERSONALITY STUDY — The Birdhouse Network, a citizen-science project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, seeks birdwatchers for experiments using brightly colored or patterned objects to test birds’ reactions to the unexpected.

HAVE FUN TO HELP CONSERVATION

(INCLUDING YOUTH EVENTS)

FUNDRAISING EVENT FOR CONSERVATION ENTITIES — In honor of Earth Month, students of The Aveda Institute San Antonio will showcase their talents in a "Water for Life" runway show Saturday, May 10, at 5 p.m., highlighting ever-evolving hair and fashions. Tickets are $20 and all proceeds go to Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, Cibolo Nature Center, and the Global Green Grants Fund.

TWO GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENVIRONMENTALIST YOUTH — Brower Youth Awards, a program of Earth Island Institute, recognize six young people aged 13-22 in North America annually for environmental and environmental-justice advocacy. Winners get a $3,000 cash prize, a trip to California for the award ceremony and a wilderness camping trip, and ongoing access to resources at Earth Island Institute.

(Deadline: May 15.) Youth aged 12-20 across the U.S. may submit Earth-saving ideas for the Lorax Challenge, which invites teams of young people to create action plans for their ideas. Selected teams will receive funding of up to $1,000 each to turn their ideas into reality. (Deadline: May 31)

FAMILY DAY AT GOVERNMENT CANYON — Government Canyon will offer Family Day on Saturday, June 7, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Family Day will introduce school-age children to the natural wonders and stewardship of our environment.

WILD!WEEKS — San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department’s Natural Areas Division is accepting applications for its Wild! Weeks ecology day camps. The camps will be at Friedrich Park, June 16–20 and June 23–27, from 9 a.m.–noon each day. Registration materials can be found online at http://www.sanaturalareas.org.

STATE YOUTH WATER CAMP — The Texas AgriLife Extension Service's 16th annual Texas State Youth Water Camp is set for July 13-17 at the George and Opal Bentley 4-H Center in Monahans. Camp's objective is to help make Texas high school youth aware of current water issues and to develop an appreciation of how agriculture, industry, municipalities and home water use impact water quality and quantity. It features field trips, tours and hands-on work. It is limited to 15 boys and 15 girls.