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Hays Master Naturalists
NEWSLETTER
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Right
here at home – in the Hill Country! |
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October, 2005 |
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HAYS MASTER NATURALISTS President Randy Moss Vice President Tom Watson Secretary Nancy Turner Treasurer Winifred Simon Training Committee Joe Piazza Records Committee Judy Telford State Advisory Board Walt Krudop Editor
Richard Barnett
Richb6986@aol.com Webmaster Dave Schwarz Extension Agent Bryan Davis |
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Statewide Annual Meeting & Advanced Training |
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October 21 to 23 at MO Ranch in Hunt, Texas. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○
○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Tentative Agenda Friday, October 21, 2005 Lunch on your own Tentative State Committee Meeting 10:30-12:30 12:30 Ann. Mtg. Volunteers orientation for Friday
volunteers (MO Ranch Registration Lobby) 1:00 Arrival & Check-in begins (MO Ranch Registration Lobby) 1:00 Set up of chapter
displays, scrapbooks, photo and art contest entries, Master Naturalist Store
open 1:30-5:00 Advanced Training
Session 1: Intro to Geo-Spatial Technologies 2:00 – 4:30 Other Concurrent Advanced Training Sessions Session 2: Marketing &
Identity for Master Naturalist Chapters Session 3: Dealing with
Difficult Situations & Customer Service in the Volunteer World Session 4: Intro to Sounds
of the Night (continues after supper) Session 5: Overview of
Developing a Chapter Non-profit Organization 4:30-5:00 Set up for social, chapter displays, photo, art and scrapbook contest entries 5:00 Social —with Chapter
displays, annual slide show, photo, art, displays and scrapbook contests
voting open 6:00-7:00 SUPPER 7:30- ? Continuation of Sounds of the Night—on-site field trip. 7:30 to 8:30 Concurrent Roundtable Discussions RT 1: For Chapter Advisors RT 2: Questions and Issues
of New Chapters RT 3: Organizing and
Managing Training Classes RT 4: Managing and
Reconciling Chapter Treasuries 9:00 Voting ends for popular vote contests 9:00- ? Campfire sponsored by Galveston Bay Area Chapter Saturday, October 22, 2005 7:30 – 8:30 BREAKFAST 8:00 Ann. Mtg. Volunteers orientation for Saturday
volunteers (MO Ranch Registration Lobby) 8:00 – 9:00 Arrival & Check-in Desk open (MO Ranch Registration Lobby) 8:30 – 9:00 Load vans for off-site field trips, migrate to AT sessions 9:00 – 12:00 Concurrent Advanced Training Sessions Session 1: Aquatic
Ecosystems Crash Course (All Day) Session 2: Los Rincones
Natural Area Volunteer Service Project in Kerrville (All Day) Session 3: Recreational
Learning: Planning & Developing Interpretive Trail Projects (All Day) Session 4: Oak Wilt ID,
Biology and Control (All Day) Session 5: Applications of
GIS (All Day) Session 6: Watershed
Delineation & Management (Half Day) Session 7: Is this a
Wildscape?—Certifying Wildscape Properties (Half Day) Session 8: Conserving
Chimney Swifts: A Habitat Workshop for a Disappearing Species (Half Day) Session 9: Because you never
know…First Aid & CPR Training (Half Day, offered in AM only) Session 10: Intro to the
Texas Master Naturalist Database (Half Day, offered in PM only) 12:00 -1:00 LUNCH 1:00 - 4:00 Half Day AT Sessions repeat or start and All Day AT sessions continue 4:00 – 5:00 Arrive back
from AT sessions, set up Project Fair displays, free time, Master Naturalist
store open 5:00- 6:00 Project Fair (Main
Auditorium) 6:00- 7:00 SUPPER 7:30-8:30 Concurrent Roundtable Discussions RT 1: Revisiting the TMN
Bylaws Template RT 2: Recruiting and
Developing Chapter Leaders RT 3: Vol. Service
Guidelines & Chapters’ service approval processes RT 4: Cultivating and
Keeping Engaged Chapter Partners 9:00 Campfire sponsored by a chapter, free time, etc. Sunday, October 23, 2005 7:00 AM Optional Birding 7:00 AM Optional Devotional/Reflection Time Sponsored by the Galveston Bay Area Chapter 7:30-8:30 President’s, Past President’s and Founders Breakfast 7:30 – 8:30 BREAKFAST 8:00 Ann. Mtg. Volunteers orientation for Sunday
volunteers (Main Auditorium) 8:30 – 8:45 Annual Slide Show (Main
Auditorium) 8:45 – 9:45 Volunteer Awards and Annual Meeting Contest Awards Presentations 10:00-12:00 Concurrent Advanced Training Sessions Session 1: Quail Monitoring
with Morning Covey Call Counts Session 2: Tree ID with a
‘KISS’ Session 3: WILD about Texas! Session 4: Artistic
Interpretation: Panel and Brochure Development Session 5: Conducting
Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Surveys 12:00 - 1:00 LUNCH 1:00 Pack up, head home For registration forms and complete
Annual Meeting information, please go to the TMN state website at http://masternaturalist.tamu.edu. Early registration at a reduced rate
is available until September 24, 2005, by fax, mail, or online. Late
registration at a higher rate will be available online only from September 25
to October 5. |
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Springs and Things |
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Springs and Things: Importance of Groundwater, Riparian Areas and Wetlands in a Changing Watershed: Annual Meeting of the South Central Chapter of the Society of Wetlands Scientists Texas State University campus, San Marcos, Texas;
October 5 - 8, 2005 Thursday, October 6: Chapter Meeting South Central Chapter
Workshop & Meeting Registration |
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First Statewide Conference on Invasive Plants |
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On November 17th and 18th, 2005, the Pulling Together
Initiative will host the first statewide conference in Texas on non-native
invasive plants. The conference will be held at the Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. The first two days of the conference will be a professional
level meeting including plenary, concurrent sessions, posters, and panels.
The Professional Meeting is designed to serve scientists, land managers,
state and federal agencies, local governments, and other professionals
interested in invasive plant research and policy in Texas.
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Work Day at Onion Creek Once it was clear that Hurricane Rita would not approach the Hill Country, thirteen hale and hearty Master Naturalists gathered at the entrance on Highway 150 to the old Rutherford Ranch at 8:30 am on Saturday, September 24th, where we were met by Dr. Kevin Thuessen and Gail McGlamery of the Wildlands Conservation Division of Austin Utilities. The Rutherford Ranch and other adjacent properties, located about one mile East of Hays City, were purchased by the City of Austin following a supporting bond election for the protection of water quality entering the Barton Creek zone of the Edwards Aquifer. The objective for the day was to remove as much Ashe
Juniper from the riparian area along Onion Creek, which flows through the
Rutherford property. With this small number of eager Master Naturalists
starting work with hand tools at 9 am and finishing at noon, approximately 2
acres along the Western flood plain were cleared of the invasive
species. Seedlings and trees less than 4 inches in diameter at 4 feet
of trunk height were cut. The felled trees were dragged to the slope
just above the flood plain to prevent them from being swept away by minor
flooding. The day was cool until near noon and, while the work was
tiring, all enjoyed a good workout (who needs a gym with events like this
available?) and great camaraderie. Both the WCD hosts and Master
Naturalists were impressed with the amount of Juniper removed in this short
span of time. Following the cedar felling, a few members departed to be with visiting evacuees from the hurricane. The remaining group adjourned to the ranchhouse for a brown bag lunch and lengthy conversation with Dr. Thuessen and Miss McGalmery about their work with their work with the Balcones Canyonland Preservation and Water Quality Protection Lands programs. Following lunch, Dr. Thuessen spoke to the group with a slide presentation on the topic of “Basics of Ecological Restoration”. A tired but happy crew left for home shortly thereafter. -- Tom Watson
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Hays County Bird Checklist now available |
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Fall Vegetation Survey at LBJHCMN Project #406 It's that wonderful time of year again -- Fall Vegetation Survey at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center! As always, VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED because the success of these surveys depends on YOU. Our training sessions and surveys are an excellent way to learn local plants or, in case you already know your plants, these surveys hone ID skills. For those who have never participated, we offer training sessions that will provide plant ID tips, help you understand methodology, and give you a review of the research project for which these surveys are needed. The 4-hour training sessions this fall are scheduled for September 29 thru October 2. You only have to attend one session. The actual survey begins October 12 and will probably continue for 3 weeks. The work schedule is Wednesday through Sunday. There are no paid positions for participation in these surveys. We request an RSVP for the training session so we will know how many to plan for. Sign up for work sessions will be done at the training session. However, if you do not need to go through the training, please call or e-mail and let us know what sessions you would like to work. Be sure we have your phone number so we will have a way to contact you about last minute cancellations due to weather, etc. If you have any questions, please call or e-mail me. |
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Wildscape Garden, San Marcos Nature CenterHCMN Project # 405 The passion vines continue to support Gulf Fritillary butterflies, and Mexican milkweed and blue mistflower attract Queens, but Monarchs have not arrived. The variety of butterflies visiting our garden has increased somewhat, though it falls far short of 2004. You might as well blame the hot, dry weather. We have observed, however, an unusual number of white-phase female Orange Sulphurs, in addition to the normally-colored females. If you have seeds, bulbs, hardy seedlings, or extra specimens of native annuals and perennials that need a home, we invite you to share them with the Wildscape Garden. Native plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds are doubly welcome. Gayfeathers, Indian paintbrush, standing cypress, Texas verbena, plains agalinis, zexmenia, blackfoot daisy, scarlet pea, palafoxia, dalea, slender vervain, phlox, blue-eyed grass, Herbertia, celestials, rain lily, copper lily, skeleton flower, Barbara buttons, prairie larkspur, skullcap, penstemon, ageratum, mistflower, or tansy, for example, please test them in the Wildscape Garden. If they can grow Texas bluebells at the old fish hatchery, we might as well try too. The soil is a mixture of black clay and assorted stony scrapings from road shoulders, leavened with bits of modern and Indian artifacts. Much of it sits on a layer of asphalt paving or is leavened with lumps of asphalt paving. It’s not what you would choose for a rose garden, but bluebonnets don’t mind and other attractive native plants may flourish too and add colour throughout the year. A prickly poppy or two would not be out of place, but we will have to think twice about bull nettles. We have enough trees, shrubs and sage, and more than enough lantana, ruellia, and pink evening primrose. Frogfruit and straggler daisies are also doing very nicely without encouragement. |
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Wimberley Visitor Center Flower BedsHCMN Project 529 The Wimberley Visitor Center provides information about Wimberley and the Hill Country to visitors. The Center occupies an attractive modern building in Hill Country-style at 14100 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, TX 78676, in front of the new Civic Center and The Refuge, Wimberley’s first bird sanctuary. Next door to the south stands the Wimberley-Winters House, the restored home of Wimberley pioneer families. The Civic Center has gardens in front and behind that need regular watering, trimming and maintenance. HCMN Project Contact Linda Hoppes (l_hoppes@yahoo.com) plans to provide deer-resistant native plants that support beneficial wildlife. Linda also wants to install more birdhouses and butterfly houses. The grounds of the Civic Center, The Refuge, and the Wimberley-Winters House together offer several acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife. Much still needs cleanup and restoration elsewhere, but most of the dirty work lies in the past at the Civic Center grounds. The HCMN Executive Board approved this new project on August 4, 2005.
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CCC Butterfly and Hummingbird GardensHCMN Project 527 The Campus Christian Community at 604 N Guadalupe provides services to students, faculty, and staff at Texas State University and is the meeting site for the San Marcos Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship. The building has some landscaping in the front, but it is not well maintained. In the gaps between existing plantings, we will fill the area with plants that will attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The back area is covered with St. Augustine grass. Proposal: Design and construct a butterfly & hummingbird garden with a meandering path. Plant materials will be low-maintenance, natives. Gather as much free compost, mulch, rocks, and plants as possible. Maintain the garden. Improve and enlarge as time and money are available. The executive board of Hays County Master Naturalists has approved this new project. The HCMN contacts are Anne Allen, Barbara Jacobson, and Judy Telford. |
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Seed Collecting at Onion CreekWelcome in
the month of October with us by helping collect seed along
picturesque Onion Creek in Hays County. I am hoping to have 10
people join our staff in gathering seed for a grant project to propagate
local stock for future restoration projects. |
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Time to get ready for TPWD EXPO! If you are able to volunteer, please
contact Michelle Haggerty, mhaggerty@wfscgate.tamu.edu. Working
8 hours at Expo gets you a free T-shirt |
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Volunteers Needed for TMN Annual Meeting
Several volunteers are still needed to assist with the
Statewide Meeting and Advanced Training coming up October 21 to 23.
Thank you to the dozens of you that already responded. However, more
volunteers as still needed. This year's annual event will be held at MO
Ranch in Hunt, TX. Volunteer help needed includes: |
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State News |
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Texas Monarch Watch Monarch
Butterfly Migration Update September 23, 2005 Monarch Watch Update, September 29, 2005 Last month I was excited about the coming migration. It looked to be a good one and all indications were that monarchs had recovered successfully from the low numbers seen since the end of the winter of 2004. To quote from the August Update "Last month [July] I predicted that the migration would result in an overwintering population in Mexico of 5-7 hectares (all monarch colonies combined). It now looks like the population could be even larger and may even exceed the long term average of 9 hectares - let's hope this is the case." Curiously, although we received numerous reports of large numbers of monarchs seen in August and many accounts of good numbers of eggs and larvae into September, the number of reports of substantial numbers (hundreds or thousands) of monarchs seen on the move or clustered in trees during the evenings have been relatively few. I'm not sure if the low number of sightings is significant or not. Perhaps the monarchs have been widely dispersed due to the relatively warm weather experienced in the Midwest for the first two weeks of September. ...
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NEXT YEAR’S (2006)
TMN ANNUAL MEETING Next year's annual
meeting has the possibility of being held in a different area of the state
with your help in locating a suitable facility to meet all of our
needs! If an individual
or a local chapter is aware of a facility where we could hold the 2006 (or any
following years) Annual Meeting and you are willing to help with the local
arrangements please contact the state office. Please keep in mind that
the best facilities include a meals and lodging plan and adequate meeting
space for all of our meeting events at a reasonable cost. Our Annual
Meetings on average have an attendance of about 200 people. Many of our
training sessions have a need for quick and easy access to outdoor learning
areas and/or natural areas. Hotels are not ruled out, but they typically are
costly and/or don't have the outdoor learning areas our group needs. We
will need to hold the annual meeting on one of the last two weekends in
October as usual. If our searches end up futile for a new location in
2006, then we will plan on meeting again at MO Ranch, where we currently have
a standing contract. Please contact Michelle Haggerty at the State Office of
the Texas Master Naturalist Program, mhaggerty@wfscgate.tamu.edu. |
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HERE WE GROW AGAIN! |
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Local News |
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Resources |
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Master Watershed Stewards Advanced Training and Volunteer Projects Coming! The Watershed
Stewards Program is in the process of developing a pilot program for the
Wharton-Victoria areas next year, with plans to extend this program
statewide. This new program would be an excellent Advanced Training
opportunity for Texas Master Naturalists to earn Advanced Training
credit. Likewise, any associated volunteer projects would also be
eligible for Texas Master Naturalist volunteer service credit as long as the project
is pre-approved by the local chapter. For more
information on the new Watershed Stewards program contact Michelle Haggerty, mhaggerty@wfscgate.tamu.edu, or John O'Connell, joconnell@tamu.edu.
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Links to Chapter Sponsors and Partners |
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Sponsors Texas Master Naturalist - State Website - masternaturalist.tamu.edu Partners Bamberger Ranch -- http://www.bambergerranch.org/workshops.htm LBJ Wildflower Center -- www.wildflower.org Native Plant
Society of Texas – www.npsot.org/ |
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© 2005 Hays Master Naturalists |