John Bunker Sands Wetland Center Newsletter Winter 2019

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John Bunker Sands Wetland Center 972-474-9100 / 655 Martin Lane Combine/Seagoville TX 75159

Visit our website!

December January February

Saturday, December 7 Walk & Talk Bird Tour 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Sunrise Saturday Sunrise is 7:16 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Saturday, December 21 Sunrise Saturday Sunrise is 7:25 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Boardwalk Getaway 10 a.m. –11:30 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free

Saturday, January 4 Christmas Bird Count 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. Free; registration and birding experience required Walk & Talk Bird Tour 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Sunrise Saturday Sunrise is 7:30 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Saturday, January 18 Sunrise Saturday Sunrise is 7:29 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Boardwalk Getaway 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free

To register or for more in-

formation, contact

Linda Dunn at 972-474-

9100 or

ldunn@wetlandcenter.com.

Saturday, February 1 Walk & Talk Bird Tour 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Sunrise Saturday Sunrise is 7:22 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Skeletons of Winter 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. $10; members $5 Registration required Saturday, February 15 Sunrise Saturday Sunrise is 7:10 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Boardwalk Getaway 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Free with $5 admission; mem-bers free Saturday, February 22 Annual Highway Cleanup 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Coffee & donuts, pizza party! Free

The Center is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays of the month.

See our events page for more information. To reg-

ister, contact Linda Dunn at 972-474-9100 or

ldunn@wetlandcenter.com.

To register or for more information, contact

Linda Dunn at 972-474-9100 or ldunn@wetlandcenter.com.

Photos by Tom Fleming. Above:

Bufflehead ducks. Right: White-

crowned sparrow

Around the Wetland Center, we refer to Wings

Over the Wetland, our major biennial fundraiser,

as WOW. And what a wow our 2019 WOW was!

Supporters like you made it the most successful in

our history.

We raised a record $255,000 from 160 gener-

ous donors, and 420 guests got down with a hoe-

down at our biggest party ever.

They ate food cooked by Buck Reams, tapped

their boots to The Western Flyers, oohed over

Window on the Wild’s birds of prey, met a sweet

(and very patient) Texas longhorn, danced in spir-

it with speed painter Amy Burkman—and were

awed by the magic of the wetland on a perfect fall

evening.

My heartfelt appreciation to all

who helped put the wow in our

fourth Wings Over the Wetland.

The commitment of our donors

and sponsors assures we can ex-

tend our mission to educate thou-

sands of visitors every year about

water and wildlife conservation.

And since fundraising is the lifeblood of all

nonprofits, we’re working on plans to celebrate

our 10th anniversary next October!

In this season of gratitude, I wish you and

yours happy holidays. May joy and peace abound.

John DeFillipo

‘Through interpretation, understanding, through

understanding, appreciation, through appreciation,

protection.’—Freeman Tilden By Linda Dunn

Anyone who has worked at a nature center has

heard these comments in some form: “I would

love to work at a nature center and be outside all

day” or “It must be nice to be able to be outside, sit

on the deck, walk the trails, relax and (fill in the

blank) every day.”

Our profession is often misunderstood, in that

many who like the outdoors assume it’s an easy

task to lead people on walks, teach a nature class

or otherwise make a positive impact on those who

come to nature centers or have contact with envi-

ronmental education professionals.

But connecting with people is a challenge

when they bring varying backgrounds, life experi-

ences and ages. There really is a rhyme and reason

to the way we prepare, implement and present

our classes and programs to make the most im-

pact.

Here at the Wetland Center, we apply interpre-

tation to inspire apprecia-

tion and behavioral

changes in our stu-

dents as we teach

the importance of

natural resource

conservation and

management.

I recently had the opportunity to deepen my

dedication to interpretation when I attended the

National Association for Interpretation’s week-

long workshop in Austin designed to train Certi-

fied Interpretative Guides.

Over the week, we focused on the principles of

interpretation first articulated by Freeman Tilden

(1883-1980), known as the father of interpreta-

tion. Based on Tilden’s work, NAI has established

six tenets, forming the acrostic POETRY, for pro-

gram development:

1. Purposeful—Aligns with the mission and ac-

complishes measurable objectives.

2. Organized—Uses an introduction, a body and

a conclusion to convey themes and subthemes.

3. Engaging—Uses multiple learning styles and

techniques to connect to the audience.

4. Thematic—Provokes thought or action by de-

livering a message.

5. Relevant—Makes emotional and intellectual

connections.

6. You—Creates flexibility to design appropriate

experiences for specific audiences.

William “Bill” Carr, a pioneer in the concept of

outdoor education, captured the importance of

interpretation: “Not having an interpreter in a

park is like inviting a

guest to your house,

opening the door and

disappearing.”

We want to be pre-

sent when visitors arrive,

and these interpretative

principles guide us to

help them understand, appreciate and advocate

for the mission of the Wetland Center.

As Anatole France said, “It is enough to open

minds; do not overload them. Put there just a

spark. If there is some good inflammable stuff, it

will catch fire.”

What is interpretation? NAI defines interpretation as “a mis-sion-based communication process that forges emotional and intellectu-al connections between the interests of the audience and the meanings inherent in the resource.”

W elcome home! Our breeding pair of bald eagles returned together on Oct.

3. With 12 eaglets raised and fledged, they’re now preparing for another

generation. No empty nesters, this couple. By John DeFillipo. Photos by Tom Fleming

Here are some of the most common ques-

tions we get about our bald eagles.

How long have the eagles been at JBS? Eagles

have been observed in the wetland since 2008.

Nesting has occurred since 2012.

How can you tell the male and female apart?

The female is about 25% larger than the male.

When are the eagles here? Typically from Oc-

tober through June.

What do they do while they’re here? Under

the female’s supervision, they refurbish their

nest. Then they begin breeding. The female lays

a clutch of usually two eggs, and hatching be-

gins 34-36 days after the first egg is laid. While

the female does most of the incubating, the

male will relieve her so she can stretch her

wings. Both parents feed and raise the young.

When do the eaglets leave the nest? They

usually fledge in 11 or 12 weeks, but the adults

continue to feed the juveniles for another 4-6

weeks while they learn to hunt.

Where do the eagles go in the summer? The

juveniles leave the area before their parents do.

They probably go northward, but we don’t real-

ly know where or how far. We don’t see our

breeding pair in the summer, but biologists sus-

pect that southern breeding eagles never go far

from their general breeding areas because they

have plenty of food and open water.

Will the eagle camera be working this sea-

son? Sorry, no, but look for Steward Tom Flem-

ing’s regular eagle journal entries and photos on

Facebook.

Did you know that bald eagles are present year-round through-out Texas?

The Texas residents are divided into two populations: breeding birds and nonbreeding, or win-tering, birds.

Breeding populations occur primarily in the eastern half of the state and along the coast. The nonbreeding, or wintering, birds are found primarily in the Panhandle and Central and East Texas, as well as in other areas of suitable habitat throughout the state. We’ve had both populations here at JBS. Texas also sees migratory eagles in the spring and fall.

A Texas Parks & Wildlife nesting study uncovered these facts:

> Some 80% of active nesting territories successfully pro-duced young.

> At least 70% of the juveniles survived their first year.

> Causes of first-year mortality included leaving the nest prematurely, disease, lack of food, inclement weather and human interference.

Habitat loss and lead poisoning are the biggest threats to our Texas bald eagles. Let’s work to make sure they always call our state home.

—Thanks to Texas Parks & Wildlife for this information.

Our Texas Bald Eagles

We all enjoy a lovely walk on the boardwalk,

observing the plants and wildlife that thrive at our

wetland. But did you know that one of the most fas-

cinating activities takes place below the water’s

surface?

It’s called phytoremediation. This natural

technology uses some 1.6 million hydrophytes, or

water plants, to clean the water as it flows for 7-10

days through our 2,000-acre wetland.

The water that enters the wetland comes from

the Trinity River’s East Fork and is a combination

of native water and treated wastewater. While the

treated water meets environmental standards, the

combined water does still carry sediment, heavy

metals and other pollutant molecules.

We may see these molecules as pollutants, but

the hydrophytes recognize them as nutrients.

Starting with processes called rhizofiltration

and phytostabilization, the pollutants are taken

up by the plants’ roots. They bind to bacteria and

the tiny root hairs of the plants, removing them

from the water.

The plants then break down the pollutants in

a digestive process called phytodegradation.

Next, through phytoextraction, the plants

take out the useable molecules to

build stems, leaves and flowers.

Not unlike the release of oxy-

gen, the hydrophytes perform

phytovolatilization and release

inert gaseous leftovers from

some of the chemicals. Not all

the chemicals can be released

as a gas, and the plants se-

quester the broken-down ma-

terials in their roots and sur-

rounding soil.

The hydrophytes in our

wetland are enjoyable to

view, but they’re not relaxing

like we hope our visitors are. They are constant-

ly cleaning the water by removing pollutants

and using them as nutrients to survive.

Phytoremediation is just another example of

the amazing interdependent relationship we have

with the plants on our planet.

Read more about the East Fork Water Reuse Project.

phy-to-re-me-di-a-tion

n. 1. the treatment of pollutants

By Carol Garrison

Phytoremediation

Cleaning Water

Nature’s Way

Phytoremediation re-

moves about 95% of

sediment, 80% of ni-

trogen and 65% of

phosphorus from our

wetland water. Up to

60 million gallons a

day can be pumped

to a reservoir where it

is stored until it’s fur-

ther treated to help

supply drinking water

to more than 1.7 mil-

lion North Texans.

Phytodegradation

Phytoextraction

Phytovolatilization Pollutant molecules

Phytostabilization Rhizofiltration

Canine or feline? While definitely in the Canidae

family along with coyotes, wolves and dogs, gray fox-

es are catlike in many ways. They’re most active from

dusk to dawn. Their pupils are vertical, helping them

see well at night. They have sensitive spines on their

tongues. They walk on their toes, giving them a cat-

like gait. But this canid has one more surprising feline

trait. Read on to find out what it is.

Among the oldest canids. The gray fox’s

ancestors separated from other canids

millions of years ago. Today’s gray fox is believed to

be the oldest fox species and one of the oldest canids.

Grays first appeared in North America some 5 million

years ago. Although similar, the larger red fox is a dis-

tant cousin, belonging to a different genus.

Waltz across Texas. Gray foxes range across Texas.

Weighing 8-15 pounds, they thrive in habitats near

water with a combination of forest and brushy

woodlands that offers hollow trees or logs, rock

crevices and hillsides for dens. Grays also have

adapted to living close to humans.

Playing solitaire. Gray foxes live alone much of

the year. Threats to their safety include coyotes,

bobcats, great horned owls, eagles, habitat loss

and humans. Their acute senses of sight, hear-

ing and smell make them adept hunters. And

there’s evidence that foxes , including grays, use

another tool—the Earth’s magnetic field.

What’s for dinner? What’s not? Rabbits, rats , mice,

pocket gophers, voles, shrews, birds, crayfish, insects

(mainly grasshoppers), acorns, juniper berries, prick-

ly-pear fruit , wild persimmons (a favorite) and more.

A Texas study of the stomach contents of 42 gray fox-

es showed that chicken occurred just once. So much

for the fox-in-the-henhouse smear.

Till death do us part. Monogamous gray

foxes take this vow seriously and are

choosy about their mates. They breed in winter, and

the vixen delivers 3 to 6 pups (also called kits or

cubs) in April or May. She stays with them until

they’re weaned at about 3 months. The male (called a

tod or dog fox) feeds the vixen while she’s nursing

and is a full partner in raising and educating the kits.

hink fox (the nonhuman kind). What comes to mind ? The red fox of fables, folk-

lore, hunts or children’s stories? Did you know our state’s only native fox (and JBS

inhabitant) is actually a distant relative? Meet the gorgeous gray fox. By Patricia Nichols

Out on a Limb Like cats, gray foxes climb trees with ease. They use their curved, semi-retractable claws and flexible forearms to hug the tree and their hind feet to push upward. Once

aloft, they move about readily and sometimes travel from tree to tree. This astonishing ability gives gray foxes a leg up to hide, for-age, sun and even raise young. One East Texas gray fox was found denning 30 feet up in a large hollow oak. They also have fun using their arboreal talent. Among the canids, only the Asian raccoon dog (which is neither) shares this survival trait.

Did You Know Gray foxes love to swim.

Trees are often forgotten in winter, but they still

have amazing stories to tell! Join Wetland Steward

and Master Naturalist Bob Richie as you learn to

identify trees without their leaves. You will learn

ways to identify different species when they are not

in leaf or bloom, understand basic tree ecology and

enjoy the beauty of the wetland in winter.

Skeletons of Winter Guided Tree Walk with Bob Richie

Saturday, February 1st, 1:00 – 3:00

Cost: $10.00 per person | $5.00 for members

Reservation Required

To register contact Linda Dunn at

ldunn@wetlandcenter.com or 972-474-9100

12 Birds to Look for This Winter T hese birds have all been spotted during the winter at JBS. Can you ID them? Click on each image to find

out! If you visit and miss some of them, don’t despair. There are plenty more to delight. JBS birdwatchers

have reported seeing 150 species in December, 145 in January and 150 in February. This nifty eBird chart plots

all the species that have been observed across the calendar year. Join us for our monthly bird tour or the

Christmas Bird Count. Our avian residents and migrants make birding at JBS a winter wonder.

he sparkle of the sun, shimmer of the water, twinkle of the dew, glitter of the frost and inherent beauty of the plants and animals—they transform our wetland into a

jewel box. We hope you visit soon to marvel at some wetland gems of your own.

Photos by Tom Fleming, Carol Garrison and Martin Selznick.

If you have birding experience, come take part

in the always exciting CBC. From 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.,

we’ll be moving fast, identifying and counting the

many species in our wetland.

This will mark our

10th year of partnering

with Trinity River Audu-

bon Center in southeast-

ern Dallas in a bird

count that has been held

across the nation since

1900.

The count is im-

portant to us in prepar-

ing our wildlife manage-

ment plan and to re-

searchers studying the long-term trend status of

birds worldwide.

To collect the information, the area is divided

into sections, and groups of four to five people are

appointed to each one. Birding begins before sun-

up so that owls and other nocturnal birds can be

verified.

It’s an intense day. Last year, participants

identified 108 species and 748,227 individual

birds (blackbirds!), the vast majority here at JBS.

After a fun day of birding, we’ll gather back at

the Wetland Center to tabulate sightings, enjoy

dinner and swap bird tales.

Here’s a report of what we observed last year.

What? 120th Christmas Bird Count When? Jan. 4, 6 a.m.-6 p.m. Where? JBS Wetland Center Cost? Free Birding experience needed? Yes Registration required? Yes. Contact Linda Dunn at 972-474-9100 or ldunn@wetlandcenter.com The 118th CBC

By the Numbers* > 76,987 observers across the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean & Pacific Is-lands

> 59.2 million birds observed

> 2,673 species counted

Learn more here about the nation’s longest-running com-munity science bird project. * Latest numbers available

From left: Harrier hawk, gadwall ducks, CBC observers, double-crested cormorant. Photos by Tom Fleming.

Gift Shop Update: Holiday Edition!

During December, the ENTIRE gift

shop is 15% off for nonmembers and

20% off for members!

e et Mustela vison, the Texas mink and JBS resident.

By Patricia Nichols

he idea of setting our wetland on fire each winter to help manage the

overall function of the ecosystem might seem counterintuitive. But fire is

just the prescription for increasing wetland productivity. By Carol Garrison

The North Texas Municipal Water District

performs prescribed burns to:

• Reduce brush and heavy cattail thatch that

inhibit growth of more desirable species.

• Remove big water-consumers like willows.

• Promote a new, vibrant plant community to

improve water flow and quality as well as

wildlife habitat and diversity.

Prescribed burns are conducted in the winter

when temperatures are cool and plants are dry

and dormant. These conditions create combus-

tible material for a fire with the proper intensi-

ty to burn hot but not too hot. Another essen-

tial ingredient for effective burns is oxygen.

Our wetland burns require winds blowing 15

to 20 mph to keep the fire moving.

The safety of the surrounding community,

motorists, Wetland Center visitors and staff,

and Water District personnel is always top of

mind. Burns occur only when the wind is blow-

ing away from nearby highways and struc-

tures. They are limited to one cell at a time to

reduce the amount of smoke, and the wetland

water helps manage and control fires. The fire

team keeps pressurized water bottles on the

ready and closely monitors fires as they’re

burning and when they’re put out. The team

also coordinates with the Kaufman County

Sheriff’s Department and area fire depart-

ments and police.

This season’s prescribed burn is scheduled to

run from Dec. 1 through February.

This story has been reprised from the spring

2019 newsletter.

The John Bunker Sands Wetland Center will be holding its 8th Annual

Adopt-a-Highway Clean-up of FM 1389. Come out to support your

community that has been a great help to the Wetland Center. Find out

who wins the prize for the “Most Unusual Thing Found” and have fun at

the Pizza Party at the Center after the pick-up! Donuts and Coffee in the

morning as well!

8TH ANNUAL

WETLAND CENTER

HIGHWAY CLEAN-UP

LOCATION: John Bunker Sands Wetland Center

DATE: February 22, 2020 TIME: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

Click here to let us know you are coming!