the pine warbler - piney woods wildlife society...firebrand presents a detailed introduction to the...

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Pine Warbler The Published September through May by The Piney Woods Wildlife Society, Inc. Vol. 27. No 2 February 2007 Date: Tues., Feb. 20 Time: Social 7:00 p.m. Meeting 7:30 p.m. Place: Mercer Arboretum 22307 Aldine-Westfield February 20 Program — A Photographic Journey to Brazil’s Pantanal Presented by John and Gloria Jones With Broadax and Firebrand By Dean Allen Review and comments by Jack Gorman (See With Broadax and Firebrand on page 2) In preparation for birding trips to a foreign country it is always very informative to read about that country’s approach to preservation of their wildlife. Most times only scanty information is available. Not so for Brazil. The book With Broadax and Firebrand presents a detailed introduction to the disturbing history of the destruction of the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest. Its detailed story spans the era between 1500 and 1990 AD. Let us roll back in time and look at the history of the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest. For thousands of years the eastern coast of Brazil was covered with a 300,000 square mile rain forest. Sitting astride the equator it stretched from Bahia in the northeast to below Sao Paulo in the south. To the east was the Atlantic Ocean and it stretched west for 60 to 300 miles inland until it ended at a ridge of 3,000- foot tall mountains. When summer winds blew strong from the ocean (November to April) it received vast amounts of rainfall. These tropical/subtropical rain forests were lush with a large diversity of trees, a myriad number of exotic plants and dozens of endemic birds and animals. Reaching heights of over 100 feet, this multitude of 800+ tree species was broadly distributed and the tree canopy contained a creature world of its own. Living in this forest were small bands of indigenous natives who survived by hunting and gathering. As they moved around the forests they supplemented their food supply by farming small patches of cleared forest. This they did by cutting down and burning its trees before planting. Ashes from the burn served as good fertilizer. However, since most nutrients in the soil of tropical rain forests are quickly washed away, refertilization of the soil depends on the detritus that falls from trees and plants. Once an area is cut, the nutrient value of its soil is lost within two to three years and the soil no longer supports good plant growth. Second growth trees take many decades to mature. Hence, farms had to be moved frequently to new burn plots. In most cases farmed-out land was permanently depleted and could only be used for grazing livestock. In 1500 AD this world was about to change forever when the Portuguese conquistadores landed on the coast of Brazil. Their goal was to find gold and riches in this New World. Forest Brazil is famed for having the largest rain forest in the world with their Amazon basin, but it also has the largest freshwater wetland in the world — the Pantanal, covering a staggering 55,000 square miles. Geographically, it is an immense depression in the earth’s surface that is surrounded by highlands. Most of the Pantanal is seasonally flooded, usually from February to June, but during the dry season it is transformed into a huge tropical savannah grassland with gallery rain forests and meandering rivers. It is renowned as one of the premier wildlife spectacles in the world and it certainly lived up to that reputation on this July 2006 trip. Other parts of the presentation will include Iguassu, the world’s most beautiful waterfalls; Rio de Janeiro’s parks and the Atlantic lowland rain forest — the last refuge of the endangered Golden Lion Tamarin; and the Atlantic rain forests in the mountains of Serra dos Orgaos National Park. John and Gloria have been active members of the Piney Woods Wildlife Society since 1993, serving the organization in various positions. John is currently editor and publisher of the Pine Warbler newsletter.

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Page 1: The Pine Warbler - Piney Woods Wildlife Society...Firebrand presents a detailed introduction to the disturbing history of the destruction of the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest. Its

Pine WarblerThe

Published September through May byThe Piney Woods Wildlife Society, Inc. Vol. 27. No 2February 2007

Date: Tues., Feb. 20

Time: Social 7:00 p.m. Meeting 7:30 p.m.Place: Mercer Arboretum 22307 Aldine-Westfield

February 20 Program — A Photographic Journey to Brazil’s Pantanal

Presented by John and Gloria Jones

With Broadax and FirebrandBy Dean Allen

Review and comments by Jack Gorman

(See With Broadax and Firebrand on page 2)

In preparation for birding trips to a foreign country it is always very informative to read about that country’s approach to preservation of their wildlife. Most times only scanty information is available. Not so for Brazil. The book With Broadax and Firebrand presents a detailed introduction to the disturbing history of the destruction of the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest. Its detailed story spans the era between 1500 and 1990 AD. Let us roll back in time and look at the history of the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest. For thousands of years the eastern coast of Brazil was covered with a 300,000 square mile rain forest. Sitting astride the equator it stretched from Bahia in the northeast to below Sao Paulo in the south. To the east was the Atlantic Ocean and it stretched west for 60 to 300 miles inland until it ended at a ridge of 3,000-foot tall mountains. When summer winds blew strong from the ocean (November to April) it received vast amounts of rainfall. These tropical/subtropical rain forests were lush with a large diversity of trees, a myriad number of exotic plants and dozens of endemic birds and animals. Reaching heights of over 100 feet, this multitude of 800+ tree species was broadly distributed and the tree canopy contained a creature world of its own. Living in this forest were small bands of indigenous natives who survived by hunting and gathering. As they moved around the forests they supplemented their food supply by farming small patches of cleared forest. This they did by cutting down and burning its trees before planting. Ashes from the burn served as good fertilizer. However, since most nutrients in the soil of tropical rain forests are quickly washed away, refertilization of the soil depends on the detritus that falls from trees and plants. Once an area is cut, the nutrient value of its soil is lost within two to three years and the soil no longer supports good plant growth. Second growth trees take many decades to mature. Hence, farms had to be moved frequently to new burn plots. In most cases farmed-out land was permanently depleted and could only be used for grazing livestock. In 1500 AD this world was about to change forever when the Portuguese conquistadores landed on the coast of Brazil. Their goal was to find gold and riches in this New World. Forest

Brazil is famed for having the largest rain forest in the world with their Amazon basin, but it also has the largest freshwater wetland in the world — the Pantanal, covering a staggering 55,000 square miles. Geographically, it is an immense depression in the earth’s surface that is surrounded by highlands. Most of the Pantanal is seasonally flooded, usually from February to June, but during the dry season it is transformed into a huge tropical savannah grassland with gallery rain forests and meandering rivers. It is renowned as one of the premier wildlife spectacles in the world and it certainly lived up to that reputation on this July 2006 trip. Other parts of the presentation will include Iguassu, the world’s most beautiful waterfalls; Rio de Janeiro’s parks and the Atlantic lowland rain forest — the last refuge of the endangered Golden Lion Tamarin; and the Atlantic rain forests in the mountains of Serra dos Orgaos National Park.

John and Gloria have been active members of the Piney Woods Wildlife Society since 1993, serving the organization in various positions. John is currently editor and publisher of the Pine Warbler newsletter.

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2 The Pine Warbler February 2007

With Broadax and Firebrand (from page 1)

history throughout the world has been a story of exploitation and destruction. In Brazil it was no different. The new arrivals found little gold but did find a jungle resource to extract Brazil Wood. It became their red gold. The Portuguese called it pau-brazil (glowing coal) because it produced a bright red-orange dye. Soon they were scouring the forests for trees to cut and ship to Europe. Sales eventually hit a high of 12,000 tons a year and the land took the name Brazil. After a few decades of cutting down pau-brazil trees, the supply was depleted. No thought was given to planting new trees for sustained growth and the market dried up. European immigrants kept pouring into Brazil. They found little means of supporting themselves so they scoured the forests for new products to extract. For them, the forest itself was only a hostile environment to be used as needed. Its tropical beauty and uniqueness was mostly overlooked. By law, the king of Portugal had exclusive control of all Brazilian property and he parceled out large chunks of the rain forest to those he was indebted to. As the colonists became settlers, they began to farm the land using the inexpensive slash-and-burn techniques that were learned from the natives. Small plots were not practical so what evolved were large ranches similar to our plantations in the Old South. They were worked with slave labor. This combination of extraction mentality and slash-and-burn methodology fostered an indifferent mind set as to the destruction of forestlands. What followed was a rollercoaster series of different crops that depleted the rain forests. Much land was thus diverted into herding ranches. But beef and hides had a limited market. In the 18th century the colonists started to grow sugar cane for which they cleared huge areas of lowland sections of rain forest. Initially profits soared, but eventually competition with sugar grown in the Caribbean led to oversupply. Cutbacks in production had to be made in the latter part of the 19th century. However, a new crop, coffee, then became the dominant moneymaker. Coffee farming required the burning of huge areas of the Atlantic rain forest, much of which was on the hillsides outside Rio de Janeiro. Farming methods did not change. Slash, burn, use and move on, was still the cheapest method. Production cycled up and down with high demand being followed by overproduction. While extraction farming caused much destruction of forestland due to the broadax and firebrand techniques, the burning of wood as fuel for homes, businesses, electricity, and railroads was equally destructive to the forests. The final blow came in the 20th century as industrialization ate up more and more of the land. The Atlantic rain forest now covers only eight percent of its original area and many species of endemic birds, animals, flowers, plants and trees have either become extinct or are endangered. While it would be naïve to expect that most of the Atlantic rain forest would not be cleared as the population of Brazil expanded, it is disappointing that more of this very unique tropical area was not put aside for future generations to enjoy. Large tracts of forest had been designated as wildlife preserves in the late 19th century. Unfortunately very little money was allocated to protect these areas and they were badly pillaged for lumber and cattle grazing. In the last half of the 20th century Brazilians started to look

at the rain forest itself as a wonderful living part of their nation that should be protected for posterity. Thus, Brazil is now taking pride in and forcefully protecting what remains of the Atlantic rain forest and all its unique trees, plants, birds and other creatures. Such places as the 250-acre Rio de Janeiro Botanical Gardens, Tijuca National Park, Poco das Antas National Park and Serra dos Orgaos National Park are well protected and well used. As a personal note I can add they are delightful for a birdwatcher and tree lover to visit. Thus, our story ends on a more positive note. Brazil has learned from the unfortunate history of its Atlantic rain forest and has formulated a more enlightened approach to the more difficult and complex job of saving its huge Amazon rain forests.

New Piney Woods Wildlife Society Members

Please welcome the following new members to the Piney Woods Wildlife Society:

Nancy Olson2351 W. Settlers WayThe Woodlands, TX [email protected]

Claire and Darwin Moore17730 Abby LaneSpring, TX [email protected]

All members data will be published in the 2007 PWWS membership directory in March.

This ranch was once a Atlantic coastal rain forest

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February 2007 The Pine Warbler 3

East Texas Nature Is Your Passion Pink?

By Diane Cabiness Texas Master Naturalist

“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle.” —Barbara Winkler

When I was in junior high school my all time favorite color was pink. Many a Texas Cowgirl has a passion for pink flowers. I now have widened my horizons to include all colors under the rainbow. I know quite a few folks who have fallen head over heels for a Texas wildflower called Rock Rose, Pavonia lasiopetala, or sometimes known as Wright Pavonia from West Texas. An easy definition for a Texas wildflower is a flowering plant native to Texas—growing wild and uncultivated. The hibiscus-looking pink flowers are about one inch across, open daily from spring to fall—April to October or November. In one yard north of Conroe I had placed two Rock Roses in a large container earlier in the season that continued putting out new flowers into December. Before Thanksgiving, in a yard off of FM 242, I planted the same type of plants in a client’s yard for some late season splash of color. I remember looking back to admire our work as we drove away and as I passed a median garden, squeezed in between two towering shrubs was Pavonia lasiopetala blooming its head off. Small world. For bushy growth and gobs of flowers, Rock Rose should be cut back about 3–4 in. above the ground in late winter. If this deciduous to evergreen wildflower gets leggy or woody cut it back during the growing season. Do not pull up all the seedlings when they germinate. Each mature plant lives about 3 to 4 years. Not surprising with all that non-stop flowering which it has a tendency to do in suitable conditions. Xeric conditions are fine for this Texas plant although when our weather gets real dry a little deep watering once in awhile does not hurt. Be sure to pass along the extra seedlings to your best friends. Partial shade to full sun is OK. All day sun will promote the most flowering. And give it good drained soil, most soil types being acceptable. Neutral to alkaline pH is the norm. An added bonus, Rock Rose is a butterfly magnet. This is one West Texas native you will want to strut its stuff in front of friends and family. On the down side, some wet springs will encourage a garden pest called mildew. I find the easiest way to get rid of this “bandido” is to cut it back or pluck off the leaves and wipe the stem down with a soft cloth to rectify the problem. It also helps if you irrigate and keep the water off the leaves.

“Gardens are not made by sitting in the shade.”---Rudyard Kipling

Dr. Andrew Weil (www.drweil.com) recommends, if you want to create a stress free home, bring the outdoors inside. Cut flowers can create a feeling of nature indoors. During the summer bring in the stems of Rock Rose you pruned and put them in a favorite vase so that some of the unopened buds will have an opportunity to tease you with its slow unfolding, satiny rosy petals. This is a relaxed way to enjoy your garden flowers during the dog days of

high humidity and unrelenting heat, but considerably cheaper than going to a psychotherapist for $100 an hour to get relief from pent up stress. Now that I have saved you some “dineros”, you have enough money for all the Rock Rose’s you want to buy plus money left over to buy bales of pinestraw for mulching and a lawn chair for the cooler days of fall that will provide you with close up views of your passionate pink plants. Let us not forget about the hungry-for-your-nectar butterflies that will take turns sipping this sweet “wine” renewed, rejuvenated and ready to tackle the day.

“To me the meanest flower that blows can give Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.”—William Wordsworth

Some of you may have children or grandchildren that you would like to entice outside so that you can share your love of gardening with them. If a child’s first experiences are fun and successful, they may develop a greenthumb that will give them pleasure throughout their life. The following story is how a very Special Person in my life got me looking at yard work a little differently even though I spent the rest of my childhood as a confirmed bookworm. My Grandma Resnik lived in Cleveland, Ohio. This hardworking, God-fearing woman played a part in my nature conversion by planting a seed that germinated down the road as an adult. I remember one summer holiday when my parents took my siblings and me to visit our grandparents. One afternoon at my grandparent’s house I decided to keep my granny company and followed her around their small yard as she weeded and tended her plants. I doubt if I was much help. In those days I did not want to get dirt under my fingernails. All of a sudden I saw a glimmer in the flowerbed and as I bent down to pick it up, I realized with great joy it was a dime. I showed my granny this treasure and she basically told me “finders keepers”. Boy, did I stick close for the rest of the morning and to my surprise I found several more dimes I was able to pocket. I suppose if you were to play this “Treasure Finding” game with youngsters, the stakes might have to be a bit steeper than what Grandmother Resnik left in her garden for me to find.

“The whole worth of a kind deed is in the love that inspires it.”—The Talmud

This does not mean that you will be creating a Master Gardener or a Texas Master Naturalist in your family but you may be giving the young friends in your life one of the biggest gifts you can give them—a love for all creatures and plants great and small. I know now that the way my grandmother expressed her love for me in that moment caught my attention and left an indelible mark on my soul that all the tough moments in life could not erase. Please share your nature experiences with me at [email protected]

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4 The Pine Warbler February 2007

Whooping Crane Field Trip on February 24Sold Out

They are the poster child for endangered species: North America’s tallest bird, symbol of success for the conservation movement, and they call South Texas their winter home. On Saturday, February 24, we hope to experience the magnificent Whooping Cranes firsthand, up close and personal. We have reservations with Rockport Birding & Kayaking Adventures to take their Coastal/Inland Birding Tour, which, in addition to providing great views of the whoopers, will also allow us access to two private ranches in the area for a shot at 100+ species in one day! Weather permitting, the photo opportunities should be awesome! The tour costs $85.00 per person, and does not include lodging or meals. The tour is currently full and has a waiting list but if you are interested, contact David Henderson for possible cancellations.

Rockport Birding & Kayak Adventures are stationed at Fulton Harbor. They will open at 7 a.m. for check in, we’ll board “The Skimmer” at 7:15, and leave the dock at 7:30. For directions to Fulton Harbor, check http://www.rockportadventures.com/rpa/location.asp or call Darcy Moore of RBKA at (877) 892-4737. We will spend the morning on the boat, have a picnic lunch, and then head to a local ranch in search of inland species. For information on lodging and dining, check www.Rockport-Fulton.org.

John Tveten’s Pen-and-Ink Sketches

John and Gloria Tveten are selling John’s original small pen-and-ink sketches that were used in the book “Adventures Afar” that was the subject of their January 26 presentation at the Piney Woods meeting. These beautiful sketches are very reasonably priced at $20 each. Some are already gone, but they still have quite a few left. So, if you see one or more that interests you, let the Tvetens know. Their contact information is in your Piney Woods Membership Directory.

Thanks For Your Generous Donations

The Piney Woods Wildlife Society sincerely appreciates the thoughtful and generous gifts from the following members:

Steve AbbeyCarole AllenJennifer and John BackoAl and Carole BarrAdele BennettScott and Linda BuckerBetty DeJarnettSherron DresslerLorna FeltonJohn and Gloria JonesSarah and Michael KuzioJohn and Nancy LaneriLois LentzPatricia LillichAllison MarksKay MartinPaul and Liz McCartyBonnie McKennaAmy MorrisJerry and Sally ReisterLee and Dianna SteinFarrar and Karen StocktonJane, Steven, Abigail and Spencer StonesPam and Greg WeedmanKim White (in honor of her parents John and Gloria Jones)

Whooping Crane (Grus americana)

January 20 Field TripBy David Henderson

A cold, ever present wind blew through parkas, caps, gloves, everything, and chilled you through. Whipping the surf, it blew bits of foam up the beach. It shattered great stands of seaoats, forcing the marsh birds to congregate in sheltered corners of the great fen. Sunless, the day only proceeded from black to gray to black again. Hardly an auspicious backdrop for the first field trip of the new year - but if you missed it, TOO BAD! The small contingent of hardy souls who followed leader Damien Carey across Anahuac NWR, thence down Bolivar Peninsula in search of birds tallied 92 species - but never saw a cardinal, a chickadee, or a House Sparrow! Everyone had an enjoyable time as we admired the colorful American Oystercatchers, stood spellbound by the morning flights of geese out of Anahuac, or enraptured by the avocet flocks of 1000’s acting as one. A big thank you to Damien Carey of the Lake Houston Nature Club, who gave up his Saturday to lead this event.

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The Pine Warbler 5 February 2007

PWWS 2007 Dues Renewal Form(Please fill in your name and amount plus any changes from your 2006 data)

Last Name (s): First Name of Member(s): Date:

Street Address: City: State and Zip:

Phone No(s): e-mail addresses:

Annual Membership fee $ 15.00*Additional contribution $ ______Total $ ______

* Per household - Includes The Pine Warbler newsletter

Mail this form and check made payable to PWWS to:

Piney Woods Wildlife Society P. O. Box 189 Spring, TX 77383-0189

Spring Creek CBC Results

The results of the 2006 Spring Creek Christmas Bird Count are in. Carlos has tallied the results on what was a very good year with 91 species and 9120 individual birds counted. That was our highest species count since 2000 and the highest total birds since 1996. All four areas of the count had good numbers but the Hooks Airport group led the pack in total species and total individual birds. The most important thing is that even though the weather was threatening and somewhat yucky all day, the birds didn’t seem to mind and all of the participants had a fun day. So, thanks to the leaders, participants and compiler for a job well done. And, we offer our condolences to those who decided to stay in because of the weather forecast. You missed a great day of birding and a good countdown dinner. It is difficult and probably meaningless to do an in depth analysis on a database of one count circle. However, if you looked at data from several count circles in one area, it would probably show some meaningful trends. But that said, with just our one count circle with 26 years of data, there are some obvious trends — some expected and some surprises. One of the most alarming is the American Crow. For the first 23 counts we averaged 226 but for the last three years we averaged only 46. Is this significant reduction due only to the West Nile Virus? The Blue Jay seems to have bounced back but not the crow. Some of our common year-round birds such as Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice show downward trends. Is this because of habitat loss or is it due to our loss of areas to bird — both a result of urban sprawl? I would guess the latter. Ranges of many birds are changing. On our count in recent years we recorded Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, House Finches, White-winged Doves and Eurasian Collared-Doves while we didn’t in past years. In the early years of our count we routinely counted Pine Siskins and Purple Finches but not in the last many years. Is this all due to overall climate changes, migration trends or what?

The data also shows a fairly steady uptrend in Black Vultures through the years and a very strong uptrend in Double-crested Cormorants. What do all of these trends mean? I don’t know but I suspect that by analyzing all of the data, Cornell and Audubon have some good ideas. For those who are interested, with the exception of the 2006 counts which are currently being processed, historical data from all of the Christmas Bird Counts are available on the National Audubon Society web site. Ours, the Spring Creek count, is listed as TXSC. On our December 30, 2006 count, several species that we would normally expect to see were missed. Most notably are several species of ducks. The small lake in The Woodlands that is usually reliable for several species and great numbers of ducks had none—zilch. There were two guys in a boat paddling around in the lake and there wasn’t a wild duck within miles. With those added ducks, we could have had an all time total species record.

Good News for Harris County Residents

The Harris County Watershed Protection Group will host a press conference on Thursday, February 8, 2007 to unveil the new Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Mobile Collection Unit, HazMobile. This is no ordinary vehicle! The HazMobile is one of the most unique vehicles on the road! It is a specially designed 36 foot gooseneck trailer that has been transformed into a lean-mean-transporting-machine to haul household hazardous waste items such as lawn and garden chemicals, paint products, household chemicals, and automotive fluids to a HHW facility for proper disposal. Stay tuned — the HazMobile may be coming to a neighborhood near you! For more information on HHW and HazMobile event locations visit the website: http://www.cleanwaterclearchoice.org

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6 The Pine Warbler February 2007

All Piney Woods field trips are free (with the exception of en-trance fees at some sites) and nonmembers are invited to attend. You should bring binoculars, spotting scopes, insect repellent, water and lunch. Please wear appropriate outdoor footwear and clothing.

The 2007 Membership Directory will be printed in March using renewal slip data.If you haven’t renewed your PWWS membership, please do so today.

Please take a few moments to fill out the renewal form printed on the reverse side of this reminder.

If your data hasn’t changed, just fill in the name and amount portions, write your check, and return them to:

Piney Woods Wildlife Society P.O. Box 189 Spring, TX 77383-0189

Piney Woods Wildlife Society Field Trips

2007

Saturday, February 24Aransas NWR

Rockport Birding and Kayak Adventures

Saturday, March 24Austin and Waller Counties

Leader: David Henderson

Saturday, April 7Piney Woods Parks Butterfly Count

Leader: David Henderson

Saturday, April 21Sabine WoodsLeader: TBA

Saturday, April 28BrazosportLeader: TBA

Saturday, May 5Big Thicket NP, Watson Pinelands

Leader: David Henderson

PWWS Web Site

Webmaster John Laneri has noticed that many of our active mem-bers are not getting updates and reminds us that PWWS web users need to periodically update their information in the edit section of the club page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pineywoodswildlife-society (Go to members and select edit membership).

Members who want to be kept fully informed of club activities need to designate both “Individual Emails” and “Full Features” on their profiles, otherwise, you will not get updated email notifications of club activities.

Here’s how Yahoo handles email addresses: If messages sent to a member are consistently returned to “Yahoo! Groups” with an error, that member is considered “bouncing.” Their “Yahoo! Groups” account is deactivated, and group messages will not be delivered to the account.

Once an account is considered bouncing, “Yahoo! Groups” will send a series of test messages to the member. If the test messages are returned as undeliverable, then the account will continue to bounce. However, if a message is delivered and not returned as undeliverable within five days after it was sent, the account will automatically be reactivated. Members may also manually reactivate their accounts by visiting their My Groups page.

Please note: If “Yahoo! Groups” determines that an email address has been bouncing for more than six months it may be removed from our system.

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The Pine Warbler 7

HEART Happenings

Check out the Piney Woods Wildlife Society’s Internet page, located in Yahoo Clubs at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pineywoodswildlifesociety. Instructions for joining the club are in the message section of the club’s page. Visitors to the site will find information about upcoming PWWS club meetings and field trips as well as other information of interest to local nature lovers.

Thanks to webmaster Dr. John Laneri, up-to-date- information and last minute changes in activities are posted on our web page.

February 2007

SEA TURTLE SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 2007 Unfortunately, Sea Turtle Saturday is on the same day as the Jones’ Park NatureQuest event, but I’ll pass along information in case you choose to attend the turtle event in Galveston or know someone who would like to go. (CPE credits will be available for teachers.) HEART, Sea Turtle Restoration Project, and Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG)will sponsor the second Sea Turtle Saturday in Galveston on March 3, 2007. Beginning at 9 a.m. the public is invited to hear presentations about sea turtle conservation and research focusing on the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. There is no charge for the program which will feature Dr. Andre M. Landry, Jr. of TAMUG ; Dr. Donna Shaver of the National Park Service at the Padre Island National Seashore; Dr. Joe Flanagan, senior veterinarian at the Houston Zoo; Ben Higgins of the NOAA Fisheries and Steve Gomez of Schlumberger. Dr. Charles W. Caillouet, Jr. will be honored for his years of research, publications and contributions toward the recovery of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Dr. Caillouet retired from NOAA Fisheries in Galveston and now resides in Montgomery, Texas. Training for volunteers interested in sea turtle patrolling on Texas beaches is also planned as well as tours through the NOAA Fisheries sea turtle facility. In addition, the first ever Sea Turtle Robotics Competition will be held on the TAMUG campus sponsored by CSTEM Teacher and Student Support Services with Shell Oil Company and Schlumberger as partners. This event will involve students from 30 schools who will learn communication, science, technology, engineering, mathematics (CSTEM) and art as they relate to sea turtle conservation. Finals of the robotic competition will be held in the afternoon on March 3 in the TAMUG gymnasium. For more information or to make reservations, e-mail [email protected] or [email protected] or leave a message at 281-444-6204 including your name and telephone number. Reservation confirmations will be made prior to Sea Turtle Saturday. PRE-NESTING SEASON MEETING IN CORPUS CHRISTI! Representatives of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries covering the entire Texas coast attended a meeting at the Padre Island National Seashore on January 12 to review training

policies, reporting procedures and plans for the spring nesting season. Jeff George of Sea Turtle Inc. of South Padre Island and I were the only non-governmental organization representatives. HEART/STRP sponsors the toll free number available for the public to report sightings of sea turtles. The mood was very upbeat with everyone looking forward to the spring. A new FWS staff member at the Clear Lake FWS office said he was very glad to finally be working on a project where a species is recovering rather than declining. SEARCHING TO HELP THE SEA TURTLES AND PINEY WOODS! If you want to raise money for Piney Woods and the sea turtles without even knowing it, go to www.goodsearch.com. Follow the easy directions and select Piney Woods Wildlife Society as your chosen charity. After that use Goodsearch for your search engine and we will receive a check from Yahoo at the end of the year.

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8 The Pine Warbler

The Pine Warbler is published monthly, September through May, by:The Piney Woods Wildlife Society, Inc. P. O. Box 189, Spring, Texas 77383-0189For membership information write to us at the above address.Annual Dues: $15.00 per household.

Editor: John M. Jonese-mail address: [email protected] High Springs DriveHouston, TX 77068-1814Submit articles by the 12th of the previous month.Send address changes and corrections to John Jones

2007 Board of DirectorsPresident ..........................................................................................Al Barr1st Vice President (Publicity)....................................................Carole Allen2nd Vice President (Membership) .....................Jean and Mike Drummond3rd Vice President (Programs) .......................................Carlos HernandezSecretary ...........................................................................Carole FrascellaTreasurer .....................................................................................Jim LaceyDirector (term expires 2007)....................................................Scott BuckerDirector (term expires 2008)................................................ Jennifer BackoDirector (term expires 2009).................................................Steven StonesPast President ...................................................................... Kathy Coward

Phone numbers of interest:HEART Hotline ......................................................................281-444-6204

Piney Woods Wildlife Society, Inc.P. O. Box 189Spring, TX 77383-0189

Feb 20 program — A Photographic Journey to Brazil’s Pantanal — Presented by John and Gloria Jones (see page 1)

Feb 24 field trip — Aransas NWR Whooping Cranes (see page 5)

February 20 — “A Photographic Journey to Brazil’s Pantanal”

February 2007 ACTIVITIESS M T W T F S

1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28