The Tracker

The Central Texas Master Naturalist Newsletter December 2017 Mother Neff State Park Association Inside This Issue Chautauqua Fundraiser President’s Pen 3 -Rene Berkhoudt Mother Neff Chautauqua 1 The Mother Neff State Park Salado Sirena Fest 5 Association held its annual Chautauqua fundraiser this year Macroinvertebrates 7 on November 4th. You may well Autumn Youth Hikes 8 ask what the word ‘Chautauqua’ means. October Awards 9 The first Chautauqua, the New Holiday Cheer 11 York Chautauqua Assembly, was organized in 1874 at a campsite Scaling Down Nature 12 on the shores of Chautauqua Interesting Tidbits 13 Lake in New York State. Chautauqua lent its name to an adult education movement in the Calendar at a Glance United States that was highly popular in the late 19th and early December 5, hours due. 20th centuries. The Chautauqua was culture and entertainment for December 9, Mammoths in the the whole community, with speakers, teachers, musicians, entertainers, Moonlight— Mammoth National preachers, and specialists of the day. Former U.S. President Theodore Monument — Waco Roosevelt was quoted as saying that Chautauqua is "the most American December 12, 6:30 pm, 8th thing in America". The Chautauqua began to decline as a public forum Annual CTMN Holiday Party— in the 1920s in part due to the introduction of radio broadcasting. Zoe Rascoe’s House

December 16, Winter Solstice — Chapter Motto Cave Without a Name—Boerne Earth Day, Continued on page 14... Every Day

The Mother Neff State Park Association Chautauqua was a celebration of autumn and of all the wonderful things this beautiful park has to offer and featured a variety of activities, demonstrations and displays from diverse groups; such as the Buffalo Soldiers of the 9th and 10th U.S. Calvary, the Heart of Texas Weavers, the Leon River Dutch Oven Society, and our own Central Texas Master Naturalist Chapter. Even Smokey the Bear turned out for the event.

Guided hikes were conducted to explore the Wash Pond, Tonkawa Cave and Civilian Conservation Corps Rock Tower. Events also included a scavenger hunt, children’s crafts and games and a tea party.

All proceeds from the fundraiser were contributed directly to the state park association. Park Superintendent Melissa Chadwick said those funds will be redistributed and help assist the park directly. Like many other state parks within TPWD, a Friends Group like the Mother Neff State Park Association works on behalf of the park to assist with daily programs, special events, fundraising and public education and serves as an important link between the park and local communities. The partnerships between the park and the volunteer support organization provide a mechanism to utilize the skills, contacts and resources of private citizens and businesses to enhance our state parks and to provide services that may not otherwise be available.

2 President’s Pen

- Rene Berkhoudt Looking back at the last year there were many notable events and activities that have transpired. Our premiere recruiting event to attract new Chapter members is always the February Temple Home and Garden Show. This proved to be true this year as well. We had tremendous Chapter support in staffing both our CTMN booth and the new Kid Zone. As she does very year, Zoe Rascoe was instrumental in ensuring the success of the Home and Garden Show from our Chapter perspective; and continues to be a great Chapter ambassador in representing the face of our organization as our initial point of contact with potential students and future Chapter members.

Most significantly, our Chapter had another successful spring training cycle this year. The mentor program worked very well this year and helped to ensure that our new 2017 trainees were successfully acclimated to the Texas Master Naturalist program. We have several members of our 2017 class who have been very active in volunteer events, citizen science and environmental education in our communities.

Our April field trip to the Gault Geology Class with Dr. Ray Kozusko Archeological Site was a great success, and because it occurred during our training cycle, it provided a unique opportunity for our new students and our certified CTMN members to go out on -site together. The Burleson Prairie Walk provided a similar bonding experience for students and long standing Chapter members alike. Both events helped to stimulate interest in the areas of Clovis culture and the flora and fauna of our native prairies respectively and contributed to a better understanding and appreciation of the training class curriculum.

Burleson Prairie Walk Chapter members participated in various Clovis Culture Atlatl Throwing Stick environmental education activities throughout the spring, summer and fall. One of the highlights of the year were the University of Mary Hardin Baylor student service dates at the Miller Springs Nature Center in Belton. The University of Mary Hardin Baylor was one of the strongest supporters of our Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) grant this year. Students turned out to assist in area clean-up, trails maintenance, and restoration efforts on the nature center which represents a unique resource to the community that had been maintained for many years by the Miller Springs Alliance, a partner non-profit group to our Chapter that held a lease on the area.

3 2017 Spring and Fall UMHB Service Dates - Miller Springs Nature Center

After supporting the nature center for 24 years, the Miller Springs Alliance surrendered their lease in August 2017, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers made the decision to close the area as a result, rather than expend any agency resources to keep it open—although that may change in time.

In addition to grant work completed at the nature center, Chapter members also visited various schools with our newly acquired discovery trunks to promote environmental education. Most of our student contacts in support of our TPWD CO-OP grant were actually attained in the classroom, although we also took younger students on nature hikes at both the Miller Springs Nature Center and Mother Neff State Park during the calendar year.

Mary Ann Everett—Tarver Elementary School Shirley Watts —Cavasos Elementary School Among many other activities, Chapter members also participated in Science Night at Venable Village Elementary School and the Bell County Environmental Safety Day this summer. Fall brought Moth Night at Mother Neff State Park and the Mother Neff State Park Association November Fund Raiser. Both events were strongly supported by the Chapter, and the 18th Annual Texas Master Naturalist Meeting in Corpus Christi rounded out a busy fall schedule.

With the Holiday Season now in full swing, I look back on the last calendar year with a great sense of achievement on behalf of the Chapter and the promise of more great things to come in the New Year.

4 Salado Sirena Festival By Rene Berkhoudt

CTMN Chapter members attended the inaugural Sirena Fest and Mermaid Parade in Salado on October 7th. The purpose of the festival was to celebrate the artistic creativity that the town inspires and honor the story of Sirena, Salado’s legendary mermaid.

This year’s Sirena Festival included vendors, live music, crafts for kids, therapy ponies from Variety’s Peaceable Kingdom, performers with Circus Picnic from Austin, rock climbing walls and our very own CTMN Discovery Trunks.

Inaugural Salado Sirena Festival

Mary Ann Everett was our group leader for the event, and was joined at the festival by Ronna Olivarez, Kathy Cantu, and Krystal Trammell.

The first annual Salado Sirena Festival was just one more example of the Central Texas Master Naturalist Chapter’s commitment to ensure the future health and viability of our local communities by promoting responsible natural resource management and environmental education.

Ronna Olivarez at the Sirena Festival

5 The Legend of the Salado Mermaid

According to local legend, a beautiful Native American maiden named Sirena was beguiled by a magical catfish into assuming mermaid form to capture an unrequited love and became trapped as a mermaid forever.

Sirena wished to marry a handsome young warrior of her tribe, who did not return her feelings. She poured out her heart’s desire by the river’s edge one day and a magical catfish overheard her. He promised to help her if she would agree to become a mermaid on each full moon for a year and spend the evening swimming with him. However, if a human were ever to see her in her transformed state, she would remain a mermaid forever.

As the story is told, the catfish secretly wished this would happen so Sirena could stay with him.

Sirena agreed and soon won the heart of her desire and was wedded. On each full moon Sirena would transform herself into a mermaid and swim together with the catfish as promised. On the very last full moon of the year, Sirena was caught up by a fishhook (some maintain the fishhook was planted there by the scheming catfish) and climbed onto a ledge near a spring to remove it, and while doing so, her human husband saw her in the moonlight, and she was transformed into a mermaid forever more. She leapt into the river and spent the remainder of her days there longing for her lost love (in the company of the delighted and unapologetic catfish). The spring there is said to flow from her tears.

Sirena the Salado Mermaid and the Magical Catfish: life-sized bronze by Salado artist Troy Kelley

6 Macroinvertebrates in Captivity By Richard McCarthy

Macroinvertebrates in Captivity

The above photo shows my friend, Giant Water Bug (Lethoserus americanus). I had netted two at the Waco Wetlands on September 16th, of this year. The photo shows both just prior to one of them, not waiting for me to find him a meal, devoured his companion. Five days later, on September 21st, I put two small fish (approximately ¾ inch long) into the tank to see if the Bug would feed on them. After about an hour the Bug clamped on to one of the fish and began his eating process. He injected the fish with an enzyme which turns the inside flesh into soup, then he ingested this soup through his straw-like mouth parts. He is apparently happy for he is smiling as he hangs head down and rests with aft end breathing tubes breaking water.

Also, on the right side of the aquarium I had a Damselfly Nymph and a Grass Shrimp. Both caught the same day as the Giant Water Bug. On the 20th of September, the Damselfly Nymph matured, shed its exoskeleton and became a beautiful Damselfly. She sat on a leaf in the aquarium until she was fully dry and her wings inflated so I released her into the wild. Sadly, the Shrimp died on October 8th.

Giant Water Bug is doing well but my fish population is dwindling.

7 Youth Hikes at Mother Neff State Park

By Rene Berkhoudt

The closure of the Miller Springs Nature Center caused our Chapter to move our youth hikes to Mother Neff Sate Park for the remainder of the Fall. Thanks to all the Chapter members who came out to support the Ralph Wilson Youth Club visit to Mother Neff State Park in October, and also to those who came out for the Un-Included Club Discovery Trunk presentation in November. It is our intent to pick up with more youth hikes at Mother Neff State Park in the spring in support of our Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) grant which has been extended until May 2018.

Mother Neff State Park—Fall Activities

Mother Neff State Park—Youth Hike

Exploring Mother Neff State Park—Moody, Texas

TPWD—Life is Better Outdoors!

8 October Award Presentations

By Zoe Rascoe

Cindy Allen 250 Hour Milestone and 2015 Recertification Awards

Tina Atkins 2017 Recertification

Mary Ann Everett 2017 Recertification Award

Mary Odom 2016 Recertification Award

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Sue Valdez 2017 Recertification Award

Lynn Williams 2017 Recertification Award

Don Wyatt 2017 Recertification Award

Thank You to all our Chapter members who recertified or attained a Service Milestone this Month!

10 Holiday Cheer is Near

By Zoe Rascoe

Season's Greetings!

Our chapter will gather for Food, Fellowship and Fun as 2017 draws to a close for the 8th Annual Holiday Potluck Dinner on Tuesday, December 12th at 6:30pm. Bring a spouse or friend and a favorite dish to share and we'll all feast like kings! I've acquired larger plates for this year’s festivities.

Once again we will have our popular Chinese Auction fundraiser where the more tickets you purchase and put on an item, the more likely you are to win it! At least theoretically. Items for raffle are donated by our members - things like handmade crafts, field guides, plants, purchased items, things from nature, or anything decorative or festive. Things with dragonflies are always a hit for some reason. Tickets are only $1 and you can put as many tickets on an item as you like. Buy a lot of tickets and put it all on one thing and you just might go home with it! Please look around and see if you have something to donate in the auction, then just bring it to the event. All money collected will go towards our chapter projects and activities. Thanks to our generous members, we usually raise a few hundred dollars in one night!

Please note the RSVP is Monday, December 11th. Sooner is fine too. *<|= } Hope to see you here!

Zoe 254-913-1013

11 Scaling Down Nature

By Zoe Rascoe

Do you like the look of nature’s sprawling meadows and prairies, the diversity of woodland settings and the soothing sounds of water? Nature has many ways of showing off biodiversity and it’s not as hard as you think to mimic nature in a small yard in the city. Some of our members have beautiful yards – mine is not among that list. I attended a class on Landscape Design Basics taught at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center by Marya Fowler, Education Programs Manager for the National Wildlife Federation. As you would expect at this location, there were many great examples of using Texas native plants in various landscape scenarios. Although I have to say their “Formal Garden” plot was a far cry from those I’ve seen in England! However, the “Naturalistic Garden” plot pictured here is an informal design with more natural elements than you might think possible.

If you would like to have a natural area in your yard - and I’m not talking about letting things go to weeds - but think you don’t have enough space: think again! This plot is only 1000 square feet (25’x40’) but incorporates a short grass prairie, a woodland, meadow, rock garden and aquatic habitat. There are over 100 plant species representing these ecosystems. In addition to the plant diversity, the garden design includes a shaded sitting area, screening using vines on a trellis and evergreen plants and many types of habitat for wildlife. There is even a large decomposing log, along with leaf litter, that is home to a variety of which in turn attracts birds (which will probably attract cats). A metal livestock watering container provides an aquatic garden as well as a source of water for some species of wildlife.

If you would like to work on your landscape this fall, here are some design considerations to put into your plan:

 Try to emulate nature  Increase biodiversity of plants and  Layer plants - it will increase wildlife and the food value of your garden  Do you prefer formal or informal design? Geometric or natural lines?  Identify views from house and patio/ what are focal points?  Use native materials for pathways, mulch and sitting areas  What is your budget?

As with many endeavors, Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan. It will save you time and money and help ensure you have a lovely garden area for both humans and critters.

It has been said that gardens are a form of autobiography. What does your garden say about you?

12 Interesting Tidbits Texas (?)

- Rene Berkhoudt

Mary Ann Everett contacted me prior to the Salado Sirena Festival and asked if we had any salamanders in our Herpetology Discovery Fire Model Replica Trunk. Unfortunately, our Herpetology Trunk is very light on in general, and in salamanders in particular. The main problem lies in the fact that life-like salamander models are very hard to come by. There aren’t many models available for purchase that do not look like cheap plastic children’s toys. Unfortunately the one model of salamander that looks most realistic is not native to Texas at all, but is the Fire Salamander ( salamandra) found in Central Europe. In a corresponding manner, most of the literature on salamanders appropriate to our discovery trunks pertains to this species of salamander as well.

Perhaps this is due to the fact that the Fire Salamander is so brightly and distinctively colored, or perhaps it is due to the fact that it is such an interesting creature. The main defense of Fire Salamanders against predators is its toxicity. The large paratoid glands behind the eyes and rows of poison glands extending lengthwise down the 's body secrete neurotoxins. The Fire Salamander is even capable of actively spraying these chemicals at predators to discourage attack. They live in the deciduous forests of Central Europe, hiding in fallen leaves and around mossy tree trunks. The Fire Salamanders diet consists of various insects, spiders, and , but they also occasionally eat and young . Due to their reclusive nature, most people rarely see salamanders of any sort in the wild; which is true in Central Texas as well, and they are extremely sensitive ecologically.

In 2014, the Georgetown and Salado Salamanders received protection under the Endangered Species Act. As with the Jollyville Plateau and Austin Blind Salamanders protected the previous year (2013) these rare salamanders are found nowhere on Earth except Central Texas.

The Georgetown and Salado salamanders live in springs in Bell and Williamson counties and require clean, well-oxygenated water and are threatened by activities that disturb their surface springs, pollute their water or reduce its flow to their underground aquatic . We have quite an assortment of interesting salamander species right here in our own backyard in Central Texas! Although we acquired our Fire Salamanders after the Sirena Fest this year; a little bit of paint and imagination could easily transform them into their New World cousins for our CTMN display booth at the Second Annual Salado Sirena Painting at the Killeen Civic Art Guild Festival in 2018. Texas Salamanders 13 On the Horizon

JANUARY

January 1 (V) First Day Hike Mother Neff State Park. Short and long Ranger-led hikes. For details contact Park Superintendent Melissa Chadwick: [email protected] or (254)853-2389 extension 224

January 5 Enter your final 2017 volunteer and training hours into VMS.

January 6 (AT) TAMU University Collection Open House. Contact Karen Wright, Assistant Curator for details at: [email protected]

January 9 (V) CTMN Board Meeting, 3pm-5pm. Agrilife Extension Building, Belton

January 9 (V) CTMN Training Committee Meeting 5pm-6pm. Belton Church of Christ

January 9 (V) CTMN PACE Meeting, 6pm-8pm. Belton Church of Christ

FEBRUARY

February 17-18 (V) Mother Earth News Fair. Bell County Expo Center

February 23-25 (V) Temple Home and Garden Show. Bell County Expo Center. Contact Zoe Rascoe

Be Sure to Check Out the CTMN Weekly E-Mail for a Full Listing of Upcoming Events!

CTMN Advanced Training Meeting—October 10, 2017—Belton, Texas

CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK!

(V) Approved for Volunteer Hours https://www.facebook.com/Central-Texas-Chapter -Texas-Master-Naturalists-116648718373317/ (AT) Approved for Advanced Training timeline/ (MA) Must Apply for approval of hours

14 Newsletter Mission Statement

“Our mission is to inform and educate Master Naturalist members and the general public about our local environment and resources, and what we, as caretakers, can do to protect them.”

Board of Directors Newsletter Staff

President: Rene Berkhoudt Editor: Rene Berkhoudt

Past President: Lynn Fleming Proofreader: Zoe Rascoe

Vice President: Mary Ann Everett Contributing Writers and Photographers: Zoe Rascoe, Richard McCarthy, Rene Berkhoudt Secretary: Mary Sharp Please send any news of events, articles or photos of Treasurer: Marian Riegel what you’re doing or what’s going on in your yard or area to: Web Master: Dale Hughling Rene Berkhoudt at [email protected] Membership: Ben Clement

Historian:

Host: Mary Odom

Training: Sue Valdez

Newsletter: Rene Berkhoudt

Chapter Advisors:

Whitney Grantham, County Extension Agent, Natural Resources

Derrick Wolter, Wildlife Biologist, Texas Parks and Wildlife

Ladder-Backed Woodpecker (Picoides scalaris) Rene Berkhoudt

The Central Texas Master Naturalist Chapter

Holds member meetings the 2nd Tuesday of February, April, June, August, October and December at 6 p.m. at the Belton Church of Christ at 3003 N. Main. Location exceptions are in December and June.

PACE meetings are at the Church location at 6 p.m. the 2nd Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November. THE PUBLIC IS WELCOME AT ALL OF OUR MEETINGS.

*Programs Activities Committees Everything else

The Board of Directors meets the 1st Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November at 3 p.m. in the Board Room at the AgriLife Extension Center at 1605 North Main in Belton.

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