C R O S S T I M B E R S C H A P T E R N E W S L E T T E R

V O L U M E 2 N U M B E R 5 O C T - D E C 2 0 1 3

AUTUMN. One of my favorite words. After a very long and hot summer of many outdoor adventures, I often relieve my sun soaked brain by contemplating what it will feel like to enjoy those first wispy cooling breezes that will come wafting across the parched landscape. Albert Camus once said that “Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower”. We may not get the most fabulous displays of fall color, but we do get a changing of hues and that change is one that I am always eagerly awaiting. So whatever the autumn brings for you I hope that you get out often and enjoy it as I do. Best wishes to all for the rest of 2013. We’ll chat again in 2014!!

Chad Etheridge Cross Timbers Chapter Vice-President [email protected] A Sense of Place

HESTER SHWARZER Although many writers and speakers have put their spin on the words in this title I wish to consider only one quote from the Wikipedia website. "It (this phrase) is often used in relation to those CHAD ETHERIDGE characteristics that make a place special or unique, as well as to those that foster a sense of authentic human attachment and belonging." ALICE MOFFIT My early sense of place was a primal bond with the mysterious Grinnell Lake bottom lands of far northeast Texas. On rare occasions panther could still be heard. But there was no fear, only SANDY FOUNTAIN the wish to see a big cat as I often sat in an open bedroom window watching the moonlight play through the giant white oak trees. This was my sense of place. It was a place of freedom and caution, of RICK SHEPHERD beauty and tiring chores, of dreaming and becoming. In western Colorado our family found another strong sense of place in a spectacular aspen grove by Maroon Lake at the base of Maroon BILL SHAW Bells where we spent countless hours hiking, picnicking and just sitting as we soaked in the beauty. Later in Pueblo, Colorado I searched for something special for months before I fell in love with the vast openness of the flat prairie GINGER BASON-BOWDEN east of the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. As never before I started to closely observe the play of clouds in the sky. Just like the author, Byrd Baylor in her book, “I’m in Charge of GEORGE MCBRIDE Celebrations” I watched “dust devils” dance across the open spaces and wished to move with them. The prairie grabbed me in a way no other landscape ever has and I will always harbor fond memories of KIM STEVENS-GUNNLAUGSSON that special sense of place.

Now to Arlington, Texas and a current sense of place. I thought CHAD ETHERIDGE about it last evening as I sat in a darkened yard listening to a nearby screech owl and watching a couple of bats as they cleared the post oaks and passed over the roof. Except for the sound of traffic on Highway 30 and the neighbors' outdoor lights I could have been in the historic post oak woodlands of the Cross Timbers.

One thing I’d like to change about the places I’ve come to love is the “placelessness” of yards in every location. The sameness of mowed green carpets, trimmed hedges and similar plantings takes away the specialness of this great, diverse land. Some brave souls have begun to landscape with the plants that carpeted the landscape the native Americans and early settlers knew. I applaud each of you. What a difference if each of us could bring home a little bit of nature into our unique space.

As we work to enhance the public areas where we volunteer our time it would be well to remember Aldo Leopold’s statement, “A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” Master Naturalists have a challenge to keep and improve and enlarge our wild places and educate our communities about the possibilities in their own backyards. Let’s make it happen!

Hester Schwarzer President- Cross timbers Master Naturalists Greetings from volat, aka Bill Shaw. A big Howdy and Welcome to the 2013 Fall Master Naturalist Class. I hope you are l enjoying the classes and field trips and the program is living up to your expectations. All should be receiving notices from me concerning both Volunteer and Advance Training opportunities. On occasion I also send out notices of programs or activities that I feel might be of interest, but may not qualify for either Volunteer or AT. I always add the caveat if the activity does not qualify for hours reporting. When I send out the notices, most often I am forwarding information sent by other organizations or individuals involved with a given group. If you need additional information, please contact the person listed in the forward. I will not always have answers to your questions concerning the forward’s. For those of you who may not be aware, there is an extensive list of pre-approved Volunteer and Advanced Training programs on the CTMN web site. Type in this address to go directly to the site. NOTE the link is not live, so you will have to type it in. The list is not up to date, but we are working to get a revised list as time allows. However, most of the lists are still accurate but may be lacking some pre-approved activities. Please note that even though the various groups are listed, it is possible that not every program or activity offered by the source will necessarily be OK for reportable hours. For instance, a program at BRIT (Botanical Research Institute of Texas) on Fauna of the Rain Forests or Mammals of the Arctic would not qualify. I don’t think we have rain forests in the Cross Timbers nor any Arctic mammals. Another example would be a conference of Master Gardner’s where the topic is vegetable gardening and How to Grow Giant Tomatoes. Sorry, but not a native plant. However, if the topic was organic gardening with an emphasis on soil amendments, composting, and a discussion on beneficial organisms that live in the soil, it would be OK for AT. I cannot emphasize enough, that all programs for a given group will always be acceptable for hours reporting. Another example is the many programs at River Legacy in Arlington. Alma Pohler is the director at River Legacy and also a CTMN member. Alma is aware of our policies on volunteer hours and does her best to be sure that CTMN volunteers are put into positions that will qualify. However, if Alma needs help in areas that do not qualify for hours reporting, please do not be hesitant to help out anyway. If you have an area of special interest that may not qualify for reportable Vol or AT, do not hesitate to follow your heart and learn or share your interest with others. You are always encouraged to be better informed and to improve yourself. Keep up the good work and e-mail me with any questions. I will do my best to respond as soon as possible. Best regards.

[email protected] I WONDER IF THAT COUNTS???

You’ve been out working hard. Putting in those tiring, but oh so rewarding volunteer hours or attending a captivating lecture that has really inspired you and suddenly you wonder, “Can I count this for CTMN? If so, how do I record it. Travel time or no?”. Well worry no longer! Along with the info that Bill Shaw (VOLAT) provided, Rick Shepherd, our fabulous records keeper has put together an intriguing little paper that will put all those annoying questions to rest. “Activities Reporting 101” will give you the nuts and bolts of the what, where, when, and how of getting your hours properly recorded, reported, and counted. Rick developed this for the newest CTMN class, but we thought everyone might like a review so we included it in this newsletter. Use this to aid you in completing your Activity Reports and most importantly, TURN THEM IN!! These hours are extremely important for our chapter and the state. Thanks and keep up the great work! 1. Graduation requires that trainees attend all classes and field trips. Missed ses- sions must be made up by attendance at either the following year’s CTMN Fall Class or by making arrangements with one of the other area Cross Timbers eco- system chapters [North Texas MN-Dallas, Elm Fork MN-Denton or Rio Brazos MN-Cleburne/Somervell].

2. First-year Certification status is achieved by participating in and reporting forty [40] hours of volunteer [VOL] and eight [8] hours of advanced training [AT] hours.

3. Trainees may and are encouraged to begin participating in volunteer activities during the training classes. The first 40 hours of VOL must be generated by par- ticipation in activities in the chapter’s home counties [Tarrant or Parker]. Activ- ities outside these counties are not reportable for credit. [Exception: If attending the Annual Statewide TMN Conference, VOL activities are reportable during the 1st 40 hours accumulation period.

After completing logging the first 40 hours of VOL, activities in other Cross Timbers ecosystem counties are reportable for credit.

4. Trainees may and are likewise encouraged to supplement their class training sessions by attending instructional programs outside the training program which generate hour for hour AT reportable credit [e.g. attendance at the CT- MN monthly meeting earn one[1] hour of AT for each meeting attended. Meet- ings are held the 3rd Monday of each month at the FW Botanic Garden, 7-8 PM. [Exceptions: the December Holiday and February Awards Celebration meetings count for VOL + Travel Time only]. Cross Timbers Chapter Activity Hours Reporting 101

5. TMN allows Chapters to count round-trip travel [TRAV] time for participation in VOL activities. CTMN does count such reported travel time.

[Exception: As only VOL activity generates travel time credit, reportable round-trip travel time to attend the Annual Statewide TMN Conference, is calculated as the per- centage AT+VOL time spent in supportive VOL activities at the conference:

[ Reportable TRAV = TRAV x % VOL Time ]

6. Volunteer hours must be accumulated by participating in activities in the State of Texas by TMN policy and in the Cross Timbers ecosystem beyond the first 40 hours when topics are ecosystem-specific, i.e. flora and fauna.

Advanced training hours are currently restricted by TMN to be generated by attendance at instructional programs only in the State of Texas, and must address chapters’ geographic area ecosystem-specific flora and fauna. [Examples: Attendance at a program or symposium addressing palm trees and/or roseate spoonbills will not count as they are not native to the Cross Timbers ecosystem. Some organizations have statewide, regional, national and/or international scope, such as BRIT. Many of BRIT’s presentations are Cross Timbers ecosystem specific, but many are not and are not reportable for CTMN credit. If a migratory species is found in the Cross Timbers ecosystem at some point of its migration, a presentation regarding it will count. Many songbirds, raptors, wading birds, will qualify under this consideration.]

Advanced training hours addressing generic, non-ecosystem specific concepts are reportable regardless where in Texas they are attended. [Examples: Water conservation, soil conservation, trail building, soil, water and light pollution, habitat restoration, ] Cross Timbers Chapter Activity Hours Reporting 101

7. Use the Pre-approved list for VOL and AT as a guide. If you wish to participate in an activity which is not specifically listed, check with the Chair of the Volun- teer & Advanced Training Committee [currently Bill Shaw Bill Shaw [email protected] . Plan ahead as far as possible. If consideration is urgent, call Bill and do not de- pend just upon e-mail. His contact info is on the Membership Directory on the CTMN web site.

8. Pre-approval of all activities is necessary for VOL and AT to be reportable. This is a TMN requirement related to liability insurance considerations. If the activity has not been pre-approved, you need to send Bill Shaw a

completed form to have it pre-approved.

9. CTMN trainees have until December 31 of the year following their Training Class to complete all the make-ups they may need if classes or field trips were missed. Attendance for such make-ups must be arranged by the trainee by call- ing or e-mailing the chapter representative presenting the class or leading the field trip. Check their web sites for Class Training Schedules and time of year held. Currently the info regarding such make-ups at sister chapters are as fol- lows:

Elm Fork MN Van Elliott [email protected]

North Texas MN Manduley Linda [email protected]

Rio Brazos MN Dave Moore [President] [email protected] Cross Timbers Chapter Activity Hours Reporting 101

10. Only Trainees’ hours may transfer from the class year to the following year

as many are still working toward satisfying Graduation and/or 1st Year

Certification requirements.

Thereafter TMN requires that no hours generated in any prior year may be reported in any following year, except to meet the hours reporting grace period deadline date [usually 5 days prior to its deadline for receiving all chapters’ annual reports].

VOL and AT hours accumulate during each year for purpose of re- certification, but start off at zero each new year.

VOL hours accumulate annually over the lifetimes of members for purposes of Milestone [volunteerism] Awards.

Per TMN, if hours are not reported prior to the year end’s reporting deadline, they are lost for purposes of certification, re-certification and Milestone awards.

1. Please use the standardized CTMN form:

TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, CROSS TIMBERS CHAPTER ACTIVITY REPORT

2. If your computer will allow, you may type your information onto the website’s interactive form and then e-mail it to the Timekeeper.

Otherwise download and save the form to a file, from which you may type in the info and save to attach to an e-mail to the Timekeeper. You may also print the form, fill in the info handwritten and scan it for attachment to an e-mail.

Continued Cross Timbers Chapter Activity Hours Reporting 101

OR, you may print out the form, enter the data by hand and mail the report to the Timekeeper’s physical address [currently Rick Shepherd, 3216 Preston Hollow Road, Fort Worth TX 76109-2051]

3. Be sure to fill out all the preliminary information requested:

Name: Obvious Month: Month during which activities occurred Year: Obvious Report PIN #: Your unique PIN # validates it is your report—cannot be accepted w/o it ! A

Signature: Required only if you are mailing via US Mail Date: Date report is being submitted ______

4. Advanced Training:

Date: Obvious*

Organization: Sponsoring the program [Commonly known abbr. ok]*

Instructor: Presenting the program*

Educational event description: Please provide name of program*

Hrs: Actual length of presentation time [rounding off to next 5 min ok]*

[You may enter hours or minutes, just let me know: Hrs Min Cross Timbers Chapter Activity Hours Reporting 101

5. Volunteer Service:

Date: Same as above* Organization/Location: Place organization in this space and location in the Service Project/Activity space w/ descriptive info. Please be specific what the activity entailed*.

# people contacted: This data is important for TMN funding and is youth/adult Don’t guess—and be sure to give attendance by maturity designation, e.g. 20 youths and 3 adults would be reported as 20/3. please don’t make me guess or have to call you*. If staffing a booth, one person is designated to keep and report this data. If everyone does it, over- reporting results.

Acres worked: If multiple MNs are doing a privet pull, each reports his/her own acreage worked*. 43,560 ft²=1 Acre Estimate work area and convert to decimal acres— You worked 25’x25’ plot=625ft²÷43,560=0.014acre.

Feet of Trail: If are improving or clearing a trail with others, report your own length of trail--estimate feet*.

Travel Time: Round trip travel hours to and from a volunteer activity. Report separately, not combined w/ Hrs spent at the activity*.

Hrs: Time spent at volunteer activity* Cross Timbers Chapter Activity Hours Reporting 101

Welcome to the Cross Timbers Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist™ Program

If you have any questions as to reportability of any VOL or AT activity, need to have a new, unapproved activity approved or wish to start a project, please e-mail or call , Chair VOL & AT Committee.

Please call or e-mail if you have any questions about reporting .

We are pleased you have chosen to take the Texas Master Naturalist™ Training Class and look forward to working with you as you become members of the of the Cross Timbers Chapter, 3rd oldest of the now 44 chapters across the state.

Note: Please always keep a personal copy of each of your Activity Report Forms.

Upon receipt of your reports, I will process the data and enter it into my rolling record of your and other Master Naturalists’ reported hours and achievements. You will usually receive a response from me documenting receipt of your report soon after you send it. Depending upon volume of reports, you may receive a contemporaneous update of your YTD hours profile, although the processing sometime takes a while if volume is large, and it will be sent later. RLS Josephine Keeney

American Beautyberry is a gorgeous woody shrub that can grow up to fifteen feet tall in favorable moisture conditions, but usually averages five to ten feet and just as wide.

This shrub likes part shade and rich moist soils and woks very well as an under story plant. It can be propagated by seeds or tip cuttings. AMERICAN BEAUTYBERRY

The long arching branches have large leaves in pairs spaced along the branch. It blooms in the Spring with small pink flowers clustered at the base of the leaves.

During Summer the flowers turn into large clusters of berries which remain green until Fall when the leaves turn a lovely yellow-green and the berries a beautiful rose or burgundy pink transforming the shrub into a delight for the eyes. Paddling as fast as I could! I had to get away! Get away at all costs! I couldn't let them get me. I could hear them coming up behind me, ever closer, faster and faster. I could feel the sodden dampness in the tepid air as it surrounded my boat. I couldn't look back. I knew they were there and that it was just a matter of time before they would reach me and begin to rapidly cover my kayak, my paddle, my entire person with their sharp, clinging, striped shells. Thousands upon thousands. Oh the horror....!!!

And then I awoke, to see the calmness of reality. To realize that it was all just a dream. A nightmare actually, and very real in its intensity. The pursuers of my unconscious mind were invaders. Aquatic invaders. better known as Zebra mussels were coming after me and this time dreamscape fiction was inspired by real time fact. They really coming. It's a matter of when not if, our local West Fork of the Trinity river will become home waters for this very undesirable hitchhiker. Zebra mussels are non-native bi-valve mussels that derive their name from the striped pattern on their small D-shaped shells. They are natives of Eurasia, prominently the Balkans, Poland, and the former Soviet Union. They made their way to the United States in in 1988 as stowaways in the ballast water of a cargo ship from Russia. The ship's crew discharged this water into the Great Lakes prior to loading their cargo and from that point on it has been like trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube. Within 10 years the zebra mussels had colonized all of the five Great Lakes as well as the Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, and Hudson River basins. They have since spread to 29 states and over 600 lakes and reservoirs. They were first found in Texas on April 3, 2009 in Lake Texoma which is in the Red River basin. Cross basin transfer occurred , most likely due to trailered boat contamination, and they have since been found in Lake Ray Roberts (Elm Fork Trinity), Sister Grove Creek, and Lake Lavon (East Fork Trinity). Most recently, in late June 2013, they were documented further south on the Elm Fork in Lake Lewisville and the larvae were located in Lake Bridgeport (West Fork Trinity). Since the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is located downriver on the West Fork we will eventually be visited by these unwelcome invaders. Texas has 50 of the 300 indigenous species of mussels found nationally and they do a great job of filtering water, reducing sedimentation, consuming algae and bacteria, as well as removing harmful pollutants. They are excellent indicators of stream health and help achieve a desirable balance in the water column. Our newest residents do the same thing, however, they have evolved into super over achievers. Each mussel can process up to a gallon of water per day. They simply filter out entirely too much. The algae and phytoplankton that they over consume are food sources for many of Texas' native minnows and bait fish. The lack of food for them causes population decline. Since these minnows are food for larger fish such as bluegill and other sunfish, the population decline moves up the food chain. Large predatory fish such as bass will ultimately suffer form the lack of sunfish. In order for a largemouth bass to achieve one pound of weight it must consume 10 pounds of sunfish. Those sunfish must consume 100 pounds of minnows. Those minnows must consume 1000 pounds of algae/phytoplankton. If that is not available...

Not only will the native fish population be affected, but physical infrastructure is threatened as well. Zebra mussels attach to almost any surface including sand, silt, rocks, walls, docks, boats, and municipal water intake pipes. They even attach to living creatures such as crayfish, turtles, and native mussels. They attach themselves with numerous string-like filaments called byssal threads which come out of the hinged side of the bi-valve's shell. These attach the mussels very securely and make manual removal extremely difficult. Lake shores and river banks can become unusable once zebra mussel colonization occurs. When feeding they open their sharp shells and make walking over them hazardous. The mussels are very small, (about the size of a human thumbnail) but they make up for their diminutive size with huge numbers. Reproduction is rapid and massive. Females reproduce about 6-7 weeks after attaching. They can produce up to 1000 eggs at each reproductive cycle and over one million per year. The free-swimming microscopic larvae or veligers drift in water for weeks and then settle and attach. This is one reason the mussels spread so quickly and easily. Native mussel larvae or glochidia, require a host (usually the gills of a fish) to attach to for a period before dropping off and attaching to the surface. Zebra mussel veligers require no host and can survive in a drop of water, such as on a trailered boat, for over 24 hours. Adults can survive out of the water for weeks. U.S. Fish and Wildlife predicts billions of dollars worth of damage across the nation. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department estimates that damage from these mussels to Texas could cost millions of dollars to repair. TPWD has also implemented its Clean, Drain, and Dry campaign to help stop or at least curb the spread of this invader. They have also enacted Emergency Zebra Mussel Orders regarding the illegal transport, intentional or inadvertent, of these mussels.

Further information about these notices can be found at, www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20130701b.

Texas is no stranger to invasive species. We have been fighting them for years and in this globally connected world we live in Zebra Mussels will certainly not be the last. We can't stop them, but perhaps by spreading the word we can educate the public and at least slow down the progress of these creatures that so earnestly pursue me and interrupt my slumber!

So, until we meet again, I'll be out as usual,

Somewhere on a river...

Chad Etheridge AQUATIC WORKSHOP

AQUATIC WILD WORKSHOP NOVEMBER 23, 2013 9:00-4:00 FORT WORTH NATURE CENTER & REFUGE

AQUATIC WILD Educators Workshop: The Project Aquatic WILD K-12 Curriculum and Activity Guide emphasizes aquatic wildlife and aquatic ecosystems. The guide is full of 48 activities that emphasize hands-on, inquiry-based, and cooperative learning strategies with demonstrated classroom effectiveness. It is organized in topic units and is based on the Project WILD conceptual framework. Because these activities are designed for integration into existing courses of study, instructors may use one or many Project Aquatic WILD activities or the entire set of activities may serve quite effectively as the basis for a course of study. Each Project Aquatic WILD activity contains all the information needed to conduct that activity including objectives, method, background information, a list of materials needed, procedures, evaluation suggestions, recommended grade levels, subject areas, duration, group size, setting, and key terms. A glossary is provided, as well as a cross-referenced by topics and skills. is distributed through the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Project WILD office.

Each seminar participant will receive a copy of the Aquatic WILD K-12 Curriculum & Activity Guide. Registration deadline is November 1, 2013. Cost is $35 per person and includes guide, park admission, and snacks. Where are the stars? He knew the worth They used to shine It sustained his life So much light The land so rich and diverse I think I’m blind Now I fear, it disappears

As a child I played outdoors Why do I mourn for what is lost? I saw the fairies dance Why do I yearn to save what’s wild? Blinks of light, they flew at night I want to experience it the rest of my Are they now extinct? days It makes me sad, to think And every future child

Little bird, soft and blue Where are the stars? Your beauty is a gift They used to shine Your numbers once so great So much light So common to us all I think I’m blind Today we barely know your call

Seas of color in the spring Grasses tall and vast Bison huge and numerous roamed My native friend called it home FWNC NATURAL GUARD EVERY THUR & SAT 9-NOON MOLLY HOLLAR WILDSCAPE : SEE WEBSITE WWW.THEWILDSCAPE.ORG O S GRAY NATURAL AREA: 2ND SATURDAY OF MONTH 9-NOON NEW YORK AVE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE WORKDAY: 3RD SATURDAY OF MONTH RIVER LEGACY : VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES