Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter—Newsletter May 2012 Special points of interest: Pack a grip; we’re moving Captured and shot on Texas safari Births and future births If you’ve ever wished to meet an author—MN has a new one One MN’s enrichment through projects Volume 13, Issue 5 May 2012 Announcements 2 Rob’s ramblings 3 Enticing butterflies 4 Texas safari 6 Photography for MN 7 Bird banding and quail declines 9 Field notes in focus and Field notes in focus 10- 11 Chapter meeting May 17 12 AT LBJ grasslands 13 Joys of working on projects 15 History of spinning wheels 17 Who we are 18 Inside this issue: TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, ELM FORK CHAPTER Newsletter TM Elm Fork Chapter Texas AgriLIFE Extension May Bird blind at LLELA with 7 great herons perched on top. Sharon’s new camera, a 42x zoom, lets her capture great bird shots without disturbing the birds. Now is the time for all good members to come to the aid of the great outdoors. Pull out those shovels, chainsaws, hammers, canoes, wading/hiking boots, binoculars and the CAMERAS—all tools of the trade—and join the forces. Nature, work, and fun awaits! Horse apple tree with fuzzy seed pod turning into horse apple—taken at the “dog park” in Den- ton. Sharon says she had never before noticed them. Who needs an eye doctor when you’ve got a new camera! — Sharon Barr shares photos from her new camera— Breaking news
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Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter—Newsletter May 2012
Special points of
interest:
Pack a grip; we’re moving
Captured and shot on Texas
safari
Births and future births
If you’ve ever wished to meet
an author—MN has a new one
One MN’s enrichment
through projects
Volume 13, Issue 5
May 2012
Announcements 2
Rob’s ramblings 3
Enticing butterflies 4
Texas safari 6
Photography for MN 7
Bird banding and quail
declines
9
Field notes in focus and
Field notes in focus
10-
11
Chapter meeting May 17 12
AT LBJ grasslands 13
Joys of working on projects 15
History of spinning wheels 17
Who we are 18
Inside this issue:
AgriLIFE Extension Service
TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, ELM FORK CHAPTER
Newsletter
TM
Elm Fork Chapter
Texas AgriLIFE Extension
May
Bird blind at
LLELA with 7 great
herons perched on
top. Sharon’s new
camera, a 42x zoom,
lets her capture
great bird shots
without disturbing
the birds.
Now is the time for all good members to come to
the aid of the great outdoors. Pull out those shovels,
For the photo safaris or becoming a Friend of Hagerman go
to:
http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/photoClub
The refuge consists of over 11,000 acres on the south-
ern end of Lake Texoma and serves as breeding
grounds for migratory birds and other animals. The new
visitor center is staffed by volunteers and the literature
is abundant and very user friendly. Great maps are
available so finding your way around the refuge is easy
and the many hiking trails are easily accessible and well
maintained.
Since I have been a Texas Master Naturalist I have
heard about the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
west of Sherman.
I have finally seen it. I signed up for their spring
photo safari, one of two held each year to coincide
with the bird migrations.
If you are interested in the photo safaris, let me tell you that you
will not find one that caters to the photographer more than these
do. You are assigned to an experienced volunteer photographer
who shoots the same camera as you do (or is at least thoroughly
familiar with your model). Each leader takes only 2 to 4 people so
individual attention is guaranteed. He or she knows the refuge
very well and is very knowledgeable about the birds and where
they can be found. I had a fabulous time shooting, learning, and
adding new birds to my photo library.
Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter—Newsletter May 2012
Page 7
Photo—Rob Roy
Photo—w. odum
Lynne “doing her thing”
PHOTOGRAPHY FOR MASTER NATURALISTS
April 28, 2012
Front table: Laurie Hemming (with daughter), Linda Maxwell, Jean
Chaka, Linda Cox, Dorothy Thetford; 2nd table: Sharon Barr, Larry
Brennan, Susan Pohlen, Peg La Point, Cheryl Kesterson, Sherrill
Campbell, Wanda Odum.—Rob Roy was the “shutter man”.
Taking note and notes
S everal Master Naturalists gathered at the Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center eager to learn more about photography and understand what all those numbers on the camera mean. They discovered how
shutter speed, f-stops and ISO work together to control light and achieve the desired results. Some may even have left confident enough to take their cameras off "auto" and dive into the world of manual settings, enjoying the control and flexibility that brings. Taking a break from the technical, the group discussed methods for documenting projects, capturing photographs for identification purposes, and creating compelling artful images of the natural world for the enjoyment and education of others. With a little instruction and some practice, Master Naturalists can call themselves photographers too.
From Lynne Richards
Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter—Newsletter May 2012
Our thanks to Lynne Richards, Master of Photography
and Master Naturalist, for presenting a wonderful program
on basic photography.
Some time back, Lynne decided that she wanted to teach
people not to be afraid of their camera. She did just that,
taking her class through the fundamentals of cameras,
composition and story telling. Lynne made it seem like
child's play and everyone was inspired.
Lynne's enthusiasm and extensive knowledge will be an
enormous asset to the Elm Fork Chapter.
Photo—Rob Roy
Peg “thanks” Lynne
Peg La Point, advanced training and
program chair
Page 8
Enjoy hiking treks into the mountains, but also concerned about
the impact on nature? How about taking a hike with a llama?
Stuart Wilde in northern New Mexico is owner and operator of
Wild Earth Llama Adventures. He started out with two llamas
bought on a payment plan and opened his llama trek business in
1992. When he started getting calls from people asking him to
take in their unwanted llamas, he couldn’t say “no”. He and his
wife presently have 32 llamas, “all rescued from across the
Southwest.”
Mr. Wilde states that llamas are “eco-friendly”. Even consider-
ing their size and the load they pack, they leave little impact
since the animals have leather-padded, two-toed feet. Like
deer, they browse and forage instead of grazing.
“llamas help me to promote an ethic of taking care of Mother
Earth, and I think that’s a beautiful thing.” —Stuart Wilde
A FACE ONLY MOTHER COULD LOVE
American Profile, April 2012
Public domain photo
Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter—Newsletter May 2012
Page 9
L ast month, Master Naturalist volunteers provided extra hands for bird
banding at LLELA along with Dr. Ken and some of his UNT graduate students.
Photos courtesy
Owen Richards
Reason for quail population decline not yet clear
Texas AgriLIFE Research and Extension Center at San Angelo,
found that the number of quail hunters declined 79 percent be-
tween 1981 and 2010; yet concern is ongoing about the decreas-
ing quail population. Although many people assume that the decline is
related to the loss of habitat caused by development, tests conducted
in Texas and Oklahoma by Texas A&A researchers have
found that birds from areas with declining quail popula-
tions have severe infestations of parasites. Research con-
tinues, and results are pending. Dallas Morning News and
TAMU.org, March 2012
Scaled quail
Northern bobwhi te Quail—
odontophoridae
quail in the desert
All photos—public domain
Strike up the Bands
More photos and
information about this
banding event will
be a part of the June
newsletter. Some-
thing for which to
look forward. w.
odum
Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter—Newsletter May 2012
“FIELD NOTES IN FOCUS”
Featuring Master Naturalist photographers—flora and fauna as you see them
Page 10
Dorothy Thetford delivers: newly-hatched bluebirds at Thetford farmette
Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter—Newsletter May 2012
Page 11
“FIELD NOTES IN FOCUS”
Just too good not to showcase both—w. odum
Alex Lieban took this photo on a small island off the Johnson Branch of Ray Roberts State
Park. A Canada goose laid these seven eggs and was sitting on them when he accidentally in-terrupted her. The unhappy couple swam just offshore until the “human intruders” left the island.
ALSO...
Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter—Newsletter May 2012
Page 12
Chapter meeting May 17—Applying Paleozoology
At our May 17 Chapter meeting, we will hear from two University of North Texas students of Anthropology and
Environmental Science. Jonathan Dombrosky and Amy Hoffman will show us how animal remains found in
archaeological sites can inform us about ancient people and the environments in which they lived.
Paleozoology is the study of animal remains from paleontological or archaeological sites. Zooarchaeology is the
study of animal remains from archaeological sites with the intent of understanding human subsistence patterns
and past environments. This gives us a glimpse of ancient environmental conditions, animal biogeography and
the links to human activities.
The quality of paleozoological data is a heavily debated subject. Amy and Jonathan will discuss some of the
issues and give us examples from studies using the near extinct California Condor and freshwater mussels in
the Upper Trinity River. They will also inform us about the application of ancient DNA in the effort to under-
stand evolution and the interaction of humans and their environment.
Jonathan Dombrosky is an honors undergraduate at the
University of North Texas who is majoring in anthropology.
He is currently finishing his honors thesis on the subsistence
patterns of two sites (Tsama Pueblo and Ponsipa’akeri) lo-
cated the Northern Rio Grande Region of New Mexico
(A.D. 1300 to 1600). He has recently received the Society of
Ethnobiology’s Undergraduate Ethnobiologist Award and a
UNT Undergraduate Research Fellowship. He plans to enter
into the PhD program in Environmental Science at Universi-
ty of North Texas next spring.
Amy Hoffman is currently a PhD student in the Environmental Science program at the University of North
Texas. For her Master’s Thesis she investigated how an Ancestral Puebloan village in southwestern Colorado
exploited food resources during the depopulation of the region (approx. A.D. 1300). For her PhD she plans to
integrate conservation biology and zooarchaeology through the use of ancient DNA with bird remains found at
a northwest Greenland archaeological site.
From Peg La Point
Texas Master Naturalist, Elm Fork Chapter—Newsletter May 2012
Page 13
Advanced Training Field Trip to the LBJ Grasslands
Guided by Master Naturalist Jim Varnum
REGISTRATION REQUIRED. If you are unable to sign up
at the May 17 chapter meeting, contact Peg La Point at