The Hays Humm

Award Winning Online Magazine - December 2020

Tom Jones - Betsy Cross - Constance Quigley - Mimi Cavender - Steve Wilder

The Willett Project: an update. Betsy Cross

The Willett Project Mission

“To ensure Hays County Master Naturalist Chapter is the go-to source of information, guidance and support to help our neighbors in Hays County preserve, restore and enjoy the natural wonders of our area.”

If you haven’t heard of the Harry L. Willett Foundation, you are likely not alone. But take note, this generous family philanthropy group with ties to Wimberley and the Texas Hill Country has provided the Hays County Master Naturalist (HCMN) Chapter with two substantial grants. It is the desire of Willett Foundation executives that grant funding be used to raise public awareness of the HCMN Chapter and to promote the work being done by chapter volunteers across the county.

To ready the chapter for distribution and use of Phase 2 funds beginning in early 2021, Project Coordinator Beth Ramey reviewed the Willett Project with me: “The original grant in 2014 came with almost no strings attached. A committee was formed to begin the work of how to best utilize the funds. A project aimed at raising the public profile of HCMN was established, and a mission statement for The Willett Project was formalized. Larry Calvert and I led the original steering committee, but it has been a real group effort—many people have helped in different ways.”

Phase 1 - 2014 Grant Accomplishments

One of the most significant deliverables of the Phase 1 Project was the design and implementation of the BeautifulHaysCounty.org website, a component of the Chapter’s communications and outreach effort under Art Arizpe, HCMN Director of Communications.

BeautifulHaysCounty.org was envisioned as a way of providing information to new residents of Hays County about the natural environment, resource conservation, and land stewardship. This website is rich with information on water resources, native plants and landscapes, local wildlife and insects, and conservation and restoration practices for Hays County. All of the content for the website was written and curated by Art Arizpe and project volunteers. There are dozens of resources and references designed to guide new and existing landowners. The website is beautifully illustrated with nature photographs gathered from area photographers. It’s become a wealth of information for people of all ages and differing interests, master naturalists included.

Magnets promoting BeautifulHaysCounty.org were created and continue to be distributed by the HCMN Outreach Team to Hays County realtors during presentations and festivals.

To call the public’s attention to HCMN partnerships and hours of service provided by HCMNs at local natural areas, permanent signage was developed and installed on site at Charro Ranch Park, Jacob’s Well Natural Area, and the San Marcos Discovery Center.

In support of the expansion and mission of public outreach, brochures and educational handouts were professionally developed for use by the HCMN Outreach Team. In addition to the four trifolds included below, a number of other handouts are available—Creating Song Bird Habitat, Properly Watering Trees, Pruning Mature Trees, Vegetation Layers, Ball Moss, and Neighborhood-Friendly Landscapes.

Scroll to see additional trifold covers

A more recent work is the creation of temporary signage designed for use when work is being carried out by Master Naturalists while on site. The six stylized “Master Naturalists At Work” signs shown below are currently on order and will be distributed to project coordinators as soon as they are received. The artwork for these signs was developed by local graphic artist Travis Martin of Bodark Creations.

“They said we are doing a fantastic job of making use of their funds. They’re still watching and are eager for us to step out even further.”

— Larry Calvert

As Willett Foundation executives prepared to make a decision regarding a second donation to the chapter in mid-2019, they made independent, unsponsored visits to Charro Ranch Park, Dripping Springs Ranch Park, and Blue Hole. When they met with HCMN President Susan Neill and Treasurer Larry Calvert, Larry reported, “They scoured the BeautifulHaysCounty.org website and the Hays Humm Newsletter to see for themselves how their funding was being used. They did their research in enough depth to make an informed determination about additional funding. They said we are doing a fantastic job of making use of their funds. They’re still watching and are eager for us to step out even further.”

Phase 2 - Stepping Out Further in 2021 with “Firefly Project Grants”

What is a Firefly Project Grant? Using funds provided by the Willett Foundation, the HCMN Chapter will award small grants to existing projects in order to expand the impact of the projects and the profile of the Chapter.

Project leads will submit applications for grants describing how they will use the grant to expand the impact of their projects.
A Grant Committee will review applications and determine awards.
Applications will be accepted two times each year, and dates will be announced at least 45 days prior to receipt deadlines.
Grants will range from $500 to $1,500 per Project/Application for a total of $7,500 each year.
Recipients will be required to provide written quarterly updates to the committee during implementation and once following completion to report on results and impact.
Progress will be reported to membership via the Hays Humm online newsletter.

On November 19, Beth Ramey met with Project Coordinators to kick off the 2021 “Lightening Bug Grant” Program.

“We will be making $7,500 per year available to existing HCMN project funds to be used to expand the impact of the project and/or to increase local awareness of the efforts of HCMN. First application deadline is January 31. We will be announcing recipients by February 28 and reporting quarterly on the progress and impacts that result. A second application period will be announced mid-year. We are eager to see what creative ideas our Project Teams submit!” - Beth Ramey

New signage. Hays County MNs and Jacob's Well staff ant the Jacob's Well Nature Center

Click/select one of the three grass name options listed below the photo, then click SEE ANSWER.

Texas Grama

Tumble Windmill Grass

Switchgrass

Indiangrass

Sideoats Grama

Gulf Muhly

Silver Bluestem

Knotroot Bristlegrass

Seep Muhly

As inevitable as cedar pollen and blue northers, here come the Holidays! That they have evolved in the Northern Hemisphere from millennia-old celebrations is natural. Long, cold nights gather us indoors at hearth and table. Like the rest of Nature, after months of hard work, we pause now to rest. We give thanks for home, health, hope—yes, hope—and for one another. We pause to honor people we love and have loved. We give gifts.

This strange slow-motion year 2020 may itself have been a dark but necessary gift, as life lessons often are. We may be re-learning that there are simpler ways of living, loving, giving. So let’s look back at a retro-Puritan gift-giving philosophy, referred to today, often derisively, as “Emersonian”—from Ralph Waldo Emerson, an early-1800s New England Transcendentalist and friend of Walden Pond’s Henry David Thoreau, a naturalist philosopher. These thoughtful folks found solace in simplicity, truth in Nature’s implacable honesty.

When Emerson essayed the giving of gifts, he had first to overcome his disgust at his contemporaries’ galloping commercialization of gifts, their cold social utility when giving gifts. The Industrial Revolution was making more stuff more affordable to more people, people now giddy to gain a favor, pay a debt, buy a friendship, mark more and more occasions, flaunt their wealth, and prove their love—with stuff. Sound familiar?

Emerson set pen to paper and riffed a little—riffed a lot—on his philosophy behind giving “true” gifts. Stay with me here, because as Master Naturalists we’ll appreciate how this tough old guy speaks to us. He said experience trumps stuff. A home-packed picnic on a quiet Thursday at Blue Hole—you know that big holey overlook rock under golden-raining cedar elms? It feels now somehow richer than loud crowded restaurant dining from a menu of overpriced “neo-texas” pretention. He said simplicity trumps show. Work frayed jeans feel more honest to us now than starched khakis. He said necessity trumps frivolity, and love trumps—well, everything.

Give first a gift of love. Just love. Affection, patience, care, kindness, respect for shared humanity. No strings. Don’t expect reciprocation.
Give a necessity. Know what useful thing your friend really needs, and don’t judge.
Give something of beauty, made by Nature, or made by hand, preferably yours. These true gifts also reflect the shared taste and interests of giver and receiver. The giver gives something of himself, his talents, that he knows the receiver will understand and appreciate. Neither party feels guilt or obligation. The gift needs no reciprocity.

So with “Emersonian giving” sounding maybe not so old fashioned these days, and with the Walden rules firmly in mind, let’s brainstorm some gifts we modern naturalists might want to give—or get—any time of year. As you read down the list, just for fun, see if you can classify each of these suggestions as a gift of love, necessity, beauty, or shared interest. Many overlap, but given by a Master Naturalist, they’re NATURE’S GIFTS:

1 A nature-themed book. We can get recommendations from MN friends; everyone has their favorites. Or search on “Texas nature books” and see what comes up! The 2020 Hays Humm has been featuring book reviews of some gift-worthy titles. Constance Quigley’s review of Attracting Birds in the Texas Hill Country – A Guide to Land Stewardship is in this issue.

2 A native plant, potted, with planting tips, can be tied up with a pretty bow and your handwritten note.

3 A gardening tool. This year, a HCMN whom I deeply respect gave me his weeding knife. I’ll use it, I hope, for many more workdays to come, honoring him every time. It was a true Emersonian gift.

4 Garden gloves. Shoot for softly flexible but sturdy ones, extending high enough above the wrist to protect against thorns and scratches.

5 Fresh or dried herbs from your garden, or from a local farmers’ market. Rosemary and culinary sage dry well. So do oregano, thyme, bay laurel, and basil, but these aren’t deer resistant. Parsley, basil, and leaf celery are best used fresh. For information on how to grow and use Texas-friendly herbs, visit the Hill Country Herb Society

6 Texas native wildflower seed or native grass seed in packets or bags; a hugely informative online source is Native American Seed, in Junction, Texas. Their website is awesome: https://www.seedsource.com/

7 Nature photography, yours or a friend’s, matted and framed. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. Mask up, and stop by resale stores for used frames; many of them still have their mats and glass. If you don’t print your own photo or if you want to enlarge it, a good print shop will print it from a thumb drive to fit your mat and frame. Here’s a knowledgeable graphics guy in Wimberley: http://www.astudioz.com/ There are lots of fine photographers in Hays County, and many are MNs, including our Art Arizpe with the Hill Country Photography Club; good folks, they can get you started: https://hcphotoclub.org/author/art-arizpe/2

8 A short poem or quote referencing a nature subject you and your friend enjoy. Hand write it inside a folded card, preferably one you make.

9 A homemade card is easy. Fold it from a sheet of 8” x 10” 24 lb. paper you can find at an office supply store in colors and textures. Your photo can simply be pasted (with a glue stick!) onto the 4” x 5¼” front panel. Or lay out and print the whole card digitally: lay out all information on one side of the page, remembering to flip the photo (and any information to go on the back of the card, such as photo info) upside down! Print out, and fold into quarters. Use a size A4 (4¼” x 5½”) envelope, available at office stores. Send your card by U.S. Mail with a festive holiday stamp! Your extra effort is the soul of the gift.

10 A walking stick for your trail-loving friend. If they use a stick, craft them one as a cherished heirloom. Choose a straight, 4- or 5-foot, 1-inch-diameter branch of juniper, cypress, bois-d’arc, or a dry sotol stalk. Slight deviations from perfectly straight, especially along the top 1/4 of the stick, where it will be gripped, will give it its unique beauty. Cleanly cut off all side branches. Use medium grit sandpaper, moving it always vertically up and down the stick, removing all bark down to the smooth cambium. Continue with finer sandpapers for a satiny smooth finish. You might add a leather thong grip wrap, a wrist loop, and a rubber chair stop on the bottom tip. Rub it with high quality furniture oil on a soft cloth. Pure hiker romance!

11 A paperless magazine subscription. Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine has an introductory offer for new subscribers. https://tpwmagazine.com/app/ Or, a membership in the Texas Nature Conservancy gets your lucky friend a year’s subscription to their gorgeous online magazine. https://www.nature.org/en-us/membership-and-giving/donate-to-our-mission/become-a-member/

Wimberley Valley honey bee on a spring sotol bloom

12 Local honey—support those pollinators and their keepers! Meet local beekeepers at Wimberley Farmers’ Market on RR 12 in front of the Visitor’s Center every Wednesday, 3 to 6 p.m. Or find local honeys at shops on Wimberley Square and at your H.E.B. Read the label of any honey to be sure it’s pure, uncut, local—or at least Texas!—honey, filtered or unfiltered.

13 Birdseed, a big bag of high quality black oil sunflower seed. It’s a nutritious seed for many Hays County species.

14 A bird feeder is a more serious decision. Avoid platform feeders unless you’re cheerfully breeding squirrels and white wings. Why not go for broke on the invincible $99 Brome Squirrel Buster Plus squirrel-proof feeder with cardinal ring (senses an animal’s weight to close the feeding ports to white wings, squirrels, raccoons, etc. No seed waste!) Easily refillable, it has 6 feeding ports and a 5.1-pound seed capacity. Shameless plug, sorry, but boy are they worth the money!

15 A domed metal baffle that you can slip over the top of any bird feeder for extra protection from rain and marauding critters. Bought separately at hardware and garden stores, they make an unexpected, useful gift. Did you know that “critters” is a corruption of creatures?

16 A blank notebook for a nature journal; invite your friend to read the upcoming February 2021 issue of The Hays Humm for tips on nature journaling.

17 A bat house. If you build it yourself, check out Austin-based Bat Conservation International’s founder Merlin Tuttle’s build book: here or really take flight with Bat Conservation International (BCI)

18 A bird box. Lots of bird box build information online. Our Betsy Cross monitors bluebird boxes at Jacob’s Well, and Wimberley’s Blue Hole Park has improved designs. To purchase a bluebird box from Texas Bluebird Society: https://texasbluebirdsociety.org/Sales.nestbox.php

19 The best for last. How about next year’s renewed MN membership!

The HAYS HUMM Wins 2nd Place Photography Award

Texas Master Naturalist 2020 Annual Meeting

Click HERE to view/read the July 2020 Hays Humm

Editorial by Tom Jones: I am so excited about the TMN photography award for the July 2020 Hays Humm. It is recognition of Betsy’s wonderful photography. Her stunning up close and personal photos of a Black-chinned Hummingbird was worthy of an award. Betsy also included three high definition videos highlighting the natural beauty and dangers faced by this tiny hummingbird mother. To bring this feature article to life, she had to face several technical challenges. The first was mastering the video editing software needed tell the story in a few minutes. The next challenge happened a day before we released the July edition. We had limited experience with embedding multiple large video files onto the webpage. We worked late that evening to solve the problem. Our attempt to use a YouTube stream was quickly abandoned because of the Google ads and the slow download speed. In a final effort, we chose the online video streaming service, Vimeo. As time ran out, Betsy and I were able to embed her incredible videos, and she even added a cover photo to improve the experience. Thank you, Betsy, for sharing your beautiful photography each month. I also want to thank Mimi Cavender and Eva Frost for the Mega Moth photography. Other photo contributors deserve credit including Constance Quigley and Dick McBride. Congratulations to the entire team.

Attracting birds in the Texas Hill Country. Book report by Constance Quigley — One of the popular bird areas on my land. Ashe juniper, live oak, with persimmon, agarita, yaupon, twist-leaf yucca. Nearby there are escarpment black cherry, rusty blackhaw, and flameleaf sumac, all desirable understory trees. I especially love the leaf litter in this area: the robins spent days here digging around.

“Diversity creates stability, and stable environments are more resilient.”

— Darryl Hutchinson – Balcones Canyonlands Preserve biologist

Attracting Birds in the Texas Hill Country – A Guide to Land Stewardship – by W. Rufus Stephens & Jan Wrede was written as a guide for land stewards seeking wildlife tax valuation for their property. The authors conducted workshops around this topic for several years before compiling their experience and knowledge into a very well-organized and readable format that any naturalist or landowner will find useful.

The essence of this book is summed up in one sentence fragment from the introduction: “… all land stewardship is conducted by habitat.”

The guide comprises six chapters dedicated to the identified habitats of the Texas Hill Country and three additional chapters that offer comprehensive methods for managing the specific challenges of this ecoregion: deer populations, ashe juniper/cedar, and invasive species. Each chapter contains a thorough description of the habitat under discussion, along with problems encountered in management, suggestions on restoring and preserving the land, lists of bird species that should be present, and plant communities commonly found there. The habitat breakdown is as follows: wooded slopes and savannahs; grasslands; rivers and creeks; canyons, springs, and seeps; constructed tanks, ponds, and lakes; and backyards. Navigating is easy, especially if you have the Kindle version, which can be easily searched for a species or key word.

The book holds many little bird facts along with excellent recommendations and guidelines for property management and restoration. I was surprised to learn that the black and white warbler nests on the ground, therefore needing an abundance of native plants for concealment. This is one of my favorite birds, and I frequently spot one in a heavily wooded area near my apiary. Another interesting tidbit is the fascinating symbiotic relationship between hummingbirds and hawks. One study found that “ … hummingbirds are five times more successful at producing fledglings when their nest is within approximately 1,000 feet of an active hawk nest.”

In addition to such interesting details about specific species, the book provides a wealth of insight on such topics as removing cowbirds; monitoring purple martin populations; locating houses for bluebirds and owls; maintaining ponds and seeps; prescribed burns; rotational grazing of cattle; controlling fire ants; periodic and selective mowing; protecting tasty native plants from deer and other grazers; and when, where, and why to plant native seeds. After reading the chapter on deer management, I no longer feel like I’m imprisoning all of my native trees. Now I can just explain the purpose of deer exclosures and that they may be necessary permanent fixtures.

The main takeaways from this book are related to reading the land and making appropriate decisions regarding habitat construction and preservation.

In designing or managing a habitat, one should always aim for a “mosaic landscape”, meaning a large variety of tall trees, understory trees and shrubs, and native forbs and grasses, which are arranged in large blocks. If you observe natural areas, you will find that certain species coexist quite well and benefit from common mycorrhizal fungi as well as sharing soil nutrients and moisture. It often looks like a tangle of vines and unkempt bushes under the canopy of a group of large trees, but that is what makes it so attractive to the birds and other wildlife that inhabit the area. Some areas of my property that are popular with the birds are also thick with green briar, snailseed, pearl milkvine, wild grapevines, yaupon, and elbowbush. I have learned to appreciate these native plants and allow them to thrive undisturbed in many areas.

Avoid “ecological traps” in land management. An ecological trap is an attractive habitat area that puts predators at an advantage. An example would be a bird bath or feeder surrounded by dense foliage, drawing in birds but also allowing cats to approach unseen. Another ecological trap is a fencerow where predators can easily move and scan for prey to the disadvantage of birds that are feeding on local grasses.

There is an “interconnectedness” that needs to be considered by all land stewards. Deer and birds are both desirable species, but they compete for food sources in many circumstances; likewise quail and horned lizards occupy similar habitat, introduced exotic plant species vie with native vegetation for nutrients and water, and natural predators are often displaced by invasive species that can be highly destructive to even large acreage. Feral hogs, for example, not only destroy planted areas but can cause a very harmful chain reaction in downstream areas by contaminating water and even redirecting stream flows. In studying the land and deciding on a course of action for a particular habitat, it is critical to take all factors into account and be aware that nothing is fixed in time. The very essence of land stewardship and habitat management is adapting to changes in the environment and doing what is best to create a sustainable ecosystem for all of its inhabitants, including humans.

I found this book to be an excellent companion to the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve forest restoration video series at the Austin Water Wildland Conservation Youtube channel. The presenters discuss many topics that are related to the book’s content, particularly plant communities.

Photos by Paula Glover - Article by Bruce Cannon & Paula Glover

Outstanding Chapter Volunteer - Chris Middleton

This member has taken our Mission to the next level by extending our presence in Hays County through a variety of Outreach Education programs directed to all, including both the young and the not-so-young. This year, she has expanded the Hays County online nature education opportunities for children through E-Nature for Kids on both Facebook and the Beautiful Hays County websites. Through her love of education, she developed a team of educators to regularly create content providing fun, educational, nature-based activities that parents and teachers can use during the current COVID-19 crisis, the focus of which are activities that children can do in their homes and backyards. Through her diligent planning and research, she is reviving and expanding on the Chapter’s “site visits” to Hays County Landowners’ homes by putting together a team and educating them so that they are ready to visit properties and educate homeowners on conserving their land, once COVID-19 allows. She was integral in founding the diversity committee this year. She is the long time editor of the Riparian Recovery Network and is a member of the 2010 Prickly Pear class. Please join me in congratulating Chris Middleton as our 2020 Outstanding Chapter Volunteer winner.

Significant Contributions to the Chapter
Outstanding Training Committee Volunteer

Kristy Daniel

Kristy Daniel has made her mark with the Master Naturalist program from the beginning. While she was in the 2017 Nighthawk class, she was tapped to teach her fellow Nighthawks on taxonomy/plants when the previous speaker was unable to be there. She continues to teach the class each year with her special brand of showing how to key plants using Bertie Bott’s Jelly Beans. In addition to teaching, Kristy serves on the Training Committee lining up the speakers.

Kristy holds a doctorate degree and is an Associate Professor of Biology at Texas State. Her connections and expertise have been invaluable to HCMN. She has joined her professional and volunteer worlds by hosting an invasive species workshop for students and HCMN members. Her most recent undertaking is a joint citizen science project (HCMN #1903) with Texas State called Minding the Hill Country. The project is aimed at helping children and families complete citizen science activities by developing science activity kits about species of concern within the Hill Country. Spider Friends and Good Gall-y are available on the internet already. When allowed, the project will host school field trips for San Marcos elementary schools.

In 2019, Kristy spoke at the chapter meeting about galls. Her passion and knowledge about these little known structures made this a fascinating topic.

While Kristy has been an ardent volunteer for HCMN, she has made an even more significant contribution this year. While having many skills, Kristy possessed a different skill set that proved the difference between continuing the training class and dropping it due to the coronavirus pandemic. After just 3 classes, the state ended in-person groups, leaving our fledgling training class in jeopardy. Kristy showed the rest of the Training Committee how to successfully conduct classes via Zoom/CANVAS and personally converted the remaining 9 classes into 22 shorter classes by lining up the speakers and creating the online framework for its success. As a result, 24 Coronas de Cristo graduated this year. Her successful blueprint for online classes can be replicated until gatherings are permitted. For this remarkable body of work, we are pleased to award Dr. Kristy Daniel the award for Significant Contributions to the Chapter.

Special Achievement Award - Betsy Cross

Our 2020 Special Achievement Award goes to a member of the 2017 Nighthawk class who was integral in keeping our Chapter connected during this unique and challenging COVID-19 year. Her years of working remotely and expert knowledge of Zoom were an absolute blessing for the Chapter. When she was not scheduling and leading HCMN Zoom calls, she was training and giving advice to others to lead or participate in Zoom calls. She is co-editor, author and photographer for the award winning The Hays Humm, the HCMN Online Magazine. With her co-editor Tom Jones, she made a virtual presentation at the 2020 Annual Meeting that was described by TMN state leadership as “beautiful, practiced and you can really tell how well the two of you really work together!” For those that missed it, we hope they will make the presentation again to the Chapter. She is also a regular Bluebird nestbox monitor at Jacob’s Well. Please join me in congratulating Betsy Cross for her Special Achievements to our chapter.

Volunteer Report. A quiet return to outdoor projects by Tom Jones

My participation in outdoor volunteer projects in Wimberley really took off in November. I spread grass and wildflower seed at the Alexis Point water retention basin, attended a guide meeting at Jacob's Well Natural Area (JWNA) and led a tour group there the weekend before Thanksgiving. At all of these activities, the latest COVID virus guidelines and procedures were reviewed and discussed. Everyone wore masks, maintained six foot separation, and group size was limited. While these requirements are easy to follow, they did make for a quieter experience. It was a welcome but quiet return to Fall projects.

A group of HCMN joined park staff to spread grass and wildflower seed at the Alexis Point flood retention basin in Wimberley. The basin is adjacent to the northern boundary of the Patsy Glen Refuge. The retention basin is mostly bare ground with very little vegetation cover. Distributing 40 pounds of seed across the large basin was easy but important work. The goal is to increase the percentage of grass and wildflower ground cover next spring. It is hopeful that a thick bed of grass and wildflowers will slow the water flow from the basin into the Patsy Glen Refuge. A lower flowrate will reduce erosion in both areas. Project 418: Patsy Glen Refuge Wimberley 11/10/20.

Jim Miller giving directions to the HCMN team

Spreading grass and wildflower seed

Note the sparse ground cover

Jacobs Well Natural Area (JWNA) is now allowing weekend tours. The HCMN guide team met with Katherine Sturdivant, Hays Co. Parks Department to discuss the latest COVID guidelines required to resume the weekend tours. Mel Seib, kicked off the Fall tour season guiding a group at JWNA on November 14th. The next weekend it was my turn leading the Wimberley Outdoor Group on a tour. Project 603: Jacob's Well Nature Center