The Hays Humm - March 2020
The Hays Humm
March 2020
Celebrating Night Skies
Tom Jones - Betsy Cross - Constance Quigley
COLLABORATION
COMMUNITY
CONVERGENCE
“When it arose in the Mind of the Infinite to create, the Infinite manifested as Endless Light and encompassed All. In the time beyond time, before there was time, in a moment between moments before there was moment, Infinite Being constricted Its own Essence to allow for the emergence of space. Then, within that clearing, void of Itself, Infinite Being manifested a single ray of Its Endless Light, Its Infinite Presence. And from this single ray, the universe came into being.” – Sixteenth-century Rabbi Chayyim Vital in Etz Ha’Chayyim, Ch. 1
by Betsy Cross
In the vast expanse of the Davis Mountains of West Texas, where the largest telescope in North America is situated atop Mount Locke, night sky conservationist Bill Wren felt like “the lone voice in the wilderness”. And then suddenly, as if the planets and stars had been waiting for this chosen time, everything aligned. A new vision emerged.
COLLABORATION…
Cindy Luongo Cassidy and Bill Wren have worked independently and sometimes together for over 20 years toward a common cause – the preservation of night skies.
Cindy Luongo Cassidy
Cindy is a Hays County Master Naturalist and founder and coordinator of the Texas Night Sky Festival®. She wrote the nomination package for the City of Dripping Springs to become the first International Dark Sky Community in Texas. She is creator of the “Be a Star” program in Texas, designed to teach residents and business owners how to improve their outdoor lighting, providing them with information about everything from shielding lights to the color of lights used. As scientific evidence suggests, artificial light at night has negative and deadly effects on many creatures including amphibians, birds, mammals, insects, and plants (International Dark-Sky Association’s website). Cindy places a high priority on the effects of artificial light on living things. She has presented to Texas Master Naturalists all over the state and at the state meeting almost every year since 2012.
Among her many accomplishments, Cindy developed ordinance language for smaller communities that is easily understood and implemented without a lighting designer. She created and delivered training to volunteers around the state on how to do lighting inventories and assessments for state parks. She served as Director of the Texas Chapter for the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), growing the membership to over 550 members and trained local government officials and staff in her highly successful “Better Nights for Better Light” Conference in 2014. For her work in the field, Cindy received the 2019 International Dark-Sky Association’s Crawford-Hunter Lifetime Achievement Award. Though Cindy owns the trademark and copyrights for the collateral and program concepts she developed for the Texas Night Sky Festival® and the “Be A Star” program, she generously chooses to share all her tools, materials, and lessons learned with anyone wishing to expand the circle of collaboration and outreach.
Bill Wren
Bill Wren’s job as Special Assistant to the Superintendent of the McDonald Observatory is to keep the night skies dark in support of their ongoing research efforts. He has been described by his colleagues as “a longtime advocate and champion of preserving the efficacy of the world-class astronomical research done by the University of Texas at the McDonald Observatory. He is known more and more as a leader in the community for working with all types of stakeholders, including industry, to maintain and restore the incredibly rare night sky natural resource in Jeff Davis County.”
Bill has worked closely with the oil and gas industry over the last 10 years to “keep their lights on their work and out of the sky.” In 2013, working with the rig fleet for Pioneer Energy Services, he and others were able to make changes in lighting and demonstrate that by shielding the light, the company had more light on their work site and less glare in their workers’ eyes. This and other demonstration projects resulted in the Railroad Commission, the regulatory body for oil and gas practices in Texas, issuing two notices to operators (first in 2016, and most recently again in February 2019) that the recommended lighting solutions are simple, cost effective, improve nighttime visibility, and increase worker safety.
In a recent interview with Diana Nguyen of Marfa Public Radio, Bill shared this about himself, “I came to work at the Observatory in March of 1990 and brought a passion for dark skies with me. This was the ultimate dark sky destination for me…It wasn’t part of my job description initially, but I started working with the surrounding communities to help adopt lighting ordinances and basically to keep light on the ground and out of the sky. Far West Texas and the Big Bend region is still one of those pristine, naturally dark, nighttime skies. It’s a resource we’re trying hard to protect.”
COMMUNITY…
Enter Janice Moss-Wren, Tierra Grande Master Naturalist (MN), wife of Bill Wren, and friend of Cindy and John Cassidy. Cindy and her husband, Hays County MN John Cassidy, along with Bill and Janice, have worked together over the years, collaborating and spreading the night skies message across Texas and the nation. John and Cindy first uncovered a common bond with Janice when their paths crossed at the 2015 annual meeting of Texas Master Naturalist (TMN). Janice and Bill Wren have supported Cindy’s Texas Night Sky Festival® for three years.
Enter Ellen Weinacht, lifelong resident of West Texas; Co-President of the Tierra Grande MN Chapter; conservationist, owner, and developer of Sandia Springs Wetlands; and advocate for McDonald Observatory. “My sister and I grew up here and consider McDonald Observatory our very own personal observatory. So, I approached Keary Kinch, Director of Development at McDonald Observatory/Department of Astronomy, and told her, ‘we want to spend more time building a relationship with the Observatory.’” Then Ellen added with a wink and a smile, ‘Keary and Katie [Kizziar] went scrambling about, thinking ‘what are we going to do with these old women?’”
Enter Katie Kizziar, Assistant Director for Education and Outreach at the McDonald Observatory. As will happen when common interests converge, Katie and Bill were recruited to staff the McDonald Observatory booth at Cindy’s 2019 Texas Night Sky Festival® in Dripping Springs. Katie’s participation in the Texas Night Sky Festival® sparked a new idea. Afterward, she advised Bill that she and her team would like to sponsor a similar event at the McDonald Observatory.
CONVERGENCE…
“The movements of the stars and the planets have almost no impact on life on Earth,
but a few times per year, the alignment of celestial bodies has a visible effect.” - NASA.gov
Bill brought Katie and Cindy together to explore the possibilities of a joint venture. Cindy has always believed in the power of working together to share resources so other night sky advocates don’t have to reinvent the wheel. She began sharing collateral with Katie - festival planning tips, educational booth details, and other tools for running the festival. On a parallel track, Ellen and Janice, pitched the idea to the Tierra Grande MN chapter for volunteers and an opportunity to learn more about night sky preservation. Cindy provided additional specifics and talking points for the Texas Night Sky Festival® Educational Booths to Janice and Bill. And then in January, over 20 eager Tierra Grande MNs signed up for a weekend of learning under Bill’s tutelage about night sky preservation and how to support the festival. Just like that, all the stars and the planets aligned, and a convergence was born.
January 2020 - New Focus on the Heavenly Realm
Tierra Grande Master Naturalists and defenders of the night sky gathered at the McDonald Observatory in Jeff Davis County, Texas, on January 18 and 19 for a fun weekend of practical education and advanced training. In partnership with the Davis Mountains State Park and McDonald Observatory, chapter members launched a new initiative. It consisted of several priority projects: planning and implementation of the upcoming Texas Night Sky Festival® at McDonald Observatory on April 25, as well as rendering extensive technical assistance and project management services for the Davis Mountains State Park to apply to be an International Dark-Sky Association Park.
Following several hours of hands-on classroom training in physics, ecology, and policy, and a delicious meal at the Astronomer’s Lodge, about two dozen participants were treated to their very own star party under a dazzlingly dark sky, with Mr. Bill Wren at the helm of the telescope and laser pointer.
Some trainees spent the night at the lodge recounting past Tierra Grande adventures and follies. They were treated to a beautiful sunrise on a cold January morning.
A few more hours were spent in the classroom on Sunday going over regional policy considerations as well as practical demonstrations and plans for further public education and outreach about protecting the night sky.
During the session, trainees also learned how to identify noncompliant, light-polluting fixtures and defined strategies for local engagement toward improved community outcomes.
The newly trained team of MN volunteers and Observatory staff is excited to host the Texas Night Sky Festival® at McDonald Observatory this year on April 25.
The seven-county area that surrounds McDonald Observatory spans 28,000 square miles,18 million acres. In Bill’s words, “As far as I know, it is the largest piece of ground on the planet whose skies overhead are protected by law.” And since their training, Tierra Grande MNs have been asking, ‘What more can we do?’ Bill continues, “We hope Tierra Grande MNs will reach out to community leaders and assist residents in adopting the program. We want them to get involved with the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to promote our mission of protecting the night sky.” Until recently, Bill felt like the lone voice in the forest, but the word is spreading. Ellen noted, “On Sunday morning during the Advanced Training session at the Observatory, the Superintendent of the Davis State Park sent a text message expressing their interest in getting more involved.”
Bill envisions an additional opportunity - networking with other MN chapters and expanding the training program across the region and beyond. “We’re setting a precedent here. When we were putting the Advanced Training together for the Tierra Grande Chapter, we were asked about including MN chapters in El Paso and others. With the amount of oil and gas activity around the state, the mission to expand the training to other chapters is rich with opportunity.”
Bill added, “This training needs to be part of all MN programming. As a key component of the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas, night sky conservation strategies should become part of the core curriculum of Texas Master Naturalist, ideally with inclusion in TMN’s textbook.”
Even as we were wrapping up our interview, the ideas continued to flow. Janice and Ellen exclaimed, “Maybe our two chapters could do a night-skies display together at the next TMN state meeting!” Cindy chimed in, “...and at the IDA meeting in San Antonio in November 2020, too.” Networking at the TMN state meeting has been a primary catalyst for this collaboration. Ellen added “…it put us all together!” To her delight, Cindy has provided a limited license of the Texas Night Sky Festival® trademark to McDonald Observatory for this event, “I think it’s going to be a fabulous event!”
Cindy and John Cassidy
Cindy and John Cassidy will be supporting the April 25 event by running their Dark Sky and Midnight Defender Patch Programs, where Night Sky enthusiasts can attend presentations, talk to experts in their booths, and answer a set of relevant questions to earn a custom patch designed by Cindy for this activity.
Acknowledgements
Interviewees: Cindy Luongo Cassidy, Bill Wren, Janice Moss-Wren, and Ellen Weinacht
Contributor: John Kennedy, VP, Tierra Grande Master Naturalist Chapter for photos and write-up of McDonald Observatory Tierra Grande MN training.
McDonald Observatory Reviewers: Keary Kinch and Katie Kizziar
West Texas Talk: Bill Wren, The Godfather of Dark Skies, Marfa Public Radio
Winkler, Gershon. Kabbalah 365: Daily Fruit from the Tree of Life. Kansas City, MO: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2004. Opening quote in the title bar.
Meet Your Master Naturalist
Doray Lendacky
Doray Lendacky-2019 Class Horned Lizards
About Myself: I worked in Corporate America (which I call the Dark Side) and retired in 2013. When I retired, a colleague told me to find my passion and at that time, I had no idea of what it was or where to find it. I have always been an outdoors type of person which means I'm "Solar-Powered" and if the sun is shining, I'm outdoors! After I retired, I found a dormant passion to nurture Earth and I am on a mission to do my part. Here's my motto: Take care of our Earth, there is no PLANet B.
You May Not Know: I'm a HUGE Survivor fan (the reality TV show)...to the point that I've submitted video applications for 20 years! I know they want me, they just don't know it YET.
FAV Master Naturalist Activity or Project: Birding got me into MN initially but I soon discovered my passion for wanting to become a good land steward. One of my volunteer activities is at the Bamberger Ranch Preserve, where I assist J. David and Joanna in creating/maintaining their Educational garden beds. I remember meeting J. David for the first time in Sept 2019 and I was so star-struck that I was an emotional basket case. This man is my hero and role model!
Bird you most identify with and why: Northern Mockingbird. This songbird incessantly sings her heart out in many different dialects and songs, and THIS I can relate to.
John Cassidy
Cindy and John Cassidy
About Myself: I was born and raised in Midland, in West Texas. With no hills or trees to get in the way, Midland has plenty of sky (and the air is usually clear between sandstorms). As a result, I developed an early love of astronomy and the night sky, and that love continues to this day. I still count my old Midland astronomy cohorts as some of my best friends. I was active in Boy Scouts and several of our scout masters were petroleum geologists. Any camping or hiking trip quickly turned into a geology field course. I moved to Austin in 1970, and except for a nine-year stint in Houston, I have lived in Central Texas ever since. I met Cindy here and we were married in 2002. I was fortunate to have family, scout masters and teachers who looked at the land and sky and saw its beauty and grandeur. Because of them, I developed a deep reverence for the natural world, and I try to reflect that reverence in all that I do. It is a privilege to be among Texas Master Naturalists and to know that they share that same feeling.
You May Not Know: I once ended up on a small freighter sailing from the tip of South America to Antarctica (it is a long story). Ten passengers, twelve crew and ten stomach churning days on very rough seas, but it was the trip of a lifetime.
FAV Master Naturalist Activity or Project: For several years, Cindy and I have been water quality monitors for the LCRA. Our site is southwest of Dripping Springs, where Creek Road crosses Onion Creek. Cindy and I also do night-sky preservation education programs, including the Texas Night Sky Festival.
Favorite Bird: Favorite bird has always been the scissor-tailed fly catcher. They are unmistakable with their long forked tail. They are common in West Texas but less so here. They are incredibly acrobatic in the air and will not hesitate to attack any bird that comes near their nests.
“One Water” is defined by the Water Research Foundation as an integrated planning and implementation approach to managing finite water resources for long-term resilience and reliability, meeting both community and ecosystem needs. On February 14th, 2020, the Friends of Blue Hole held a One Water Learning Series event in Wimberley. Texas water experts provided updates on the latest success stories, new collaborators, and technologies. The least expensive water is the water we already have. Communities can build water resilience through creative and thoughtful use of groundwater, surface water, rainwater, storm water, and wastewater. There’s not a minute to lose.
Ruben Becerra, Hays County Judge
“The aquifers know no boundaries. We must cherish the things when we have them. United is how we will come together as a community and have a powerful voice, with a county-wide vision of what our county wants.”
Full House at the One Water Learning Series, Wimberley Community Center. Many HCMN in attendance.
Robert E. Mace, Executive Director
Chief Water Policy Office
The Meadows Center
One Water – changing the mindset of how we think about water. One Water is integrated (urban) water management – it’s all one integrated system.
Water conservation is a big part of One Water. Texas water use: 30% outdoors, 70% indoors. Turf is the largest irrigated crop in the US (4x corn) and consumes more water than the next seven crops combined.
Storm water harvesting and wastewater reclamation – black water for flushing toilets
Condensate harvesting – 33 million gallons per year
Grey water – not a big supporter, unintended consequences, higher salt content
The Hays County population will increase by three times in the next 50 years resulting in a growth in population, climate change, and wastewater. Austin is projected to grow to 4 million residents.
Unintended consequences – not enough people stepping back and looking at the big picture. Climate Change impacts water supplies and the aquifers.
Pumping ground water affects surface water.
Conservation and water reuse
Water reuse and water quality
Water reuse and environmental flows and downstream use
David Baker, Executive Director
Wimberley Valley Watershed Association
The Cypress Creek Watershed Protection Plan aims to ensure that the long-term sustainability of the Cypress Creek Watershed is preserved and that water quality standards are maintained for present and future generations.
ALL WATER IS ONE WATER - One Water Promotes the Management of all water as a single resource.
Drinking water
Wastewater
Stormwater
Grey Water
“We do not inherit the land from our ancestors, but borrow it from our children.”
In 2000, Jacob’s Well stopped flowing, which led to the Cypress Creek Watershed Protection – we were listed as impaired.
Fishviews Water Quality Sites
https://www.earthviews.com/FishViews_Summary.pdf
The threats to water quality in the Wimberley Valley include:
Population growth and development
Declining groundwater level
Impacts to climate extremes - droughts and floods
Nick Dornak,
Director of Watershed Services.
The Meadows Center and the Environment
The 7 tenets of One Water – how we can build community and cities in the future
Collaboration
Economics and finance
Green infrastructure
Closed-loop systems
Built environment
Enabling conditions
Flexible and adaptive
The Wimberley Primary School Development plans to ensure the right water for the right use. It will collect water on site and recover 1,000 gallons per day of condensation water.
Lori Olson
WISD Trustee, Place 1
Wimberley ISD is making history as the first One Water school in Texas. The school design got 100% Board approval – it was unanimous. Becoming one with Nature, the new Wimberltey ISD campus is to include self-sustaining technologies. “Timing is everything” – it was already funded and the process of planning had already begun when the conversations started.
Costs/maintenance/risks are offset by savings/long-term benefits/moving more into favor.
To design the Wimberley ISD One Water School, required a Building Scale Water Cycle. Key point: “Designing a water management system into the very fabric rather than appending it on.”
David Venhuizen
P.E. - Engineer
Chapter News
HCMN Katherine Senftleber & Betsy Cross - Jacob’s Well Natural Area. Co-leaders JWNA Sat public tour, Feb. 1 2020.
Jacob’s Well Family Fun Day - FOSSILS
February 1, 2020
When did you first hear about the Master Naturalist program? Perhaps you talked to a friend, picked up a brochure, went an event or festival, or searched the internet.
In your search, you found a program whose mission is “to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within our communities for the State of Texas.”
The three-pronged framework is the foundation to what this talented group does. Through a myriad of educational and service projects, we protect and conserve the natural resources with an abundance of skills. Through outreach,we work to promote the program and its mission in the community, as well as develop that corps of volunteers.
Outreach today is focused on many components needed to get out the word that will generate interest in both our mission and our need to continually recruit new volunteers:
We are establishing a structure to spread the word throughout the county. Four community liaisons put a public face on the Chapter and seek opportunities to promote the HCMN program in their communities. This year, we will have a presence at educational programs and festivals in every community.
Our Festivals Team spends many weekends manning tables and enthusiastically engaging the public. We go where we will not be in an echo chamber – we seek those who have never heard of us. Our tables are filled with HCMN educational handouts, reference books, static displays on related topics, and children’s activities. We promote the program and look for new faces to join us.
We are working with realtors to encourage newcomers to help preserve and protect the Hill Country. Magnets, referring folks to the beautifulhayscounty.org website, will be distributed in newcomer bags. Training sessions for realtors to become savvy about getting newcomers off on the right foot (and perhaps joining us one day) will kick off this summer.
We realize as a body that everyone can do outreach. Talk to your friends, sponsor someone from the Speaker’s Bureau to present to your HOA or group, wear your name tag to public events, and refer folks to our beautifulhayscounty.org website. If you find someone who would like to join us, refer them to our haysmn.org website, where there are instructions how to sign up for the class. Be intentional!
2019 Horned Lizards Reunion
Austin Wildlands
By Constance Quigley
The HCMN class of 2019 (Horned Lizards) had a reunion at the Austin Wildlands on Sunday, February 16th. We met with Devin Grobert, Austin Water Utility Biologist, to distribute seeds in bare areas on a 2019 controlled burn site.
Devin shared a brief history of the Austin Wildlands with us, after which we hiked into the property to search for optimal areas to distribute seeds. The seeds were harvested previously by volunteers at other Austin Wildlands properties and included a large variety of native grasses and wildflowers.
“Through this program, we want to develop a corps of well-informed volunteer specialists who provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of aquatic resources and aquatic habitats within their communities for the state of Texas.”
Do you enjoy Texas waters related volunteer activities? Do you want to learn more about the Texas waters issues? The Texas Waters Specialist Program may be for you. Through the Texas Waters Specialist (“TWS”) Program, Texas Parks & Wildlife wants to develop a corps of well-informed volunteer specialists who provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of aquatic resources and aquatic habitats within their communities for the state of Texas.
Certification Requirements:
To receive initial certification in the Texas Waters Specialist Program, one must accumulate at least 8 hours of Advanced Training utilizing the Texas Waters curriculum through one of the following options:
Attend Texas Waters events, sessions, and field trips at the Texas Master Naturalist Annual Meeting.
Attend Texas Waters webinars (here). If you missed any of the webinars, you can still use them to earn Advanced Training by forming a small interactive study group and watch the recorded webinars (here) with discussion.
Participate in small group interactive study (use the chapters in the curriculum and the "Questions to Consider" to guide your study and discussion).
Other approved Texas Waters learning activities such as Texas Stream Team and CoCoRaHS training (Limit - 4 hours)
Texas Master Naturalists should enter their Advanced Training (AT) hours under the "AT:TX Waters Certification Training" opportunity for AT credit.
Texas Water Specialist Certifiers are recognized with a Texas Waters Specialist Pin and Certificate at the HCMN Gala.
Annual Renewal Requirements:
After receiving your initial certification, you can renew your certification annually by participating in at least 10 hours (each calendar year) of volunteer services in the area of water and watersheds. You do not have to continue earning 8 hours of Advanced Training each year but you are encouraged to to learn more about aquatic resources and aquatic habitats within their communities for the state of Texas. A member can get their 10 volunteer hours while in process of obtaining their 8 AT hours. You shouldn’t have to wait until fully certified to start monitoring water.
Volunteer Service Projects are the cornerstone of the Texas Waters program. There are many different varieties of projects in which one may participate! Projects should be pre-approved (check with Conservation Education Manager Melissa Felty (Alderson), melissa.alderson@tpwd.texas.gov, for pre-approval). Some examples can be found here. Check this page often for updates. TPWD will be adding specific project listings there for you to review. Hours need to be reported as TMN hours.
The AT and volunteer hours required to obtain TWS certification and for community service are not on top of existing TMN chapter requirements; instead, they can be counted toward your annual chapter requirements. Those who renew are also recognized at the HCMN Gala.
Questions? Visit the Texas Water Specialist website. Direct questions to Melissa Felty (Alderson), Conservation Education Manager, melissa.alderson@tpwd.texas.gov.
HCMN STORIES
Sarah Carlisle
The Texas Water Specialist Program for me came about more by mistake than design! Dixie Camp told me in my training year I had 4 hours toward TWS certification. After that, I learned more about the program and its requirements. I have a history with water. I grew up on it and in it. I have been a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (“TCEQ”) water specialist Class D. I maintained records and monitored my Church well for 5 years, which required taking 3 days of classes and then an exam. I do not do that any more. Currently, I am part of the Texas Stream Team Citizen Science Team and monitor a couple of sites on the Blanco River each month and enter data to the Meadows Center. This is run by Ginger Geist. I don’t believe she has any openings at the moment but San Marcos River Rangers may. I listen to the webinars put on by Melissa Felty (Alderson) at Texas Parks & Wildlife. Which can be informative or boring! If someone would like to tag along sometime, that would be fine. :)
Patty Duhon
I grew up spending time on the Sabine River with my family. We boated, skied, fished, and picnicked on the sand bars in deep Southeast Texas. When I came to San Marcos 15 years ago, my opinion of the water changed. The Sabine was slow-moving and pretty muddy and we loved it for the pleasure it gave us. Here, the beauty of the rivers in this area are the first thing I noticed. As I spent more time here (and living in the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone), I came to know how sensitive our rivers and aquifers are to polluting runoff and chemicals. As more and more people relocate to this area, I’ve come to understand how critical it is to protect our water sources and do what I can to help educate others about the dangers of not caring. I want to become a better advocate for these waters by getting my Water Specialist Certification. The knowledge I gain through this certification will help me educate others.
Bruce Cannon
My favorite TWS volunteer opportunities include recording and reporting rainfall totals through Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (“CoCoRaHs”) and native seed collection in the Austin Wildlands’ properties that are later used to seed the Wildlands to establish strong, native grasslands that improve water quality and quantity in the Barton Springs recharge zone.
7th Annual Chaetura Canyon Stewardship Day
~ Constance Quigley
View from the deck overlooking Chaetura Canyon
Every year a group of Hays County Master Naturalists is invited to participate in a cleanup day at Chaetura Canyon. I was privileged to be included in the group this year and experience this beautiful sanctuary for more than 30 nesting avian species. Our annual work day was organized by HCMN Steve Janda in coordination with Paul and Georgean Kyle, the Chaetura Canyon sanctuary stewards and project directors for the Chimney Swift Conservation Association.
Chaetura Canyon is named for the species of chimney swift (Chaetura pelagica) that resides there. Eighteen chimney swift towers have been constructed on the property to attract and provide nesting sites for these unique birds.
7th Annual workday HCMN crew: Mary O’Hara, Robert Fisher, Bob Adkins, Mike Moore, Jan Wolfe, Tina Adkins, Jim Johnson, Susan Powell, Nancy Hernandez, Manuel Peña, Kathy McElveen
Our workday began at 8:30am, when we arrived at the sanctuary. Paul & Georgean greeted our group of 13 and treated us to a continental breakfast. After a brief overview of our tasks for the day, we hiked through the steep canyon trails to Little Beaver Hill, where we proceeded to remove previously cut cedar and other brush, cleared trash from the area, took down a fence, and raised the canopy on some additional cedar trees. After a few hours of work, the hill was noticeably cleaner and we had a very large pile of brush/branches and old boards that were scattered around the property. Our final group endeavor was to construct a bird/lizard shelter in the shape of a tee pee at the top of the hill.
After our group photo, we explored some more of the canyon by taking a different trail back to the house. Georgean had a very nice lunch ready for us, and we enjoyed a video about the chimney swifts while chatting about our day’s activities and the contributions of Travis Audubon and its supporters to this important sanctuary.
If you are able to visit Chaetura Canyon, do so! This is a very special habitat, with over 150 resident and migratory bird species documented. It is only accessible by invitation or by attending one of their public events. For more information and to see their calendar, visit their website.
For more information about Chimney Swifts, visit http://www.chimneyswifts.org/.
