STMN Newsletter 2020

The South Texas Master Naturalist

Volume 5 Issue 7 July 1, 2020

The mission of the Master Naturalist Program is "to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers who provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the state of Texas."

Contents of this Newsletter

2020 Executive Board and Communications Volunteers
President's Corner
Exo-Corridors
Updates
PBS Recommendation - Nature
Landscape of Barrier Islands
June Impact
Plant ID Advanced Training
Updates
Tentative Intern Training Schedule 2020
Interesting Resources
Recommended Book for Our Time
Injured Animal Resources
Related Organizations
Embroidery Information
Newsletter Survey
Next Chapter Meeting
How To Print A Mail Chimp Newsletter
Archived Newsletters

2020 Executive Board for South Texas Master Naturalists

Bibi Dalrymple, President bibidalrymple@gmail.com
Chuck Blend, PhD, Vice President ilovethesea@att.net
Rosemary Plank, Treasurer rkplank69@gmail.com
Justin Quintanilla, Secretary simoonsam@gmail.com

Chapter Communications

Chad Huckabee, The Naturalist (newsletter)     chadhuckabee@outlook.com
Ruth Ramos, Website    2019ruthr@gmail.com
FaceBook
   Randy Bissell bissellr@swbell.net
   Justin Quintanilla    simoonsam@gmail.com

President's Corner by Bibi Darlrymple

“…This is the solstice, the still point / of the sun, its cusp and midnight, / the year’s threshold / and unlocking, where the past / lets go of and becomes the future;…”

-- Margaret Atwood

Summer solstice always reminds me that the calendar year is half gone, and the shortening days reflect the diminution of time available to accomplish my goals for the year. The first half of this year has been extraordinary, so I forgive myself for some floundering.

The past three months have shown us the parameters for the rest of the year. Our state conference in October will be a virtual event, and it is likely that our chapter meetings will be virtual through fall and winter. We have crossed a threshold, but I realize the path forward may not always be clear and that effective communication will be vital to maintaining our chapter’s mission and cohesion.

Our chapter is fortunate that Randy Bissell has agreed to chair the Outreach/Communication committee, and he is figuring out how to balance our communication needs with our available resources. Our main resource is our membership, so if you have any interest in website or online calendar maintenance, please contact Randy or me. This is a great opportunity to learn and contribute to your chapter and accumulate many volunteer hours from the comfort of your keyboard!

As our past three months become our future, I see opportunities for new and creative ways of fulfilling our mission along with our traditional ways. Thank you for your continued service to your chapter!

Eco-Corridors by Rosemary Plank

For the past several years, given involvement in the University of Georgia Citizen Science Monarch Health Project, Monarch decline has been observed. Numbers of Monarchs are measured in ‘hectares’ of Mexican forest they inhabit while overwintering. The decline in Monarch hectares from 1996 (18.9 hectares) to 2020 (2.83 hectares) is 85%.

How many migrating butterflies are estimated to remain? To estimate the loss, well-known Biologist and Monarch specialist Dr. Lincoln Brower counted dead butterflies resulting from a 2002 winter storm in which most overwintering monarchs were killed (Journey North, n.d.). Counting those deceased and approximating those still on the trees in a representative area, Dr. Brower identified that approximately 50 million overwintering Monarchs filled one hectare of Mexican forest. Using the Journey North data and Dr. Brower’s calculations, the current estimate of migrating monarchs left for us to care for is 141 million, a rather significant reduction from the 945 million in 1996. Reviewing the book, The sixth extinction: An unnatural history (Kolbert, 2014), I wonder if there is a “Sixth Mass Extinction “process and if this decreasing butterfly population is part of it?

Categorization of what a mass extinction is depends upon the magnitude of biodiversity loss based on geological record; currently identified as a loss of more than three-quarters of species in a short geological time frame, identified in millions of years ago (Mya). (Barnosky et al., 2011). Though criteria categories leading to extinction risk and how that is determined may differ between organizations (example: IUCN Red List Categories (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources [IUCN], n.d.) and Texas (Texas Parks and Wildlife [TPWD], n.d.) and researchers, (Cowie et al., 2017), (Briggs, 2017)Briggs, Wake & Vrendenberg (2008) and others, consensus about actions needed are the same. Action that promotes continuance of small or rare populations of species should be taken.
   The “IUCN Red List”, or the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is used by multiple organizations as a list of species on which data has been gathered for determination of species risk. Currently the species on which data has been collected is a small percentage of the species that have been identified and named (Barnosky et al., 2011). The Red List partnership includes multiple national and international organizations and universities including Texas A&M University (IUCN, n.d.)
   Why is there mention of a ‘Sixth Extinction’? In the history of the world five ‘Mass Extinctions’ of species have been identified through geologic records. Wake and Vredenburg (2008), state that the magnitude of first two extinctions, called the Ordovician-Silurian extinction and the Late Devonian extinction (444 million and 383-359 million years ago respectively) were not as significant as the three following, and might be identified as a depletion of magnitude (Barnosky et al., 2011). The cause of extinctions during this time were nature driven, primarily sea level fluctuations and global warming.
The three extinctions that followed were the Permian-Triassic (251 Million years ago or Mya), End Triassic (199-214 Mya), and Crustaceous-Tertiary (65 Mya). The Permian-Triassic had the greatest rate of extinction, with 95% of all species (including plants) being lost. All of these extinctions were due to ‘natural’ changes such as volcanic activity and sea oxygen loss (Wake & Vredenberg, 2008).
   The current “Sixth Extinction”, the one which potentially began 11,000 years ago (Wake & Vredenberg, 2008); Briggs (2017), is thought primarily due to human presence. Briggs (2017), questions the verification of the assessment of human action being the cause of the sixth mass extinction by noting that there is currently no way to differentiate between natural and human causation because reported extinction research has been primarily measured on isolated island species and biodiversity gains during the period studied has not been calculated.
Verner believes the ‘Sixth’ may be “one of the fastest (growing) extinction rates of all time.”(Verner, 2015, p. 214). Briggs (2017, p. 122) states that we must collect “evidence that the global biodiversity is decreasing due to a rise of extinctions above the rate of speciation”. Scientists attempt to create graphs using current and past data, both hypothetical and actual, and project it into the future to identify species loss percentages. Due to extinction rate identification over lengthy time periods, extinction percentages hypothesized for the future vary widely (Barnosky et al., 2011)(Briggs, 2017).
   Species that have not become extinct but have been reduced to ‘remnant’ populations and influence the overall state of biodiversity, such as butterflies, tiger beetles, dragonflies, damselflies, should be of greatest concern to today’s conservationist. Given their remaining numbers, IUCN data, general consistency of findings, primary roles in determination of ecosystem health and past and current focus of public and conservationists attention influence the effort and potential desire of public to interact with the remnant species. Can we Master Naturalists affect possible extinction of species populations currently identified as remnant, at risk, threatened, or endangered? Tallamy (Darke & Tallamy, 2014)(Tallamy, 2019)(Tallamy, 2009), Briggs, (Briggs, 2017), Verner (Verner, 2015)(Barnosky et al., 2011) and multiple others believe we can and we should.
Extinction Mitigation
   Tallamy identifies an issue with attempting to control extinctions through park systems, preserves, wilderness areas and governmental controls; they are necessary, but not sufficient. Tallamy states “.. we will not succeed if we continue all of our conservation efforts to patches of protected areas. Parks and preserves are central to any large-scale conservation effort, but they will never be enough because they are not large enough and they are not connected to one another.(Tallamy, 2019, p. 35)” Some large groups are attempting to build ‘corridors’ for connectivity. Habitat fragmentation occurs when a large piece of land is divided into smaller sections which no longer represents the original. Think of your yard, it used to be part of a larger land section that was divided up in small sections for homes. The plants and habitats for small insects and animals were scraped away and each yard became a disconnected singular space that no longer supports the natural and healthy eco-region it was once a part of.
Habitat connectivity through creating corridors is vital whether between small or large spaces. When constructing a 56-mile highway in Montana, 39 wildlife crossings were included to reduce automobile/animal accidents and to facilitate animal movement within their original habitat area (Andis et al., 2017).
   Reviewing the list of species that are on Texas Parks and Wildlife and the IUCN web sites as remnant populations help us to identify native plants that support the species. The plant identified may Habitat corridors can be built between small sections of land such as urban yards or lots. These lots should include native plants in support of insects, vertebrates, etc., that are historically native to the region (Tallamy, 2019). Native plants that support multiple native insect species such as butterflies, dragonflies, some beetles, and damselflies (Tallamy, 2019)(Briggs, 2017), called keystone plants (Tallamy, 2009, p. 139), are primary due to their being a cornerstone to a healthy local ecosystem and its’ food webspace for Monarchs (that a neighbor wants to raise). Landscapes generally have the food for dragonflies that includes gnats, mosquitoes, black flies and house flies. A native goldenrod Where to Startsupportive of itself i.e. be a plant that feeds the larva of the desired at-risk insect, or supportive given its’ place in the food web i.e. grows the larva that feeds the remnant bird population desired in the landscape. Which native plants are used depends upon the objective or purpose of the individuals owning the land. If the purpose is to increase the butterfly and dragonfly populations, the landscape configured will have a water space for dragonflies and puddling (genus Solidago), which serves generalist insects for the purpose of nectaring and laying eggs, supports 181 species of caterpillars and is much appreciated by migrating birds.
Before contact is made with others in a community, neighbors, nursery’s, landscape companies, home owner associations, to discuss and promote plant and insect corridors, native plant species for the area served are identified along with the major insect populations they support. From there, documentation of plants in the Master Naturalist yards occur and questions asked, answered, and shared

what is the objective or goal as it relates to at-risk species in our area;
what plants are present, are they native or non-native;
what insects do the plants support; are they for insects that larva on only one type of plant such as our monarchs or do they support many insect species;
what are the keystone plants;
what eco-system conditions are appropriate for the objective and purpose;
what actions are taken to promote or reduce spread of plants that we have;
what plants that are NOT native are kept and for what purpose;
what purpose does the plant serve in the yard,
how are not-wanted insects managed

A chart is used and shared for the documentation of the plants present and changes based on the objective and goals planned for what should change to support a healthy eco-system.
Once this is done, neighbors and organizations in the community are provided with education and assistance for planning change according to their desired objectives for yards belonging to them. The pond in the garden for dragonflies has a puddling area for a neighbors Monarchs and a nectaring plant that they love. His yard has specialist native plants for milkweed specific butterflies and Texas grasses – thus a corridor is created for the remnant species to live and reproduce.

Note from Editor: The section on References and a map link have been omitted due to failure of Mail Chimp to translate the technical aspects of the two. If you would like Rosemary's original copy with these items please notify Rosemary or Chad.

The Landscape of Barrier Islands: Padre Island and Mustang Island by Randy Bissell
SouthTexas Master Naturalist

   Our barrier islands, where the land meets the sea is a beautiful, dynamic, serene setting on most days. South Texas Chapter master naturalists are blessed to have two primary beach sites to volunteer, educate, and contribute. These two gems are Mustang Island State Park and Padre Island National Seashore.
   Padre Island and Mustang Island are part of the longest barrier island in the world, stretching 115 miles from the tip of Texas to Port Aransas. The system of Gulf of Mexico barrier islands extend intermittently around the entirety of the U. S. Gulf coastline. Barrier islands also occur along the Eastern Seaboard from Florida to New England. Worldwide, barrier islands and related sand spits are commonplace on the trailing edges of our moving continents where sand grains are easily accumulated by wave, wind, and tide on these “passive margins.”
   Padre Island and Mustang Island are geologically young. These barrier islands have formed in the last 5000 years or so as sea level rise has slowed in the now warm Holocene modern geological epoch. About 18,000 years ago in the Wisconsinian Ice Age, the coastline of the Gulf would have been over 60 miles eastward of today’s with sea level 300 ft. lower. The stability of sea level in these past very few millennia have allowed our barrier islands to establish their present position and geometry along the Texas Coast. Interestingly, generations of the earliest South Texas natives saw the sea rise.
   Looking across the island profile from west to east, or from Laguna to Gulf, we see a thin wedge or lens of sand. From the east comes the energy of wind and wave, sculpting the island. To the west, in the salty lagoon and bay, the shallow water teems with fish and fowl.
The beach is just one part of the barrier island that is made up of the backbeach, the berm, the forebeach and the swash zone. Mustang Island and Padre Island do not mechanically sweep their beaches for litter, so these natural parts of the island profile are left intact. Behind the beach is the dune field, made up of small coppice dunes and large established vegetated dunes. Some dunes reach 30 or more feet above the beach and are comprised of thin beds of wind-blown sand. The oft-forgotten back side of the barrier island makes up most of the area and includes the ancient ridge and swale terrain associated with older “back island” dune formation and the wind- and water-swept fine sediments of the marsh and tidal flats. Each part of the beach has a unique and delicate habitat for specialized flora and fauna – which include fish, invertebrates, birds, and many other species.
   There is so much to see at our beach parks. Consider these questions when you visit the barrier island – we will have fun talking through the answers:

Why is it called a barrier island? Is “barrier” a geographic name or a function? How might the role of barrier be more important to convey than the place of barrier?

Where (what part of the island) is the wind and wave energy concentrated? If energy and grain-size are proportional, where would you find the coarsest sand grains (or larger) on a barrier island?

If barrier islands formed with slowing rates of sea level rise, what is the greatest jeopardy of CO²associated climate change?

As a dynamic part of the coastal system, barrier islands move and change in a natural cycle. What effects, positive or negative, might human infrastructure and habitation have on the island?

If the ocean rises to 20 ft. in a hurricane storm surge, does it hurt or help the barrier island?

June Volunteer Activities by Cindy Frank
(total volunteer hours for month = 917.50)
(total people seen for month = 149 adults + 176 youth)
Children in Nature-PO – Ada Anderson
Citizen Science-FR – Cindy Frank, George Gardiner, Phil Woods
Community Service-TG – Karen Smith
Flour Bluff-DO - Chad Huckabee
Flour Bluff–RM – Chad Huckabee, Cindy Frank, Jennifer Pshigoda, Janice Ainbinder, Ada Anderson
Mustang Island SP-PO – Randy Bissell, Dawn Bissell
Mustang Island SP-RM – Randy Bissell, Dawn Bissell
NDP-DO – Art Siebert
NDP-PO – Randy Bissell, Phil Woods, Cindy Frank
OBWPNC-DO – Carol Krepel
PINS-PO – Art Siebert
PINS-RM – Cindy Frank, Rebecca Smith, Rosemary Plank, Gary Walker, Amanda Gabehart, Wendy Hill, Carol Singleton, Elaine Tiller, Claude Smith, Suzanne Smith, Phil Woods
Port A Nature Preserve-RM – Cindy Frank, Carol Krepel, Ray Dillahunty
Public CleanUp-RM – Cindy Frank
STBGNC-PO – Grace Lopez
STBGNC-RM – Grace Lopez, Cindy Frank
TSA-PO – Sam Cass

Plant ID Advanced Training

Six participants have been involved in learning to identify Bluff and Island plants. To date, Ada Anderson and Cindy Frank have learned over 100 plants. Jennifer Pshigoda and Janice Knezek are just over 50 and Jennifer's daughters are at 25. Jennifer and Janice will reach 100 plant milestone at their next training.

Updates:

PBS's Nature presented an excellent documentary on butterflies. If you did not see it, it is well worth your time.

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/sex-lies-butterflies/16076/

Tentative Intern Training Schedule 2020 by Phil Woods and the Intern Training Committee 5/25/2020

August 08, 2020          Chapter Welcome Party at Rosemary Plank’s
August 15, 2020          Intern Orientation
August 22, 2020           Team Building Mustang Island State Park
September 12, 2020     Welder Wildlife Foundation
September 19, 2020     Padre Island National Seashore
September 26, 2020     Hazel-Bazemore Park
October 3, 2020            Marine Development Center Morning
Red head Pond - Afternoon
October 10, 2020         Oso Bay Wetlands - Morning
                                      Sutter Wildlife Refuge - Afternoon
October 24, 2020         Padre Island National Seashore Trail Hike/Plant ID
November 7, 2020        Lake Corpus Christi State Park
November 14, 2020      Aransas National Wildlife Preserve
November 21, 2020      Nueces Delta Preserve

December 5, 2020        Plant Material Center, Kingsville, TX - Morning
                                      Sand Sheet South of Kingsville - Afternoon
Cost: 165.00
Questions:    Philip Woods, philip.woodscc@gmail.com   361.548.0534
                      Randy Bissel,   bissellr@swbell.net   361.816.4920

Interesting Resources

.Native Plant Society of Texas <mailman@npsot.org>
   Plant Beautyberry for understory by Rachel Cywinsky November 2019 Issue
   Granjeno provides food in dry conditions by Rachel Cywinski October 2019 Issue
   Sugarberries should be in every natural landscape by Rachel Cywinski October Issue
   The naming of plants by Linda Leinen January 2020 Issue
Frog Fruit by July 2020 Issue
Science By the Sea UTMSI podcast Daily on PBS radio and www.sciencebythesea.org
Science Friday PBS podcast weekly on PBS radio
Bird Notes PBS radio podcast daily
Star Date Online PBS and stardate.org

Recommended Book for Our Time by Chad Huckabee.
An interesting book, Pandemic: Tracking Contagions, from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond by Sonia Shah. This book may be purchased as paper or electronic versions. It is a non-technical read. Ms. Shah describes the origins of many of the great human plagues of history, correlates these to the similarities in reactions of governing leaders, society and economic drivers. While written well before COVID 19, the parallels of what we observe today remain unchanged as we peer back into antiquity. Regardless of type of governance of societies of the times, the approaches remain similar. Pretend it is not present, scapegoating, keeping it secret, outright lying about pandemic events during their time, and ignoring science (often for centuries) of plagues. Ninety percent of epidemiologists have been predicting outbreaks from Southern China wet markets, New Delhi''s surgical wards and the suburban backyards of the East Coast for many years. While flareups of various potential contagions have erupted more and more frequently, the right combination of events has not occurred until now. There is no way to predict what will be the precursor for any pandemic what is certain is that when it occurs, societies will be unprepared and pandemics will spread overnight as with COVID 19.

Any one wishing to submit a book of interest to TMN should send a brief summary to Chad Huckabee for inclusion in the newsletter.

Injured Animal Resources

Following are available local resources:

* Take injured birds: Amos Rehabilitation Keep, UT-Port Aransas, 361-749-6793 (most birds, turtles etc).

*Second Chances Wildlife Rehabilitation Program at the TX State Aquarium, 881-1219 (water birds and some raptors only, no land birds)

*Corpus Christi Sealife Center, 14220 SPID, next to Packery Channel Park (all kinds of animals, but focus is rescue/return of turtles, shorebirds and raptors).

*Cage birds/Parrot Rescue: email Paula Scott at cbcbirdclub@gmail.com, Coastal Bend Companion Bird Club and Rescue Mission.

*To contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in your area, visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife's rehabilitators, by county, at their website, or call TPWD Wildlife at 1-800-792-1112

Related Organizations

Information about these organizations, their newsletters and activities in which they may be involved can be researched by clicking on the items below. If you know of other organizations in the coastal bend that should be listed, please notify Chad.

Native Plant Society of Texas https://npsot.org/wp/contact/
Corpus Christi Science & History Museum <yvettel2@ccmuseum.com>
Audubon Outdoor Club www.audubonoutdoorclub.com.
Welder Wildlife Refuge http://welderwildlife.org/content/visitors/public/
South Texas Botanical Garden and Nature Center http://stxbot.org/
Birding Code of Ethics http://listing.aba.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/abaethics.pdf
Coastal Bend Bays Foundation http://www.baysfoundation.org/
Coastal Bend Audubon Society http://coastalbendaudubon.org
Corpus Christi Geological Society http://www.ccgeo.org
Corpus Christi Astronomical Society http://ccstargazers.org
Hawk Watch Daily Update https://www.hawkcount.org/month_summary.php?rsite=470
Mustang Island State Park Friends <eric.ehrlich@tpwd.texas.gov>

EMBROIDERY INFORMATION:

Marlin Works, Inc.

2310 Pollex Ave.

Corpus Christi, TX 78415

(361) 854-0906

Our logo is under “South Texas Master Naturalists”

You must purchase your own shirt or hat; take it

to them and choose whatever colors you’d like for

the lettering and dragonfly embroidery work.

Cost = $10.00 – takes about two weeks

Newsletter Survey by Chad Huckabee
The first newsletter survey in its 8 years history will be sent to all Chapter Volunteers (Active, Inactive and Fall Trainees) via VMS as a Word attachment. Neither Mail Chimp Survey nor Survey Monkey can accommodate without a paid status by our organization. Therefore, each of you will be asked to open a Word document, fill in the survey and return it to me in order that I can manually analyze the results and report them to the Communications Committee and record the results in the August Newsletter. There is no place for you to identify yourself on the survey. I do not care who you are and I am to lazy to match emails with print outs. I will print out each as you email the back to me. They will be sent on July 2 and I would appreciate them being returned no later than July 10. Filling out this survey counts as volunteer hours. Be honest and provide useful input. It will go to around 100 people.

STMN Quiz:
Identify the plants and critters in the six photos within the newsletter.

August Chapter Meeting

The next chapter meeting will be held on August 18, 2020. At this point it is not know if it will be open in a public setting or ZOOM like the May meeting. Members will be notified when scheduling decision is confirmed.

How To Print A Mail Chimp Newsletter
From a desktop or laptop site, go to the "3-dot" symbol in the upper right of your screen. Go down the list until Print. Then the newsletter should come up in your printer screen. Decide the parameters you want printed: color, one or two side, etc. The same is true for archived issues.

Archived Newsletters:
The 20 most recent newsletters may be accessed by the following URL:
https://us15.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=03661bbd10d5d54c7000d57e9&id=1cc6523eba

The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs, activities, education and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunities throughout Texas A&M AgriLife.