may 2008 jayhawk audubon society newsletter

8/9/2019 May 2008 Jayhawk Audubon Society Newsletter

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Volume 32, Issue 9 MAY, 2008www.jayhawkaudubon.org

Dylan was wrong...Maggies Farm is a great place to work and live!

MONDAY, MAY19

SAVING FARMLAND

FARMING SUSTAINABLYSECURING OUR FUTUREOur May speaker Barbara Clark, shepherdess and citizen activist, and her husband operate Maggies Farm, a small, sustainable

farm in north Lawrence where they raise a handspinner's flock of sheep for their wool products. They also grow heirloom andopen-pollinated varieties of vegetables selling to local restaurants and through the Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market. They arecommitted to growing foods and fibers organically and sustainably and working toward our regions local food security.

Barbara has become involved in the group Citizens For Responsible Planning(CRP) which came together in opposition to the recent Airport Business Parkproposal which requested the Lawrence City Commission to rezone and annex 144acres north of the airport. The area under consideration for development containsClass 1 Prime Agricultural Soils, some of the very best soils in Douglas County,found almost exclusively in the floodplains of the Kansas and Wakarusa Rivers.

Barbara will present an overview of the CRPs goals and integrate the groupswork with her personal interest in maintaining the rural farming traditions of DouglasCounty. Read more about Maggies Farm at www.maggiesfarm-ks.com.

~Jennifer Delisle

Dinner with Barbara Clark: 5:30 p.m. Genovese Restaurant. 941 Massachusetts in downtown Lawrence.

Meeting: 7:30 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall. 1245 New Hampshire, LawrenceRefreshments! Parking lot east of the church. Meeting is a week EARLY because of Memorial Day.

.

All programs of the Jayhawk Audubon Society are free and open to the public

www.akvarel.dk

2008 is the Year of the FrogSponsored by The Amphibian Ark (www.amphibianark.org), the Year of the Frog is a response to

the precipitous decline of over 1/3 of amphibian species around the globe. Frogs and toads have anintrinsic beauty and value but are also major insect predators and food for species higher in the foodchain. They are key to healthy ecosystems. The Amphibian Ark hopes to galvanize people to act toreduce pollution and maintain wetlands to help amphibians. They also advocate captive breeding ofthreatened species by zoos and aquariums until the wild is again fit for them. See Ken Lassmansessay on page 5 for thoughts on listening to local frogs.

Sue Arthur. AlaskaDept.of Fish and Game


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JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY2

Audubon of Kansas News

Ron Klataske,

AOK Executive Director ReceivesLifetime Achievement Award

The Kansas Association for Conservation and EnvironmentalEducation (KACEE) honored Ron Klataske with the John K.Strickler Award for his lifetime achievements, contributions andleadership in the Kansas conservation and environmental educa-tion field. The award noted Ron has been a leader in Audubonsefforts to educate citizens about the ecological value and culturalsettings of Kansas birding and nature trails, and was instrumentalin developing the proposal that led to the establishment of theTallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Chase County.

Ron commented: Kelsey Childress, our part-time KSUstudent assistant during this school year, made the nominationwithout my knowledge. When selected and first contacted, I wasreluctant to endorse the idea, but with the concept that it is reallya reflection of the good work of Audubon in many capacities, Iam now enthusiastically accepting the award. Collectively,Audubon at all levels in Kansas has and continues to achieve alot in terms of conservation and environmental education.I cannot take credit for more than a fraction of this, but it givesme many unique opportunities to participate in a tremendousdiversity of activities designed to build appreciation for nature

and support for conservation.

The awards ceremony was April 4th, 2008 at the KansasMuseum of History. Other honorees were:PreK-16 Educator - Dr. Larry Erickson of KSU for teaching over1,000 chemical engineering students, serving as director of theGreat Plains/Rocky Mountain Hazardous Substance ResearchCenter and setting up the Consortium for EnvironmentalStewardship and Sustainability at KSU in 2007.

Community/Non-Profit Organization (2 awards):

Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita which is committed to theidea that only through the appreciation of nature will people seethe necessity to conserve our environment.

The Nature Conservancy, Kansas Chapter, for protecting theplants, animals and natural communities of Kansas and playinga vital role in increasing the environmental literacy of Kansans.

Rising Star: Andrea Johnson,Ernie Miller Nature Center, Olathe.Park naturalist and interpreter.

WAKARUSA WETLANDLEARNERS UPDATE Field Trips in Jeopardy

Wakarusa Wetland Learners project hasscheduled the last 6 trips for this spring. Thanks to thesupport of JAS, KVHA, KBS and individual facilitatorvolunteers from the community at large, the project hasbeen surprisingly successful. When all trips arecompleted, WWL will have increased knowledge andappreciation of wetlands for close to a thousand kids andadults.

Nevertheless, and despite very positive feedbackfrom students and teachers, the future of the project isuncertain, at best, due to inadequate funding. JAS hasagreed to continue providing money for buses, which isa crucial component. However, the plan for KVHA to

become the primary sponsor is in jeopardy due to a lackof funding for that agency. A call for communityresources to fill the shortfall left by decreased availabilityof EPA and KDHE grants has met with limited success.KVHA has been a very valuable incubator for countlessenvironmentally oriented programs in our community.We hope adequate funding will be forthcoming soprojects such as WWL can continue to benefit residentsof all ages in Douglas county.

- Sandy Sanders, WWL Coordinator

Western ToadSue Arthur.Alaska Dept. ofFish and Game


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JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY 3

From Chip Taylor to You:AnInvitationto

TheMonarchWatch Open HouseSaturday, 10 May 2008

8am-3pmOnce again, you are cordially invited to join us for our annual Spring Open House and Plant Fundraiser at Foley Hallon West Campus of the University of Kansas. We've averaged about 500 visitors or so to these Open House events andwe expect a good turnout for our next event as well. Nearly 4,000 butterfly plants (both annuals and perennials)including seedlings of seven milkweed species, will be available (modest contributions are suggested).

We will provide refreshments, lots of show & tell, videos and games for children, tours of our garden and lab space,iChat videoconferencing demonstrations, and, of course, monarch butterflies!

We'd love to see you here so mark your calendars!Directions to Foley Hall can be found at: http://www.monarchwatch.org/openhouse/

Thanks, Chip--Monarch Watch, University of [email protected]://www.MonarchWatch.org/1-888-TAGGING (toll-free!) -or-

1-785-864 4441

Create, Conserve and Protect Monarch Habitats

Kansas Roadsidescould provide acres of monarch habitat and scenic beautyif KDOT cut back on mowing and followed the Best Management Practices of Integrated Roadside VegetativeManagement. KDOT manages 10,000 miles of road = 20,000 miles of roadside totaling about 146,000 acres ofpotential food, nesting sites and shelter for butterflies and grassland birds. Grassland birds as a group are in serioustrouble because of habitat loss: Northern Bobwhite down 82% in the last 40 years, Eastern Meadowlark72%,Grasshopper Sparrow 65%, Horned Lark56%. Many historic Prairie Chicken leks are empty of birds.

As Verlyn Klinkenborg said in aNew York Times editorial 6/19/2007, In our everyday economic behavior,we seem determined to discover whether we can live alone on earth. (National Audubon: www.audubon.org)

Audubon of Kansas has petitioned KDOT to adopt the following: 1) limited mowing for safety next tothe road shoulder; 2) more extensive mowing every 3rd or 4th year to preserve plant vigor; 3) do primary mowingbetween November 1st and March 31st allowing plants to flower and set seed and birds to complete their nesting;4) stop seeding with brome and fescue; 5) stop broadcast use of herbicides. See www.audubonofkansas.org for moreinfo and to see the aftermath of overmowing and, conversely, migrating monarchs nectaring on unmowed flowers.

Adopting these practices could yield Big Savings on Fuel & Herbicide Costs = Fewer TaxpayerDollars spent on something that is not in Kansans or the environments best interests. Contact KDOT, yourlegislator and the governor to request action on these policy changes.

Asclepius speciosaShowy MilkweedKarl Urban.USForest Service

Save some $and garden space for thePrairie Park Plant SaleMay 11 & May 18 1 - 4 p.m.

2730 SW Harper 832-7980


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JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY KIDS PAGE4

Frogs are singing spring love songs.

Go Look for tadpoles!Chowing Down Swamp Style

Some frogs have loooong, sticky tongues to ca

bugs in midair.

Toads have tiny tongues and snap at their foo

with their whole mouth.

Toads often stalk their prey like a cat

creeping up on it and then *SNAP*. Thestuff big bugs in with their fingers.Believe it or not:

When a frog swallows a meal, his bulgy eye-balls close and go down into his head. Th

eyeballs create pressure and actually pus

a frogs meal down his throat! * GULP*

Wetlands are perfect for

frogs and toadsFrogs and toads are amphibians.

Amphibiansneed wet & dry places close

together to complete their life cycle.

Pondsfor egg laying and tadpole stages.

Dryish Land for adult frogs and toads

to find food and hide from predators

STILL CURIOUS???On the Web:

http://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/

http://allaboutfrogs.org

At the Library:

The Frog. by Angela Royston

Warwick Press. 1989

Tadpoles. by Elaine Pascoe & Dwight

Kuhn. Includes hands-on active

ties. Blackbird Press. 1997

The Frog Alphabet Book& Other

Awesome Amphibians: by Jerry

Pallotte & Ralph Masiello.

Charlesbridge Pub. 1990

Q. What did the frog order at McDonalds

A.FrenchfliesandaCroak

Q.Whatdoesafrogsaywhenit

seessomethinggreat?

A.Toadlyawesome

Frog facts, riddles and mazefrom www.allaboutfrogs.org


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Wild Douglas County by Ken Lassman Sounds and Sights of May

Tonight, I spent the evening on my deck as darkness was descending, listening. The whippoorwill is back,the early calls of the western chorus frogs have been joined by Copes tree frog and a host of other amphibious sounds,a pack of coyotes yip in the hills, a turkey jake and his harem are gobbling about something in the valley and a highpitch draws me to the sky where I get the glimpse of a bat, hopefully picking off the stealthy high pitched hum of theoccasional mosquito.

Natures airwaves are very busy this time of year, with so many animals articulating the details of springsmating and birthing seasons to each other and others who care to listen. Im fortunate to live in the rural area, whichallows me to access this aural world just by walking out on my deck and soaking up the sounds as well as the sights

of the outdoors; but anyone can have access to the wild auditory landscape by driving out to land around Clinton Lake,hanging out along the Kaw or Wakarusa Rivers or wetlands, or even a neighborhood creek to hear the buzzing of lifethat is going on this time of year, especially around sunrise and sunset. Just as there are now excellent resources foridentifying bird calls, I recommend that folks get a copy of the tape Calls of Kansas Frogs and Toads,by KeithColeman and narrated by Joe Collins. Originally made to help those involved in an amphibian monitoring program,these high quality recordings can be used by anyone interested in putting names to the sounds of life on moist Kansasevenings. While birds this time of year are calling out their territories, amphibians, being lunch for so many otherspecies, are trying to lure a mate but avoid luring a predator. This means that when you approach a very noisy pondor wet area, the cacophony will suddenly stop as they detect your presence, and only after you have quietly been thereawhile will they resume their amorous songs.

Mays prairie greening means that the annual progression of prairie wildflowers is upon us, and no year is

complete without at least one foray into the tallgrasses to soak up the floral pageantry that awaits you. This time ofyear, weekly visits are even better, as the flowers that are blooming come in waves: the small spring beauties, verbenaand violets are replaced by prairie phlox, primrose, larkspur, and salsify, then oxeye daisies, yellow then white clovers,spiderworts, leadplant, Deptford pinks, Echinacea and milkweeds. By the end of May, the not-so-nice Canadian muskthistles and crown vetch are also blooming their invasive flowers, and if you have pollen allergies, chances are thewind-blown brome pollen that begins to billow up in clouds will give you grief.

Papaws, wild cherries, and gooseberries are developing in the woods, and cottonwood fluff begins to floatdown and coat the waterways, and while pine trees are not native to Kansas, the new shoots of growth or candlingthat occur in May around here are celebrated in festivals in many evergreen-dominated cultures around the world.

Finally, young animals of every persuasion can be found this time ofyear and they can be a great source of entertainment if you spy them. The

Prairie Park Nature Center and other area nature centers are often flooded byabandoned/rescued young ones, and it is an excellent time to volunteer thereto help out with this influx.

(Editors note: If you think a wild baby needs rescue, first see Page 6and make sure it is truly abandoned or injured. When in doubt contactOWL or Prairie Park Nature Center!Also, as of press time, a source could not be found for the Calls ofKansas Frogs and Toads. Kansas Heritage Photography, whichcomes up as a source in a web search, no longer carries them.Try contacting Joseph Collins at the Center for North AmericanHerpetology: www.naherpetology.org.) American Toad. Bufo Americanus.

J.H. Richard. Pacific Railroad Survey. 1855-1859


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JAYHAWK AUDUBON SOCIETY6

Operation Wildlife Inc.

23375 Guthrie Rd.Linwood, Ks 66052

785-542-3625

If you find an abandoned wild babyOperation Wildlife asks you to follow the 3 GOLDEN RULES OF REHAB:

Rule #1: If it runs from you, leave it alone!

Rule #2: If you find an uninjured wild baby, put it back! Wild animals do not naturally abandontheir young. The mother may be away finding food or watching and waiting for you to leave.

Rule #3: Call OWL before you do anything. They can tell you what to do and what not to do to help

the baby. 785-542-3625 or 913-631-6566.

For a fact sheet on baby mammals go to the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association website:www.nwrawildlife.org. Click on the Need help? button, then I found a baby animal.


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JAS officers & Board MembersPresident: Chuck Herman: 913-301-3921

[email protected] President: Pam Chaffee

Recording Secy: Joyce WolfCorresponding:: Susan IversenTreasurer: Jennifer DelisleMember ChapterChange Report: Chuck & Ruth HermanMembership Promotion: Dayna Carleton Newsletter: Susan Iversen: 785-843-1142

[email protected]: Michael FraleyPrograms: Jennifer Delisle/Joyce WolfEducation: Rex PowellField Trip: VOLUNTEER NEEDED

Publicity: Dayna CarletonElectronic Communications: Karyn Baker-RineyBird Seed Sale: Linda LipsBirdathon: Richard BeanChristmas Count: Galen PittmanMigratory Count: VOLUNTEER NEEDEDEagles Day: Ed & Cynthia ShawHospitality: Esther SmithHistorian: Ron WolfBooks & Feeders: Ron & Joyce WolfBoard Member: Sharon AshworthBoard Member: Dena Friesen

Board Member: Lisa GrossmanBoard Member: Ed ShawBoard Member: Cynthia ShawBoard Member: Jake Vail

BOOK REVIEWSBy Kelly Barth

Feeding Your Inner Birder

Club Georgewon't wow veteran birders with feats ofderring-do; what it will do is remind you how you felt whenyou first fell in love with the hobby. Recently fired from hisjob, New Yorker Bob Levy found himself with plenty oftime on his hands to talk to Central Park's notorious birdingregulars. During a conversation with one of them though,

he could hardly make himself heard over the loud "cheks"of what he would come to know as a red-wing blackbird, andmore specifically, George. A regular association with this onebird leads Levy into a world, a social circle and leafy cornersof Central Park he never knew existed. In the end, he winds upcaring about the world and what happens in it more than heever could have imagined.(NB: Club George is out of print, but is available at the

Lawrence Public Library)

Refuge, An Unnatural History

of Family and Place.Though many of you may be familiar with environmentalwriter and activist Terry Tempest Williams, you may not haveread her watershed book,Refuge, An Unnatural History ofFamily and Place. It's an achingly beautiful memoir withtwo story lines that perfectly dovetail: Williams mother's deathfrom cancer and the flooding of her already imperiled belovedBear River Migratory Bird Refuge on the outskirts of Salt LakeCity. It operates on many levels: naturalist diary, politicaltreatise (her family are among Utah's downwinders),elegy, and hymn. I can't recommend it highly enough.

You can still support the Birdathon

Clip and send this with your check to:Jayhawk Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 3741Lawrence, KS 66046

Here is my donation of _____________ to supportWakarusa Wetlands Learners, Eagles Day, NaturalHistory Museum Camp Scholarships, Monarch Tag-ging Day and special conservation projects of theJayhawk Audubon Society.

100% of your donation is tax deductible. 100% ofyour donation is used locally for the work of JAS.

American Avocet.Patsy Renz. U.S.Geological Service


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Jayhawk Audubon SocietyP.O. Box 3741Lawrence, KS 66046Return Service Requested

Nonprofit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDLawrence, KS

Permit No. 201

Application for New Membership in both: National Audubon Society and Jayhawk Chapter___$15 Student; ___$20 Introductory for NEW members; ____$15 Senior Citizen.(Make check payable toNational Audubon Society.)

Application for Chapter-only Membership (Jayhawk Audubon Society). No Audubon magazine.___$7.50 Chapter-only (Make check payable toJayhawk Audubon Society.) Those with National Audubonmemberships are encouraged to support the chapter by voluntarily paying these dues. Chapter membershipexpires annually in July.

National Audubon Society members receive four issues per year of the Audubon magazine and are alsomembers of the Jayhawk Chapter. All members also receive 10 issues of this newsletter per year and areentitled to discounts on books and feeders that are sold to raise funds to support education and conservationprojects. Please send this completed form and check to Membership Chairs at the following address:

Ruth & Chuck Herman; 20761 Loring Road, Linwood, KS 66052; e-mail contact:

[email protected] . {National Members Renewing: please use the billing form receivedfrom National and send it with payment to National Audubon Society in Boulder, CO}.

Name __________________________; Address ___________________________________________;

City ___________________________; State ______; ZIP Code (9) digit _______________;

Telephone (with Area Code) ___________________J02: 7XCH

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may 2008 jayhawk audubon society newsletter

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