Holy Hot Concrete! Shade Trees Really Do Make a Difference

Our Texas Urban Forester, Oscar Mestas, just forwarded an email from San Antonio Master Naturalist, Lissa Martinez. She measured the heat of concrete underneath some live oaks and concrete exposed all day to the hot sun. Here are the pics:

"At 3 pm, I returned home and parked the car in the expansive shade of the live oaks.  Shade is also provided by the neighbors’ live oak tree."

"Driveway temp - 93°

"Exposed driveway surface in the sun, where no car has been parking since about 0845.  Driveway temp 144°"

"Holy hot concrete!  Demonstrating clearly why trees matter to all of us in this climate."

And that's just San Antonio. Try El Paso.

Go to http://www.wtufc.org/. Click on Tree Selection. In the box select Tree Shade Type. In the box after "Tree Shade Type", select Shade. When is the best time to plant a tree after late fall or early spring? NOW. 

"The mission of the West Texas Urban Forestry Council is to promote the preservation, health and expansion of community trees in the El Paso region. Together with the friends of WTUFC, 'Los Tree Amigos', we work to promote desert green—shade friendly and water smart." Go HERE to become a Los Tree Amigo and help West Texas Urban Forestry expand our community shade trees.

Please support elpasonaturally©. Go HERE to donate and help turn El Paso "green".

PSB Forms Water Smart Home Advisory Committee

There’s important news at the bottom of this letter.

First – some congratulations are in order.  Mr. Henry Gallardo joins the PSB. He takes over the “General Business Management” seat previously held by Ms. Maria Teran. We certainly thank Ms. Teran for her many years of service. Mr. Gallardo’s online bio is brief but he has been quite involved in our community. He is the incoming Board Chairman for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; he’s an Executive Board Member on the Foundation for the Diocese of El Paso; Gallardo is a current member of the Paso del Norte Group and works with the Boys & Girls Club. This list is just the start. “I am a lifelong El Pasoan who is deeply committed to the long term success of our community,” Gallardo says.

Congratulations also to the new officers of the PSB: Richard T. Schoephoerster, Chairman; Katherine Brennand, Vice Chairwoman; and David Nemir, Secretary Treasurer. Again, many thanks to former chairman, Ed Escudero, who opened things up to the public –especially the conservation community. That brought about increased understanding on both sides. Dr. Schoephoerster voiced a desire to work with me – but, by that, I’m sure he meant those with more environmental/open space concerns. Dittos back to him.

The PSB is taking application to fill the Financial Management seat vacated by Mr. Escudero.

By the way, why is there no Environmental/Conservation seat on the PSB? Shouldn’t there be one? Hmmm?

Perhaps the most important action taken by the PSB was the appointment of a Water Smart Home Committee.  The work of this committee represents the ongoing conservation legacy of Ed Archuleta who proposed this idea at the last two PSB strategic planning meetings.  He  introduced the presentation given by Ms. Christina Montoya. Wednesday’s meeting was the last Mr. Archuleta will attend as President/CEO. John Balliew now officially leads the water utility. The Committee will identify water saving technologies, devices and appliances or methods for the home; identify implementation challenges with city codes and requirements; and prepare a final report for the PSB and City Council.

Here is the presentation with a list of members:

Water Smart Home Advisory Committee by jimhtolbert434

Katherine Brennand recommended adding Jennifer Barr. I also was surprised not to see Jennifer’s name on the original list. I was also looking for Katie Updike and Dr. John Walton, an engineer, hydrologist and UTEP professor who has personally made home and landscaping improvements for rainwater management at his residence. He wrote the local book on the subject shall we say.

Meetings are tentatively scheduled for Mondays, February 18, March 4 and 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. TecH2O will be the venue. The meetings will be opened to the public.

Bill Hoover, the President of the local El Paso chapter of Texas Master Naturalists, sent out word about a new rain garden smart phone app. Speaking of Master Naturalists, training to be one starts very soon. Find out how, why, when and where.

Do check out a new camp, home and garden store: Reliance Outdoor Supply. It has camp gear, survival gear, rainwater harvesting equipment, hydroponics (soon), and food storage solutions. It’s located at 1060 Doniphan Park Circle, Suite F at Doniphan and Sunland Park.  (Map)

Finally, in the next few days you will receive two or three more e-letters which will include updates about the Asarco stack and the entrance into the Tom Mays Unit of the FMSP.  I will be catching up with you this week. I apologize for the gaps between publications. As most of you have probably heard or read, I am running for the District 2 City Council seat. I will be sending out an official announcement before too long. I’m already discovering that I have less time for all my projects because of this new and exciting endeavor. I’ll do the best that I can though to keep you informed and updated with news you don’t usually get in the mass media.  The El Paso Hiker e-letter will get rolled into this one for a while. Please keep visiting elpasonaturally. I post new things there more frequently than I write this e-letter. Thank you for supporting and advocating sustainability and conservation here in the greater El Paso southwest region of our beautiful Chihuahuan Desert.  We may be into the third week of the year. Nevertheless, may each of you have a very happy, prosperous and healthy 2013.

Franklin Mountains State Park Presentation Thursday at 6 p.m.

Our next Chapter meeting will be tomorrow evening, April 5^th beginning at 6 p.m. We will have a very special presentation: “Flora, Fauna and Recreation at the Franklin Mountains State Park”.  Many of you know Richard Love, a volunteer with the Franklin Mountains State Park in the Tom Mays Unit. If you don’t know Richard, you may have come across the bird blind on one of your trips to the park. Richard helped design and build the blind and has done some extraordinary photography there and at other locations in the park. He has been a photographer for over 30 years now and has made a study of the wildlife of the Chihuahuan Desert. (See some photos from Tom Mays.) Along with Richard, FMSP volunteers Heath Shawhart and George Murray will also be speaking.  Richard Love will discuss birds and animals of the Chihuahuan Desert and Franklin Mountains and include his personal photography. Heath Shawhart will talk about the recreational and hiking activities in the park and include tips on desert survival skills and desert plants. George Murray will speak about reptiles, plants and blooms.  Our Chapter meetings continue to be held at the El Paso Garden Center, 3105 Grant Avenue. (Map)

Stay tuned for more information about volunteer training for the Franklin Mountains State Park on April 14^th or contact Adrianna Weickhardt now at Adrianna.Weickhardt@tpwd.state.tx.us.

There will be another Transmountain cleanup/volunteer opportunity and continuing ed class this coming Saturday (April 7^th).  The cleanup will be from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Meet for the cleanup at the pull-out just past the Adopt a Highway sign on the right-hand side of westbound lane on Transmountain Rd, west of the Gateway South intersection.  Call 915-525-7723 for information.  Then, Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners are sponsoring a continuing ed presentation at 11:00 a.m. at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology: “West Texas Wildlife & Birding Trails”.  The speaker, Beth Nobles, Executive Director of the Texas Mountain Trail organization, helps visitors and residents enjoy the great outdoors through the Far West Texas trail system.  This is a cooperative program with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and includes ten driving loops and 57 sites in Far West Texas.  El Paso hosts two of these loops, the El Paso Uplands from Franklin Mountains State Park to Hueco Tanks State Park and the El Paso Rio from Keystone Heritage Park to Rio Bosque Wetlands.  The public is invited and the event is free.

Also this Saturday, April 7^th, the El Paso Cactus and Rock Club will be fieldtripping to the Jarilla Mountains of Orogrande, NM to look for early-blooming cactus hybrids. Carpools will form at 8:30 a.m. at the Wal-Mart parking lot at Transmountain and Hwy 54 near the nursery.  (Map)  Be sure to take a hat, sunscreen, lunch and water. Walking sticks and sturdy walking shoes are suggested. If you have a high clearance vehicle, please consider bringing it. Remember your camera. For more information call 915-833-7637 or 915-383-3006. For a calendar of upcoming Rock and Cactus Club events, go here.

Here’s a program that is worth the drive to Las Cruces next Tuesday evening.  On April 10 from 6 to 8 p.m., the Southwest Environmental Center is presenting two intriguing and important talks. Both will stress the importance of advocating for the most endangered mammal in North America, New Mexico's own Mexican wolf (Lobo). The Center is located at 275 North Downtown Mall in Las Cruces.  (Map)

The Southwest Environmental Center also seeks your help to preserve the Otero Mesa from exploratory drilling for rare earth metals. The hunt for rare earths is also on Round Top Mountain in Hudspeth County near Sierra Blanca, Texas (just down the road from us a tad). Why rare earths? Because all of us consumers like iPads and smart phones and things that glow in the dark.

On April 13, 14 and 15, 2012 the El Paso/Trans-Pecos Audubon Society will be visiting the Lesser Prairie-Chickens of Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Bottomless Lakes State Park.  April is the peak time for Lesser Prairie Chickens’ famous displays in their mating areas called booming grounds.  If you can, make motel reservations for Friday in Roswell and do some local birding.  Saturday morning tour Bitter Lake NWR.  Bring lunch and drinks for this all day affair.  Saturday afternoon bird and tour Bottomless Lakes State Park and on Sunday morning get a very early start to view the Lesser Prairie Chickens.  If you want more information or if you plan to go please contact Mark Perkins at 637-3521 or mperkins4@elp.rr.com.

The April 2012 Rio Bosque newsletter is now available. To volunteer at the Rio Bosque Wetlands Park, contact John Sproul at 915-861-4361 or jsproul@utep.edu.

You can also volunteer at the El Paso Zoo. They have a new Volunteer Coordinator, Sherri Reneau, who can be reached at 915-351-5340 or reneausl@elpasotexas.gov.

Finally, Rick Lobello, the Education Curator at the El Paso Zoo, talked to our new class of Master Naturalists last week. One concept that is critical to urban planning is that of ecosystems services – the benefits that we derive from the ecosystem in which we live such as cleaner air, healthier soil, carbon sequestration, etc.. Learn more about it. Also, read a primer about ecosystem services from the United Nations Environment Program. This is good stuff.

The Master Naturalist© is written and published by Jim Tolbert who takes sole responsibility for the content of the letter.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, just reply to this letter or email jimhtolbert@elp.rr.com.

This is Volume 1 and Number 5 published on April 4, 2012

Save Our Wildlife Programs

Many of our State wildlife programs are affected by the federal budget.

Our urban wildlife biologist, Lois Balin, emailed the following information that informs about the current federal budget process. Along with the information, Lois, includes a note from Mark Humpert, the Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies with suggestions as to how we each can help:

Dear supporters of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Urban Wildlife Program, Texas Master Naturalist Program, Wildlife Diversity Branch, and State Parks:

The federal government passed a temporary continuing resolution last week which means that there are now a couple of weeks to educate constituents should they choose to contact members of the U.S. House and Senate. The Senate Finance Committee met last week and heard testimony regarding Texas Parks and Wildlife's top priority budget requests. TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith made several requests of the committee that would provide additional flexibility to the agency in managing the proposed reductions.

The next step in the process is for the Senate Finance Committee to break into smaller work groups to discuss the requests and amend the bill. That will be taking place over the next week or so. Once the mark-up is completed, the bill will go to the full Senate for a vote. The same process is occurring on the House side as well; and, once the two bills are approved, a conference committee will be appointed to work out any differences. Only after an agreed upon budget bill is approved by both the House and Senate and signed into law will TPWD know exactly what the numbers will be for the budget that will take effect September 1^st.

Your voice is needed. Here is an excerpt that Mark Humpert of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) sent out to Teaming With Wildlife Coalition members on how you can help:

Good Morning:

You may have seen in the news that the Senate passed and the President signed a short-term continuous resolution this week. This will prevent the federal government from shutting down over the weekend but does not change much regarding defunding of the State & Tribal Wildlife Grants program for FY11. No funding for the State & Wildlife Grants Program has been or will be made available to states and their partners for this fiscal year until Congress passes a budget, and then only if funding is restored. Vice President Biden has been pulled in to help lead negotiations between Senate and House majority and minority leadership. Press accounts are saying this morning that the two parties are not very close to an agreement. One account said that the Democrats have found about $50B in cuts from the President's FY11 request but that the Republicans want a minimum of $100B in cuts. It's urgent that members of Congress hear from us while negotiations are happening .

THREE WAYS YOU CAN HELP.

1. Send letters from you agency/organization to the US Senate asking them to restore funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program. Use the attached template.

1. Add you organizations' name to the national sign-on letter supporting restoration of funding. So far 169 organizations have signed on. View the letter to sign on.

2. Call (and ask your friends and family members to call) your members of the US Senate and the House to register your concerns about the proposed elimination of funding.