ROLLING PLAINS CHAPTER NEWSLETTER - Texas...
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NEWSLETTER ROLLING PLAINS CHAPTER Vol. 5, No. 5 May 2013 http://txmn.org/rollingplains LOCAL E V E N T S ROLLING PLAINS CHAPTER — 1 — TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST Fairy Shrimp MAY 7: Rolling Plains Chapter monthly meeting is at River Bend Nature Center. Location: 2200 3rd Street, Wichita Falls, Texas. Time: 7:00 p.m. Program: Jack Murphy will be our speaker. MAY 15-17: RBNC Presents The Dallas Zoo This 45-minute interac- tive program features animals from around the world. The program will feature 6 to 8 animals includ- ing a variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles! Three animal shows each day. Location: River Bend Nature Center Time: 10:00, 11:00 a.m. and NOON. $4.00 for children and adults. Babies age 1 free. MAY 18: Nature 101. Chapter members will talk about plants and animals seen in the park as well as offering crafts for the kids. Loca- tion: Lake Arrowhead State Park at the group pavilion by the nature trail Time: 10:00 a.m. to NOON. JUNE 1: 21st annual Mark Howell Kid Fishing Rodeo Location: Lake Arrowhead State We will need vol- unteers to sign up children for the event and to record their catches between 10 a.m. and noon, and to act as monitors outside. Volunteers to sign in the kids should show up by 9 a.m. Time: 10:00 a.m. to NOON. ON Saturday, April 6, 2013, the Rolling Plains Texas Naturalist trainees made a field trip to Gordon Lake in Iowa Park, TX. Robert Mauk lead the class, introducing them to the different means by which the TPWD is able to count and manage fish in North Central Texas lakes. Robert also showed the class specimens of other species that oc- cupy our area lakes. One of these species was the fairy shrimp. The fairy shrimp is located in lakes, creeks, pools and ponds. However, they are primarily found in vernal pools. They are 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch crustaceans that swim upside down. The adult fairy shrimp has stalked compound eyes, two sets of antennae and 11 pairs of leaf- like swimming legs. Coloration is de- termined by the contents of the food supply and is usually red-orange. Male fairy shrimp have an enlarged second antenna used to clasp the female during mating. Though the mating process takes only minutes, the male and female swim clasped together for several days. The male fairy shrimp dies just hours after mating. The number of eggs a female produces varies from 10 to 150. The eggs are carried in a brood sac on the female’s abdomen, until they are released to fall to the bottom of the pool. Fairy shrimp can complete their life cycle in 16 days. This allows for rapid reproduction. The ephemeral nature of the fairy shrimp reduces the limiting factors on their population. They have few natural preda- tors. They are unlikely to be preyed upon, because their life cycle occurs before most carnivorous insects have colonized and before salamanders and frogs are rejuvenated from their hibernation. Fairy shrimp eat bacteria, protozoa and floating detritus from the water. However, they have been seen gnawing on dead tadpoles, mollusks and amphibian eggs. Lack of food is not a problem for the fairy shrimp, as it often is with other organisms. In fact, the need of one part per million dissolved oxygen is the main factor in the size of fairy shrimp popula- tions. Written by: Jean Luney, Texas Master Naturalist Trainee
Transcript of ROLLING PLAINS CHAPTER NEWSLETTER - Texas...
NEWSLETTER
ROLLING PLAINS
CHAPTER
Vol. 5, No. 5 May 2013http://txmn.org/rollingplains
LOCALE V E N T S
ROLLING PLAINS CHAPTER — 1 — TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST
Fairy ShrimpMay 7: Rolling Plains Chapter monthly meeting is at River Bend Nature Center. Location: 2200 3rd Street, Wichita Falls, Texas. Time: 7:00 p.m. Program: Jack Murphy will be our speaker.
May 15-17: RBNC Presents The Dallas Zoo This 45-minute interac-tive program features animals from around the world. The program will feature 6 to 8 animals includ-ing a variety of birds, mammals, and reptiles! Three animal shows each day. Location: River Bend Nature Center Time: 10:00, 11:00 a.m. and NOON. $4.00 for children and adults. Babies age 1 free.
May 18: Nature 101. Chapter members will talk about plants and animals seen in the park as well as offering crafts for the kids. Loca-tion: Lake Arrowhead State Park at the group pavilion by the nature trail Time: 10:00 a.m. to NOON.
June 1: 21st annual Mark Howell Kid Fishing Rodeo Location: Lake Arrowhead State We will need vol-unteers to sign up children for the event and to record their catches between 10 a.m. and noon, and to act as monitors outside. Volunteers to sign in the kids should show up by 9 a.m. Time: 10:00 a.m. to NOON.
ON Saturday, April 6, 2013, the Rolling Plains Texas Naturalist trainees made a field trip to Gordon Lake in Iowa Park, TX.
Robert Mauk lead the class, introducing them to the different means by which the TPWD is able to count and manage fish in North Central Texas lakes. Robert also showed the class specimens of other species that oc-cupy our area lakes. One of these species was the fairy shrimp.
The fairy shrimp is located in lakes, creeks, pools and ponds. However, they are primarily found in vernal pools. They are 1/2 to 1 1/2 inch crustaceans that swim upside down. The adult fairy shrimp has stalked compound eyes, two sets of antennae and 11 pairs of leaf-like swimming legs. Coloration is de-termined by the contents of the food supply and is usually red-orange.
Male fairy shrimp have an enlarged second antenna used to clasp the female during mating. Though the mating process takes only minutes, the male and female swim clasped together for several days. The male fairy shrimp dies just hours after mating. The number of eggs a female produces varies from 10 to 150. The eggs are carried in a brood sac on the female’s abdomen, until they are released to fall to the bottom of the pool.
Fairy shrimp can complete their life cycle in 16 days. This allows for rapid reproduction. The ephemeral nature of the fairy shrimp reduces the limiting factors on their population. They have few natural preda-tors. They are unlikely to be preyed upon, because their life cycle occurs before most carnivorous insects have colonized and before salamanders and frogs are rejuvenated from their hibernation.
Fairy shrimp eat bacteria, protozoa and floating detritus from the water. However, they have been seen gnawing on dead tadpoles, mollusks and amphibian eggs. Lack of food is not a problem for the fairy shrimp, as it often is with other organisms. In fact, the need of one part per million dissolved oxygen is the main factor in the size of fairy shrimp popula-tions.
Written by: Jean Luney, Texas Master Naturalist Trainee
TPWDE V E N T S
ROLLING PLAINS CHAPTER — 2 — TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST
Don’t Forget!Turn in your hours.
A form for keeping up with your hours is available on the web site. Hours needed for recertification are: 40 hours of public service and 8 hours of advanced train-ing. Advanced training MUST be approved in advance. Fill out the form and submit along with any other information about the class to the Executive Committee at least one week before the event.
May 4, 2013— Copper Breaks State Park—StarWalk— Take a naked eye tour of one of the dark-est skies in Texas followed by a closer look with telescopes and binoculars. The award winning StarWalk continues its 18th year at Copper Breaks. Bring a lawn chair and feel free to bring your own telescopes and binoculars.
Sun Fun, solar viewing, is at 5 pm.
The events are free with regular park admission of $2.00 for adults (children 12 years and under, get free entrance to our parks.)Time: 08:30 PM to 11:45 PM Contact email: [email protected] Contact Phone: (940) 839-4331
May 25, 2013— Caprock Can-yons State Park—Remarkable Raptors— Learn about the unique characteristics, behavior, and importance of birds of prey. Chil-dren ages 12 and under can listen to a read-aloud and discussion over the characteristics, behavior, and importance of birds of prey in the Children’s Discovery Center. Children will also make and take home their very own replica raptor claw key chain. Time: 02:00 PM to
03:00 PM Con-tact email: le’[email protected] Phone: (806) 455-1492
Upcomming Chapter Activitiesnature 101
Nature 101 presentation will be held at Lake Arrowhead State Park group pavilion, Saturday, May 18 from 10:00 a.m. until noon. Chapter members will be stationed around the nature trail at the 11 mark-ers as we have done in the past. You may make a display or just visit with the guests as they wander along the trail. So far, Jonathan and Becca will be at the owl house, Cari has taken the Bluebird box, Dee and Betty have chosen the prickly pear, and Jane will be at the soapberry bush. We can still use individuals to talk about the mesquite, lotebush, field of flowers, dead snag, hackberry, yucca and honey locust. Our goal is to help people become aware of the flora and fauna that is in the park. As a bonus, we will have children’s crafts under the pavilion. Jean has volunteered to help, but we can use others. There will be a sign-up sheet at the May 7 Chapter meeting at River Bend Nature Center. This is also the Saturday of the Buffalo Soldiers event at Lake Arrow-head, so this should help draw in a crowd.
21st annual Mark Howell Kid Fishing RodeoSaturday, June 1 is the 21st annual Mark Howell Kid Fishing Rodeo at Lake Arrowhead State Park We will need volunteers to sign up children
for the event and to record their catches between 10 a.m. and noon, and to act as monitors outside. Volunteers to sign in the kids should show up by 9 a.m. Beginning at 8:30 a.m. an adult Rough Fishing Contest will also start at Lake Arrowhead.
Zebra Mussel TalkApril 13, 2013
A Zebra Mussel Talk was prosented by
Robert Mauk at Lake Arrowhead State park
April 13, 2013 to chapter trainees. After the presentation, chap-
ter trainees searching a boat for invasives.
Not only is the ostrich egg the largest in the world, it is also the toughest egg. It can withstand a person weighting slightly over 253 lbs.
ROLLING PLAINS CHAPTER — 3 — TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST
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Chapter Contacts:Terry McKee, President 766-4097; Jim Hensley, Vice President 569-4713; Sue King, Secretary 761-2511; Larry Snyder, Treasurer 569-4534Committees Chairperson:Leslie Fernandez, RiverBend Liaison 767-0843; Paula Savage, Newsletter Editor and Designer 691-0231; Tami Davis, Website Manager 224-0131; Unfilled, Social Committee; Patsy Petcoff, Grants/Fund-raising 940-923-4478; Dian Hoehne, Communication Chair 692-7234advisor: Robert Mauk, TPWD Advisor 766-2383
Bamboo is the fastest-growing woody plant on the Earth, grow-ing as fast as 47.6 inches in a 24 hour period. Many bamboos only flower at intervals as long as 60 or 120 years, and the flowering occurs simultaneously with all plants in the population. Subse-quently, the plants produce flow-ers, which then produce seeds, and then die off. A new crop requires ten years to grow to full maturity.
There are over 120,000 species of flies ranging in size from
1/20th of a inch to over three inches. Entomologist Dr. Yao
and Dr. Yuan of China studied more than 378,046 common houseflies and estimated that
each carried approximately 1,941,000 bacteria on their
bodies.
Bug Music: How Insects Gave Us Rhythm and Noiseby David RothenbergHardback: 288 pagesISBN-10: 1250005213Cost: $26.99
In the spring of 2013 the cicadas in the Northeastern United States will yet again emerge from their seventeen-year cycle—the longest gestation period of any animal. Those who experience this great sonic inva-sion compare their sense of wonder to the arrival of a comet or a solar eclipse. This unending rhythmic cycle is just one unique example of how the pulse and noise of insects has taught humans the meaning of rhythm, from the whirr of a cricket’s wings to this unfathomable and exact seventeen-year beat.
In listening to cicadas, as well as other humming, clicking, and thrumming insects, Bug Music is the first book to consider the radical notion that we humans got our idea of rhythm, synchronization, and dance from the world of insect sounds that surrounded our species over the millions of years over which we evolved. Completing the trilogy he began with Why Birds Sing and Thousand Mile Song, David Rothenberg explores a unique part of our relationship with nature and sound—the music of insects that has provided a soundtrack for humanity throughout the history of our species. Bug Music continues Rothenberg’s in-depth research and spirited writing on the relationship between human and animal music, and it follows him as he explores insect influences in classical and modern music, plays his saxophone with crickets and other insects, and confers with researchers and scientists nationwide.
This engaging and thought-provoking book challenges our understanding of our place in nature and our relation-ship to the creatures surrounding us, and makes a passionate case for the interconnectedness of species.
Maplewood Lake Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Left to Right: Terry McKee Rolling Plains TMN, Tom Lang of TPWD Inland Fisheries,, Councilor Michael Smith, Mayor Glenn Barham and Emily Coffey, general manager at Academy Sports.Photo: Torin Halsey/Wichita Falls Times Record News
