Meetings & Events
Bexar Audubon Society of San Antonio offers you engaging
presentations, enlightening topics, useful workshops,
and enriching discussions during our monthly meetings.
Please join us!
Upcoming Online Presentations from Bexar Audubon
Thursday, November 5 ● 6:30 PM
Bexar Audubon Society & San Antonio Audubon Society
The Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project:
Preserving a Texas Icon
Presenter: Dr. Andy Gluesenkamp, Director of Conservation, San Antonio Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research
Your $5 Registration Fee Will Be Donated to the San Antonio Zoo
Registration ends November 1
If you’re like most Texans of a certain age, you’ve got memories of finding “buckets” of horned lizards in your youth. Not so much today, as Phrynosoma cornutum (commonly referred to as the “horny toad") has declined or disappeared in many places in Texas since the late 1960s. 
In fact, Texas Horned Lizard populations have declined so much that it is now on the state’s threatened species list. San Antonio Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research is seeking to reverse this trend by producing large numbers of lizards in captivity and then releasing them into predetermined habitats that can support the species. To preserve the abundance of the State Reptile of Texas, San Antonio Zoo launched the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project. This program uses GIS data, genetics, and current knowledge about horned lizard ecology and distribution to release large numbers of captive-born individuals in suitable habitats.
About Andy Gluesenkamp
Andy has served as State Herpetologist for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for seven years. He currently leads several research projects in addition to the Texas Horned Lizard Reintroduction Project, including a status assessment and genetic analysis of the Rough-footed Mud Turtle, Texas groundwater salamanders, and the Mexican blindcatfish; studies of the evolution of cavefish in Texas and Mexico; and the establishment of captive colonies of rare and endangered species.
Log-in Information for the Horned Lizard Zoom Presentation
Tickets are just $5 per person
All proceeds from this program will be donated to our friends at the San Antonio Zoo, who have been so generous in their partnership with Audubon through the years, and will support the Zoo's Center for Conservation and Research.
Registration is a two-part process.
After you've made your donation, you will receive a link for registration for the Zoom meeting on Thursday, November 5, 2020. Social time is 6:30-7:00 (wear a "horny toad" shirt or hat and bring your favorite "horny toad" stories); program starts at 7:00 with plenty of time for questions and answers afterward.
Click here to register before November 1.
Horned Lizard Resources
- About Texas Horned Lizards
- Horned Lizard Facts
- Where Did the Horny Toad Go? Documentary about the decline of our beloved Texas lizard.
- TPWD 2017 segment on the Horned Lizard
- Article about the San Antonio Zoo and bringing the Horned Lizard back
- Information from the San Antonio Zoo about how you can help support the Horned Lizard Reintroduction Program
- Buy a T-shirt or cap from HornedLizards.org and wear it proudly during this special event
Name a Baby Horned Lizard and Win a Behind-the-Scenes Zoo Tour
Bexar Audubon Society is sponsoring a Name the Baby Horned Lizards contest in conjunction with the San Antonio Zoo's Texas Horned Lizard Project. Click on this link to submit your choice of names for the baby Horned Lizards and make a $25 donation per name. For every name you submit with a donation, you'll be entered into the drawing to win a behind-the-scenes tour of the Horned Lizard area at the San Antonio Zoo. The winner can bring three guests. The deadline to enter is November 5, the day the young lizards will be released into the wild.
CATIOS: Protecting Cats & Birds
with Outdoor Cat Patios
Cynthia Chomos, Founder of Catio Spaces
Tuesday, November 17 ● 6:30 PM ● Zoom
Keeping your cat indoors not only protects birds, but also helps your beloved pet live a longer, healthier life. “Catios” offer a unique solution to providing fresh air and outdoor enrichment for cats in an environment that is safer for pets and for wildlife. Cynthia Chomos, founder of Catio Spaces, will discuss different catio designs and how to construct one of these special havens for your own feline. We will also discuss strategies and answer questions relating to creating a safer environment at home for wild birds. Join us for this special program, cosponsored by Bexar Audubon Society and Mitchell Lake Audubon Center.
Click HERE to join the Zoom meeting.
Meeting ID: 875 3173 8643
Password: 434699
Dial in: 1 (346) 248-7799
Please enter your first and last names when you enter the Zoom meeting.
To Burn or Not to Burn?
That's Still the Question
Maureen Frank, PhD
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Tuesday, December 8 ● 10:00 AM ● Zoom
Fire is a natural part of the landscape throughout most of Texas, so using prescribed burns as a management tool can benefit birds and the ecosystem as a whole.
Researchers with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service conducted bird surveys in burned and unburned pastures on 2 properties in the Edwards Plateau ecoregion for 3 years. The goal: determine whether birds, especially Species of Greatest Conservation Need, preferred one area to the other. The result: we didn’t find any significant difference! Join us for this talk about what it means for scientists to get unexpected, unexciting results, why this study still has important implications for private landowners who manage bird habitat, and plans for future research. Approved for Alamo Area Master Naturalist AT hours.
Dr. Maureen Frank has a Ph.D. in Wildlife Biology from Utah State and an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M. In her current role at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, she provides outreach and education about wildlife.
To Join the Zoom Presentation:
Click HERE to Join the Zoom Meeting.
Please note we are starting at 10:00 AM. Please enter your first and last names when you enter the Zoom meeting.
In Case You Missed It: Videos are now available of
Bexar Audubon online presentations
Building Bird-Friendly Cities and Conservation Leaders for the Future
Yvette Stewart of Audubon Texas gave an online presentation October 21 about the two statewide programs she leads: Bird City Texas and Audubon Conservation Leaders Program for Young Women. Watch the recording here. Also, if you're interested in attending the October 28 Terry Hershey Award online luncheon for Texas Women in Conservation, register here.
Saving Birds One Building at a Time
Learn how migratory birds and bats are affected by light pollution and glass collisions, how to create a collision monitoring program, what species have been rescued, and how YOU can protect birds and bats at your own home. Watch the recorded presentation here.
Natural History of American Badgers
Click here for the fascinating presentation about American Badgers by Dr. Pamela R. Owen, Associate Director of Texas Memorial Museum.
Introduction to Bats with Nyta Brown, Old Tunnel State Park
Learn about the different species of bats in Texas, their habits and habitats, and their importance to the environment. Click here to watch this very entertaining video presentation.
"Dragons and Damsels: Oh, My!"
Everything important to know about Texas dragonflies and damselflies is shown in Craig Hensley's presentation to Bexar Audubon Society on August 12. Click HERE to watch and use the password dBggynZ4.
STAY IN TOUCH WITH BAS!
If you're not currently receiving Bexar Audubon notifications,
please send us your email address.