The Alamo Sierran Newsletter

Nurdle Pollution Bills Need a Hearing!

Two bills have been filed to address the problem of primary plastic pollution (aka "nurdles") in our coastal waterways, yet neither of them have been scheduled for a hearing in the House Environmental Regulation Committee despite bipartisan support for action. Rep. Brooks Landgraf is Chair of this committee, but we need your help to put more attention on this. Can you email your State Rep today?

by Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club

The Land Bridge at Phil Hardberger Park

Our April general meeting features Casey Cowan, Parks Naturalist, City of San Antonio and Chuck Saxer, Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy Board of Directors. Their presentation is about the land bridge connecting the two sides of Hardberger Park and how it provides safe passage for wildlife and people.

Tuesday, April 18^th
6:00 pm

Meeting schedule

Informal get-to-know-you	6:00 pm to 6:15 pm
Announcements	6:15 pm to 6:30 pm
Featured program	6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Venue

This will be a hybrid meeting.

In-person location

William R. Sinkin Eco Centro, 1802 North Main Avenue
Map

Zoom meeting access info

Meeting ID: 966 5254 0606
Passcode: 377093
Link: https://sierraclub.zoom.us/j/96652540606?pwd=UUVISUw3OHluQ2xsQk5IeENxeXFZdz09

Program topic

The Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge is a wildlife crossing that connects the two sides of Phil Hardberger Park. Learn how this unique bridge came to be built in San Antonio and how successful it is in providing safe passage for wildlife and people.

Casey Cowan, Park Naturalist with the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Natural Areas, shares the latest findings of the Land Bridge Wildlife Study, now in its third year. Chuck Saxer, longtime member and past Vice President of the Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy Board of Directors, explains the Conservancy’s role in building the bridge.

About our speakers

Casey Cowan, Parks Naturalist, City of San Antonio

Casey Cowan is Texas born and raised. As a kid her free time was usually spent camping, boating on Canyon Lake, fishing in the waters of Laguna Madre, and helping her Nana care for her dozens of exotic birds.

After graduating from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology, Casey worked for AmeriCorps in California, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in South Dakota, then back to San Antonio, where she worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife at Government Canyon SNA, and eventually with the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department.

Casey currently maintains certification as a wildlife biologist from the Wildlife Society, holds an Endangered Species Recovery permit for the Golden-cheeked Warbler from the USFWS, and is a NOLS Wilderness First Responder. Additionally, she is certified to teach seventh through twelfth-grade life sciences.

When she’s not working, her focus shifts to her wonderful little kiddos, Colson, and Colby. Casey also enjoys running, home improvement, fostering dogs, and exploring our national parks.

Casey’s passion lies in the conservation of our natural resources. She is committed to helping protect wild things and ensuring future generations have the opportunity to experience and benefit from the natural world.

Charles (Chuck) Saxer, Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy Board of Directors

Charles Saxer or Chuck, as he prefers to be called, was born in Kewanee, Illinois and grew up in Prescott, Arizona. He graduated from Arizona State University as a distinguished ROTC graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. He received a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Auburn University.

His 20-year Air Force career, primarily associated with “black programs” culminated in the positions of Deputy, Base Commander and DOD On-Scene Commander for Space Shuttle Landings at Edward’s AFB. He retired in San Antonio, Texas. For 22 years he was the owner of a management consulting and training development corporation.

Now he has retired and is primarily involved with civic organizations including: Northside Neighborhoods for Organized Development - Board Member and President for over 10 years; Vice President Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy since it was formed over 10 years ago and several other civic organizations. Chuck has served on numerous City of San Antonio boards and committees to include current San Antonio Parks Board member; 6 years on the San Antonio Ethics Review Board. He has been a member and officer with numerous other organizations to include 20 years of service on the San Antonio Manufacturers Association Board of Directors. He is an active member of Coker United Methodist Church.

The Alamo Group of the Sierra Club holds its general meetings the 3rd Tuesday of most months. They're always free and open to the public. View videos of our past meetings on our YouTube channel or our Facebook page.

Highland Mary Lakes and a bit of the CDT, San Juan National Forest, Colorado

This was a lovely moderate loop hike early July 2020 east of Silverton, Colorado in Weminuche Wilderness. 10.4 miles, gain 4000'. On the same trip there was a loop past Ice Lakes, west of Silverton (see an article in the October 2021 issue of this newsletter) and a couple hikes in Carson National Forest, New Mexico (March 2021).

This loop (hiking counter-clockwise) climbs above treeline, past Highland Mary Lakes (two of them in the 1st and 2nd pictures). Then to the Continental Divide Trail (CDT), along a ways, and down Cunningham Gap back to the trailhead. Some of the CDT section here is actually right on the divide, which is mostly not the case as otherwise it would be much more challenging. The Continental Divide is also called the Great Divide, which might be more appropriate, as there are various continental divides in North America (article October 2015, PDF).

One of the group of lakes collectively labeled Highland Mary Lakes on my map.

Hiking south. I saw some hikers on the ridge and assumed that was the CDT (didn't check my map app due to overconfidence). No, though did get to turn east, and then got to the CDT in couple more miles.

Here is a HikingWalking.com page with map and trail description, and another at HikingProject.com with a GPX download. I should have read these before; was thinking might just go up to the lakes and back. Got up there and realized, oh yeah there is a loop including bit of the CDT. Proceeding, met a backpacker going the opposite direction and asked “how much further to the CDT?” He said a mile or so, around head of a canyon and further up, will see the CDT signs. I said, “without GPS I might be dead, not having trained with Lewis and Clark”. He said, likewise.

On the CDT hiking north, at about the highest elevation on the loop, 12,540'. Exactly on the Great Divide. A map shows this lake drains to the west and others out of the picture to the right drain to the east. Scattered more of my dad's ashes and read the usual poem near here; he would have loved this hike.

Approaching Cunningham Gap, upper center. The trail is on the left covered by snow. The CDT cuts off north to the right ahead. At the junction I could tell that 1% or less of the hikers here are doing the CDT.

Descending Cunningham Gap, west of the Great Divide. The trailhead is to the right down the canyon at the bottom of the gap.

Nearing the trailhead a family with pack llamas was going up. Llamas are much easier on trails than horses and mules.

Llama poo is an excellent mild garden fertilizer and mulch; here is an informative article. I have gathered a lot for free at Southwest Llama Rescue in Kerrville. And Smithsonian Magazine has an article about how the poo was why the Incas succeeded at Machu Picchu.

by Kevin Hartley, Sierra Club Life Member

Group of Sierrans hiking at Government Canyon

Outings: The Call of the Wild

Visit the Alamo Sierra Club Outings page on Meetup for detailed information about all of our upcoming Sierra Club Outings.

Richard Alles, Editor
Published by the Alamo Group of the Sierra Club, P.O. Box 6443, San Antonio, TX 78209, AlamoSierraClub.org.
The Alamo Group is one of 13 regional groups within the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Changed your contact information?

If you're not sure whether the Sierra Club has your current email address, send an email to Member Services with your name and address and/or member ID (see Locating Your Member ID) so they can add your email address to your member record.

Have you moved? Let us know by sending your old address, your new address and your member ID to: address.changes@sierraclub.org.

The Alamo Sierran Newsletter - April, 2023