Trinity River Land and Water Summit set Oct. 2 in Athens

ATHENS – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Trinity Waters will conduct the Trinity River Land and Water Summit from 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Cain Center, 915 S. Palestine St. in Athens.
The summit will address water quality and watershed management issues in the middle Trinity River Basin, said Blake Alldredge, AgriLife Extension associate education and outreach coordinator for Trinity Waters at College Station.
There is no cost for the event or accompanying breakfast and lunch, but an RSVP is required. RSVP online at http://nrt.tamu.edu/schedule, then go to Trinity River Land and Water Summit or contact Alldredge at 979-845-0916, balldredge@tamu.edu.
Two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units in the general category will be offered.
“The goal of the summit is to work with landowners and other stakeholders to prioritize watersheds for future planning efforts and to develop monitoring strategies in those watersheds,” Alldredge said. “Cattle producers are key to solving water resource challenges in the Trinity River Basin, so cattle production will be the major focus of the summit.
The event’s scheduled keynote speakers are Bob McCan, president-elect of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Todd Staples, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture.
Alldredge said landowners attending the summit can learn how watershed management strategies result in greater land productivity and sustainability, and how those efforts can benefit the 45 percent of all Texans who depend on the Trinity River to meet their water needs.
“Landowners are highly encouraged to attend to be part of future efforts to improve the water, agriculture and wildlife resources of the Trinity River basin,” Alldredge said.
Other presentation topics will include the value of watershed monitoring and land stewardship benefits to society. The summit will also include a panel of experts who will discuss the importance of the urban-rural connection in the Trinity River Basin and address attendees’ questions.
Planning efforts for the following watersheds will be discussed: Richland-Chambers Reservoir in Navarro, Ellis, Hill and Johnson counties; Catfish Creek in Henderson and Anderson counties; Tehuacana Creek in Navarro, Limestone and Freestone counties; Upper Keechi Creek in Freestone and Leon counties; and Bedias Creek in Grimes, Walker and Madison counties.
The Building Partnerships for Cooperative Conservation in the Trinity River Basin project is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute and funded by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through a Clean Water Act grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
---TAMU press release

'Meeting the water needs of Texans and wildlife' webinar Sept. 12

A “Meeting the Water Needs of Texans and Wildlife” webinar is set from noon-1 p.m. Sept. 12. This is the third and final installment of a summer series conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Trinity Waters. To view the webinar, go to the Forestry Webinars Portal at http://forestrywebinars.net/ and click on the title at least three days prior to the airing date to ensure your Java version is compatible with the webinar system. “Treasuring the Trinity: Challenges and Opportunities” and “Turning Your Land Into a Sponge,” the first two webinars, are also available under the “Previous Webinar” tab.
Dr. Jim Cathey, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at College Station, will present the upcoming webinar which focuses on how proper land stewardship on private property can enhance wildlife habitat and agricultural productivity while greatly improving the quality and quantity of water coming off the land.
Cathey will focus on the land management techniques necessary to accomplish those goals. He will also speak on AgriLife Extension’s and Trinity Waters’ and other partners’ efforts to improve the Trinity River basin’s water resources.
Other topics will include prairie restoration for quail, livestock production and water quality, North Texas water districts’ wetland efforts to enhance water supplies while providing large areas of wildlife habitat, and how the Chambers Creek Water Quality Initiative provides technical and financial help to landowners implementing conservation practices in Ellis and Navarro counties.
For more information on the webinars or the “Building Partnerships for Cooperative Conservation in the Trinity River Basin” project, visit the Trinity Rivers website at http://trinitywaters.org.
The Building Partnerships for Cooperative Conservation in the Trinity River Basin project is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute and funded by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through a Clean Water Act grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
--- TAMU press release

TCEQ launches anti-illegal dumping initiative

Through a partnership between the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas Department of Transportation, the Don’t Mess with Texas Water program seeks to help prevent illegal dumping by placing road signs along major highway water crossings.
The signs have a toll-free number that people can call to report illegal dumping. TCEQ forwards these calls to the appropriate local enforcement agency that handles complaints of illegal dumping for a participating area.
Signs are already up in Harlingen, Texas, and the TCEQ is seeking more local governments to participate in the program.
For more information about the program or about participating,  contact Devon Ryan, DMWTW coordinator, at 512-239-6596 or devon.ryan@tceq.texas.gov.

Farmers show support of biosolids use, cite yields, economics

MIDLOTHIAN – Farmers were in the majority during the Aug. 14 biosolids stakeholders meeting at the Midlothian Conference Center. And, one by one, they stepped to the microphone to give staff members with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality their comments about the benefits of land application of biosolids.

The farming practice, which has been in use in Ellis County since the early 1990s, has come under fire from some residents who have cited odor-related issues.

State Rep. Jim Pitts and County Commissioner Pct. 3 Paul Perry were both on hand to address TCEQ staff members, saying their respective offices had received dozens of complaints through the years.

TCEQ records indicate two dozen complaints filed in the last four years directly with the state agency: eight in fiscal year 2013, 10 in 2012, five in 2011 and one in 2010. None of those complaints have resulted in a finding of violation, the TCEQ staff said.

The stakeholder meeting was the result of a rule-change petition filed with the TCEQ by rural Midlothian resident Cole Turner. If approved, farmers would no longer be able to apply the material within three miles of a city limits.

Available information indicates that Ellis County has 47,000 acres comprising 69 sites and 34 landowners that have submitted a letter of notice to the TCEQ that they want biosolids applications. Of that noticed acreage, from 3,600 to 4,200 acres have the material applied on an annual basis.

Two sides on the issue

Turner was the first to speak during the meeting’s comment portion and said he’s “sick and tired” of the material being applied to acreage near his home. For up to three months at a time, the smell is so intense that it prevents his family from enjoying the out of doors, he said, describing the odor as “real close to death.” The number of trucks on the road beginning at 5 a.m. is another issue, he said.

“Is there a definition on farming?” Turner asked, questioning the topical application of biosolids and suggesting it be plowed into the ground and not allowed to remain on the surface.

View Turner’s petition online at http://www7.tceq.state.tx.us/uploads/eagendas/Agendas/2013/6-18-2013/2013-033-RUL-%20Petition.pdf.

Dickey Ray spoke next and said he was the rancher applying the biosolids in Turner’s area.

“Mr. Turner knew I applied this product before he bought his property,” Ray said, saying he’d been using biosolids since 1998. “We try to do it in January and February, when people aren’t outside as much. We’ve increased the setbacks … . I don’t know what else we can do.”

Ray raises grass and cattle and noted the cost savings between biosolids and commercial fertilizers at $20/acre vs. $203.50/acre, respectively.

Another resident in the primary area of complaints, Craig Monk, said the three-mile prohibition wasn’t intended to hurt anyone. Among his concerns, Monk cited a lack of information about the practice and said the product’s safety can’t be assured.

Bristol rancher Lonnie Magness told the TCEQ staff that biosolids have saved him “a ton of money” while increasing his hay yields.

“There is a smell, but it’s not that long,” he said before responding to health concerns raised by those against the practice.

“I’ve never seen one of my cows pick up a piece of it and chew on it,” Magness said. “My cattle don’t glow in the dark.”

As did others, Magness spoke about the farmer’s role in the community.

“Everybody in this room gets something from the farmer,” he said. “If the farmers aren’t here, everyone’s going to starve to death and run around butt-naked.”

Fifth-generation farmer Todd Kimbrell Jr. said the organic nutrients in biosolids were much better than the inorganics found in commercial fertilizers. Numerous soil tests have been conducted on his acreage, he said, noting, “The tests have proven time and time again what this is doing for the soil.”

The economics

Those using the product emphasized the economics involved.

Rancher Larry Jones said it would cost him $43,920 to use commercial fertilizer on his 240 acres as opposed to using the much-less expensive biosolids, which he said was “punched” into the soil on his land.

“Biosolids allows us to raise hay and make a profit,” he said. “That $43,920 is more than what (he and his wife) make on Social Security.”

Kenneth Braddock, who oversees a ranching operation that spans Ellis, Kaufman and Navarro counties, said the savings were in the millions and noted recent soil testing on grasslands indicated a nutrient value worth $473 an acre as a result of the biosolids. To have achieved that value with commercial fertilizers would have cost about $800 an acre, he said, saying the savings have allowed the operation to put its resources toward such management practices as clearing mesquite.

As did others, Braddock questioned the three-mile radius, saying cities in Ellis County had annexed down roadways and out into the county. Would the three-miles extend from those roadways as well? he asked, with another speaker calculating there would be a significant loss of eligible land if the prohibition extended from the roadways.

Charles Mitchell said he’d been trying for four years to get into the biosolids program, which has a waiting list.

“My neighbor, who’s in the program, is making three times the hay I’m making,” he said of how well biosolids land applications work.

Third-generation farmer Ray Lynn Campbell described his results: “I’ve had significant, astronomical increases in yields. There’s no dispute on the economics. They’re sound.”

Majority support

In all, almost 20 farmers and ranchers from Ellis and surrounding counties expressed their support of the practice to the TCEQ staff during the meeting, which lasted almost three hours. Non-farmers also spoke in favor of biosolids use.

Martha Davis said she lived near farmers using the material.

“The smell goes away. It doesn’t bother me,” said Davis, who feeds her horses biosolids-fertilized hay. “I have very healthy horses.”

Jason Bourgeois said he moved to Midlothian to get away from the city and enjoy the country. While he doesn’t appreciate the smell of biosolids, he said it didn’t affect him or his lifestyle.

“I appreciate all of the farmers in Midlothian,” he said.

Leslie McFarland said he and the other farmers hadn’t picked up their farms to move closer to urban areas.

“The city came out to us,” he said, noting that he and his wife have personally lost three condemnation cases involving part of their farm to roads and utilities as a result of urban sprawl. “Where’d that land come from? Where did it come off?”

It’s a matter of learning to co-exist, he said, but “You kind of need to give us (farmers) a little slack.”

Written comments being accepted

It was in June that Turner addressed TCEQ commissioners in Austin after having filed his petition for a rule change. After hearing from people on both sides of the issue during that meeting, the commissioners directed staff members to hold stakeholder meetings in different areas of the state and collect comments, suggestions and other information.

Additional stakeholder meetings will be held Aug. 22 in Brookshire and Aug. 28 in Austin. One was held earlier this month in Springtown.

Written comments will be accepted on the issue until Aug. 30 and can be mailed to Brian Sierant, TCEQ Water Quality Division, P.O. Box 13087, MC-148, Austin, TX 78711-3087. Comments also may be submitted via email to Brian.Sierant@tceq.texas.gov. For questions or additional information, contact Sierant by email or by phone at 512-239-1375.

The TCEQ executive director is slated to present findings and recommendations on the issue to the agency’s commissioners during their Nov. 20 meeting in Austin.


Musing Green is a graduate project of Jo Ann Livingston, who is completing her master's degree at the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas. The focus is on environmental and nature-related topics. Visit the website at www.musinggreen.com, the blog at musinggreen.blogspot.com or the Musing Green Facebook page. A current topic of interest is the use of biosolids in Ellis County.

Biosolids input meeting Aug. 14 in Ellis County

The public is invited to attend a stakeholder meeting Aug. 14 relating to the land application of biosolids in Ellis County.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality staff members will be on hand to receive input on the farming practice, which has come under fire in some areas of the county.
Available information indicates that Ellis County has 47,000 acres comprising 69 sites and 34 landowners that have submitted a letter of notice to the TCEQ that they want biosolids applications. Of that noticed acreage, from 3,600 to 4,200 acres will have the material applied to the soil on an annual basis.
The meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m. at the Midlothian Conference Center, is the result of a rule-change petition filed by Midlothian area resident Cole Turner in May. The petition cites nuisance odor issues and asks that the state’s environmental regulatory agency prohibit the land application of sewer sludge in or within three miles of a city limit in a county with a population of 140,000 or more that is located adjacent to a county with a population between 2 million and 4 million.
TCEQ commissioners discussed the rule-change petition during their June meeting in Austin, with a consensus that the agency’s staff take a look at the issue from a statewide perspective. In addition to the meeting in Ellis County, others are scheduled for Aug. 13 in Springtown, Aug. 22 in Brookshire and Aug. 28 in Austin.
The meeting topics will include:
• Background and rulemaking process
• Slideshow – what are biosolids; class A vs. class B sewage sludge; permits vs. notification authorizations.
• Overview of petition
• Rulemaking process and timeline
• Additional stakeholder involvement in the rulemaking process
• Purpose of the stakeholder meetings (rule and non-rule options to address odors at bulk sewage sludge application sites)
• Field investigations
• Documenting nuisance conditions
• Citizen-collected evidence
• Non-rulemaking options
• Permit provisions triggered by verified nuisance odors for generators and haulers/land applicators
• Rulemaking options
• Sewage sludge treatment processes – polymer addition, dewatering, composting, pelletization, lime stabilization, heat addition
• Transportation, staging and storage – covered vs. uncovered storage areas, storage and staging area holding times
• Management practices and site restrictions – buffer zones, weather forecasts, scheduling, slope requirements, applying through incorporation vs. surface spreading, requirements to reduce transport off-site on vehicle tires, additives, odor control plans, notification requirements
• Open discussion and comments
Written comments are being accepted on the issue until Aug. 30 and can be mailed to Brian Sierant, TCEQ Water Quality Division, P.O. Box 13087, MC-148, Austin, TX 78711-3087. Comments also may be submitted via email to Brian.Sierant@tceq.texas.gov. For questions or additional information, contact Sierant by email or by phone at 512-239-1375.
The TCEQ executive director is slated to present findings and recommendations on the issue, as gathered through the stakeholder meetings and comments, to the agency’s commissioners during their Nov. 20 meeting in Austin.
The petition can be viewed online at the TCEQ’s website http://www7.tceq.state.tx.us/uploads/eagendas/Agendas/2013/6-18-2013/2013-033-RUL-%20Petition.pdf


Musing Green is a graduate project of Jo Ann Livingston, who is completing her master's degree at the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas. The focus is on environmental and nature-related topics. Visit the website at www.musinggreen.com, the blog at musinggreen.blogspot.com or the Musing Green Facebook page. A current topic of interest is the use of biosolids in Ellis County.

TAMU: New AgriLife Extension native grassland monitoring/management publication announced

COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has a new publication available to help landowners monitor and manage the health of their native rangeland, said the author.

(Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)

The publication, Native Grassland Monitoring and Management, targets landowners within the Trinity River Basin and similar areas, said Blake Alldredge, AgriLife Extension associate with Texas A&M University’s wildlife and fisheries department at College Station.

He said the publication describes in detail several range monitoring and management techniques. It is now available as publication WF-001on the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bookstore website at http://agrilifebookstore.org . Alldredge noted that the monitoring and management information offered is applicable across the state.

“Monitoring the ecological site condition or health of the land is necessary for landowners to evaluate how past land management decisions are affecting the plant, soil and water resources of the landscape,” Alldredge said. “Monitoring specifically examines the plant species present and how much area they cover. Being able to see how range conditions change over time, which is also known as range trend, will allow land managers to make the best management decisions as conditions change.”

The monitoring techniques covered in the publication will be of particular help to wildlife managers and livestock producers to help them determine what management activities are needed to reverse negative range trends, he said.

The monitoring techniques covered in the publication include photo points, grazing exclosures, nest and cover surveys, grass stubble height surveys and forage clipping surveys. Management techniques covered include chemical and mechanical treatments, prescribed burning, disking, shredding and grazing.

“The main goal of the publication is to connect land monitoring and management techniques with proper watershed protection, because they are one and the same,” Alldredge said. “Well-managed native grasslands and tame pastures are important to watershed protection as they increase the water storage capacity of the soil, reduce erosion, promote groundwater recharge and provide more efficient nutrient absorption. Landowners also benefit from increased forage production and quality wildlife habitat.”

Alldredge said his bottomline hope is that the publication will aid the watershed enhancement efforts of AgriLife Extension, Trinity Waters and other groups seeking to improve the wildlife and water quality resources in the Trinity River basin.

The publication was produced through the Building Partnerships for Cooperative Conservation Initiative of the Trinity River basin project. The project is funded by the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board through a Clean Water Act grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and is managed by the Texas Water Resources Institute. Through this initiative, Alldredge said AgriLife Extension has partnered with Trinity Waters, a landowner organization based in the Trinity River basin, to produce educational materials related to water and wildlife conservation for landowners.

For more information, contact Alldredge at balldredge@tamu.edu.

List: environmental and nature-related books of note

Here's a listing of environmental and nature-related books that reflects the history of this form of journalism. One of my professors at UNT, Randy Lee Loftis (science, health and environmental reporter for the Dallas Morning News), provided his insights on these books – along with select readings – during our last class meeting the fall 2012. It was inspirational, to say the least.
Enjoy!
• Gilbert White, The Natural History of Selbourne, 1788
• William Bartram, Travels, 1791
• John Filson, The Discovery, Settlement and Present State of Kentucke, 1784
• Lord Byron, Don Juan, Canto VIII, 1822
• Herman Melville, Moby Dick, 1851
• Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species, 1859
• Henry DAvid Thoreau, The Maine Woods, 1864
• John Wesley Powell, The Exploration of the Colorado River and its Canyons, 1874
• Gerard Manley Hopkins, The Windhover, 1877
• John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, 1939
• Rachel Carson, Under the Sea-Wind, 1941
• Marjory Stoneman Douglas, The Everglades: River of Grass, 1947
• Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1949
• Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962
• Anonymous Cherokee legend, "Earth Making," told in 1974
• Barry Holstun Lopez, Of Wolves and Men, 1978
• Peter Matthiessen, The Snow Leopard, 1978
• Marc Reisner, Cadillac Desert, 1986
• Edward O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life, 1992
• David Quammen, The Song of the Dodo, 1996
• Ricardo Rozzi, Multi-ethnic Bird Guide of the Austral Temperate Forests of South America, 2003
• Peter Matthiessen, Shadow Country, 2008
• Richard Louv, The Nature Principle, 2012

TCEQ staff to study biosolids issue; report back to commission in five months

The state of Texas will be taking a good look at the land application of biosolids over the next five months. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality commissioners met Tuesday on a proposed rule change. Rather than move only that specific change forward, the staff was directed to gather stakeholder input from across the state and come back with a proposal that can address odor and nuisance complaints while also keeping the material out of the landfills.
Depending on the TCEQ staff findings, the end result could range between a rule change, increased enforcement of what is already in place, different policies, etc. As urbanization into rural areas continues, this is a conversation/dialogue that need to occur. There are a range of stakeholders the TCEQ wants to talk with, including those affected by the practice, the municipalities that have waste to be removed, the distributors that spread it, the farmers who use it for fertilizer.
Public meetings (TBA) will be held as part of the process for gathering information and comments.
To view the webcast of Tuesday's meeting in Austin, visit online at http://www.texasadmin.com/agenda.php?confid=TCEQ_OM061813&dir=tnrcc. Click on Agenda Item No. 30.

Study: River Legacy Parks bobcats co-existing with nearby residential areas

Dr. Richard Ashley discussed a yearlong study on bobcats living in the city of Arlington’s River Legacy Parks during last month’s meeting of the Indian Trail chapter of Master Naturalists at Red Oak Library. The funded study involved the placement of GPS-tracking collars on five bobcats.
He noted that the taxidermied bobcat in a case he brought with him was not one of the felines studied in his research but was a display used for educational purposes.
His appreciation for the felines was evident: “I’m not the guy to talk to if you want to get rid of bobcats.”
As carnivores, the animals have a necessary spot in the ecosystem, Ashley said, noting that their prey includes cottontail rabbits, squirrels and rats. The study took a look at the cats’ habits in and about their habitat in the 1,300-acre River Legacy Parks, which is located around former biosolids drying beds at the Village Creek wastewater treatment facility.
The study showed that the bobcats preferred heavily wooded areas, which they use as corridors. There is little down time for the animals, which are almost constantly on the move. Each animal’s territory consists of about 45 square miles and includes residential areas, Ashley said.
“There are a lot of caring, sensitive people in this area,” he said of the cats’ seemingly quiet co-existence with the neighborhoods. “There’s not much known about bobcats and not a lot of research, especially on urban bobcats. The bobcats appear as residential as raccoons.”
The study also found that the females tended to be solitary, with little overlap to their ranges. Males, however, moved across the females’ areas. The GPS data plotted the cats’ locations every 45 minutes over a five-week period, at which time an electronic signal was sent to the collars to drop off of the animals.
Ashley, who teaches online classes for Fort Worth Christian High School, says a university has approached him about conducting another study on the River Legacy Parks bobcats. This one also would involve GPS collars and the tracking of a larger number of the felines.

Article on biosolids published in the Waxahachie Daily Light

My graduate project on the use of biosolids in Ellis County, Texas, has resulted in a website www.musinggreen.com, this blog and a Facebook page (Musing Green). Thursday also saw the Waxahachie Daily Light's publication of my lead piece as well as related articles on the Texas Master Naturalist and Texas Stream Team programs. Here's the link to the main article: http://tinyurl.com/m28v95j.
This Tuesday, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will hear a petition request that would restrict the use of biosolids as a land application in Ellis County. The proposed rule change would disallow the spreading of the product within three miles of a city limit. It's agenda item No. 30 so will likely be heard in the afternoon in Austin. My understanding is that Ellis County residents unhappy with the practice will be on hand for the presentation.
Here's a link to the petition that seeks to address complaints of residents near Midlothian: http://tinyurl.com/n3qgh38.

Here's the CEJ's recommended reading list

The Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder has a wonderful recommended reading list posted on its website. It's an extensive list, so you might want to start sooner rather than later!

TCEQ press release: Take Care of Texas campaign

In a shared announcement June 4, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department unveiled a statewide public service campaign to promote outdoor recreation and encourage personal responsibility in protecting our state’s natural resources.
Country music star Kevin Fowler donated his talents for radio and TV spots, including writing and performing the campaign’s jingle, “Take Care of Texas,” which will be broadcast on Texas radio and TV stations throughout the summer.
“Kevin’s jingle is not only a catchy song, but it’s also a very noteworthy message,” says TCEQ Executive Director Zak Covar.  “Through this statewide campaign, we hope that everyone who enjoys the abundant outdoor recreation opportunities here will do their part to conserve and protect those natural resources.”
“With the punishing drought our state has suffered in recent years, most people know how important it is to conserve water, and public education efforts like Take Care of Texas are absolutely vital to help get the job done,” said Carter Smith, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department executive director. “In poll after poll, Texans have consistently ranked  water resources near the very top of public priorities. It’s important for people in cities, and it’s important for fish and wildlife, state parks and natural habitats—everything is connected, and we all have a role to play. Take Care of Texas provides quick and easy practical guidance for people to do what they already know is right.”
The PSA, as well as a video about the making of the announcement, is available on the Take Care of Texas website.  The website offers Texans easy ways to conserve water and energy, and includes an online calculator to estimate how much household water, energy, and money they can save by taking these conservation measures in their own home and garden.  Everyone who takes the online pledge to help keep Texas clean will receive a free Texas State Park Guide in appreciation for their efforts.

Texas Master Naturalists in Ellis County, Texas

The Texas Master Naturalist program is one way people can become more knowledgeable and involved in the ecology around them. After completing the program, they can then serve as volunteers to impart education and information to the public.
“Texas can’t afford to hire people to do what we do,” says Eileen Berger, president of the Indian Trail chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists, which includes Ellis and Navarro counties. “Master Naturalists and Master Gardeners are valued at $21 an hour for their volunteer work.”
To become a Texas Master Naturalist, members go through 40 hours of classroom training in which they learn, among other topics, about plants, reptiles, amphibians, weather/climate, fish, insects, birds, archeology, forestry, rangeland and prairies. In particular, they learn about the flora and fauna indigenous to their area.
After finishing the coursework, participants are expected to put in 40 hours of volunteer work and complete an additional eight hours of advanced training before receiving the title of Texas Master Naturalist.
The Indian Trail chapter has established volunteer partnerships with several entities, including the John Bunker Sands Wetlands Center in Seagoville and the Texas Wildlife Association.
“We partner with a lot of groups,” Berger says, noting that continued volunteering and training are required to maintain status as a Texas Master Naturalist.
Observing nature and understanding what one is seeing is important, Berger says.
“Birds are a good indicator of a healthy ecosystem. It’s easy to observe them. With wetland birds and the animals that live in the water everything is connected. You can’t pull one piece out and it not affect the system. Birds tell you stuff. You don’t have to even test the water.”

•••

The Indian Trail chapter meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Monday each month at Red Oak Library. Visitors are welcome.
The Texas Master Naturalist program is sponsored by two state agencies: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas AgriLife, with the latter also overseeing the Master Gardeners and Master AgriLife programs.

press release: Gov. Perry signs landmark water legislation

Gov. Rick Perry today (May 28, 2013) ceremonially signed House Bill 4, which lays the foundation for meeting Texas' water future water needs. HB 4 provides for active, full-time governance at the Texas Water Development Board; creates a new funding mechanism to support water-supply project implementation over the next 50 years; and directs local, regional and state officials to prioritize projects to ensure efficient use of available resources. The governor was joined by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Speaker Joe Straus, as well as bill authors Reps. Allan Ritter, Four Price, Eric Johnson, Doug Miller and Eddie Lucio III, and sponsor Sen. Troy Fraser at the signing ceremony. "Water is an essential part of everyone's life, and ensuring adequate supplies means continued job creation, stronger communities and healthier families for decades to come," Gov. Perry said. "HB 4 will help secure our water supplies for generations, even through rapid population and economic growth, by creating new funds that will support local and regional projects and lower the cost of issuing bonds for much-needed water projects."
HB 4 will ensure Texas has a reliable water supply for the next 50 years by promoting conservation and innovative reuse. With voter approval of SJR 1 this fall, this $2 billion investment will fund up to $30 billion in projects over the next 50 years. These measures will help address the increased demand population growth will have on our water needs now and into the future.
"Our state's economic engine continues to outpace the rest of the nation, so we're taking aggressive steps to ensure our infrastructure can support the accompanying growth," Lt. Gov. Dewhurst said. "This bill is part of an overall solution that combines great fiscal stewardship with citizen involvement and sound strategic planning to meet our state's water needs for the next fifty years."
"The Texas House made HB 4 a top priority because we have all seen the devastating effects that severe drought can have on our farms, our communities and our entire economy," Speaker Straus said. "In addition, we know that a reliable supply of water will help us remain the leading state in the country for job creation."
"It has been an honor to work with leadership on securing our future water supply," Rep. Ritter said. "The Governor and the Legislature worked together to help ensure that we will have our most essential element to public health and economic growth for decades to come."
"The drought not only has an impact on the health and safety of our communities but it also affects our State's economy and the ability to attract new businesses," Sen. Fraser said. "I am glad that we finally passed HB 4 to implement the State Water Plan, so we can ensure Texas will have sufficient water supplies during times of drought."
House Bill 4 becomes law on Sept. 1, 2013.

Musing Green to launch website

Musing Green is an Ellis County, Texas-based online news outlet primarily focusing on environmental and nature-related topics. Our website is under construction and will be up soon at www.musinggreen.com.