The Red River Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists was featured in the February 2010 issue of the PARISlifestyles magazine issued by the Paris News in Paris, Texas.

The article described the Texas Master Naturalist organization and the activities of the Red River Chapter.

Click on the PDF link below to view the article.

Texas Master Naturalists from the Red River Chapter participated in the Trail de Paris Appreciation Day in Paris, Texas. This event was to thank everyone who has supported the Trail de Paris.

Red River Texas Master Naturalists provided information about the TMN program, and also offered guided birding and plant identification tours along the Trail de Paris.

Pictured are Red River TMNs David Cook, Patricia Ferguson, Gary Robertson, Velma Davidson, Elouise Prater, Roberta Smith, Syd Newman, Cindy Robertson, Nancee Salzman, Margie Rice, Mary Ferguson, Lueron Erickson, and Janet Phillips.

J.W. asked if we could have a Blog (discussion) page for the Red River Texas Master Naturalist Chapter and now we do. This page is for our members to discuss topics that might be of interest to all of us and allow all of our members to see what the other members have to say.

To get to the Blog page you will first have to log in to our website. Just click the "Log In" button above. Next you will have to enter your email address and password and click the "Login" button. Your password was sent to you by email, but if you have misplaced it just contact David Cook and I will send it out to you.

At this point you may or may not see a screen asking you to Accept the website conditions, just click "Accept".

You may or may not then see a screen with your website information and allowing you to change your password. You can leave your password the same or change it if you wish. Then just click out of this screen

The screen will change back to the home page screen and you will see a link to the "TMN Blog Page" to the left in the navigation panel. Just click on "TMN Blog Page" and our new blog page will open. Instructions for entering a new blog or replying to an existing blog will be on the new blog page.

Contact me if you have any problems or questions.

Texas Master Naturalists from the Red River Chapter participated in the annual Bald Eagle Survey at Pat Mayse Lake near Paris, Texas.

Under the direction of Pat Mayse Park Ranger Jeff Paskin, Red River Texas Master Naturalists surveyed the 5900 acre lake from the water and land positions.

One mature and six immature bald eagles were observed during the survey.

Pictured are TMN Elouise Prater, Gloria Cox, Velma Davidson, James Davidson, David Cook, Park Ranger Jeff Paskin, Lueron Erickson, Sheri Schwed and Janet Phillips.

Dr. Rob Wiedenmann, professor and Department Head of the Department of Entomology at the University of Arkansas, will present an interesting advanced training discussion and fantastic photos of his birding exploits on several continents. We will meet at Greenwood at 8:00 am in the barn for discussion and photos, then those who wish can make a short walk with Dr. Wiedenmann for some OJT birding with an expert. Those who do not wish to walk can adjourn to the front porch to put out seeds and be able to see and discuss numerous bird species.

Dr. Wiedenmann is an entertaining and excellent speaker, and very experienced birder. I am confident you will not want to miss his visit.

This will be a fantastic Advanced Training session! The training will be open to any interested parties you wish to invite. Since this is on MLK Day and a school holiday, bring your children, grandchildren, spouses and fellow birders and especially potential new Master Naturalists. They will enjoy the presentation.

We will partake of a pot-luck lunch at noon or thereabouts. Let J. W. Smith know if you will participate and your number of participants. Bring a covered dish and a lawn chair.

Do not forget to RSVP so we can plan the lunch.

Five members of the Red River Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist and two guests participated in the annual Christmas Bird Count held January 3, 2009.

Over 3000 birds of over 70 species were counted by the group. Full details of the count will be issued later.

The first Christmas Bird Count, one of the most important wildlife census gatherings in the world, began on Christmas Day 1900 in Englewood , New Jersey. The count was organized as a protest to the annual “side hunt” in which teams competed to see how many birds they could shoot.

Today, the importance of the counts cannot be over-estimated. The information collected becomes part of an overall census of bird populations of different species. Because birds are a barometer of environment and ecological conditions, a year-to-year decline of a species indicates a problem in the environment. The Christmas Bird Counts, for example, helped confirm the decline of the bald eagle due to pesticide contamination.

Nationally sponsored by the National Audubon Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, individual community counts take place in a 24-hour period during late December and early January.

Members of The Red River Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist, working along with The Nature Conservancy, helped install 20 nature signs along the Lennox Woods Nature Trail. These signs will identify the prominent trees along the trail.

The Lennox Woods Preserve, one of the most beautiful and pristine old-growth forests in the state, is a vital refuge for several rare species of plant and animal communities supported by the waters of Pecan Bayou, one of the largest undammed watersheds in northeastern Texas. Visitors can hike, bird watch or take advantage of a self-guided nature trail. The old-growth timber and cathedral-like canopy of these woods are thought to be typical of the undisturbed floodplains throughout the state prior to the arrival of settlers.

The Nature Conservancy is the leading conservation organization and operates around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of rivers worldwide.

In the photo, Red River Chapter Texas Master Naturalists Elouise Prater, Velma Davidson, Nancee Salzman, Margie Rice, and John Nichols admire the newly erected nature sign along with The Nature Conservancy’s Larry Crane, and Jim Eidson.

 

On September 6, 2008 - Red River TMNs David Cook, Lueron Erickson, Janet Phillips, and Earl Erickson were helping add rocks to the butterfly garden on the Trail de Paris and look what Lueron found.

 

A caterpillar of course, but we didn't know what kind. Being good Master Naturalists, we rushed to our books and the internet and found out it's a Black Swallowtail caterpillar.

 

The caterpillar will mature to be like the Black Swallowtail pictured above.

And now for the educational part of this posting:

Common Name: Black swallowtail
Scientific Name: Papilio polyxenes asterius Stoll
Order: Lepidoptera

Description: The black swallowtail is a black butterfly with yellow markings near the margins of the forewings and hindwings and more limited blue and red markings on the hindwings. Its wing span can reach 4 ½ inches. Full grown parselyworms or caterpillars can reach 2 inches in length and are smooth and green, marked with black bands and yellow spots.

The black swallowtail mimics the bad tasting pipevine swallowtail, Battus philenor (Linnaeus), which is all metallic black-blue on the upper surface of the wings, lacking the yellow and blue markings. Caterpillars feed on pipevines, Dutchman’s-pipe and Virginia snakeroot.

Life Cycle: Winter is spent in the chrysalis (pupa) stage. Adults emerge in the spring and seek host plants. Females lay round, yellow to cream colored eggs on the leaves. Caterpillars hatching from eggs are initially black with a white saddle. After molting several times, each larvae transforms into a pale green chrysalis that is suspended from a plant stem by a thread.

Habitat and Food Source(s): Caterpillars have chewing mouthparts. Adults have siphoning mouths. Host plants of the caterpillar include members of the parsley family (Umbelliferae) including carrot, parsley, dill, fennel and Queen Anne's lace and some members of the Rutaceae (Ruta graveolens and Thamnosma texana). This caterpillar is bad tasting to birds and other predators because of toxins absorbed from the host plants. Like other larvae of swallowtail butterflies, parselyworms have a defensive structure, called an osmeterium, right behind the head. This structure is usually concealed. However, when disturbed this "Y" or "V" shaped organ is inverted. It emits a strong odor that is apparently distasteful to predators. This butterfly is easy to attract and raise by planting dill or fennel in your vegetable garden.

Pest Status: Caterpillars feed on dill, fennel and some other plants; medically harmless.

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The Texas Master Naturalist of Texas activities are coordinated by AgriLife Extension and Texas Parks and Wildlife. Texas Master Naturalist programs serve all people regardless of socioeconomic level, race,color,sex,religion,disability or national origin.