Some Upcoming Events of Interest

I am consolidating several things into one post, just to be sure I get them all.

May 12, 6:00 - 8:30 PM, Well Water Owner Network, Red River Authority, 3000 Hammon Rd. If you have a water well or are thinking about drilling a well, you should attend this meeting. People have the impression that all water is good water, and that isn't 100% true in our area. Subjects to be covered include:

• Seymour Aquifer
• Well construction and protection
• Limitations of using poor quality well water
• Defining parameters for well water use for plants/livestock
• Evaluating well water quality
• Determining steps to take to achieve acceptable water quality
• Alternative water sources

Someone take good notes for me--I am going to be in Florida when this program is presented.

May 17, Heritage Days at Lake Arrowhead State Park. Although many children will be attending this even on the Friday with their schools, the Park is out of space, so many will not be able to go. However, the event will be repeated on Saturday, May 17 for the public. A $3 per person admission to the park (free if you have a Texas Parks Pass) will give you 12 stations about a number of topics relating to Texas history. I find the station on old time medical treatment fascinating (and I am sooooo glad to have other options). The event opens at 9:00 AM and will only stay open as long as there is a good crowd.

May 25, 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Lake Arrowhead State Park. Drought Days program. Free admission to the park for this educational opportunity. A program on the impact of the drought on the park and on local flora and fauna.

June 7, National Trail Day. 8:00 AM - Noon. Hike the trails at Lake Arrowhead State Park. The Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalist chapter will have stations set up along the 0.5 mile nature trail to talk about the various items of interest. For those more hardy, the park interpreter will be leading a hike along the 5.5 mile Onion Creek Trail, beginning at 8.

June 28, Great American Backyard Campout. A great opportunity to camp out with the family in your backyard or perhaps Lake Arrowhead State Park.  The Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalist chapter will host a special event that evening at the park beginning at 7:00 PM.  Meet at the Group Pavilion for nature activities, s'mores, and owl calling. Wild Bird Rescue will be on hand with a live owl program. You don't have to camp to attend this event, but why not make your reservation to spend the night? $3 per person entry fee to the park (camping fees apply if you camp.)

There's a lot going on, so there is no excuse not to get outside! (Other than the heat, of course. I really don't care for summer in this area.....)

Lake Arrowhead Cleanup Saturday

Photo 09/14/13: worse now

The bad news is that Lake Arrowhead, the primary source of drinking water for Wichita Falls and surrounding communities is below 30% of capacity due to our long-running drought.

If you have been out to Lake Arrowhead lately, you have seen just how much trash is being exposed. Now is a great time to get the lake bed cleaned up before we get some much-needed rain (note the optimism.)

On Saturday, November 23, Lake Arrowhead State Park is hosting a lake cleanup. A number of groups are participating, including two groups I am involved with: the Friends of Lake Arrowhead and the Rolling Plains Chapter Texas Master Naturalist. The park and the City of Wichita Falls (which owns the lake) are asking for community support for this effort. Interested people should come to the park at 9AM. Bring work gloves. It is also suggested participants wear boots, and considering the expected weather on Saturday, it would be a good idea to dress warmly.

For more information, call the Park office at 940-528-2211.

Save the Night and Star Party at Lake Arrowhead State Park Saturday

Saturday at Lake Arrowhead State Park there is a special event open to the public. You can attend all or part. The only portion of the day that requires attendance at any other portion is the Light Assessment Training, which requires the Save the Night presentation first. For most members of the public, the Star Party beginning at 9 PM will have most of the information and be of most interest. 

Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalist members may count the Save the Night and Lighting Assessment and Retrofit Project Training as advanced training.

If you want to attend for dinner, you are asked to RSVP to Terry at dgm59@aol.com.

4:00 PM to 5:30 PM      

Save the Night Presentation

Almost every living thing on our planet uses the cycle of light and dark to trigger life processes. Humans are for the most part diurnal and have come to depend on artificial light for nighttime activities. So, how does our artificial light at night effect fauna and flora? We know what death by bulldozer looks like. It’s hard for us to see what habitat destruction by artificial light looks like. This session helps us understand the effects of artificial light on living things and how we can reduce the negative effect of our lights.

Most of the presentation is a peek into our natural world after dark and the affect that artificial light has on it. The scientific background is derived from the research papers compiled in the book “Ecological Consequences of Artificial Outdoor Lighting” which was edited by Catherine Rich and Travis Longcore.

Participants will take home a new awareness of the nighttime activities and processes of the fauna and flora around us. They will be more knowledgeable about outdoor lighting practices allowing them to have the light that humans want or need for nighttime activities while they save energy costs, reduce glare, increase safety, reduce light trespass, create a more aesthetically pleasing nocturnal environment for humans and limit the negative consequences on the environment. Participants will see samples of good lights and be given a handout with drawings of recommended light fixtures and light fixtures to avoid.

  

5:30 PM to 6:30 PM      

Dinner time 

If you have a special dietary need, please bring your own dinner. We plan on having chicken spaghetti courtesy of the Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park. We’ll have water and coffee for beverages.If you have a special dietary need, please bring your own dinner. We plan on having chicken spaghetti and hot dogs available courtesy of the Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park. We'll have water and coffee for beverages. If you have a special dietary need, please bring your own dinner. We plan on having chicken spaghetti and hot dogs available courtesy of the Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park. We'll have water and coffee for beverages.If you have a special dietary need, please bring your own dinner. We plan on having chicken spaghetti and hot dogs available courtesy of the Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park. We'll have water and coffee for beverages.

6:30 PM to 8:00 PM      

Lighting Assessment & Retrofit Project Training 

(Save the Night is the prerequisite for this workshop)

The Lighting Assessment and Retrofit Project (LARP), is part of a larger initiative in which Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) has partnered with both the Texas Section of the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) and McDonald Observatory. McDonald Observatory will train Texas State Park interpretive rangers to deliver night sky programs. The LARP initiative from the Texas Section of IDA will train volunteers from all over the state to do lighting assessments for Texas Parks near them in order to assist the parks in the implementation of best practices in night lighting. The Lighting Assessment and Retrofit Project hopes to recruit at least two volunteers for each Texas State Park with camping. A volunteer may request to work with more than one park or facility.

The three-hour LARP workshop teaches participants how to critique outdoor lighting fixtures and make recommendations to retrofit or replace ones that produce light pollution. You’ll be provided with the details about and samples of the approach agreed upon with the Texas State Parks for consistent reporting for all parks. The workshop will also briefly cover the broad challenges that outdoor lighting can produce as it can create glare that reduces safety & security, produce light trespass, waste money in needless energy costs, obscure our view of the night sky, and jeopardize the health and sustainability of ecosystems. Workshop activities will allow participants to test their new skills and provide contacts for post workshop questions.

Volunteers who want to participate in the LARP program for the Texas State Parks are expected to:

·         Communicate with the park leadership

·         Do a site visit

·         Inventory the existing outdoor lighting at their mutually agreed upon Texas State Park

·         Determine recommended changes to reduce light pollution

·         Create a written assessment of the park’s lighting situation

·         Follow up and coordinate with the park superintendent

Cindy Luongo Cassidy, LARP Training Coordinator for the Texas Section of IDA, will facilitate the workshop. Steve Bosbach, Texas IDA Section Leader will work with any parks selected to pursue the designation of Dark-Sky Park by IDA.

9:00 PM until about 10:45 PM              

Public Star Party 

Starts with a 15 minute "Intro to Good Lighting" talk (especially for those who have NOT attended the earlier workshops). It should be completely dark by 9:25 and the moon rises about 10:25. The moon will be very bright so, after everyone who wants to gets a good look at the moon and it's craters we'll shut down for the night.

Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park

The Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park meet tonight in the dining hall at Lake Arrowhead State Park. Come and learn more about upcoming events and activities at the park.

Upcoming Park Activities

The Rolling Plains Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist program are hosting their annual public forum on Tuesday, March 6. This year, the speaker is Charles Newberry, Texas Parks and Wildlife Biologist, who will be talking about what's happening with the TPWD. This program will be held in conjunction with the monthly Master Naturalist meeting at 7:00 PM, at River Bend Nature Center, 2200 3rd St.  The program is free and open to the public. Usually, light refreshments are served.

On Sunday, March 4, there will be a rally in support of Lake Arrowhead State Park, from 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM. This event is co-sponsored by the Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park and the Rolling Plains Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist.

On Saturday, March 17, the Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park will hold their 2nd annual park clean up from 9:00 AM to noon. Last year we picked up a lot of trash. Although most of the people who came last year were Friends and Master Naturalists, we did have some campers and other members of the public take part. Anyone is welcome to help and there will be free hot dogs for the volunteers.

As a reminder, the state parks are in financial trouble. If you have the ability, consider contributing to the non-profit Texas State Parks Foundation. You can also help by visiting the park and paying the entry fee (which accounts for about half of the park's budget) and/or buying a Park Pass.

Christmas Tree Drop Off

If you had a live Christmas tree this year, you need to know where to dispose of it, unless you have enough room for a nice brush pile on your own property.

The City of Wichita Falls Sanitation Department has opened locations at Lucy Park (at the back of the park near the river) and Kiwanis Park (next to the park maintenance building near the entrance to the park) for easy disposal of natural Christmas trees. The free drop-off areas are open twenty-four hours a day.

Only real trees that have been completely stripped of the tree stand, all decorations and lights will be accepted. No artificial trees will be accepted. The trees will be recycled as mulch and used around trees, shrubs and flower beds in each park. 

City residents can also use the Landfill or Transfer Station for FREE tree disposal anytime during normal operating hours. Residents are encouraged to take advantage of these disposal methods, as there is no curbside pickup of Christmas trees. Trees left out by the curb will not be picked up by sanitation crews. 


If you choose,  you may also drop off trees at the Inland Fisheries office at 409 Chester Avenue (off Old Jacksboro Hwy). Those trees are used to improve fish habitat at Lake Arrowhead State Park.

First Day in the Parks

Whether you've been naughty or nice, we hope you'll join us Jan. 1 for 1st Day Hike. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is offering hikes at state parks.  Our own Lake Arrowhead State Park is offering two hikes one short and one of 5.5 miles starting at 2:30 pm.  Click on the link above and scroll down to Lake Arrowhead SP for information.  Always a good chance to see wildlife out at the park.  As you know our state parks are in desperate need of money and the best way to raise that money is to increase participation at the park.  It costs $3.00 to get into the park … a very small sum indeed.  Or buy an annual park pass for $70.00

A Plea from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Well, folks, we all know that the Texas State legislature cut a lot of budgets this year in an unsuccessful attempt to balance the budget (although most of the hoopla out of the legislature made it sound like they balanced the budget--that was all smoke and mirrors.) One of the budgets cut tremendously was the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

State parks are in serious financial trouble. There are some in the state who would like nothing better than to sell off parkland to private persons and entities to raise money for state expenditures. Although the parks are public land held in trust for the public, the legislature doesn't consider them a priority. Therefore, private citizens must come to the rescue. Texas Parks and Wildlife has issued a plea to raise $4.6 million through public donations to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. I made a small donation today.

If you have the resources, please consider a contribution to this foundation or to your local Friends group.  Many parks have a 501(c)(3) Friends group to raise money for park improvements and to provide volunteer labor for projects the park doesn't have the manpower to do. Our local Lake Arrowhead State Park started a Friends group this past year. It is too new to be listed on the TPWD site yet, but should be soon as the Memorandum was recently signed. The group meets the first Thursday of each month at 7PM. If you don't have a lot of spare money, consider donating time.

Other ways to help are to visit the park and pay the entry fee ($3 per person at Lake Arrowhead) or purchase an annual park pass for admission to all of the state parks for a year.

Other organizations are getting involved to help increase attendance at the parks. For example, the Texas Ornithological Society is sponsoring a series of bird walks in state parks over the next several months to draw attention to the birdwatching opportunities and to bring in additional visitors.  I will be leading monthly bird walks at Lake Arrowhead State Park beginning in March. I'll post reminders in my sister blog, A Charm of Finches.

If we want parks to be here for future generations, we are going to have to make a personal commitment to do what we can to support the parks we have.

Friends of LASP Meet Thursday

The Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park (LASP) meet Thursday evening, October 6 at 7 PM at the Dining Hall at LASP. If you are interested in events coming to the park and in helping to make the park even better, plan to attend.

Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park Meeting

The Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park meet Thursday evening at 7PM at the Dining Hall at Lake Arrowhead State Park.

Living and Learning

Massasuga rattlesnake photo courtesy of TimVickers, Wikimedia Commons.




There is always something to learn about the environment and our place in it.

There was a full house at Laurie Hall's presentation on snakes last evening at Lake Arrowhead State Park (LASP). It was an interesting program with lots of beautiful photos she and some friends have taken of snakes that live in our area. The massasuago rattlesnake (left) was one of the snakes she talked about in her program.

The next program at LASP is on zebra mussels. It is focused on boaters to help stop the spread of the invasive zebra mussel in Texas. If you're a boater or just someone who is interested in learning more, be sure to attend the educational session on August 6, 9:00 AM at LASP Dining Hall.


Zebra mussel photo courtesty of US Geological Survey.

Also, the Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalists will award 3 hours of advanced training credit for the Water Symposium on October 1. The Master Gardeners will get 5 hours credit.



I haven't heard any thing about adult education programs at River Bend lately--I'll pass on the information as I get it.




Don't forget the opening of A Walk on the Wild Side at the Museum of North Texas History on August 13. In addition to the exhibit there will be a lot of other vendors and displays at the grand opening. The Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalists will be helping out.

The details on all of these programs are in previous posts.

Some Programs of Interest

A couple of upcoming programs at Lake Arrowhead State Park that may be of some interest to readers. These programs are sponsored by the Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park and the Rolling Plains Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists. These programs are free, but admission to the park is required ($3 per person.)

Saturday, July 23, 6:00 PM, Education Bldg: local Texas Master Naturalist Laurie Hall will be giving a program on snakes.

Saturday, August 6. 9:00 AM, Education Bldg: Assistant Fisheries Biologist Robert Mauk will be doing a program on the invasive zebra mussel.

Great Backyard Campout

Each year the National Wildlife Federation sponsors the Great Backyard Campout. For the past three years, the Rolling Plains Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists has sponsored a Great Backyard Campout event at Lake Arrowhead State Park. They will be doing this again on Friday, June 24 at Lake Arrowhead State Park. The event begins at 7 PM and lasts until 9:30 PM

There will be music at 7 PM provided by Ron Calloway, who is part of the band, Prairie Moon. The music will be followed by a nature scavenger hunt, s'more making and owl calling at dark. Families are welcome to come out for just the special event or to camp overnight. You can reserve your own camping space if you would like to stay.

There is no charge to participate in the Great Backyard Campout, although you will need to pay the admission to the park. Call Lake Arrowhead State Park for more information at (940) 528-2211.

Nature at Noon, Lake Arrowhead

The Rolling Plains Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist is planning a Nature at Noon event on the nature trail at Lake Arrowhead State Park on May 21 from noon - 2:00 PM. Come on out to Lake Arrowhead and learn more about our environment. Members of the chapter will be at the various stations on the trail to provide more information about the various stations along the trail.

Beautiful Morning at Lake Arrowhead State Park

Saturday was gorgeous at Lake Arrowhead State Park. The Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park and the Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalists sponsored a cleanup of the park. Many members of both groups as well as some other volunteers gathered at the dining hall (near the fishing piers) to pick up trash bags, gloves and grabbers and gather trash.



The park was very busy, with spring break in full swing. Every campsite was full, the boat ramp parking full with trucks and trailers, the fishing piers packed, and many of the picnic pavilions in use. It was good to see so many people out.



The lake level is low, since we haven't had rain in a long time. Between the low water level and the burn the park conducted in January, most of the paper trash was gone, but the cans and bottles were easy to spot. We were able to pick up several bags of trash in a short time and then enjoyed hot dogs on the patio.



I took some picutres, but have managed to misplace my hook up to download them into my computer, so later for those.

New Organization Born

Those that are regular readers of this blog know that a Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park group has been trying to get up and running the last few months. I am pleased to announce that the group passed the bylaws this evening and several other administrative and financial hurdles have been passed, so tonight the group was born. At the beginning of the meeting, 21 people had paid dues and more joined this evening.

The Friends of Lake Arrowhead have several projects upcoming, some in conjunction with the Rolling Plains chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists. Some upcoming events:

• 19 March: Lake cleanup, 9:00 AM - Noon. You can participate whether or not you are a member of the organization. Both the Friends of LASP and the Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalists will have information about their organizations there for those who may be interested.
• 13, 14 May: Buffalo Soldiers event. Although not sponored by the Friends of LASP, the park staff could use a few extra hands for the event.
• 4 June: Kids Fishing Day. Although the Texas Master Naturalists usually have several volunteers out that day, more are always welcome to help the kids enjoy the fishing experience--for several, it may be their first exposure to the sport.

Several more activities will be coming up. Watch for announcements.

Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park Meeting

The next meeting of the Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park is Thursday, March 3, 7:00 PM at the Education Building (better known as the Dining Hall.)

A number of items will be discussed, but the primary item of business is the review and hopefully adoption of the organization's bylaws. Members may also pay their dues ($10 individual/$15 family/$5 students.) We will also be discussing upcoming events.

If you are interested in improving our local state park, please come.

Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park

Some weeks ago a few people met to begin talking about forming a Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park 501(c)(3). A second meeting will be held this Saturday, November 6, 10:00 AM at Lake Arrowhead in the Dining Hall building at the fishing pier.

I was at the first meeting, but will have to miss this one due to a scheduled class Saturday (only a few more weeks and no more Saturday classes for a while--yippee!!)

Please attend if you are interested so we can get this much needed program off the ground. Now, if we could just do something similar for the parks in Wichita Falls! But one thing at a time.

Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park

I really need to replace my little camera to help liven up this blog. But that has nothing to do with the topic of this post.

Tonight John Ferguson, Superintendent of Lake Arrowhead State Park, held a meeting to gauge interest for a Friends of Lake Arrowhead State Park 501(c)3 to support a variety of programs and amenities in the park. I don't think the word got out very well. Some members of the Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalists were there and one other person who is a member of the North Texas Bird and Wildlife Club. The group agreed that there is a need for such an organization and there is interest. However, we want a more diverse group of organizations and individuals involved.

The park has over 80,000 visitors a year. Not bad for a small state park. But truthfully, the park is not manned or funded to do much more than it does. All agreed additional interpretive programs and additional park amenities would improve the park experience for those who come and would pull in more visitors. Additionally, a 501(c)3 organization could apply for grants and conduct fundraising activities to raise monies for things that are not likely to be funded by the state.

So the consensus was to move forward. The next meeting will be Saturday, November 6, 10:00 AM at the Dining Hall at the fishing docks. It would be great to have a good sized group of excited, interested and energetic people there. I will be teaching at MSU that day so will miss this meeting, but I'm in.

If you would like more information, contact the park at 940-528-2211.

Great American Backyard Campout

The Rolling Plains Texas Master Naturalists are hosting the Great American Backyard Campout at Lake Arrowhead State Park on June 25. This was a very well-attended event last year.

From 8 - 10 PM at the group picnic pavilion, the Master Naturalists will host a scavenger hunt on the nature trail, host a mini-concert by Bill Gordan and Jack Jordan, make S'Mores and have an owl calling event. There is no charge to participate in these activities; however, all regular park entry and camping fees apply. It isn't necessary to camp in order to take part in the Master Naturalists activities.

Why not get the kids out to enjoy many of the activities we did as kids?