April 2002 Issue:
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Election of Officers/Directors |
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Coming Events |
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Checklists Coming |
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Memorial Day Count |
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Recent Sightings List |
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Class Held |
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Workday Report |
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Wildflower Sale |
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… and more |
NABA's MISSION STATEMENT: ELECTION OF OFFICERS/DIRECTORS: The Nominating Committee is pleased to present the following 2002-2003 slate of officers and directors for the St. Louis NABA chapter. The slate will be will be voted upon at the Sunday, April 7th meeting at Tom Krauska's house (see Calendar). Officers and directors will serve a one year term. Thank you to these very devoted members who have agreed to accept the nomination and serve our chapter: President Yvonne Homeyer Respectfully submitted, *********************************************************** COMING EVENTS: Sunday, April 7, 2:00 p.m., Annual Meeting & Election of Officers and Board Members, at Tom Terrific (Krauska's) house. Tom will also present a program "Ten Commandments of Butterfly Gardening." Thursdays, April 11 & 18, NABA Workshop "Local Butterflies: Identification And Natural History" from 6:30 - 8:30p.m. at St. Louis Community College at Meramec (also included in Master Naturalist Certificate Program). To register, call 314-984-7777. Tuesday, April 16, 8:00 a.m., Gardening Experience at Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden, Busch Conservation Area (helping hands needed). Questions? Please call Dennis Bozzay. Saturday, April 27, 9:45 a.m., Butterfly Walk, Busch Conservation Area in St. Charles County. Directions: Take Hwy. 40 west across the Missouri River bridge into St. Charles County; exit at Hwy. 94. Turn left (south) on Hwy. 94 and go 1.1 miles to County Hwy. D. At Hwy. D (stop light), turn right (west). Entrance to Busch is about 2 miles down the road, on your right. Sunday, May 19, 1:00 p.m., Butterfly Walk at Tyson Research Center, co-sponsored by Friends of Tyson. Meet for lunch at noon. Directions: From the junction of I-44 and I-270, go west on I-44 about 7 miles to the AntireRoad/Beaumont exit. The entrance gate is at the end of the exit ramp (stop sign) and on your right. Sunday, May 26, 8:00 a.m., Gardening Experience and Memorial Day NABA Count at Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden, Busch Conservation Area (helping hands needed). Questions? Please call Dennis Bozzay. The Count will start at 10:00 A.M. after the gardening is done (see description below). Saturday, June 1, Butterfly Walk at Mark Peters' prairie, 10:00 a.m. Directions: e-mail Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net). Saturday, June 29, Springfield, Ill. 4th of July Count. For more information, contact Susan Dees at (217) 529-1826. Monday, July 1, Shawnee National Forest 4th of July Count, near Harrisburg, Illinois. Sunday, July 7, 9:45 a.m., 4th of July Butterfly Count, Busch Conservation Area. A Gardening Experience (helping hands needed) will be held at 8:00 a.m. at the Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden before the count starting at 9:45 a.m. Sunday, July 14, 4th of July Count near Alma, Illinois, sponsored by Richard & Susan Day. This Count is brand new. Sunday, Aug. 18, 8:00 a.m., Gardening Experience at Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden, Busch Conservation Area (helping hands needed). Questions? Please call Dennis Bozzay. Saturday, Aug. 24 - 4th of July Butterfly Count, Horseshoe Lake State Park, Illinois. *********************************************************** BUTTERFLY CHECKLISTS When you are out in the field looking at butterflies, how do you keep track of the species seen, and the numbers of each species? If you're like me, you write down your sightings in the order you remember them later, after you are home. We will soon have at our disposal a much better way: a revised Butterfly Checklist of St. Louis Area Butterflies. Researched and designed by Jeannie and Jim Moe, with input from Jim Ziebol, our new NABA-St. Louis Checklist is more compact and has more features than our previous one. The checklist is arranged in taxonomic order and comes in two formats, both of which are easy to use in the field. The short format lists all the butterfly species on one side of the page, with a key for frequency (common, uncommon, rare and casual). There is a box in front of each species for recording the number of individuals seen on your field trip and room at the top for recording the date and location of your field trip. The longer format takes up both sides of the page and has the added feature of an abundance chart. The shaded months show when each species is flying, so you can tell at a glance which part of the year that butterfly can be seen. Think you've got a Juvenal's Duskywing in August? The abundance chart tells you that Juvenal's is only seen in the spring. Want to know when to go out looking for Baltimore Checkerspot? The abundance chart shows that your best chances of seeing it are in June and July. Just keep in mind that these are approximate dates which will vary from year to year. Both formats of the Checklist will be mailed with the newsletter as soon as they are finished. You will also be able to find them on our chapter web site, thanks to Dave Larson's assistance in formatting the checklists so they can be accessed via the Internet: http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/listcheck.htm Print out and/or copy as many of these Checklists as you want. And have fun on your field trips! *********************************************************** NABA'S MEMORIAL DAY COUNT NABA has established a new Count which will take place on Memorial Day Weekend. In contrast to the 4th of July Count, which is more formal, the Memorial Day Count was created to allow anyone to participate anywhere in the US and Canada - in your yard or at your favorite butterflying locale, by yourself or with a group of friends. Then, enter your data into NABA's new database, "Butterflies I've Seen" (www.naba.org). Our chapter will participate with a Count on Sunday, May 26 at Busch Conservation Area at 10:00 a.m. (see Coming Events above). *********************************************************** "RECENT SIGHTINGS" LIST Did you know that you can find out what butterflies are being seen by other NABA members, both in your area and elsewhere in North America? Just log onto the NABA web site, www.naba.org, and click on "Recent Sightings." You will see a chronological list of reported sightings from all across the country. To report your sightings to be included in the list, send an email to: sightings@naba.org. *********************************************************** BUTTERFLY GARDENING CLASS HELD On March 6, Dennis Bozzay taught a class on Butterfly Gardening to a group of enthusiastic individuals in Jefferson County. Dennis focused on native plants which serve as host plants and nectaring sources for our local butterflies. The class was sponsored by Jefferson College as part of its continuing education program. We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the program and expand our outreach into Jefferson County. *********************************************************** BUTTERFLY GARDEN WORKDAY A GREAT SUCCESS Our first workday of the season was very productive and fun. Nine volunteers turned out on March 17 to help in the Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden at Busch Wildlife: Dennis Bozzay (Butterfly Gardening Chairperson), Jeannie Moe, Terry Kelley, Dave Berry, Bob & Claudia Noe, Kathy Thiele, Yvonne Homeyer and Jim Ziebol. All the dead growth was pruned back and taken away to be composted. Slender Mountain Mint, Yarrow, Rose Verbena, Prairie Willow and Rattlesnake Master were already putting out new growth. Thanks to the many deliveries of wood chips last year by Terry Kelley, the paths are no longer muddy and present a nicely defined contrast to the darker brown of the garden beds. Dave Berry and Terry Kelley dug out a new bed which will extend completely across the rear of the garden. Plants can now be identified by the metal name plates donated by Jim & Audrey Foley. Our next Garden Workday is Tuesday, April 16 at 8:00 a.m. Afterwards, participants might want to drive around Busch Wildlife to enjoy the spring butterflies. Look for Falcate Orangetip, Juvenal's Duskywing, Horace's Duskywing, Spring Azure, Mourning Cloak, Henry's Elfin, Clouded Sulphur, Goatweed, Red Admiral, Tiger Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail, Red-spotted Purple, and Eastern-tailed Blue. Also flying in April is a diurnal moth called Grapevine Epenemis. Wild Plum and Redbud will be in bloom along with many spring wildflowers. *********************************************************** SHAW NATURE RESERVE TO HOLD SPRING WILDFLOWER SALE The widest selection of native plants available in the St. Louis area will be offered at the Spring Wildflower Sale on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit, MO. Nurseries from Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas will offer hundreds of varieties of wildflowers, ferns, trees and shrubs to use in home landscaping and to attract birds, butterflies and other wildlife. Gardeners may select hardy native plants for sun or shade gardening, including butterfly milkweed, rose turtlehead, pale purple coneflower, dwarf crested iris, cardinal flower, compass plant, wild phlox and maidenhair fern. Missouri native seed will be available, as well as plants of the prairie, wetland, woodland and savanna. Admission to the sale is free. Signs will direct visitors to a special entrance on the west boundary of the Nature Reserve. Plenty of free parking will be available. The Shaw Nature Reserve of the Missouri Botanical Garden is a 2,400-acre nature preserve located in Gray Summit, Mo. For more information about the Spring Wildflower Sale, call the Arboretum at (636) 451-3512 (toll free from St. Louis). *********************************************************** AND MORE... VISIT OUR WEB SITE at www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/stlouis.htm. Dave Larson is our Webmaster. YOUR OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS: If you have questions or suggestions, e-mail Yvonne Homeyer NEWSLETTER ITEMS WANTED MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION If you or someone you know would like to become a member of the St. Louis Chapter of NABA, please fill out this application: Name _____________________________________________ *********************************************************** *********************************************************** |
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