May 2003 Issue:
In This Edition:
1. Coming Events NABA's MISSION STATEMENT 1. COMING EVENTS: Sat. April 26. Butterfly Walk, Busch Wildlife. Starts at 10:00 a.m. Meet at Visitors Center parking lot. (Directions below). Note: This walk is open to members, even if you do not attend the Local Butterflies class. Limited walking. Leaders: Yvonne Homeyer, Jim Ziebol. Sun. April 27. Butterfly Walk, Valley View Glade. Starts at 11:00 a.m. Meet at gravel parking lot. (Directions below). A fair amount of walking, with option to turn around and return early to parking lot. Bring water; lunch optional. Leader: Ron Goetz. Target butterflies: Dusted & Cobweb Skippers; duskywings. Saturday, May 17, 11:00 a.m. Butterfly Walk, Tyson Research Center. Meet at the Tyson Gatehouse, located at I-44 and Antire Rd. This is a joint NABA/FOT (Friends of Tyson) outing, and FOT will provide drinks and snacks. Sunday, May 18, 11:00 a.m. Butterfly Count, Busch Wildlife. Monday, May 26 (Memorial Day), 10:00 a.m. Butterfly Walk, Young Conservation Area. Sunday, June 1, 11:00 a.m. Garden tour, The Green Center in University City. Saturday, June 7, 10:00 a.m. Butterfly Walk, Mark Peters' Prairie. Saturday, June 14, 10:00 a.m. Butterfly Walk, Shaw Nature Reserve. Saturday, June 21, 9:30 a.m. Butterfly Walk, The Watershed, Edwardsville, IL. Saturday, June 28, 10:00 a.m. Butterfly Count, Busch Wildlife. Sunday, June 29, 10:00 a.m. Fourth of July Count, Shawnee Hills, Harrisburg, IL. BUSCH WILDLIFE: From St. Louis County, take I-64 (Hwy. 40) across the Missouri River bridge and exit at Hwy. 94. Go left (south) on Hwy. 94 approximately 1 mile to Hwy. D. Turn right onto Hwy. D and go about 2 miles to the entrance on your right. Turn right and at the T intersection, turn right again and proceed to the Visitors Center. VALLEY VIEW GLADE: Option #1: From I-270 and Tesson Ferry Road (Hwy. 21), go south on Hwy. 21 for 26 miles to Hwy. B on the south side of Hillsboro. Turn right (west) onto Hwy. B at traffic signal and travel (west) approx. 5 miles to Valley View Glade parking lot on your right. Option #2: From I-270 and Gravois Road (Hwy. 30), travel south/west on Hwy. 30 for approx. 20 miles to Hwy. B. Turn left (east) at traffic signal onto Hwy. B. Continue for approx. 6 miles to Valley View Glade parking lot on your left. Special Caution: DO NOT turn onto Hwy. BB. Go past BB and look for B, which is the road you want. 2. MARCH 2003 BUTTERFLY REPORT The first butterflies reported this season were Eastern Commas on 3/8, with one being seen at Greensfelder Park by Ron Goetz and another being seen by Mark Peters on his prairie in Jefferson County. March 8 was an unusually warm day in the 70s until a cold front came through in the afternoon. Torrey Berger spotted the next E. Comma at Horseshoe Lake on 3/11. On 3/12, Sherry McCowan saw a Mourning Cloak in Tower Grove Park. On 3/15, an E. Comma was seen at Horseshoe Lake (YH) and a Gray Comma and Mourning Cloak were observed at Greensfelder (RG). These three species overwinter in their adult form, so those butterflies survived eight snowstorms! By late March, spring butterflies were on the upswing. An early Red Admiral was spotted in Collinsville, IL on 3/20 by Belle Warden. On 3/23, 4 Spring Azures, 1 Goatweed, and 3 E. Commas were seen at Lost Valley Trail (YH). Also on 3/23, 1 Mourning Cloak, 1 Comma species, 1 Clouded Sulphur and 1 Spring Azure were observed at Young C.A. by Jack Harris. A Goatweed was also seen on 3/23 by Dianne Benjamin. On 3/24, Jim Ziebol observed 6 Goatweeds, 1 Spring Azure, 3 Mourning Cloaks and 2 Comma species at Tyson Research Center, while Ron Goetz saw 2 male Spring Azures and 5 Goatweeds at Shaw Nature Reserve. A Mourning Cloak was seen in Tower Grove Park on 3/26 and an Orange Sulphur was seen at Route 66 State Park on 3/28 (TB). Please submit sightings by the 28th to Yvonne Homeyer (Email homeyer@earthlink.net.) An asterisk denotes video or photo of unusual or hard-to-find species. Bold means first report of the season. CONTRIBUTORS: Dianne Benjamin, Torrey Berger, Ron Goetz, Jack Harris, Yvonne Homeyer, Sherry McCowan, Mark Peters, Belle Warden, Jim Ziebol. 3. NABA MEMBERS IN THE CLASSROOM Spring has been a busy time for NABA. Dennis Bozzay taught two classes on butterfly gardening, one sponsored by the Chesterfield Parks and Recreation Department and the other at St. Louis Community College/Meramec. Both classes were well attended and Dennis got a lot of positive feedback. Native plant gardening is getting a lot more attention these days and people are interested in knowing how gardening relate to butterflies. Dianne Benjamin gave a presentation about butterflies and gardening to a senior citizens' group in Chesterfield that had over 40 participants. Dianne used one of Jim Ziebol's videos and her group was equally enthusiastic about gardening for butterflies. Our NABA classes are getting the word out that you can have healthy plants without pesticides, as our Butterfly Garden at Busch Wildlife demonstrates. Now in its third year, our Local Butterflies class at Meramec was taught this spring by Dr. Tom Bratkowski, an entomologist at Maryville University, Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer. The Local Butterflies class is part of the Master Naturalist Certificate offered by Meramec. We will offer it again in the fall. Dianne Benjamin and Betty Walters have also taught part of this two-session class in prior semesters. All of these presentations involve a lot of volunteer time and effort, for which we are grateful. Another benefit to our chapter is that NABA usually receives compensation or an honorarium for such classes, which our instructors have generously donated to the chapter. Note from Tom "Terrific" Krauska: The chapter has recently received two checks totaling $239.00 as a result of butterfly programs done by Dennis Bozzay, Yvonne Homeyer, Jim Ziebol and Tom Bratkowski. Thanks to all of them for their work and donations to NABA St.Louis. 4. INTRODUCING OUR NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS At our annual membership meeting on March 30, the following officers and directors of NABA-St. Louis were elected to a one-year term: Ann Earley, President; Torrey Berger, Vice President; Kathleen O'Keefe, Secretary; Tom Krauska, Treasurer; Butterfly Gardening, Dennis Bozzay; Conservation, Yvonne Homeyer; Education, Margaret Gilleo; Membership, Scott Marshall; Newsletter, Dave Larson; Public Relations, Anne Craver; Walks & Counts, Jim Ziebol; and Webmaster, Dave Larson. Congratulations, and thank you for volunteering your time, energy, enthusiasm, and skills on behalf of our organization. Please welcome Torrey, Kathleen and Margaret to the Board. Ann is taking over as president after serving as both secretary and membership. Scott is stepping down as newsletter editor to move over to membership, while Dave moves over to edit the newsletter in addition to maintaining our chapter web site. Yvonne will stay on the Board as conservation. Tom, Dennis, Anne, and Jim will continue to serve in their previous capacities. A huge thank-you is also owed to two members who are going off the Board, Dianne Benjamin and Linda Virga. Dianne and Linda are charter members of our chapter and have served us as Vice President and Education, respectively, for the last three years since we formed NABA-St. Louis. We hope to see them frequently at our walks, counts and other activities. 5. SHADY NOOK GARDEN Linda Virga's garden at Shady Nook was chosen as one of the five Grand Winners in the Affton Dream Garden contest. Shady Nook's specialty is gardening for wildlife. The 160 plant species have attracted 102 vertebrates and lepidoptera. The plants include 31 species of trees, 25 shrubs, 5 vines, 87 perennials, 6 annuals and 6 herbs. The animal species inlude 52+ birds, 28 butterflies, 6+ moths, 2 amphibians, 3 reptiles, and 11 mammals, including a mink! In addition to this most recent honor, Shady Nook's garden at Linda's home has been featured in the "Times," and chosen as a tour site by both our St. Louis chapter of the North American Butterfly Association and by the Sierra Club for its "Annual Perennial Tour." 6. BUTTERFLY GARDENING BOOK BY TOM TERRIFIC Tom Krauska, also known as Tom Terrific, has recently published his new book, "Ten Commandments of Butterfly Gardening." If you want to bring butterflies into your yard, this book will show you how. He's donating 20% of the NABA member book sales to the chapter.
You can order the book through his website: 7. YVONNE HOMEYER HONORED At the annual membership meeting on March 30, outgoing St. Louis Chapter President Yvonne Homeyer was honored for her dedication and service in establishing and growing our NABA chapter. Since its founding in 2000, our chapter has grown to over 70 members and has been very active, offering a wide range of activities through all seasons of the year. Yvonne's tireless efforts were recognized through a card of thanks signed by members, and a donation made in her name to the NABA Butterfly Park project in Mission, Texas. The donation was commemorated with a personalized certificate signed by NABA President Jeffrey Glassberg which was presented to Yvonne at the meeting. The following poem was written and read to Yvonne as an additional expression of appreciation for all of her work on behalf of our chapter-- "Ode to Yvonne" 'Tis impossible to measure You made our chapter take wing We will miss having you lead
Fortunately, Yvonne will be continuing her involvement in and service to our chapter through her position on the board and as chapter conservation chair. Thank you, Yvonne, for all that you have done for NABA in St. Louis! 8. ...AND MORE: MEMBER SUGGESTIONS ARE WELCOME Enjoy the Spring butterflies! NEW NEWSLETTER EDITOR Sincerely, Dave Larson, larsrblATearthlink.net ("AT" = @) YOUR OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS: President Ann Earley If you have questions or suggestions, e-mail Ann Earley (aee623@prodigy.net). Our webpage is: www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/stlouis.htm 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: Address ____________________________________________ City ___________________ State _______ Zip__________ Phone (....) _____________ E-mail ___________________ Dues are $30 (regular) and $40 (family) per year. Please make check payable to NORTH AMERICAN BUTTERFLY ASSOCIATION. Please mail this form with your check to: Scott Marshall, Membership, 609 West Lockwood, St. Louis, MO 63119. |
Editor: Dave Larson
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