Volunteers are a very important part of the City of San Antonio's Natural Areas' management and care. Contact Peggy Spring by email or by phone (210) 564-6402 for information on ways to contribute to the Natural Area's programs and projects.
Medina River natural Area Viva voluntarios!
8 am to Noon. Help beautify your natural area! Join us on the last Saturday morning of each month. We will meet near the kiosk by the parking lot. Please bring gloves and a water bottle! Call 624-2575 for details & to sign up!
2009 Schedule
January 31st
July 25th
March 7th - Basura Bash!
August 29th
March 28th Appreciation day
Sept. 26th
April - FIESTA San Antonio!
October 31st
May 30th
June 27th
Training: We provide the training and equipment necessary for the volunteer projects. If you have gloves and a water bottle, please bring them. For the ecological surveys, we may provide training on how to use a GPS, topographical maps, and/or learn more about local vegetation. This is a good chance to get hands on experience while doing important work.
Equipment: Most equipment will be provided for you. If you have a GPS instrument and a compass, they can be useful. In some cases, a backpack would be useful to help carry equipment. Be sure to bring plenty of water.
Clothing: Because we must hike in rugged terrain where there may be poison ivy, mosquitoes and ticks, we recommend folks wear long sleeve lightweight shirts, long pants, a hat, sunscreen, and comfortable hiking shoes or boots.
Weekend Projects: For those only available on weekends, we have several Saturday programs. Medina River Natural Area has beautification projects on the last Saturday of the month. There are invasive plant removal and woody species control projects as well as vegetative survey project, too.
Special Programs: Throughout the year, we have special programs with partner groups such as Texas Public Radio, church and civic groups, corporate workdays and military groups. Check this website for announcements and watch for flyers posted in the parks, in various media and newsletters.
Biological Research
In accordance with the Management Plan for San Antonio's Natural Areas, we conduct biological and geological surveys on all Natural Area Preserves. This information helps us in the management of these lands and protection of the resources. If you are interested in helping with these activities, you may contact Jayne Neal by email or by phone at (210) 372-9124.
Thanks to all of you who have helped us this year we have:
collected all our cave cricket data (cricket count numbers this year were lower than in previous years and we wonder if this might be a drought effect);
completed vegetation richness and invasive species cover assessments for all of Rancho Diana and Cedar Creek (information that we have used to locate and eradicate woody invasive exotic species);
gathered baseline Golden-cheeked Warbler (GCW) population data for Woodland Hills (data we hope to use to understand better Bexar County GCW habitat and how it compares to GCW habitat in other parts of Texas).
The above are just some of the essential projects with which you have assisted. Moreover, you have impressed us with your steadfast commitment (even as gas prices soared), and challenged us with your excellent questions. We appreciate you and all those family members who have made it possible for you to help us!
May, 2009: We’ve been treated to some awesome experiences over the last month while we worked on our Crownridge Canyon Natural Area savanna restoration:
two golden-cheeked warblers (Dendroica chrysoparia) that we all got to see singing right above us;
a pair of well camouflaged sphinx moths that appeared to be mating;
a nice long look at a large ground skink (Scincella lateralis); and
rain falling on us twice!!!!
As we start May, we change both the time and location of our activities. To take advantage of cool mornings, we start our surveys at 7:30 and finish by 11:30. This month we will begin collecting vegetation richness data at Medallion Natural Area (also sometimes called Sinkin Nature Preserve), located off Doe Lane. To get there, go north on Babcock from 1604. Turn left onto Wild Eagle Rd, go a few blocks and make a right onto Doe Lane. Go all the way down Doe Lane until you reach the cul-de-sac at the end.
Medallion was acquired as part of our aquifer protection program and is not open to the public. In fact, the data we collect this summer will be used as part of our Natural Areas Land Use Management Plan to help determine future management and use of the area.
The last two Thursdays of February, we will resume our savanna restoration work at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area. Be sure to check the calendar for meeting locations.
Thurs., Feb. 5, 8:30 am-12:30pm Mapping negative human impact and passageways at Fay and William Sinkin Nature Preserve
Thurs., Feb. 12, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Mapping passageways at Fay and William Sinkin Nature Preserve
Thurs., Feb. 19, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., Feb. 26, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., March 5, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., March 12, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., March 19, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., March 26, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., April 2, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them
Thurs., April 9, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Sat., April 11, 9:00 am -12:30 pm Rancho Diana Workday. Meet at Rancho Diana-White House, 9680 Menchaca Rd, Helotes, TX. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., April 16, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., April 23, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., April 30, 8:30 am -12:30 pm Savanna Restoration. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd. We provide hand tools. Please bring work gloves if you have them.
Thurs., May 7, 7:30 am-11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey at Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Thurs., May 14, 7:30 am -11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey at Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Thurs., May 21, 7:30 am -11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey at Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Thurs., May 28, 7:30 am -11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey at Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Thurs., June 4, 7:30 am-11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey at Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Thurs., June 11, 7:30 am-11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey at Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Thurs., June 18, 7:30 am-11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey at Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Thurs., June 25, 7:30 am-11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey at Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Thurs., July 2, 7:30 am-11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey
Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Thurs., July 9, 7:30 am-11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey
Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Fri., July 10, 7:30 pm-11:30 pm Special Night Survey for Cave Crickets. You MUST call (372-9124) Wendy Cooley to get a confirmed reservation. Meet at Stone Oak Park parking lot on north side of Stone Oak Parkway, 20395 Stone Oak Pkwy.
Thurs., July 16, 7:30 am -11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey
Medallion Natural Area, 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Fri., July 17, 7:30 pm-11:30 pm Special Night Survey for Cave Crickets. You MUST call (372-9124) Wendy Cooley to get a confirmed reservation. Meet at Stone Oak Park parking lot on north side of Stone Oak Parkway, 20395 Stone Oak Pkwy.
Sat., July 18, 7:30 pm-11:30 pm Special Night Survey for Cave Crickets. You MUST call (372-9124) Jayne Neal to get a confirmed reservation. Meet at Friedrich Wilderness Park, 21395 Milsa.
Thurs., July 23, 7:30 am-11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey
Medallion Natural Area 7711 High Mountain Rd.
Fri., July 24, 7:30 pm-11:30 pm Special Night Survey for Cave Crickets. You MUST call (372-9124) Wendy Cooley to get a confirmed reservation. Meet at Stone Oak Park parking lot on north side of Stone Oak Parkway, 20395 Stone Oak Pkwy.
Sat., July 25, 7:30 pm-11:30 pm Special Night Survey for Cave Crickets. You MUST call (372-9124) Jayne Neal to get a confirmed reservation. Meet at Crownridge Canyon Natural Area, 7222 Luskey Blvd.
Thurs., July 30, 7:30 am-11:30 am Vegetation Richness Survey
Medallion Natural Area 7711 High Mountain Rd.
