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General Meeting

Tuesday, May 15th: Protecting Our Riparian Areas

There is more to a river than flowing water. A riparian area is the dense band of vegetation hugging the sides of a river. It covers the entire floodplain and can extend for miles. Riparian areas provide important wildlife habitat and are an important water source for the ever growing human population. Unfortunately, riparian areas are often misunderstood and abused. People allow cattle to graze at the river’s edge, they mow the “weedy” plants surrounding a river, and they clear trees for a “better view”. All of these actions reduce a riparian area’s capacity to retain water in underground aquifers. The dense vegetation found in riparian areas acts like a sponge; when rivers flood, the plants slow the rushing water allowing more to soak into underground aquifers. Learn more about riparian areas on May 15th and what makes them function properly from Peggy Darr, Nature Preserve Officer at the City of San Antonio’s Medina River Natural Area.

Peggy Darr has a Master of Science Degree in Wildlife Biology from Louisiana State University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont (her home state). As an undergraduate student, she also studied wildlife ecology and conservation while abroad in Tanzania and Belize. She is currently the manager of the Medina River Natural Area, a 511-acre preserve owned by the City of San Antonio. Peggy is primarily an ornithologist and has done field research with a variety of bird species including spotted owls in Washington, piping plovers in Massachusetts, Attwater’s prairie chickens in Texas, and ducks in North Dakota. She has also given a variety of wildlife-related presentations including one on Texas shorebirds at the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival in Homer, Alaska.

Tuesday, June 19th: Thinking about Going Solar?

Lanny Sinkin, Executive Director of Solar San Antonio, will provide an overview of the state of solar in San Antonio. He will also explain the Bring Solar Home Campaign that Solar San Antonio conducts.  This campaign is designed to make it easy and affordable for people to become solar adopters.  A solar vendor will be present demonstrating the technology.

Location, times and parking information can be found on our Events page.