San Antonio’s Audubon Family

(and one close friend)

Audubon is a historic name in wildlife conservation. National Audubon Society (NAS) is one of the oldest, best known and most effective conservation organizations. Less known is how vital local Audubon groups are. San Antonio has three Audubon groups – and a fourth group that works closely with them. Many active conservationists belong to all four.

1. BEXAR AUDUBON SOCIETY (BAS) is the local chapter of National Audubon Society (NAS). Anyone in our area who belongs to NAS also belongs to BAS. BAS focuses on advocacy and education on local conservation issues of all kinds. Besides chapter meetings and outings, BAS sponsors San Antonio Environmental Network public-issues forums, which are panel discussions by experts on major issues. For information and a meeting calendar, visit http://www.bexaraudubon.org.

2. SAN ANTONIO AUDUBON SOCIETY (SAAS) is a local independent birding club. Its main role is organizing/leading birdwatching outings, but it also does important citizen-science work such as bird surveys and the local part of the national Christmas Bird Count. It also participates in bird-related conservation advocacy and education. For SAAS information, meetings and outing schedules, see http://www.saaudubon.org.

3. MITCHELL LAKE AUDUBON CENTER (MLAC). Mitchell Lake is a former sewage-treatment plant which has become one of the nation’s finest urban bird and wildlife refuges. San Antonio Water System, which owns the site, contracted with National Audubon to manage the refuge. Goals are to enhance wildlife habitat and develop the site’s vast educational potential. For more information, visit http://www.tx.audubon.org/mitchell.html and http://www.saws.org/environmental/mitchelllake/

4. MITCHELL LAKE WETLANDS SOCIETY is a support group which has assisted SAWS in protecting and developing Mitchell Lake for years. It now continues as a support/assistance group for MLAC. http://www.mlws.org

For a central clearing house on local conservation groups, activities and issues, visit the San Antonio Virtual Nature Center website, maintained by BAS, at http://www.sa-naturecenter.org. Check the conservation calendar page at http://www.sa-naturecenter.org/conservation/conservation.html at least once a week to stay abreast of issues that need voter involvement. If a group you belong to needs good programs, follow the link to information on the local conservation speakers bureau.