texascavers Digest 24 May 2013 03:52:00 -0000 Issue 1763
Topics (messages 21840 through 21849):
Re: News report on threat to Bracken Bat Cave
21840 by: vivbone.att.net
21847 by: Kurt L. Menking
Texas Cavers Reunion 2013, October 17-20 @ Paradise Canyon
21841 by: ellie watson
Cave paintings discovered in Mexico...
21842 by: Stefan Creaser
check out the latest NSS Google+ Page
21843 by: David
caving for the general public
21844 by: David
21848 by: Mallory Mayeux
A New Scorpion Found in Brazil Caves
21845 by: Preston Forsythe
Deep cave this weekend
21846 by: galen falgout
almost cave photography related
21849 by: David
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--- Begin Message ---
Like George, I'll defer to Crash and other biologists. But it seems to me the
hipster Congress Street Bridge bats always take off down river (actually Lady
Bird Lake at this point) and follow the very wide river out of town as they
rise higher. They don't seem to fly right over the hotels and condos they live
near at all. It looks like the Bracken Bats will be forced to fly directly over
the proposed new development based on the BCI graphic. Hard to say, though. The
graphic is not to scale. I don't know if the bats will have another viable
flight path choice.
-Viv Loftin
--- On Wed, 5/22/13, George Veni <[email protected]> wrote:
From: George Veni <[email protected]>
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] News report on threat to Bracken Bat Cave
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, "Texas Cavers"
<[email protected]>, "New Mexico Cavers"
<[email protected]>
Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2013, 2:31 PM
Mark,
That’s a good and fair question. It also ties more into biology so I’ll defer
to Jim Kennedy to answer more authoritatively than I can as a hydrogeologist.
However, in the comments I sent to the San Antonio City Council I pointed out
that the high-density development is also over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge
Zone. Such developments have been demonstrated to diminish the volume of water
replenishing the region’s
primary water supply as well as having a much greater risk of degrading the
quality of the water. While bats are getting the emphasis, this type of
development is also bad for people who rely on the Edwards.
George
********************
George Veni, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Cave and Karst Research Institute
400-1 Cascades Avenue
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220-6215 USA
Office: 575-887-5517
Mobile: 210-863-5919
Fax: 575-887-5523
[email protected]
www.nckri.org
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 1:15 PM
To: George Veni; Texas Cavers; New Mexico Cavers
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] News report on threat to Bracken Bat Cave
Thanks for the interesting post, George.
I do have one question, though, and I am NOT picking sides here:
What’s the difference between houses “800 to 900” yards away from the Bracken
Cave entrance and bats living under the Congress Street Bridge in Austin, smack
dab in the middle of downtown Austin?
The Austin colony seems to be functioning fine and thriving, may I say,
growing? And the buildings (read “high rises”) are much closer than 800 to 900
yards.
Just playing dumb here, so please don’t advocate having me drawn and quartered
and left in a pile of guano!
Inquiring minds just want to know.
Your thoughts?
(I’m ducking under a table now)
Mark Alman (not Minton)
J
From: George Veni [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 12:09 PM
To: Texas Cavers; New Mexico Cavers
Subject: [Texascavers] News report on threat to Bracken Bat Cave
http://www.kens5.com/news/Bracken-Bat-Cave-vs-Crescent-Hills--208381441.html
For more information and to learn how to help, go to
http://www.batcon.org/index.php/media-and-info/latest-news/714-save-bracken-cave-reserve.html?utm_campaign=education&utm_source=external&utm_medium=redirect.
San Antonio City Council will meet to discuss and decide on this issue in one
week. Sign the on-line petition but if you have time, remember that your
letters and e-mails will have much greater impact, especially if received
before the meeting on the 29th so the mayor, councilors, and their staff have
time to read or at least review them. If you live in the San Antonio, your
physical presence
at the council meeting is also important.
Please share this message with anyone you think may be interested.
George
********************
George Veni, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Cave and Karst Research Institute
400-1 Cascades Avenue
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220-6215 USA
Office: 575-887-5517
Mobile: 210-863-5919
Fax: 575-887-5523
[email protected]
www.nckri.org
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I agree we should let Jim weigh in on the bat biology issues... or the impact
the people could have on the bats.
But there are many other issues:
1. As George mentioned the subdivision is on the Edwards aquifer recharge
zone. Much of the runoff will wind up in the Cibolo creek, which is a major
sinking stream recharge location. Any contaminants will be quickly sent into
the aquifer.
2. There is critical endangered bird habitat all over the property.
Recent Bird Surveys have verified many locations where the birds are using the
property. This property is also near a large military training facility whose
mission is being limited due to their impact on the same endangered birds.
It's not OK for the military to "bother" the birds with their training
exercises but it is OK for a developer to mow down 1500 acres of critical
habitat so they can build roads and houses.
3. Much of this subdivision will be high density middle income style
housing which will appeal to lots of family with children and pets. Backyard
interaction between the occasional downed bat and the children and pets won't
be good.
4. The current flight path is directly over this property. Hawks, owls,
and other predatory birds regularly hunt this area which could create numerous
wounded and downed bats.
5. At any given time there will be 1000 or more middle and high school
age children living in the area. Some of them will get curious and sneak
over/under the fence to go check out the Bat Cave, or some of the other caves
on the 700 acre BCI property. This poses a big liability risk for BCI, as well
as an injury risk for the kids.
6. The lights from the subdivision will actually attract insects, which
will in turn attract the bats, adding to the children & bat interactions.
We all know bats are friendly, beneficial creatures, and they generally won't
bother people. But we also know they do occasionally contract rabies, and in a
population as large as Bracken Cave even million to one odds can occur
frequently. In fact with 10 million bats coming and going each day for 5-6
months of the year that's possibly 3 Billion bat crossings over the subdivision
each year.
I personally think that would be cool. But not if I had 10000 neighbors.
Kurt
From: George Veni [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 2:31 PM
To: [email protected]; Texas Cavers; New Mexico Cavers
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] News report on threat to Bracken Bat Cave
Mark,
That's a good and fair question. It also ties more into biology so I'll defer
to Jim Kennedy to answer more authoritatively than I can as a hydrogeologist.
However, in the comments I sent to the San Antonio City Council I pointed out
that the high-density development is also over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge
Zone. Such developments have been demonstrated to diminish the volume of water
replenishing the region's primary water supply as well as having a much greater
risk of degrading the quality of the water. While bats are getting the
emphasis, this type of development is also bad for people who rely on the
Edwards.
George
********************
George Veni, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Cave and Karst Research Institute
400-1 Cascades Avenue
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220-6215 USA
Office: 575-887-5517
Mobile: 210-863-5919
Fax: 575-887-5523
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
www.nckri.org<http://www.nckri.org>
From: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
[mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 1:15 PM
To: George Veni; Texas Cavers; New Mexico Cavers
Subject: RE: [Texascavers] News report on threat to Bracken Bat Cave
Thanks for the interesting post, George.
I do have one question, though, and I am NOT picking sides here:
What's the difference between houses "800 to 900" yards away from the Bracken
Cave entrance and bats living under the Congress Street Bridge in Austin, smack
dab in the middle of downtown Austin?
The Austin colony seems to be functioning fine and thriving, may I say,
growing? And the buildings (read "high rises") are much closer than 800 to 900
yards.
Just playing dumb here, so please don't advocate having me drawn and quartered
and left in a pile of guano!
Inquiring minds just want to know.
Your thoughts?
(I'm ducking under a table now)
Mark Alman (not Minton) :)
From: George Veni [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 12:09 PM
To: Texas Cavers; New Mexico Cavers
Subject: [Texascavers] News report on threat to Bracken Bat Cave
http://www.kens5.com/news/Bracken-Bat-Cave-vs-Crescent-Hills--208381441.html
For more information and to learn how to help, go to
http://www.batcon.org/index.php/media-and-info/latest-news/714-save-bracken-cave-reserve.html?utm_campaign=education&utm_source=external&utm_medium=redirect.
San Antonio City Council will meet to discuss and decide on this issue in one
week. Sign the on-line petition but if you have time, remember that your
letters and e-mails will have much greater impact, especially if received
before the meeting on the 29th so the mayor, councilors, and their staff have
time to read or at least review them. If you live in the San Antonio, your
physical presence at the council meeting is also important.
Please share this message with anyone you think may be interested.
George
********************
George Veni, Ph.D.
Executive Director
National Cave and Karst Research Institute
400-1 Cascades Avenue
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220-6215 USA
Office: 575-887-5517
Mobile: 210-863-5919
Fax: 575-887-5523
[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>
www.nckri.org<http://www.nckri.org>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Cavers,
TCR is upon us! Date is October 17-20, 2013 at Paradise Canyon. The
biggest party in Texas!
See you there!
Ellie
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22632301
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--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Please ignore this post if you are opposed to social media topics.
This is a completely un-official announcement, and is just a follow-up to
something
I posted 6 months ago:
The NSS Google+ page is 1-1/2 years old now. Most of the changes to the
page compared with the original rough draft appear to be the result of
Google's ever changing layout in an effort to find whatever perfection they
are looking for. I am proud that some tiny elements of the original
rough draft are still part of the page format. It has 665 likes and 322
people have put this page in their Circles. I have no idea how many of
those people are real cavers, but I bet most are, and hopefully none are
spammers. The staff or staffer managing the page appears to be making a
faithful attempt to announce NSS sanctioned activities on the page, even
regional events, like
cave-diving workshops.
The coolest feature in my opinion is the NSS Community, which allows any
caver to post a thread and other cavers to comment. But only 93 cavers
have signed up for that, and I have no idea how many of those 93 are really
following the post. At least a few are.
The page:
https://plus.google.com/111610247864593899054/about
The community:
https://plus.google.com/communities/100328245514364040731
The original rough draft of the page went on-line on November 11, 2011,
from Arcola,
Texas. The only picture of a Texas cave on the Page is that of my
daughter, in "Houston Zoo Cave." I was occasionally following the page
and community, until a few months ago. I am still optimistic that
Google+ has a future.
I feel certain that prior to the creation of this page, the NSS did not
officially announce
regional events in a public manner such as this. I am not currently
using Facebook, but have to presume the social media guru is making
identical announcements on Facebook.
David Locklear
caver in Fort Bend County
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
Here is a web-site for a Chamber of Commerce that list "caving" as one of
the
area's attractions. Click on the fifth item down the list:
http://www.jacksoncountychamber.com/area-information/attractions
As a comparison just for grins, take a look at the same list for the
county that I am stranded in:
http://www.fortbendchamber.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=65
David Locklear
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
How awesome! Several members of GHG and a couple of Bexar/DFW grotto cavers
will be in Jackson County this weekend! :) Lots of TAG classics there.
On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 12:41 AM, David <[email protected]> wrote:
> Here is a web-site for a Chamber of Commerce that list "caving" as one of
> the
> area's attractions. Click on the fifth item down the list:
>
> http://www.jacksoncountychamber.com/area-information/attractions
>
> As a comparison just for grins, take a look at the same list for the
> county that I am stranded in:
>
>
> http://www.fortbendchamber.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=65
>
> David Locklear
>
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
http://news.yahoo.com/cave-dwelling-scorpion-species-discovered-211229153.html
Preston....up early with the news
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
I have 6 or 7 spots available for deep cave this weekend. its a recreational/
trip leader training trip. email me for more details
Thanks
Galen P. Falgout
Texas Caver
--- End Message ---
--- Begin Message ---
This post is news, and is for people already using Google+. They have a
new interesting feature:
If you take a series of photos of a caver in different poses in a cave
passage, or on rope in
a pit and send those to your Google+ album, then
Google+ will automatically create an animation of all those photos like a
cartoon.
( and maybe keep it on their server for you for future eyes to see ? )
This file is called an animated gif.
http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/15/google-photos-can-now-automatically-create-animated-gifs-panoramas-hdr-images-and-better-group-shots/
You can't miss it when you open up your photo album.
Someone could probably make an interesting caving presentation with this
since it
appears one can manipulate the file.
With an Android phone camera, this all happens automatically as soon as
taking a bunch
of pictures while you have internet service, and presume it works the same
on an iPhone.
I don't know if Google+ does this when you download photos there with a
regular digital camera.
David Locklear
Ref:
Supposedly, your profile photo on Google+ can be animated.
https://plus.google.com/communities/106368006447834107693
--- End Message ---
