Primetime Newspapers
By Calvin R. Finch, PhD, SAWS Water Resources Director, and Horticulturist
Week of May 15, 2006
 “Water Saver Contest, Birdathon and Garden Jazz Events”

            Every year SAWS, San Antonio River Authority, Edwards Aquifer Authority, the Gardening Volunteers of South Texas, and the San Antonio Botanical Garden sponsor the Water Saver Landscape Contest.  Winning Landscapes in two categories – homeowner designed and professionally designed are awarded $400, $200, and $100 gift certificates for first, second, and third prizes.  This year, the winning landscapes were first – Kent Page at 8726 Drayton Heights, San Antonio, Texas, second – Maria Sapien at 423 Tiger Hills, San Antonio, Texas, and third – Hector and Liliane Castillo at 11624 Creek Crown, San Antonio, Texas, in the homeowner designed category.  Honorable Mentions were Frederica and Martin Kushner, at 405 East Myrtle, San Antonio, Texas, and Eric Harrison at 3320 Clearfield, San Antonio, Texas.  In the professionally designed category, the first place winner was Robert Gaeke at 13855 Iron Horse Way, Helotes, Texas, second place went to Janet Dumas at 11347 Amhurst, San Antonio, Texas, and third place to Billy Perryman at 17314 Sable Landing, San Antonio, Texas.  Next time you are in the vicinity of any of these landscapes, make a point to drive by.  See if any of their ideas would work in your yard to make it more attractive and save water. 

 

            The Birdathon at the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center was another great event. Every year the Center invites birdwatchers that support the Center to obtain pledges from friends and businesses.  The pledges represent an amount per bird species that the participant identifies at the Refuge on Birdathon Saturday. 

 

            This year despite the heavy rains on Saturday morning, 23 individualsbirded and approximately $20,000 was raised.  Birders who obtained pledges totaling $500 or more were rewarded with the opportunity to “bird” with Kenn Kaufman, author of several books including Birds of North America, Butterflies of North America, and Guia de Campo Kaufman a las Aves Norteamerica.

           

            Overall, it appears that about 125 different species were identified.  The Gardening South Texas/KLUP Radio Team, of which I am a member, along with Jerry Parsons, and Milton Glueck, identified 80 species (with the help of Kenn Kaufman) on Friday morning.  We had pledges of over $1,000from listeners of the radio show and Milberger’s Nursery matched all pledges for a total of over $2,000.  The largest portion of the $20,000 came from the Tesoro Team, their birders raised $10,000.

  Other business supporters included the H.E.B. Environmental Group, Southside Reporter, McCarter Communications, Starbucks, Allied Waste, Curious Naturalist, and Dr. Lynn Parsons.  Councilman Roland Gutierrez, and Councilwoman Elena K. Guajardo of Districts three and seven, respectively, also provided support.

             On Sunday, May 7, 2006, over 2,000 people participated in the 12^th Annual Garden Jazz Event.  The idea of the event is to attract San Antonio area jazz fans to the Botanical Garden to have all their xeriscape questions answered.  Attendees who visited all nine stations – landscape planning, plant selection, reduce turf grass, mulch, soil improvement, appropriate maintenance, hardscape, wildscape, and efficient watering were rewarded with a Garden Jazz t-shirt, and a Landscape Care Guide.  The Landscape Care Guide is a SAWS publication written by nine area horticulturists to show our residents how to have 12 months of color, and a lush, healthy landscape without wasting water.  The photographs are also outstanding.  The publication is provided free to anyone who attends a SAWS sanctioned program, but it is also available for sale for $8 at area nurseries, and shops such as Milberger’s, Antique Rose Emporium, Fanick’s, Schultze House Gift Shoppe, and the Botanical Garden Gift Shoppe.