Catherine Johnson – Page 8 – Nature Along the El Camino Real

Learning about Squirrels

October 9, 2023 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Catherine Johnson

Master Naturalists attended a squirrel program at All Things Wild. Here are some things we learned.

The smallest is the Pigmy 3.9 inches, while the largest- Buthan at 4 feet.

Texas has mostly Fox squirrels. They nest in trees while Rock squirrels nest in the ground. All have excellent hearing and smell and can detect food a foot under snow. When they lay down flat and stretch out to cool it is called a “sploot.”

Tails are used to signal, parachute, cool off and provide shelter. The most interesting fact is that they can rotate their ankles 180 degrees to enable them to climb face down, as seen in the picture of Violet.

If you find a ” Pinky” baby, put it in a warm box with a rice filled sock warmed in the microwave. A mom will not claim a cold baby and baby squirrels do not have body heat. Keep predators away! If after four hours the mother has not claimed it, bring it indoors. Never leave it in the dark. Hydrate the baby with a few drops of water or Pedialyte, very slowly with a dropper. Do not let the baby get too hot on a heating pad. Raising squirrels requires detailed instructions and about 3-4 months until they can be released.

Pictures below show ages based on their tail sizes. Violet came to the shelter disabled and is now an ambassador.

Squirrels adapt to urban areas, help plant trees, and are a natural resource. Sign up for the ATW newsletter and be sure to call them for help in dealing with injured wildlife.

Learning about Raccoons

August 1, 2023 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Catherine Johnson

Master Naturalists attended a recent All Things Wild (our region’s wildlife rehabilitation center) program on raccoons. They are more active than the opossums we learned about recently and require much care from the TPWD-permitted volunteers.

*Raccoon presentation, from the ATW Facebook page.*

Some facts about racoons:

Raccoons eat almost anything, and rub items between their hands in water to tell what kind of food they have.
Babies stay with their mothers for five months.
They purr when happy.
Their fur is not waterproof, so they do not swim much.

We were informed by the presenters of disease risks with racoons and how to humanely get them to leave your property. They do not make good pets, and as always, you should contact a rehabilitation center if in need of help with them.

*You can see some of the reasons not to keep raccoons as pets in this photo from the ATW Facebook page.*

Animal Ambassador River lives at the center and is blind and has seizures.

Exciting news from All Things Wild is that there are plans underway to acquire permanent land for an expanded center nearby with direct access from a highway.

By the way, make sure you sign up quickly for their programs, as they fill up within two hours.

Wildscape Workday Produces “Treasures”

July 18, 2023 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall2 Comments

By Carolyn Henderson, with additional photos from Catherine Johnson

Sweltering heat couldn’t stop the nine Texas Master Naturalist El Camino Real chapter members from sprucing up the El Camino Real Wildscape at the Bird and Bee Farm and finding a few “treasures” in the process on Saturday, July 15.

Most of us wouldn’t consider a horsefly a treasure, but one did visit Debi Sorenson’s hat.

A lot of work was done to clean up the area where meetings are held at the site when large groups come for events. It was hot, but the area is shaded by trees and a nice breeze helped. In the midst of the cleanup, Jackie Thornton found a nice nest of chicken eggs. She took them home (and we didn’t get photos).

Phyllis Shuffield found the invasive scourge Vervain growing in a few places in the wildscape. It was not put there intentionally. Phyllis proceeded to remove them all. The wildscape acquired several non-native plants this year. An early one was a red poppy. Maximillian Sunflowers were rampant this year and will require some control measures. Other plants also showed up either by birds, wind or hitching a ride in a plant intentionally purchased and planted.

Carolyn Henderson found the Cypress Vine with pretty red flowers over-growing and choking everything in its vicinity. It completely took over the arch which had Malabar Spinach growing all over it. It literally choked that out. It was starting to overtake the Coral Vine growing around the covered picnic table and it was wrapping around the storage building. The local mouse hunter did try to help pull it up or at least push it out of the way.

It was decided that this vine, a Texas native that is seriously invasive, will require serious efforts to stop. It may overtake everything if not removed.

The color palette has also changed. The purples had mostly gone to seed, and oranges, yellows and reds have taken over. Three to four types of bees and Gulf Fritillaries were enjoying the blooms.

More plans were made for August beautification. Afterward, Catherine Johnson, Patsy Coombs, Neil Wettstein, Debra Sorenson, Pamela Neeley, Sandra Dworaczyk, Jackie and Carolyn recovered from the heat at Corona’s in Rockdale. Here are some photos of the crew.

Learning about Opossums

July 10, 2023 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Catherine Johnson

Master Naturalists Patricia and Catherine attended an All Things Wild program on opossums. Sign up early for these programs, as they fill up fast.

Opossums are beneficial to have around for many reasons. For example, each one eats about 5,000 ticks a year, and they eat all venomous snakes except for coral snakes.

Here are some more opossum facts:

They are unlikely to carry rabies because their body temperature is too low.
If you relocate them, make sure it is in a safe place near water.
A dead opossum may have babies in its pouch. If you can get them, keep them warm and take them to a rehabilitation facility.
A mom can have delayed conception; she decides the best time to mix sperm with her eggs.

So much to learn!

We were able to interact with Beteljeuce and others, as well as ask questions. We were also offered refreshments.

What a wonderful place to have near Milam County.

Early Isn’t Early Enough

June 26, 2023July 19, 2023 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Catherine Johnson

Kim and I worked at the Wildscape early one morning, but it was not early enough. When we left at 9:30 it was oppressive. We aim to work from 7:00 until 8:30 next time. The humidity is what makes you feel ill.

Many native wildflowers are in bloom. There are native seeds and plants to give away.

At some point, one of our native plant experts is going to verify which of the Native plants in the Wildscape are native to Milam County. We will try to get some endemic plants in the garden as well.

Pictured are Texas Kidneywood, Mexican Hat and Elbow bush, Mexican Honeysuckle, Wild Bee Balm, Englemann Daisy, Milkweed, and Black Eyed Susan, among others.