El Paso Cactus and Rock Club Newsletter

A really great source of information for cacti is the monthly newsletter from the El Paso Cactus and Rock Club. It is beautifully done and edited by Ad Konings, an ichthyologist originally trained in medicine and biology. Konings is best known for his research on African rift lake cichlids, a particular family of fish. (In case you are wondering, an ichthyologist studies fish.) He and his wife, Gertrud Konings, operate Cichlid Press. Together the Konings authored, Cacti of Texas in Their Natural Habitat. You can purchas it on their website.

Download and enjoy the July newsletter below. Be sure to visit the El Paso Cactus and Rock Club website where you will find an abundance of information about cacti and growing cacti in your garden. Meetings are at 10 AM on the first Saturday of each month at 3105 Grant Avenue. (MAP) By the way, club President, Dr. Paul Hyder, is a COM Board Director. Dr. Gertrud Konings will be leading our cactus and desert plants field trip this fall.

The EPCRC July Newsletter

Bird Survey This Summer

Just got this message from Kevin Floyd of our local Audubon group:

What birds are near water bodies in El Paso?

Our Audubon group is assisting Frontera Land Alliance with a student intern from UTEP with bird surveys this summer, and we can use your help!  The student is surveying three locations each week until mid-late July: the Rio Grande in the Upper Valley, the Playa Drain Trail near Ascarate Park, and the Riverside Canal near Rio Bosque.  The surveys start at 7 am and typically last about 2 hours.  The student is new to birding, so we are hoping that some Audubon members might be interested in helping out, either for one day or several!

For more information, please reply to elpasoaudubon@gmail.com.  We can set up specific dates and locations from there.  The surveys will only run for about 4 more weeks, so if you are interested please do not delay in replying!

Thanks for the time!

Kevin