Blue Hole Watch - January 20, 2010

During our Work Day last Saturday, floodwaters from the recent rains were backing up into the Blue Hole and recharging the aquifer with polluted urban runoff. It was a very sad thing to observe. (1st photo on right)

But just a few days later, a reversal of flow at the Blue Hole occurred because the rains had finally raised aquifer levels by about 7 feet. This rise in aquifer level now allowed clear water to flow out of the aquifer at the Blue Hole under what is called artesian pressure, rather than draining into the aquifer as we had witnessed on Saturday. (2nd photo on right)

Some of the small springs around the Blue Hole are flowing, too. As Ben McPherson of UIW Biology reported on Wednesday: “The Blue Hole is flowing beautifully and even has minnows cavorting.” Let’s hear it for the rains, the springs – and the minnows!

 

Work Day Report - January 16th Workday

On Saturday, January 16, about 25 hearty folks rolled up their sleeves and got to work extending trails and cleaning up the well travelled corner of the Headwaters Sanctuary behind the main trailhead. After gathering at the Blue Hole to orient ourselves to the “where’s,” “what’s,” and “why’s” of our work, we broke into teams to tackle several jobs: clearing a lot of fallen debris from the woods along the main loop trail and chipping it into usable mulch; clearing a trail extension from the main loop trail towards Olmos Creek to link up with an existing footpath; mulching this new trail extension; removing some invasive Ligustrum and Chinaberry trees including those around several native oak saplings that are “fighting for the light”; and picking up any and all litter along our way.

Among our work crew were Headwaters Core Committee members Ben McPherson, Bonnie McCormick, Sally Said and Adela Gott along with UIW students Dong Hyuk Kim and Laura Ann Blanco with her mother Guadalupe ; David Ribble of Trinity Biology with five of his first year seminar students; several Master Naturalists; Tom Willems, volunteer recruiter extraordinaire with several Hiking Club and Adventure Club members; and even the mother of Eagle Scout, Julian Cross, who built our Outdoor Classroom. Nanette is a daily walker around the Headwaters Sanctuary and speaks of that “something special” we all know and feel around this place. Also key to our success on Saturday was a contingent from the University of Incarnate Word grounds crew, led by Rafael Parada, former superintendent of forestry in his native Columbia. Our thanks to Bill Mulcahy, Superintendent of Grounds, for providing his staff’s support and to all our cheerful volunteers for their time, talent and manual labor! We need you back, and bring a friend!

Many thanks to:

Laura Ann Blanco, Guadalupe Blanco, Dong Hyuk Kim (aka “Ethan”), Margaret Ann Luna, Nanette LeCoat, Mohsin Rahim, Kara Shervanick, Sultana Peffley, Betty Iverson, Adela Gott, Sally E. Said, Tom Willems, Sonya Harvey, Linda Todd, Crandell Todd, Jay C. Collins, David Ribble,Leigh Anna Logsdon, Jeremy Gray, & the UIW Grounds Crew!

Mark your calendars!
Saturday Work Days, Spring 2010

February 6
February 20 (Day of Peace, Justice & Ecology)
March 27 (Basura Bash!)

Volunteering

To RSVP for an event or get a parking pass, email or call 828-2224 ext 232.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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That we find a crystal or a poppy beautiful means that we are less alone, that we are more deeply inserted into existence than the course of a single life would lead us to believe. ~John Berger, The Sense of Sight, 1980

 

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Headwaters Coalition News

December 2009 (pdf)
July 2009 (pdf)
May 2009 (pdf)
March 2009 (pdf)
January 2009 (pdf)
November 2008 (pdf)
September 2008 (pdf)
June 2008 (pdf)
April 2008 (pdf)
February 2008 (pdf)
December 2007 (pdf)
October 2007 (pdf)

 

140 Years

Thursday, December 3, 2009 was a very special day for the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. On that day, the Sisters celebrated one hundred forty years of service to the San Antonio community and to missions in many parts of the globe. One of those missions -- one of the newest -- is of course the Headwaters, home of the Blue Hole and its associated “field of springs,” original headwaters source of the San Antonio River. The Sisters gave this parcel of land and created this project to preserve a sacred space, to honor their roots which began here, to live more fully their faith as environmental stewards, and to share this special place and legacy with us all. In this season of giving, give thanks!

 

 

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