EuryceAlliance

advancing research and conservation of Texas Eurycea salamanders

EuryceAlliance4 | December 12, 2016

EuryceAlliance 2016 Meeting

Call for Abstracts and RSVP

            The Call for Papers is now open for the 4th meeting of the EuryceAlliance, to be held on Monday, December 12, 2016 at Art.Science.Gallery. in Austin, TX. We welcome abstract submissions for oral presentations from anyone interested in presenting scientific research and/or natural history observations of the Texas Eurycea salamanders. Please keep abstracts to 250 words or less and include authors and affiliations. If you plan to attend please RSVP (and submit your abstract if presenting) by December 6th to Caitlin Gabor gabor@txstate.edu.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Date: Monday, December 12, 2016 from 9 – 4pm

Location: Art.Science.Gallery., 916 Springdale Rd, Building 2, #102, Austin, TX 78702

Registration ($15 regular / $10 student): https://eurycealliance4.eventbrite.com

Meeting Organizers:  Dr. Caitlin Gabor (gabor@txstate.edu; main contact) & Dr. Hayley Gillespie

Additional Information:

Please arrive by 9am. There is a coffee shop on-site where you can get coffee and breakfast before the meeting, and you may bring it into the gallery if you wish. Lunch is provided.

DIRECTIONS:
The meeting is at Art.Science.Gallery. which is inside the Canopy office park/complex at 916 Springdale Rd, Austin, TX 78702. There is plenty of free parking. The gallery is located at the center of the complex, in Building 2 #102 directly across from the coffee shop.

From I-35 South: exit Cesar Chavez or E 7th Street. Turn left on Springdale Rd, then turn left in to the Canopy building parking lot.

From I-35 North: exit Airport/38th Street and turn left on Airport Blvd. Turn Right on Springdale Rd, then right into the Canopy building parking lot. (you can also exit E 7th and turn Left on E 7th then left on Springdale Rd., but if you’re coming from North Austin or Georgetown, Airport avoids downtown traffic).

EuryceAlliance 2014 Meeting Brings 38 Scientists to Art.Science.Gallery. in Austin, TX.

Thanks to all who attended the 3rd EuryceAlliance meeting on June 6, 2014! The meeting was a great success with record attendance of 38 scientists from agencies around the state of Texas and great talks about Eurycea research! Click here to download the meeting program and abstracts.

EuryceAlliance 2014 Meeting Attendees at Art.Science.Gallery.; part of the 2014 Year of the Salamander partner activities with Partners in Amphibian & Reptile Conservation.

EuryceAlliance 2014 Meeting Attendees at Art.Science.Gallery.! Part of the 2014 Year of the Salamander partner activities with Partners in Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (PARC).

3rd Meeting of the EuryceAlliance | June 6, 2014

Please save-the-date for the 3rd meeting of the EuryceAlliance on Friday June 6, 2014. The meeting will be held at Art.Science.Gallery.(916 Springdale Rd, Building 2, #102, Austin, TX 78702) and coincides with an art exhibition about salamanders for Partners In Amphibian + Reptile Conservation (PARC)’s 2014 Year of the Salamander.

Please stay tuned for registration details and call for papers. You may direct questions to Dr. Hayley Gillespie at eurycealliance [at ] gmail [dot] com.

NOTE: this post has been revised to reflect the rescheduled meeting date of June 6, 2014

Aquatic center to get new funding source

New article about Texas Eurycea in the San Antonio Express-News by Drew Joseph.

http://lubbockonline.com/texas/2013-12-09/aquatic-center-get-new-funding-source#.UqYrUmRDva0

Travis County commissioners asked to back staff recommendation to list salamanders as endangered

This article was published today in The Austin American-Statesman by staff reporter Farzad MashhoodTravis County commissioners asked to back staff recommendation to list salamanders as endangered

 

USFWS Proposed Rule for four central Texas Eurycea: endangered

The proposed rule by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to list four species of central Texas Eurycea salamanders as endangered was published today in the Federal Register (Vol 77, No. 163). This includes the Jollyville Plateau Salamander (Eurycea tonkawae), the Austin Blind Salamander (Eurycea waterlooensis), the Georgetown Salamander (Eurycea naufragia) and the Salado Salamander (Eurycea chisholmensis).

Two public informational meetings and public hearings are scheduled about the ruling:

September 5, 2012,  Wingate by Wyndham Round Rock, 1209 N. IH 35 North, Exit 253 at Hwy 79, Round Rock, Texas 78664.

September 6, 2012,  Thompson Conference Center, 2405 Robert Dedman Drive, Room 2.102, Austin, Texas 78705.

The 60-day public comment period is now open. You may submit written comments to the USFWS by one of the following methods:

(1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http:// http://www.regulations.gov. Search for Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2012–0035. You may submit a comment by clicking on “Comment Now!’’
(2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R2–ES–2012–
0035; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042–PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.

You may read the entire ruling, including a review of scientific information about these species in the Federal Register by clicking here.

Scientists from the EuryceAlliance are happy to serve as a resource for scientific information about the biology, evolution and ecology of any Texas Eurycea salamander species for the public, the media and policymakers. Please contact Dr. Hayley Gillespie at eurycealliance@gmail.com with your requests.

This week’s Austin Chronicle features history of Save Our Springs

Did you know that the specific name of the Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum) is derived from the acronym SOS for Save Our Springs?

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the Save Our Springs ordinance, which was a “a voter-driven initiative to protect Barton Springs against unrestricted development in the Barton Creek watershed” (to quote Amy Smith’s Chronicle article today). The Austin Chronicle has produced a series of articles and timelines about the history of the SOS movement in Austin in this week’s issue. 

Cronkite documentary on non-point source pollution features Barton Springs

Pointless Pollution, a documentary hosted by [legendary journalist and UT Austin alumn] Walter Cronkite on the problems posed to the nation’s water supply by non-point source pollution, is being aired on local Travis County Cable Channel 17  as part of Travis County’s Texas Water Videos for August. One segment includes Lake Travis and Barton Springs.

These videos, presented by LCRA, will be broadcast together during the following time blocks on the Travis County Cable Channel 17:

Wednesday August 1, 2012- 10:00 p.m.
Thursday August 2, 2012- 12:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Friday August 3, 2012- 9:00 a.m. & 8:30 a.m.
Saturday August 4, 2012- 8:30 a.m.
Sunday August 5, 2012- 3:00 p.m.
Monday August 6, 2012- 12:30 p.m.

 

Other spring and salamander-related films in this series include:

Austin Underground: Four Part Series

This series is designed to provide viewers with a ‘virtual field trip’ into the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer. The video is broken up into the following four segments:

Geology– Explores the passage of water over land to the recharge zone into critical environmental features including fractures, sinkholes, and caves. It also examines the dissolution of karst limestone.
Hydrogeology– Explores the underground flow of water through the cave/ aquifer system by means of dye trace studies, and the re-emergence of groundwater at local springs, particularly Barton Springs.
Salamander– Studies the aquifer and the springs as a habitat for aquatic species, including the Austin Blind Salamander and the endangered Barton Springs Salamander.
Threats/ Solutions– Explores threats to the aquifer (non-point source pollution).

These videos, presented by City of Austin, will be broadcast together during the following time blocks:

Wednesday August 15, 2012- 10:00 p.m.
Thursday August 16, 2012-  12:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Friday August 17, 2012-  9:00 a.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday August 18, 2012-  8:30 a.m.
Sunday August 19, 2012-  3:00 p.m.
Monday August 20, 2012-  12:30 p.m.

Texas, The State of Springs

This video, presented by TEXAS Parks & Wildlife, explores the decline of our natural springs, issues that effect spring flow, and what can be done to save these resources.

It will be broadcast on the following dates/ times:

Wednesday August 22, 2012- 10:00 p.m.
Thursday August 23, 2012-  12:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Friday August 24, 2012-  9:00 a.m. & 8:30 p.m.
Saturday August 25, 2012-  8:30 a.m.
Sunday August 26, 2012-  3:00 p.m.
Monday August 27, 2012-  12:30 p.m.

Amendments intended to block Eurycea listings

US Senator John Cornyn and US Representative John Carter are introducing potential amendments to the 1973 Endangered Species Act (which they are calling the “Salamander Community Conservation Act”). These bills propose to amend section 10 of the ESA to include the following 10 lines:

1 SEC. 2. CERTAIN SALAMANDERS.

2 Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973
3 (16 U.S.C. 1539) is amended by adding at the end the
4 following:
5 ‘‘(k) CERTAIN SALAMANDERS.—Section 4(a) shall
6 not apply to—
7 ‘‘(1) the Austin blind salamander;
8 ‘‘(2) the Georgetown salamander;
9 ‘‘(3) the Jollyville Plateau salamander; or
10 ‘‘(4) the Salado salamander.’’.

These bills are H.R. 6219, introduced on 7/26/2012 and referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources  and S.3446, introduced on 7/26/2012 and referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

New City of Austin Salamander Page

Check out the City of Austin’s new salamander page, with information about the city’s efforts to conserve the Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum), Austin Blind Salamander (Eurycea waterlooensis), and Jollyville Plateau Salamander (Eurycea tonkawae)! http://austintexas.gov/department/salamanders