If you spotted the half-dozen tom turkeys displaying their tails to the hens off Cox Road Saturday morning in the mist, you can imagine the birds are as grateful as we are for the recent rains. A punishing drought such as the one we’re all hoping is now over can have life or death consequences for wildlife, from deer to birds to butterflies. The loss of wildlife can in turn reduce the diversity and health of the local landscape that we all form a part of.

Blanco Verde will host its first workshop this Sunday, October 11, from 1:00 to 5:00pm at a property on Chimney Valley Road, east of Blanco. In a hands-on experience, participants will install a small, easy-to-build rainwater-based watering station to benefit a broad range of wild critters, helping grazers, birds, lizards, and frogs make it through our long dry spells. Different designs will be presented that offer species-specific access, provide protection from predators, and help manage mosquito problems. At the end of the day, participants can take home a low-tech, coffee-can based watering rig that works well for thirsty butterflies.

Included in the workshop will be a brief talk by a local expert on ranch and wildlife management, who, among other things, will address how supplemental watering stations can form part of a plan to obtain a wildlife tax exemption for previously exempted agricultural land.

Directions to the workshop site, workshop fee, and other details can be found at www.blancoverde.org, or call (830) 833-0268 for more information.

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