Cordillera Nature Club
Something for Everyone
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- It is time to start back from the holiday break. If you attended the Christmas Party you know what a great time we had. Terrific venue, good food and a spectacular December evening. We normally take January off but this year we partnered with the Garden Club to bring distinguished author Monica Maeckle to Boerne to talk about Plants with Purpose. She was a terrific speaker as we learned about native plants that have multiple purposes and should be considered for any landscape.
- Big News — Suzy Fontaine has agreed to join the Nature Club Board
- The 2026 Club Calendars went like hot cakes. This year we printed 50 copies and they sold-out in just a few weeks.
- It is not too late to order a Blue-bird nesting box. Contact Jeff Schwarz. A single well managed nesting box can produce between 15 to 60 birds over a 5 year period. A percentage of these birds will survive to become part of a breeding pair and so on. After making a lot of assumptions, for every 10 boxes we install translates to an estimated 2000 + birds over 5 years.
Upcoming Event – February 10th at the conference room at the Cave Without a Name
The Topic is Mycology 101 or The Fungus Among Us and I Lichen You
Speaker is Andrea Julian from the Central Texas Mycology Center
Fungi and lichens may not be high on your list of native plants and organisms, but The fungus kingdom encompasses an enormous diversity of taxa with varied ecologies, life cycles strategies, and morphologies ranging from unicellular aquatic to large mushrooms. However, little is known of the true diversity of the fungus kingdom, which has been estimated at 2.2 million to 3.8 million species. Of these, only about 148,000 have been described, with over 8,000 species known to be detrimental to plants and at least 300 that can be pathogenic to humans.
Have you ever seen a lichen and knew that it was a lichen? Not many people know what lichens are, and who would? They seem as though they are from another planet! Lichens are bizarre organisms and no two are alike. Lichens are a complex life form that is a symbiotic partnership of two separate organisms, a fungus and an alga. The dominant partner is the fungus, which gives the lichen the majority of its characteristics, from its thallus shape to its fruiting bodies. The alga can be either a green alga or a blue-green alga, otherwise known as cyanobacteria. Many lichens will have both types of algae.
Members Spotlight on Joe and Maureen Cheben
We have an unofficial rule that prevents acting club board members from being spotlighted. That barrier goes away once they leave the board. With a combined service to the club of almost 20 years Joe and Maureen deserve a bright light. Just a few of their club efforts and accomplishments are listed below –
During their time as board members the club membership almost doubled – currently at over 130 families
The club dues remain $20 yet our bank balanced went from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars — which translated into more donations and support for nature related organizations and club members.
The Cheben home is a frequent venue for our evening meetings and special events – example the wildflower workshop and the two eclipse parties.
Joe initiated and oversees the Bucker group that trades tree trimming and removal services for donations to the club.
Joe authors and distributes Nature Nuggets on various subjects related to Cordillera.
Joe and Maureen organize the quarterly Hwy 46 trash pickups.
** let us know if a club member’s recent nature activities should be spotlighted
Upcoming Education opportunities compiled by Laura Osterman –
Over the next few months the following organizations may have programs of interest to members. For these and other fun and educational opportunities follow the education link below where you will find opportunities at many of our local venues.
Cibolo Center for Conservation – outdoor education, hiking, farmers market … https://cibolo.org/calendar/
Cave Without a Name – Tours, Spring Concerts, rock shop https://www.cavewithoutaname.com/event-calendar/2025-01
Guadalupe River SP – Hiking, river access, education, interpretive walks, star parties, camping …. https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/guadalupe-river/park_events
Government Canyon SNA – Guided hikes, dino tracks, outdoor programs, limited camping https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/government-canyon/park_events
Nature’s Quotes
“”Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
Lao Tzu
Education
With evening lectures, field trips, outings, workshops, publications, emails and community service — the club centers its’ activities around nature related education. There is an endless array of subject material to talk about so we will not run out of opportunities. Do you have a topic for consideration … let us know.
Service
The nature club provides many services for members and partner organizations. There is no fixed list but examples include linking experts with members to answer questions, providing labor and project services to both members and local nature organizations, donating funds to partner organizations and finding areas to work with the POA for the betterment of our community.
Having Fun
First and foremost the Nature club is a social group that works to build friendships through the common interest of all things nature. Welcoming new residents and celebrating long time Cordillera homeowners – – We like to say the club has —
Something for Everyone
Cordillera Ranch Nature Club
Please Use the ranch club directory to find contact information on board members.
Current board members are listed within the “About Us” page
The Buckers
The Buckers (aka Sawers) is a subset of the nature club that performs tree trimming and removal for members and partner organizations. If you have a fallen tree, sick tree or just a lot overgrown with Ash Junipers, give the Buckers a call and see if we can help. Contact Joe Cheben.
Privacy
This website is for the use of Cordillera Nature Club members and Cordillera / Springs property owners. The site does not knowingly collect or distribute any personal information from site visitors.
Membership
If you would like information on club membership contact the president or the secretary. We welcome all Cordillera Ranch and Springs property owners.
Website
Questions or comments -contact the club secretary
Donations
The club was founded in 2002 and for over 22 years the dues have remained at $20. Dues alone can not sustain the club’s activities. We supplement dues by selling items from the club’s store along with hosting raffles at most evening meetings.
Donations are always welcome. Contact the club’s treasurer if you would like to make a monetary donation.
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