Would you like to work for San Antonio Parks and Recreation? Check out the (time-sensitive!) positions below. Both applications close on February 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

Upcoming Natural Areas Events

Photo Credit: Todd Winters for Hill Country Alliance

We are delighted to announce that on January 21, the Hill Country Alliance announced FoSANA as a recipient of its Night Sky Preservation Fund grant!

This grant, awarded to 14 organizations across the Hill Country, supports projects that improve and monitor night sky quality and educate the community about the benefits of preserving dark skies.

For FoSANA, the grant will provide materials to support our education coordinators' popular bat walks, owl prowls, star parties, and night hikes throughout 2026. And it will fund the creation of Dark Sky Adventure Kits that will be made available for checkout through the San Antonio Public Library system. 

Details about night programs in our Natural Areas--and the Dark Sky Adventure Kits--will appear in future issues of this Newsletter: stay tuned!

To read more about the Dark Sky Preservation Fund and the projects it supports, see here.   

Volunteer Catherine Stier describes the environmental roles of cactus at Growing Up Wild at Friedrich Wilderness Park.

A parent points out a squirrel nest (or dray) at Squirrel Appreciation Day at Medina River Natural Area.

Volunteers made Geology January at Phil Hardberger Park a success. Thank you to Jesus Zamora for sponsoring the event and displaying his beautiful rock and fossil collection to educate the public.

Nature Preserve Officer Matthew Whitby and volunteers work to install boundary markers on trails at Friedrich Wilderness Park.

Are you interested in volunteering with FoSANA or San Antonio Natural Areas?

Pair a visit to a FoSANA park with a great kids’ nature book!
By Catherine Stier
In this monthly series, we highlight a book that connects with the features, flora or fauna of our San Antonio Natural Areas to enhance your family’s visits to and understanding of these very special places. Reading nature books to children also promotes literacy and encourages the appreciation of wildlife and natural areas. All books are available at the San Antonio libraries.

In this gentle picture book, young Janie is a big fan of owls. She fills a journal with owl sketches and the facts she’s learned. She brings her sometimes reluctant mother on owl-spotting expeditions, through woods and prairie and even a cemetery. But the sight of an owl continues to elude her. Then one night, armed with a tip from a fellow birder, she finally experiences a moment of owl magic. Similar in tone and subject matter to the Caldecott-winning classic Owl Moon (by Jane Yolen, illustrated by John Schoenherr) this story shows the patience and persistence required to spot these nocturnal birds, and the excitement and enchantment that are the reward when, breathtakingly….it happens!

Connection to Our Natural Areas:

Several species of owls reside in our natural areas including the barred owl and the great horned owl. However, as this month’s book makes clear, they can be difficult to spot. This is especially so since our parks usually close before nightfall – with some exceptions. Check this newsletter’s events calendar each month for “Owl Prowls” and other evening events, when guests are invited on guided, evening walks in our parks.

Daytime visitors likely won’t see owls, but instead may find the signs they leave behind. Look for owl pellets at the base of trees, made up of the skin and bones of their prey. Or watch for “whitewash” – white, paint-like splashes of their waste along a tree trunk or leaves.

Finally, listen and look in your own neighborhood. Even if you can’t clearly see an owl, you may hear their night time call, or spot a silhouette perched on a chimney top.

Additional Resources:

This Texas Parks and Wildlife Young Naturalist article outlines much information on owls.

This National Geographic Kids website offers an article, photos and a brief video about the great horned owl. 

Finally, check out this video on the FoSANA website, featuring regional owls and a demonstration of an owl craft.

Catherine Stier holds a Masters in Reading and Literacy and is a certified Texas Master Naturalist. She is the award-winning author of more than 20 children’s books, including IF I WERE A PARK RANGER and A VOTE IS A POWERFUL THING, a book that highlights the importance of protecting our natural areas. Stier lives and writes in San Antonio.

(Hesperaloe parviflora)

Not a yucca, this member of the Century Plant family produces soft, yucca-like evergreen leaves, 2-3 feet long and crowded on the perennial’s short, woody base. The flower stalk rises 5 feet and bears showy, coral-colored tubular flowers on arching, wand-like pink stems. Leaves are plum-colored in winter and blue-green other times.

Red Yucca is evergreen, drought-resistant, and adaptable to a variety of soils. Deer browse the flower stalks, and flowers attract hummingbirds.

FoSANA-sponsored seed packets can be found at the Eisenhower Park Seed Library or by visiting a FoSANA trailhead table.

As a park patron, your eyes and ears are valuable tools on the trails.

• If you encounter evidence of vandalism or damage to park property or infrastructure, report your concern by calling 311 or visiting https://311.sanantonio.gov/services.
• If you notice suspicious behavior or unattended suspicious items that may pose safety risks, call the non-emergency police line at (210) 207-7273.
• If you witness an emergency—violence, medical crises, crimes in progress, or immediate danger—call 911 immediately.

Thank you for helping keep our natural areas clean and safe for everyone to enjoy!

Would you like to write or take photos for the FoSANA Newsletter? please contact us at friendsofsanaturalareas@gmail.com.

Becoming a member of FoSANA, a 501(c) nonprofit, is the best way to promote stewardship of San Antonio's Natural Areas! Each year, your membership helps us offer 

• over 200 environmental education and outreach programs serving over 5,200 children and adults 

• over 400 volunteer programs (that's 7,500 volunteer hours!) to maintain trails, conserve and restore habitats, and tend native landscapes and gardens.

By joining today, you can help keep this great work going. 

Plus, when you join, you’ll receive our membership monthly newsletter with updates on natural area happenings and upcoming members-only events. If you need any assistance or have questions about your membership, please email us at info@fosana.org. 

If you would prefer to donate without a membership, please check out our other donation options. 

Thank you for your interest!

 - FoSANA Board