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>> A COUPLE OF RUDDY DUCKS.
>> IT'S A FRIGID MORNING, JUST AFTER SUNRISE,
AND THESE VOLUNTEERS ARE COUNTING BIRDS.
>> THERE'S THE KILLDEER IF YOU WANT TO LOOK IN THE SCOPE.
ON THE SECOND SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH,
SPONSORED BY TRAVIS AUDUBON, THERE'S A MONTHLY BIRD SURVEY.
AND WE DO IT RAIN OR SHINE, HOT OR COLD.
WASN'T IT, LIKE, 70 DEGREES THREE DAYS AGO?
>> IF THE DEDICATION OF THESE BIRDERS, THROUGH FREEZING
TEMPERATURES AND HIGH WINDS, IS AT ALL SURPRISING,
YOU MAY BE MORE SURPRISED TO LEARN WHERE THIS SURVEY
IS TAKING PLACE.
>> THE VARIETY OF BIRDS YOU CAN SEE HERE IS PRETTY SURPRISING
I THINK FOR MOST FOLKS.
>> THESE PONDS ON THE EDGE OF AUSTIN MAY RESEMBLE A
NATURE PRESERVE, BUT THE BIGGER PICTURE, AND THE SMELL,
REVEAL SOMETHING ELSE.
>> WE'RE HERE AT HORNSBY BEND, WHICH IS THE FACILITY THAT
RECYCLES ALL OF AUSTIN'S SEWAGE SOLIDS,
WHICH IS A EUPHEMISM FOR POOP.
(flushing)
>> YES, FOR AUSTIN'S SEWAGE, THIS IS THE END OF THE LINE,
BUT IT IS ALSO A LABORATORY.
>> I'M KEVIN ANDERSON.
I'M A GEOGRAPHER.
I WORK FOR THE AUSTIN WATER UTILITY, AND I RUN
THE CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AT HORNSBY BEND.
IT'S A UNIQUE SITE, 1,200 ACRES ALONG THREE AND A HALF MILES OF
THE COLORADO RIVER, WHERE ALL OF AUSTIN'S SEWAGE AND YARD WASTE
IS RECYCLED.
THERE'S A FARM AND A BOTTOMLAND FOREST, THE TREATMENT PONDS
THAT ARE FAMOUS FOR BIRDING, MANY DIFFERENT THINGS
THAT WE CAN USE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH.
>> DOUBLE-CRESTED.
>> THE BIRD MONITORING IS JUST THE BEGINNING
OF THE RESEARCH HERE.
>> THE CHECKLIST FOR HORNSBY BEND IS OVER 360 SPECIES
RECORDED OVER THE YEARS.
>> STUDIES FOCUS ON ECOLOGY AND URBAN SUSTAINABILITY.
(water flowing)
>> THE SEWAGE HERE DOESN'T GO INTO A LANDFILL,
IT GETS RECYCLED.
AND ABOUT A MILLION GALLONS A DAY ARRIVES HERE.
(music)
>> THE BIOSOLIDS MANAGEMENT PLANT ENSURES ALL THAT WASTE
ISN'T WASTED.
>> THAT MATERIAL COMES HERE THROUGH PIPELINES FROM OUR
WASTEWATER PLANTS, GOES INTO A THICKENING BUILDING,
AND FROM THERE IT WILL GO INTO ANAEROBIC DIGESTERS.
WE HEAT THE SLUDGE TO BODY TEMPERATURE, AND WE RECREATE THE
ECOSYSTEM IN OUR INTESTINES.
DISEASE ORGANISMS DIE OFF AND DIGESTION CONTINUES.
THOSE PIPES ARE CAPTURING THE BIOGAS, MAINLY METHANE,
AND HEATING THE DIGESTERS.
>> ONCE PATHOGENS HAVE BEEN DIGESTED NATURALLY,
WATER IS SENT TO THE PONDS, AND SOLIDS ARE RECYCLED
AS FERTILIZER AND COMPOST.
>> WE GROW THE HAY AS A WAY OF RECYCLING THE NUTRIENTS
IN THAT MANURE OR BIOSOLIDS THAT WE PUT ON THE FIELDS.
THE OTHER WAY THAT WE RECYCLE THE SEWAGE PROVIDES AN
OPPORTUNITY TO RECYCLE ANOTHER CITY WASTE STREAM,
AND THAT'S ALL THE LEAVES, GRASS, BRANCHES
THAT ARE COLLECTED CURBSIDE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THAT AMOUNTS TO 15 PERCENT OF ALL THE CITY'S GARBAGE.
AND THAT MATERIAL, WITH A PORTION OF THE BIOSOLIDS,
IS MADE INTO COMPOST.
>> DIVERTING SLUDGE AND YARD WASTE SAVES HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN LANDFILL COSTS.
TURNING IT INTO COMPOST GENERATES ADDITIONAL FUNDING
FOR THE OPERATIONS AT HORNSBY BEND WHILE NOURISHING SOIL
ALL OVER TOWN.
ALL THE WHILE, NUTRIENT-RICH POND WATER SUPPORTS A FOOD CHAIN
THAT DRAWS WILDLIFE...
AND CITY-DWELLERS WHO WANT TO SEE WILDLIFE.
>> I END UP DRIVING ALL KINDS OF WEIRD WAYS OUT HERE,
BACKWARDS, FORWARDS.
HE'S ABOUT A 10 INCH LONG BIRD, BUT HE'S JUST VERY NICELY FRAMED
IN GOOD LIGHT.
>> GREG LASLEY IS A NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER.
FOR GREG, HORNSBY BEND IS AN ENDLESS SOURCE
OF SUBJECT MATTER.
>> REALLY NICE REFLECTION ON HIM IN THE WATER.
(shutter clicking)
THEY'RE REALLY NEAT LOOKING BIRDS.
(truck starting)
SEE WHAT ELSE IS DOWN HERE.
I SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE A VEHICLE
MAKES A GOOD BLIND.
(deer running)
YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO TURN UP HERE.
THERE'S JUST A WORLD OF DISCOVERY TO BE MADE
IF YOU JUST TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK.
(music)
IT'S HARD TO THINK OF A SEWAGE FACILITY AS A GEM,
BUT FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S INTERESTED IN BIRDS, IT IS.
AN AREA LIKE HORNSBY, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE RIGHT NEAR
THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THERE'S AN AMAZING VARIETY OF WILDLIFE:
BUTTERFLIES, DRAGONFLIES, BIRDS, REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS.
MY PHILOSOPHY IS IF YOU JUST GET OUT IN NATURE,
AND SPEND TIME LOOKING, THINGS SHOW THEMSELVES TO YOU.
I SPENT 25 YEARS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ON THE
AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND I'M RETIRED FROM THAT NOW,
BUT I WOULD COME OUT HERE ON MY DAYS OFF
AND LOOK AT BIRDS AND WILDLIFE.
I THINK ANYBODY THAT HAS A JOB THAT SOMETIMES CAN BE DIFFICULT,
UH, IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME, GOOD FOR ME.
STILL IS.
IT JUST REJUVENATES ME.
(shutter clicks)
>> FINDING NATURAL REJUVENATION AT PLACES LIKE HORNSBY BEND
IS NOT UNIQUE TO AUSTIN.
IN FACT, FROM WEST TEXAS TO EAST, AND NORTH TO SOUTH,
MANY CITIES AND TOWNS HAVE OPENED THE GATES TO SIMILAR
NATURE HAVENS IN THEIR URBAN MARGINS.
(gate opening)
>> THESE KINDS OF PLACES ARE KNOWN IN THE PARLANCE AS
NON-TRADITIONAL HABITAT IN CITIES.
>> THAT'S A LEAST TERN ISN'T IT?
>> I CALL IT MARGINAL NATURE.
>> YOU'RE RIGHT, FORSTER'S.
>> LOTS OF PEOPLE COME TO PLACES LIKE SEWAGE PONDS
TO OBSERVE NATURE.
AS TEXAS URBANIZES, PLACES LIKE HORNSBY BEND BECOME
MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT.
>> HORNSBY BEND'S PROXIMITY TO PEOPLE, AND THE RIVER,
ALSO MAKE IT A GOOD PLACE TO LEARN ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD.
>> EVERYONE HERE?
SO THE RIVER IS RIGHT ABOUT THERE RIGHT NOW...
EVERY YEAR WE'VE CELEBRATED EARTH DAY
BY DOING A FIELD CLASS FOR A HIGH SCHOOL GROUP FROM AUSTIN.
>> BLUE GILLS HAVE THE LONG PATCH LIKE THIS.
>> THEY'RE LEARNING ABOUT THE BIOLOGY OF THE RIVER,
THE CHEMISTRY OF THE RIVER, AND THE HYDROLOGY OF THE RIVER.
(beeping)
>> THERE WE GO.
WE JUST HIT THE WATER INSIDE THE WELL.
>> EIGHT POINT EIGHT....
>> WE GATHER EXPERTS AND GET THE KIDS LITERALLY IN THE RIVER
LEARNING ABOUT IT.
>> KEEP ON SWINGING, YOU'RE DOING GREAT.
>> FOR STUDENTS, AND EVERYONE ELSE, CARING ABOUT CONSERVATION
REQUIRES LEARNING ABOUT NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE FIRST PLACE.
>> YOU GOT IT.
>> GET ENGAGED IN UNDERSTANDING THE EARTH'S ECOLOGY,
AND YOU'LL LEARN TO PROTECT IT.
>> AND THAT UNDERSTANDING CAN BE GAINED FROM ALL SIDES OF A SITE
LIKE HORNSBY BEND.
>> THAT'S YOUR POOP.
GOING TO GROW SOME HAY.
TAKING THE WASTE OF A CITY AND PUTTING IT BACK
INTO A SOIL ECOSYSTEM... THAT'S SUSTAINABLE.
OH, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL!
>> BEAUTY, IN MANY FORMS, CAN BE FOUND IN UNLIKELY
NATURAL PLACES.
>> THE FUNDAMENTAL REALITY OF TEXAS IS WE'RE AN
URBAN STATE NOW.
>> A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER...
>> IF YOU'RE WILLING TO OVERLOOK SOME VISUAL CLUTTER
OR FUNKY AROMAS...
>> THE SMELL'S NOT SO BAD.
>> ...NATURE MAY BE CLOSER THAN YOU THINK.
AND IT HAS A LOT TO OFFER THOSE WHO TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK.