Weekend Roundup

Our top 5 events for the weekend: Bike art, QuiltCon, West By West Campus and more

It's Oscars weekend. You could spend it running in and out of theaters trying to see all the nominated films and performances, but if you haven't already, are you really going to try and cram it all in one weekend? Exactly. You won't. You're just going to watch the broadcast Sunday night and judge all the actors' clothes and pray Tommy Lee Jones gets drunk and says something crazy.

So surrender the fantasy and enjoy our top event picks for the weekend.

ARTCRANK Austin opening

Bikers unite! But not the motorized kind. The pedal up hills and zip across the city kind. More than 30 Austin artists have designed original bike-inspired posters to create a bike-loving shrine as a part ARTCRANK, a collective of nationwide exhibits that hopes to reshape how a community thinks about its relationship with bikes. It’s free to get in at Pine Street Station Friday night at 6 p.m. and the posters will be for sale for $40 each.

10th Annual Art Night Austin

Experience all the art: one night, seven locations, so much food and booze and creative stuff. By shuttle, take in paintings, sculptures, photos, digital interactive performances and all kinds of other art as you travel between seven locations (including Yard Dog and the Scottish Rite Theater) and enjoy bites from local favorites like La Condesa. Each space will be curated with different art and food. The fundraiser is Saturday night starting at 7 p.m. and cost is $75 for the tour.

West by West Campus

Call it your SXSW pre-gaming. The third annual music and party bash housed in the co-ops in the neighborhood surrounding the UT campus adds a film day to its lineup this year. Two days, four locations and a slew of free live shows and movie screenings by local acts and artists. Full details of the bands and films can be found on the festival’s website. The party kicks off Friday night with the film portion.

QuiltCon

For the fabric enthusiast in all of us. The Modern Quilt Guild has assembled a first-of-its-kind convention of more than 50 exhibitors and vendors that will includes a juried modern quilt show with cash prizes, vendors, lectures and workshops and a lot of soft quilts to think about buying. The plushness is all weekend at the Austin Convention Center for $10 a day or $40 for a three-day pass.

The Little Prince

The popular French children’s book about the interaction between a pilot stranded in the desert and a young prince that falls to Earth from an asteroid is adapted for the stage by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar at the Paramount Theatre. The puppet-led performances start a limited run this Sunday.

10th annual Art Night Austin.

Austin Photo Set: shelley_art night austin_preview_feb 2013_2

Photo by Rick Kern

10th annual Art Night Austin.

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Fight This Fly

Wildlife officials warn Texans about invasive screwworm

U.S. Department of Agriculture/aphis.usda.gov

The the New World Screwworm (NWS) is a parasite that turns into a fly.

It probably won't take much to convince Texans to stay away from the latest invasive species from Mexico, once they hear about the symptoms. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) says to look out for evidence of the New World Screwworm (NWS) affecting animals, especially near the state's southern border.

So far it sounds like the NWS is still relatively far away, having been spotted in a cow at a checkpoint near the border between Mexico and Guatemala. It was eradicated from the United States in 1966, according to TPWD, but it is being tracked northward from South and Central America.

Although it's called a worm, it is really a parasitic larva, and this is where things get disturbing.

Before the "worms" become the NWS fly (Cochliomyia hominivorax), they lay eggs in open wounds or orifices of live tissue. They are called screwworms because they screw into the flesh, worsening injuries and causing a painful condition called NWS myiasis. An infestation can even lead to the death of the animal.

The larvae drop to the ground after feeding, and emerge as flies that can travel long distances, so the movement of livestock — not just contact among them — is a concern.

If you don't own livestock, you're not quite out of the woods. Although the NWS does affect those animals the most, it also affects wildlife like deer and birds, and even pets and humans. Hunters should also keep an eye out, as well as any "outdoor enthusiasts," says the release.

From the release, here are some things to look out for:

Irritated or depressed behavior
Loss of appetite
Head shaking
Smell of decaying flesh
Presence of fly larvae (maggots) in wounds
Isolation from other animals or people

To keep the flies away, especially when traveling to NWS-affected areas like Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and South American countries, TPWD says it's important to clean and cover all wounds. Travelers should also use insect repellant on outdoor clothing.

Anyone who suspects signs in wildlife of NWS should report their findings immediately to a local wildlife biologist. Reports about livestock should be directed to the Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“Those enjoying Texas’ natural resources have an opportunity to serve as the first line of defense in protecting wildlife, livestock, and human health,” said TPWD wildlife veterinarian Dr. J Hunter Reed in the release. “Their eyes and ears will be critical to quickly responding and managing this threat.”

animals farmers nature