Weekend Roundup

Our top weekend event picks: Go to the rodeo, hang out with NASA and more

It’s here. It’s happening right now. SXSW is on in earnest through next week, and if you want to do anything anywhere remotely close to downtown, be prepared for people, people and more people. People everywhere, all the time, every day.

But! There are other things going this weekend that are not related this calling for hundreds of out-of-towners. Enjoy our mix of SX and SX-free events for this weekend.

Rodeo Austin

Did you know that the rodeo is in town? You didn’t? It’s a tough gig trying to compete with the buzz of SX, sucking all the air, money and time out the city like a succubus or just a really big conference/festival/explosion. Yes, the rodeo is kicking off this weekend over at the Travis County Expo Center and will run through March 23. There’s a ton going over there, too: music, fairground activities (I spy pig races on the schedule) and plenty of food. Could be a good palate cleanser in between SX madness.

James Webb Telescope

One of the fringe benefits for the city during the nine days of festivities are the free events open to the public. NASA is setting up camp on the front lawn of the Long Center all weekend with a full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope. The successor to Hubble, this new ‘scope packs 100 times the power of its predecessor and will be orbit beyond the moon “to study the universe’s first galaxies as well as celestial objects hidden by clouds of cosmic dust.” A good one for science and math nerds (and their kids).

Texas High School Shorts

As part of the Texas High School Film Competition, where students enrolled in Texas high schools submit their five-minutes-or-less films to be judged by expert filmmakers and industry types, all the works created by these young filmmakers are screened for free to the public. The shorts will be screened Friday and Saturday at the George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center and there’s a full lineup of the films and their descriptions online.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

The Texas Biennial, which stages a survey exhibition of contemporary art from around the state every year, is holding a sort of salon for artists and artistic-types. Critics, art historians, curators, arts administrators, educators, museum patrons, collectors and gallerists will join to read texts and discuss major currents in the contemporary art scene, behaving like a miniature conference within the much larger conference kicking off this weekend. The talks start Sunday and will also take place Monday and Tuesday at the Austin Museum of Art; all three conferences will be live streamed online as well.

Rodeo Austin kicks off this weekend and will run through March 23.

Austin Photo Set: News_shannon_what to do march 2013_austin rodeo

Photo courtesy of Rodeo Austin

Rodeo Austin kicks off this weekend and will run through March 23.

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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.”

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