Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

Dave Wilcox and his brother-in-law Oliver Smart own and operate Lone Oak Ranch; for their thoughtful caretaking of this nearly two thousand acres of coastal habitat, they won a 2010 LSLS Award for the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes eco-region.

10—Ranching and land owning is not for the weak. Our objective is to make every section of the property the most it can be. To me, it’s just a duty that you have when you buy a piece of property. [:01 bird call at end.]

This month the Texas parks and Wildlife PBS TV series spotlights Dave Wilcox —a third generation Anahuac pharmacist—and new generation steward. Ron Kabele produced the show.

22—[bell] You walk into his pharmacy [cash register] and it’s like a throwback… What you doing Floyd? What’s going on? It’s an interesting parallel when you think about what it is as a pharmacist, taking care of the community and taking care of his land. The two really are very similar. His responsibility that he feels toward the townspeople is the same thing he feels toward his land.

Proper grazing, prescribed burning, Chinese tallow control, and moist soil management practices are used to enhance both upland and wetland habitats on the Lone Oak Ranch.

17—You know, told me that over the ten years that its taken to do this, that all these biologists and wildlife folks who have helped him—they’ve basically educated him to the point where he’s teaching other people, other landowners, how to do this. What a great thing to do to pay it forward for the greater good.

Check the Texas Parks and Wildlife website for your local listings.

That’s our show…with support from the Wildlife restoration program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Habitat Enhancement Program … For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Parks and Wildlife TV: Lone Oak Ranch Play Now | Play in Popup | Download