Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

The Seven Cross Ranch, a stocker cattle operation, grazes its animals on restored native prairie. The ranch is the Lone Star Land Steward Award winner for the High Plains eco-region.

This is crème de la crème of the high plains ecological region.

Gene Miller is a wildlife biologist based in Canyon, Texas.

What you see, when you see this Seven Cross Ranch, is a microcosm—a natural prairie ecosystem.

Seven Cross Ranch didn’t achieve rarified status by accident. Owners/operators, LH and Nama Webb, utilize a rapid rotation grazing system that simulates a bygone era when vast herds of bison roamed the high plains.

They’d come through, graze it down, and then move on in their trek. So, it’s more like the way it evolved over centuries. The more cattle you can get on one spot, you have the animal impact, the hoof action, and you get a more uniform graze, because you have more cattle in a smaller area, but you have to move them faster. And you know, my goal is possible a hundred pastures, and you know, you’re hitting one pasture a day—and then you’re off of it. And if you have a hundred pastures, you know, you’re hitting one pasture a day, and then you’re off of it. And if you’ve got a hundred pastures, then you’re off it for ninety-nine days before you get back to it. You don’t want to severely graze it, you just want to kind of top it off and move them on.

Learn more about the Lone Star Land Steward Program at: passporttotexas.org

That’s our show… with support from the Wildlife Restoration Program…providing funding for the Private Lands and Public Hunting Program. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Falconry and the return of the Trinity River…in the November issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine. Managing editor, Louie Bond.

Russell Graves wrote a great story on falconry for us this month. And, falconry has such historic roots. It dates back to seventh century BC, in Mesopotamia, believe it or not, all the way through European nobility. And even the Japanese Samurai culture used falcons. So it has great historic traditions, not to mention it’s just such a beautiful site. One particular quote from a falconer really stood out for me about the bond between the bird and the hunter, and that is: ‘Every time you cut your bird loose, they can choose not to come back to you.’

Five million people depend on the Trinity River for clean water, so there’s nothing that could be more important. But they’re having tremendous success—lots of good things to come. And it just proves once again that we can work together to protect and preserve our natural resources.

We have more information about these topics at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Are you looking for a unique way to spend time in the Texas outdoors and get active in your local community?

Master Naturalist is a fantastic way for people who are interested in the natural history of Texas to learn more about wildlife, plants, and geology of their local area.

Kelly Bender is an Urban Wildlife Biologist for Parks and Wildlife, and helps train Master Naturalists.

So what we do is we provide a nine-week program, that’s provided by professionals in the field, to learn all about the natural history of their area. And then give them opportunities to participate in volunteer activity.

Volunteer opportunities that include helping scientists.

They have the opportunities to monitor wildlife and record species observations and provide those to scientists. We do native plant rescue. They have the opportunity to do habitat restoration in ecologically sensitive areas. Master naturalists are able to go in and help restore in places that have restricted access. So we really are dependent on people who are interested and who are engaged and excited about wildlife to provide more information than we could possibly gather on our own.

One of the great gifts we can provide future generations is a natural world, preserved in its wild beauty. Become a part of it. Learn how, at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Sarah Loden… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration program

In 1969, J. David and Margaret Bamberger purchased a fifty-five hundred acre ranch in Blanco County.

Let me tell you, there wasn’t a drop of water here. There wasn’t anything in the way of wildlife. I drilled seven water wells five hundred feet deep; I never got a drop of water.

By employing land management practices, the Bambergers restored the ecological balance to their land, and water began to flow.

(birds chirping) We were wanting to demonstrate, and to try and develop a model, that perhaps other people could follow.

The Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve—regional winner of the Lone Star Land Steward award for the Edwards Plateau—attracts visitors of all ages who come to learn from this conservation couple.

And that where my strength was, which was outdoor education. For the children, we have a special fifth grade program. We also do workshops for adults. Mostly landowners, trying to teach them the basics of stewardship. David and I have very much worked as a team. All of the things that we do involve both conservation and education.

Learn about the Lone Star Land Steward Awards at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… with support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Public Hunting Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration program

(bird call under open) Thirty-nine years ago, the soil conservation technician told me I bought the worst piece of land in Blanco County.

J. David Bamberger and his wife Margaret have dedicated themselves to restoring ecological balance to their fifty-five hundred acre Blanco County ranch. The land, previously misused, was dry when they bought it.

We embarked on a five-year plan to do habitat restoration. In no time at all—in two and a half years—after we began, the first spring came to life.

The restoration process included the removal of cedar trees, and planting native grasses. Since the rebirth of the first spring, ten others have come back to life.

And, seven and a half years after we began, two creeks began to run. So, this is really a story of grass. And grass means water, and grass means healthy cattle, it means healthy hunting. It means a happier, healthier life for those of us who live here.

The Selah, Bamberger Ranch,http://www.bambergerranch.org/, is this year’s regional winner of the Lone Star land Steward (LSLS) Award for the Edwards Plateau.

That’s our show… with support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Public Hunting Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Land Steward Regional Winner for the Edwards Plateau, 1 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download