| November Newsletter Our mission is to improve Texas karst country productivity and resilience by promoting regenerative, nature-based solutions and guiding landowner management decisions UPDATES Common Ground Movie Premiere Earlier this month we went to the premiere of the movie 'Common Ground.' The common thread was that we need to shift our focus to reviving soil health since conventional management strategies harm soils, water, natural systems, and our own health. Reviving soils using nature-based, regenerative solutions has been proven to be profitable. Ranchers and farmers are reporting profits and one rancher in Mexico was able to return his Chihuahuan Desert to Chihuahuan Grassland. The energy at Paramount that night was tangible. The crown was young and energetic. But then the next day, I went to a workshop where the focus was on conventional strategies, such as spraying chemicals from helicopters. It was a complete 180 from the night before. Watch Common Ground Trailer What does the word invasive really mean? For centuries, the word invasive was used to describe any unwanted plant growing in one's rangelands that was crowding out pasture grass. Kind of like the word 'weed' in one's garden. T he USDA changed this meaning drastically when it redefined the word invasive as any exotic (non-native) plant that spreads aggressively and causes harm to native ecosystems. For this reason, the word invasive became synonymous with 'not native.' The problem is many old-timers are still using the word invasive like the word weed. They don't care if it's native or not--they just see it's growing where they want grass. The time has come to use a different name for native plants that spread aggressively across rangelands. On Texas karst country, because mountain cedars are literally improving soil and karst function, they should be called colonizers or pioneers. In other areas where native plants are simply filling a void, such as Eastern Red Cedars, they could be called encroachers. Another Landowner Sees the Light Part of our mission is to re-program decades of anti-cedar rhetoric. Instead, we teach that mountain cedars (juniper that grow on Texas karst country) are part of the solution to regenerating these lands. We are continually encouraged by supportive emails and phone calls. Here's a brief excerpt from a landowner near Leakey after he was given the book Wanted! Mountain Cedars, Dead and Alive by one of our most ardent supporters: "As you can tell by the reaction you received last weekend regarding cedar where 'the only good cedar is a good cedar' the philosophy prevails. Many of the myths were repeated in that conversation. We were all guilt of fostering false information. We should apologize for our short-sightedness. I know I should...my eyes are open and I have seen the light." CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE VISIT OUR WEBSItE |
Our mission is to improve Texas karst country productivity and resilience by promoting regenerative, nature-based solutions and guiding landowner management decisions | |
|
|
Common Ground Movie Premiere
Earlier this month we went to the premiere of the movie 'Common Ground.' The common thread was that we need to shift our focus to reviving soil health since conventional management strategies harm soils, water, natural systems, and our own health. Reviving soils using nature-based, regenerative solutions has been proven to be profitable. Ranchers and farmers are reporting profits and one rancher in Mexico was able to return his Chihuahuan Desert to Chihuahuan Grassland.
The energy at Paramount that night was tangible. The crown was young and energetic. But then the next day, I went to a workshop where the focus was on conventional strategies, such as spraying chemicals from helicopters. It was a complete 180 from the night before.
Watch Common Ground Trailer
| |
What does the word invasive really mean?
For centuries, the word invasive was used to describe any unwanted plant growing in one's rangelands that was crowding out pasture grass. Kind of like the word 'weed' in one's garden. The USDA changed this meaning drastically when it redefined the word invasive as any exotic (non-native) plant that spreads aggressively and causes harm to native ecosystems. For this reason, the word invasive became synonymous with 'not native.' The problem is many old-timers are still using the word invasive like the word weed. They don't care if it's native or not--they just see it's growing where they want grass.
The time has come to use a different name for native plants that spread aggressively across rangelands. On Texas karst country, because mountain cedars are literally improving soil and karst function, they should be called colonizers or pioneers. In other areas where native plants are simply filling a void, such as Eastern Red Cedars, they could be called encroachers.
| |
Another Landowner Sees the Light
Part of our mission is to re-program decades of anti-cedar rhetoric. Instead, we teach that mountain cedars (juniper that grow on Texas karst country) are part of the solution to regenerating these lands. We are continually encouraged by supportive emails and phone calls. Here's a brief excerpt from a landowner near Leakey after he was given the book Wanted! Mountain Cedars, Dead and Alive by one of our most ardent supporters:
"As you can tell by the reaction you received last weekend regarding cedar where 'the only good cedar is a good cedar' the philosophy prevails. Many of the myths were repeated in that conversation. We were all guilt of fostering false information. We should apologize for our short-sightedness. I know I should...my eyes are open and I have seen the light."
| |
|
|
| |
|
