Spring 2013 Texas Land Conservancy Newsletter

Texas Land Conservancy

spring 2013 The Sandylands Ranches, nearly 1,000 acres conserved on the Pedernales, story on page 7

spring 2013

TLC at a glance

1 Upcoming TLC Events 1 30th Anniversary Gala Photos 2 Our Native Bird 3 Stevens Ranch 4 New Staff 5 Glimpses of the Land 7 As the Landscape Rolled By 9 The Sandylands Ranches 10 Austin Give 5% Day

• 84,316 acres protected • 109 conserved properties across Texas • In top 2% of land trusts nationwide for acreage conserved • 1 of 5 accredited land trusts in Texas • Statewide, independent, land conservation non-profit • Founded in Dallas in 1982, by Edward C. “Ned” Fritz • Average size of properties protected by TLC - 633 acres • Created “Land for Water,” a strategic conservation plan that focuses on six key Texas watersheds

events spring/summer ‘13

in the pecan grove, 30th anniversary gala

april 20 & 21 | 10 am - 6 pm earth day dallas in fair park Meet the TLC Board and Staff at the TLC booth! april 20 | 9 am - noon volunteer day at kachina Kachina Prairie, Ellis, TX RSVP to Daniel: 512.301.6363 See TLC Facebook for info april 22 | 5:30 pm - 7 pm earth day happy hour Easy Tiger, 709 E. 6th St., Austin RSVP: 512.301.6363 See TLC Facebook for info may 4 | 11 am - 1 pm tlc annual gathering Member Meeting & Hike Fall Off Creek, Gatesville, TX RSVP: 512.301.6363 late may 2013 | day/time tba Picnic at the narrows near Blanco, Hill Country RSVP & Info: 512.301.6363 See TLC Facebook for info june 2013 | day/time tba tlc happy hour at salt & time 1912 E. 7th St., Austin RSVP: 512.301.6363 See TLC Facebook for info july 2013 | day/time tba tlc happy hour at vuka co-op 411 W. Monroe St., Austin See TLC Facebook for info

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by callie thompson, tlc development director

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hirty years ago, TLC was formed in Dallas by a group of environmentalists with the foresight and love for the land to understand that a growing Texas would eventually consume any natural areas left if no one stepped up to protect them. (TLC’s primary founder, the late Edward C. “Ned” Fritz, is pictured on page 7 of this issue).

This fall, TLC celebrated the last thirty years of conservation and the nearly 85,000 acres of Texas ranches, wetlands, prairies, pine forests, vistas and open land conserved, at the Vitruvian Domain in Austin. Vitruvian Domain, the Lake Austin property of Richard and Laetitia Garriott de Cayeux, was conserved with TLC in 2011. Over 300 guests came to celebrate, drink and dine outside on the land. Somewhere in that late fall air it was palpable that though Texas is growing and changing, the beauty of its land remains the same. Under sweeping pecan branches, Mother Falcon played their orchestral beauty and we all left the evening renewed in a sense of community around conservation.

There is much more work to be done to protect Texas’ natural resources and wild beauty, but sometimes celebration is needed to mark how far we’ve come.

December 1st was a beautiful example of that. Thank you to all who came to celebrate.

TLC Stewardship Staff and Volunteers monitoring at Brushy Top Ranch in the Edwards Plateau eco-region

our native bird, Dendroica chrysoparia

by daniel dietz, tlc stewardship director

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he Texas Land Conservancy seeks to protect our state’s natural heritage for the benefit of present and future generations, so it seems only natural to spend some time focusing on the only bird in the world that nests exclusively in the state of Texas. That’s right, every goldencheeked warbler (GCWA) is a native Texan, hatched in the Ashe juniper – oak woodlands of Central Texas.

GCWA spend their winters in Guatemala, Honduras, and southern Mexico, but return to central Texas in early March. The males immediately begin establishing territories, singing loudly at prominent perches. By the beginning of April, females have begun building nests out of strips of Ashe juniper bark secured by cobwebs. The female incubates clutches of three to four eggs for twelve days before they hatch. Both parents feed the hatchlings. They leave the nest within nine days, but are still dependent on their parents for four weeks. By the end of July most of the GCWA have begun their journey south, not to be seen again until the following spring.

GCWA live in closed canopy woodlands, often in mesic canyons. Mature Ashe juniper and a rich deciduous tree layer are essential components of GCWA habitat.

Because Ashe juniper needs to be approximately four to six inches in diameter before shedding bark, mature juniper is essential for the GCWA nesting material. GCWA are insectivores and spend a disproportionate time foraging in oaks and other hardwood species whose soft, new leaves host abundant insects.

Golden-cheeked warbler were added to the federal endangered species list in 1990. Explosive human population growth in central Texas is its primary threat. Even when habitat is not directly destroyed, development can harm them by

Illustration of GCWA by John Gerrard Keulemans from the book “Ornithological Miscellany” published in 1875

promoting the spread of cowbirds, bluejays, and other predators that are infrequently found in forest interiors.

Twenty of the landowners who have chosen to conserve their property with Texas Land Conservancy are protecting GCWA habitat. TLC also owns one preserve with GCWA. Unfortunately, none of these have unrestricted access, but there are several state and municipal parks where you can go to observe this rare bird. Be sure to familiarize yourself with their song before going. They are easier to find if you hear them first. And be sure not to pester them too much, they are trying to raise the next generation of native Texans.

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Stevens Ranch – Bosque County – 102 acres

spotlight property stevens ranch

by leigh stuemke, tlc stewardship director

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n the mid-1970’s Doris and Joe Stevens realized the dream of owning their own piece of heaven and purchased 102 acres in Bosque County. Joe was a wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife for roughly 20 years. He and his wife shared a strong love and conservation minded ethic for the land. After Joe’s passing Doris wanted to ensure that the land they both loved would be protected in case the unthinkable became realized and she must sell the land. With the suggestion of Jose Cano (TWPD Wildlife biologist) Doris explored the world of conservation easements and found her way to us! In the winter of 2006 Doris granted a conservation easement on Stevens Ranch to the Texas Land Conservancy in honor of her husband Joe’s memory.

The Ranch is a breathtaking combination of limestone outcroppings (relics of the Cretaceous reef once found there), undulating (and sometimes steep!) topography, flat floodplains, deciduous forests, and open native prairie.

The canyons found on the Ranch are a result of weathering

by Bee Creek and assorted tributaries. Bee Creek originates in Meridian State Park and flows into Stevens Ranch, crossing, and then continuing on for a total of seven miles until it intersects with Meridian Creek to the south.

The banks of Bee Creek hold a special place in Doris’ heart with many memories of picnicking along Bee Creek followed by hikes up the canyons. During the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Bee Creek was dammed to create Lake Meridian and unfortunately more often than not Doris doesn’t see as much flowing water as she would prefer but still enjoys the views and hikes up into the canyons. It is here in these canyons that habitat for the endangered and highly sought after golden-cheeked warbler

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Doris Stevens and her beautiful property, Stevens Ranch

(Dendroica chrysoparia) exists (see Daniel’s article on page 2). The famous warbler has been observed on the property, flitting amongst the trees and may very well nest there. It is always a pleasure to observe!

Big Bend National Park

new staff

by callie thompson, TLC development director

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achael Garbowski joined TLC this spring as Outreach Coordinator. She comes to us from the Midwest and New England and work in arts organizations and non-profits. As a transplant to Texas, her love for her new home state was swift: Callie: What landscapes inspire you?

Rachael: I am inspired by the flat Midwest farmlands of my childhood, by the Maine coastline and the endless ocean surrounding North Haven Island where I lived before moving to Austin this past fall, and most recently, by Texas and all of the geographical diversity found throughout the state. I had the opportunity to take a long weekend out to Marfa and Big Bend just before I started work at TLC in February, and I was blown away.

C: Where did you like to play outside as a kid?

R: I grew up on an 80-acre vegetable farm in Door County, Wisconsin. My younger brother and I made every inch of the land our own personal playground; picking watercress in the stream, building forts in the woods, swimming in mud puddles in our yard and nearby Lake Michigan, feeding our horse Chinook marshmallows, and endless hours of exploring. As we grew older, we also had to work- all of the usual growing up on a farm stuff- planting, weeding, picking, and selling. I had to plant strawberries on prom day (much to my 15 year-old self ’s dismay). I feel incredibly lucky to have spent my childhood almost entirely outdoors, working with a piece of land that was my family’s livelihood.

C: Why does land conservation matter?

R: Without land conservation, all of these sacred spaces, the natural places that are so deeply a part of who we are, will disappear. I cannot imagine a world without these special

places that have inspired, and provided for, humans since the beginning of time. In Texas, with the increase in population combined with the drought, never has the need to conserve land and water been more apparent. I feel extremely proud to be part of an organization that works hard to protect the land (and water) that people love, and want to preserve for future generations to come.

Rachael Garbowski, TLC’s new Outreach Coordinator

C: Where is your current favorite Texas outdoors spot?

R: I am only just beginning to explore all of the magical places in Texas. I have loved going on recent property monitoring visits to Brushy Top Ranch, and to Sandyland Ranches where I had the chance to meet all three sets of landowners who own the properties and have chosen to conserve them with TLC. Right here in the Austin area, I am absolutely loving all of the natural spring fed pools Barton Springs, Hamilton Pool, and Deep Eddy. I jumped in all three in December and can’t wait to jump in again during my first Texas summer!

Contact Rachael at: rachael@texaslandconservancy.org

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12 of the 109 properties preserved by tlc thank you for making this conservation possible.

Weatherby Ranch, Rolling Plains & Trans Pecos Region

Prairie Dogs at Rancho Madera, Rolling Plains & Trans Pecos Region

TLC Volunteers & Staff at Brushy Top Ranch, Hill Country Region

Chalk Mountain Ranch, Central & North Texas Region

Prescribed Burn at Marysee Prairie, Rolling Plains & Trans Pecos Region

Guided Hike at Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, Central & North Texas Region

The Narrows, Hill Country Region

The Glades, First Conservation Easement in Texas, East Texas Region

March 2013 Cleanup at River Oaks Preserve, Hill Country Region

White Creek Canyon Ranch, Hill Country Region

Fall Off Creek, Site of Annual Meeting, Central & North Texas Region

Volunteers at Kachina Prairie, (see Events!) Central & North Texas Region

as the landscape rolled by, letter from the tlc board

Flowers at Oak Cliff Nature Preserve, April 2012 by michael jung, tlc board president

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hen I was a kid in the 1960s, my parents took the family on an endless string of long car trips to visit the great natural wonders of our country – Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Shenandoah, and many other places. I had a great time on those trips, and remember them fondly. I loved the unspoiled natural scenery, the magnificent forests, rivers, and mountains, and

Anyone who has visited Estes Park or Gatlinburg knows exactly what I’m talking about.

I decided that when I grew up, I would do something about it. My plan was simple and naive: to become obscenely rich, and buy up unspoiled natural areas so that I could keep them unspoiled. I made no small plans – I was going to be worth trillions, and would spend that money protecting thousands of square miles of undisturbed land so that it would never be developed. Alas, I am still working on making my first trillion, and so my childhood plan has never come to fruition.

In later years, however, I made other plans. In my college years in Massachusetts, I enjoyed visiting places protected by the Trustees of Reservations (what a wonderful Victorian name!), and was introduced to the concept of land trusts. When I returned to Texas, I began contributing small amounts to NAPA (now the Texas Land Conservancy) and another land trust, and joined other organizations dedicated to preserving our natural environment. Later I had the opportunity to assist a client in obtaining permanent protection (L) Michael at age 10, (R) From left to right: Michael Jung, Mark Steinbach and Earl Matthew at Chalk Mountain Preserve during the 2011 Annual for an old Boy Scout camp slated for development; that Meeting property is now TLC’s Oak Cliff Nature Preserve.

Imagine, then, my feelings when the late Ned Fritz the wildlife, and enjoyed watching people interact with and called one day and invited me to join NAPA’s board of be inspired by the natural settings. But I remember noticing directors. Knowing Ned, I doubt he would have taken “no” at an early age the sharp contrast between these places and for an answer, but the thought of saying “no” never crossed ones, no doubt once equally beautiful and inspiring, that my mind. This was a chance to roll up my sleeves and do had been destroyed by commercialization and development. some hands-on work to protect natural areas, not just to

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The view on Chalk Mountain Preserve

admire and support the work of others, or to dream of being a fantastically rich land conservationist. I met wonderful, talented, committed people on the TLC board and staff, and had a chance to help make land preservation a tangible reality. From doing volunteer legal work for TLC, to helping to recruit its outstanding Executive Director, to cutting Chinese privet and cleaning up old dumping grounds, I was able to make a small but real difference.

It is now twelve years later, and I currently serve as president of TLC. On the day I was elected, looking out over the magnificent grasslands of TLC’s Chalk Mountain Preserve in North Central Texas, I thought about how far we had come in the last decade – from 40 preserves to more than 100, from 36,000 acres protected to more than twice that

much, from a shoestring operation run out of people’s living rooms to a professionally managed, accredited organization that is one of the largest Texas-based land trusts. I thought about how far we might go in the next decade, as we implement a new proactive, data driven, watershed-based plan for maximizing our conservation impact. I thought about the many land and easement donors, supporters, and volunteers that had made it all happen, and would make it all happen in the years to come. And I thought about a certain Baby Boom kid who looked out the window of the station wagon as the landscape rolled by, and dreamed of doing something to protect natural areas before it was too late.

TLC Members at Chalk Mountain Preserve

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the sandylands ranches conservation in blanco county

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he Sandylands Ranches, three neighboring properties in Blanco County, were conserved with TLC in 2003 and 2006 by three pairs of landowners. Thanks to their foresight, an almost 1,000 acre continuous block of land along the Pedernales River will never be developed.

Sandylands are part of several conservation easements and parks along the Pedernales, including other conservation easements held by TLC.

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Sandylands Ranches are downstream from the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and upstream from Pedernales Falls State Park.

The ranches are home to some unusual geology and are located on the edge of the granite Llano Uplift and the rolling limestone hills of the Hill Country.

Photos by Beverly Guhl: beverlyguhl.com

TLC is a 2013 Beneficiary of Austin Give 5% for Earth Day. Thanks to all those who participate!

Participating Austin businesses donate 5% of gross sales on Earth Day to environmental non-profits.

Nonprofit Org US POSTAGE PAID Austin, Texas Permit No. 258

P.O. Box 162481 Austin, TX 78716

Texas Land Conservancy.org Mission

Board of Directors

staff

Since 1982 the Texas Land Conservancy has been working to protect the nature of Texas.

President - P. Michael Jung Vice President - Earl Matthew Secretary - Travis Phillips Treasurer - Janell Morgan Adam Jochelson Anne Rowe Earl Matthew Eileen McKee Michael Grimes Pat Spillman, Jr. Robert J. O’Kennon Russ Jewert Sharon C. Reed Wayne Graham

Mark Steinbach, Ph.D. Executive Director

The mission of the Texas Land Conservancy is to conserve natural areas in Texas and to protect the physical and ecological integrity of their wildlife habitat, native plant communities, and scenic landscapes for the benefit of present and future generations.

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Daniel Dietz Stewardship Director Callie Thompson Development Director Leigh Stuemke Stewardship Director Rachael Garbowski Outreach Coordinator