First Steps: Gopher tortoise hatchlings indicate relocation success
A keystone species found in the southeastern U.S., the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) was listed as threatened in the western part of its range in 1987 and warranted for listing as threatened in the eastern part of its range in 2011, primarily due to the destruction and fragmentation of its native habitat. These findings prompted action among conservation groups to begin captive breeding or relocation programs to bolster population numbers and ensure that existing populations have safe habitats.
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Announcing the new statewide assessment: Putting a dollar amount to Texas ecosystem services
Promoting the long-term sustainability and stewardship of natural resources begins with a basic understanding of ecosystem services and their public benefits. Ideally, the ability to assign monetary value can illustrate the importance of their fundamental contributions to society. An analysis like this can serve to support land conservation strategies and policies to promote the conservation of open spaces and natural resources.
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The Fight to Save Florida's Key Deer - B&C Impact Series
You won’t find Key deer in the Boone and Crockett Club’s records. There isn’t even a hunting season for these tiny deer living in the Florida Keys. That doesn’t mean Boone and Crockett Club members turned a blind eye to this whitetail subspecies that was going extinct in the 1940s. B&C members Jay N. “Ding” Darling and C.R. Gutermuth worked to end market hunting of Key deer and protect essential habitat to ensure their survival well into the future. This is how they pulled it off.
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Featured Map: What satellites tell us about drought in Texas
Scientists employ various methods, models and data to track weather patterns, including drought – a condition closely monitored by Texans, especially those involved in agriculture and natural resources.
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Feral Hog Control Workshop and Resources Available to Landowners
Landowners in Hardeman, Wichita, Clay, Wilbarger, Milam, Williamson and Nueces counties interested in participating in a wild pig workshop and training can join us for free this fall to learn more about effective management practices and to become familiar with smart trapping techniques.
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Deep in the Heart K-12 Student Learning Resources Now Available
Clips of the American Bison, Black Bear, Texas Gulf Coast, and Guadalupe Bass are now available for educational use to connect students to Texas's unique environments, inspire awe in the natural beauty of our state, and lead to actions that support conservation.
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NRI awarded $8.5 million for Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape in Regional Conservation Partnership Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced it is awarding $197 million for 41 locally-led conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
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America's Longleaf releases the 2021 range-wide accomplishments report
America's Longleaf released the new 2021 Range-wide Accomplishment Report showcasing a landmark year and the success of tireless efforts across the 9-state historic range to bring back longleaf pine.
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Leopold Live! Chapter 2 Recap: Deer Harvest Record Keeping
Lights, camera, action! We’re back with the newest episode of Leopold Live!: Chapter 2 at the Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve. During this installment we chatted with ranch manager, Steven Fulton, and retired Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist, Mike Krueger, about deer harvest record keeping methods. We also discussed how you can use these techniques for the benefit of your deer herd and how you can use to qualify for the wildlife tax valuation program here in Texas.
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What is a Conservation Easement?
As open space land in Texas is constantly changing and repurposed to support our growing populations and urban areas, have you ever wondered what would happen if land wasn't so easily fragmented? What if the private land you own or have spent time on stayed as it is forever?
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When an NRI Aggie travels to Antarctica
Antarctica is an idyllic land that, for centuries, has drawn explorers to its shores in search of knowledge and renown. More than ever, the effects of climate change are visibly stretching across its vast frozen landscapes, calling out to scientists and climate activists in search for answers.
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1-d-1 Wildlife Tax Valuation - Protecting Texas Today, for Texans Tomorrow
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), in collaboration with the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society (TCTWS) and the James G. Teer Conservation Leadership Institute, released their new video 1-d-1 Wildlife Tax Valuation – Protecting Texas Today, for Texans Tomorrow earlier this spring to build awareness and recognition for the private landowners who carry the weight of conservation and land stewardship in Texas.
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Leopold Live! Chapter 2 Recap: Erosion Control
Lights, camera, action! We’re back with our latest episode of Leopold Live!: Chapter 2 at the Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve. We spoke with Bamberger’s ranch manager, Steven Fulton, about erosion control methods and how you can implement these practices for the benefit of soil and wildlife on the land. We had a great time talking about this tool you can use to qualify for the wildlife tax valuation program here in Texas.
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Q&A with Texan by Nature: Meet the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute
Texan by Nature (TxN) is proud to partner with 105+ conservation organizations working to positively benefit Texas’ natural resources and communities through innovative approaches. TxN accelerates conservation by bringing together organizations and businesses through programs that convene diverse stakeholders and catalyze science-based conservation efforts.
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Last week to take the Texas Landowner Survey
With the help of our partners in February, NRI released the 2022 Landowner Survey for landowners who own or operate private working lands in Texas. This voluntary questionnaire serves to gather information on the needs, preferences, concerns, and challenges regarding the everyday management of property that landowners face. The survey is set to close on May 13!
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Leopold Live! Chapter 2 Recap: Rainwater Harvesting for Wildlife
From the Texas Hill Country, we’re back with our latest episode of Leopold Live!: Chapter 2 at the Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve. During this installment, we chatted with Bamberger’s biologist, Christina Farrell, about how you can harvest rainwater for your home and for the wildlife on your property. We had a great time talking about this simple tool you can use to qualify for the wildlife tax valuation program here in Texas.
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Texas' first wildlife film is here
Deep in the Heart is a visually stunning celebration of Texas’ diverse landscapes and remarkable wildlife found nowhere else. Narrated by Matthew McConaughey, the film aims to conserve our remaining wild places, to show the connectivity of water and wildlife, and to recognize Texas’ conservation importance on a continental scale.
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Texas Master Naturalists Host Virtual Volunteer Fair
The Texas Master Naturalist program is hosting its fourth Virtual Volunteer Fair on Thursday, May 5th.
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Texas Soil and Water Stewardship Week Highlights the Importance of Healthy Soil
The Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board (TSSWCB), Association of Texas Soil and Water Conservation Districts, NRI, Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, and Texas Wildlife Association are joining organizations across the state in a campaign to highlight the importance of voluntary land stewardship in Texas.
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Texan by Nature Partners with EOG Resources, NRI & EcoMetrics LLC to Quantify Economic Value of Rangeland Restoration
Texan by Nature (TxN) announced a new partnership with EOG Resources Inc. (EOG), Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute (NRI), and EcoMetrics, LLC (ECO) collaborating on a 2-year project to quantify the environmental and economic return of restoring rangeland in the Eagle Ford shale play with native vegetation.
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DoD program protects climate landscapes and military bases
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership buffers military bases from development while easing the way for federal and local land protections.
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Leopold Live! Chapter 2 Recap: Grassland Preparation for Pollinators
We’re back with our newest episode of Leopold Live!: Chapter 2 from the Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve. We truly enjoyed getting to connect with you to talk about another wildlife management tool that you can add to your stewardship toolbox. In this episode we talked with the ranch’s resident zoologist, Jared Holmes, about native grasslands and how they can be used to benefit pollinator species on your property.
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Featured Map: Cattle trails to Texas highways
Depicting their latest discovery, the Texas Land Trends team developed a new map series featuring the original Texas cattle trails to show how the historical cattle drive routes and supply posts have evolved into major highways and urban centers today.
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NRI releases Texas water survey for all Texans
The Texas Water Survey was developed to determine daily use and management of water resources across Texas, in addition to challenges, concerns and water recreation experiences.
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New Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape Seeks to Strengthen Military Readiness, Natural Resource Conservation, and Agricultural Productivity
One of the nation’s newest Sentinel Landscape recognitions has been awarded to the area surrounding Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis.
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Leopold Live! Chapter 2 Recap: Cowbird Trapping
We’re back with our latest installment of Leopold Live!: Chapter 2 at the Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve, and we greatly enjoyed connecting with you to talk about wildlife management techniques. In this episode we spoke with the Bamberger Ranch’s resident ornithologist, Christina Farrell, about cowbird trapping and how it can be used to benefit native bird species on your property. Under the wildlife tax valuation program in Texas, cowbird trapping is listed as a qualifying management practice in the predator control category. But why? First we need to dig a little bit into the natural history of this species.
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HEB Funds Texas Longleaf Team’s Longleaf Pine Conservation
The Texas Longleaf Team is excited to partner with HEB to promote the restoration of the longleaf ecosystem in support of private landowners and rural communities in East Texas. Their support will promote carbon sequestration, water infiltration, biodiversity, recreation, and rural economies.
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New Sentinel Landscapes to Strengthen Military Readiness, Address Climate Change and Other Natural Resource Challenges
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, comprised of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Interior (DOI) announced three new areas designated as sentinel landscapes, where natural and working lands thrive alongside military installations and ranges. These landscapes play a key role in strengthening the nation’s military readiness while addressing natural resources concerns like climate change and contributing to the America the Beautiful initiative.
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NRI releases Texas landowner survey to examine status of working lands and needs of land managers
NRI's Texas Land Trends program released the 2022 Landowner Survey for landowners who own or operate private working lands in Texas. This voluntary questionnaire serves to gather information on the needs, preferences, concerns, and challenges regarding the everyday management of property that landowners face.
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Texas’ Lands & Natural Resources Provide Resilient Infrastructure
ICYMI: Texan by Nature and North Texas Municipal Water District launched a free webinar series, “Conservation – The Texas Way.” This four-part series provides education and awareness of the best water conservation practices in the Lone Star State. The series shares new data, ideas, actionable next steps, and resources for both individuals and businesses.
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A wild pig interview with students
When it comes to wildlife research, our foundational methods for capturing data and learning don’t change very often—the key is in how we study what we’ve learned and how we remain stewards of discovery together.
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How a Texas songbird and its endangered status became the center of a fight over the Hill Country
The Texas Tribune—Scientists say a study that estimated far more golden-cheeked warblers in Texas than previously thought has been attacked and taken out of context as the state and federal government battle over the bird’s endangered status.
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Texas airspace planning and forecasting to combat encroachment on military preparedness
NRI’s latest web tool, the Texas Airspace Planning and Forecasting Tool, provides a comprehensive solution for planners. Employing easy-to-navigate functionality, the tool combines those military installation fence lines on the ground and airspace boundaries over head with forecasted land development data up to year 2050.
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New military land use compatibility tools to shape the future of action plans across the nation
NRI developed several reports and web tools to assist installation personnel and community stakeholders in addressing various aspects of encroachment issues facing Texas installations from airspace, land and threatened and endangered species forecasting.
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