The Bandera Canyonlands Alliance, an organization dedicated to the preservation of natural resources in the Hill Country held its fall meeting at the Love Creek Preserve on Oct. 21.
Board of Director and Head of Rapid Response Beryl Armstrong started the meeting off with a presentation on the local actions the group had taken to preserve the natural environment of the area during the course of the previous year.
The keynote speaker was David M. Hillis, a noted professor from the University of Texas Austin in the field of biology and biodiversity. Hillis presented information from his book Armadillos to Ziziphus about reclamation of the Texas Hill Country to its original pristine state.
He spoke specifically about the Edward Plateau and the Llano Uplift.
“ll these things meet at the Edwards Plateau … and so we get an amazing juxtaposition of the plants and animals from Eastern forests and Northern grasslands, and from subtropical areas,” Hillis said.
Hillis has spent many decades working toward restoring the ecosystem of his ranch in Mason County. He recognizes the Texas Hill Country as one of the most biodiverse areas of Texas.
Showing many photos of the ranch, Hillis detailed how he worked to restore the area. He also references his book, a series of essays on different aspects of the ecology of the area and how to restore them.
He took his listeners through the steps he took to return the ranchland to the wild. Hillis also collaborates with locals who want to follow the steps he has taken to reconstruct their land.
One interesting story Hillis told was how the dung beetle plays an important part in the ecology of the area by providing nutrients to other organisms.
He relayed that the use of Ivermectin in cattle was causing the beetles’ decline in the Hill Country and related how to counteract that with better practices to eliminate nematodes which allows the population of beetles to thrive.
Hillis also touched on the ecological benefits of bison to the land. He noted that several local ranchers were turning their efforts to building herds that helped the land recover its fertility and soil friability.
Jeff Braun also presented the BCL Legacy Award, which recognizes the outstanding impact that the recipient had on the preservation of natural resources.
The award was given posthumously to Bill Mackie, a well-known film/TV professor who spotlighted conservation in his media work. A tree was planted in his honor.
As the meeting adjourned, quite a few of the booths were set up outside the hall which featured organizations supporting naturalist causes and involved in the environment. There was even a telescope set up ready to view the sky.
After a barbeque meal, the afternoon consisted of hikes and Jeep tours to explore the Love Creek Preserve, a property of the Nature Conservancy.
These hikes’ focus was on observation of the natural plants and animals of the area some of which were endangered.
For more information on the Bandera Canyonlands Alliance, go to their website at banderacanyonlandsalliance.org
