tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18814640728743836862009-07-13T09:57:00.155-05:00Frequent posting of pictures and information about the natural world at the Bamberger Ranch Preserve.J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-65538992813512129282009-07-12T23:59:00.001-05:002009-07-13T01:38:04.342-05:00

Gabion – n. (ga’-bi-on)- a cylinder of wicker filled with earth or stones, formerly used in building fortifications. Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary.Every ranch in Texas, every ranchette, every lot in the Hill Country each has a lot of uwanted stones and rocks and, sometimes, old fences or leftover fencing materials that can be used for your ranch name, house number, directions, and

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-48647354339754699652009-07-05T21:59:00.005-05:002009-07-05T22:03:46.040-05:00

This may be an old story to those more familiar with all we have to show here on the ranch. ~ Forgive me please if this is the case.I served nine years on the Board of BCI – that’s Bat Conservation International – headquartered in Austin, Texas. My biggest contribution to that wonderful organization was working with the extended family some whom owned Bracken Cave and all of whom owned all the

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-6202911309911964542009-06-28T17:55:00.017-05:002009-06-30T16:24:15.287-05:00

(Stryx Platanifolious var. Texanus)I’ve talked about our response to the drought here on Selah in my blog of June 7, 2009, but the drought is not just here in Blanco County. It covers many other areas of Texas and the Southwest. Particularly hard hit are the counties of Real, Edwards, Uvalde and Kinney in the Nueces River watershed and Val Verde County in the Devils River watershed. These

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-37903488230385467662009-06-21T17:19:00.006-05:002009-06-22T16:00:39.819-05:00

This was our sixth year for our nature adventure camp. It is a five day, four night intensive nature camp designed for those children who have an affinity for the natural world. It is science oriented. Mary Kay Sexton, a fifth grade science teacher at St. Andrews School in Austin, organized the camp and is assisted by David Matthews who teaches at Small Middle School in Austin. Many

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-68496862283084886352009-06-14T16:09:00.002-05:002009-06-14T16:12:53.203-05:00

In January 2008 we recognized that “a prolonged period of dry weather, a lack of rain” was ahead of us. Scott Grote, our ranch operations manager, said four pastures were no longer useable as there was no water; even wildlife was suffering in these pastures. It was apparent to us that our education programs and people ranching activities as well as water for those of us who live here was in

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-10151409498158015582009-06-07T16:05:00.004-05:002009-06-22T14:05:18.647-05:00

“A prolonged period of dry weather, a lack of rain” as defined by Webster Dictionary.If you could be here today walking the land as I am, you would see verdant hills and valleys. It’s still spring and we had a quarter inch of rain earlier this week. The native grasses respond within 48 hours, brown turns green. But looks can be deceiving as the following pictures show.I was new to Texas in

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-5991417400846034742009-06-07T15:54:00.004-05:002009-06-07T15:59:17.312-05:00

There's an article about the ranch in today's Austin American Statesman: Once-Parched Ranch is Conservation Model. [Thanks Brendan.]

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-81054794495683302862009-05-31T16:00:00.004-05:002009-05-31T16:23:14.001-05:00

The highlight of the week was when 155 people gathered at the Center as witnesses to the marriage of Justin Duke and Stephanie Tidmore. The relatives and guests came from parts of Texas and as far away as Omaha, Nebraska. Rain clouds threatened all around, but the sun did shine on this young couple throughout the event. Justin, a graduate of Texas State University, has been with Selah 1 ½

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-88372584948947859832009-05-24T15:50:00.004-05:002009-05-24T16:04:43.776-05:00

The beginning of our work to rescue the federally and state listed endangered plant, Styrax platinifolius ssp. Texanus, commonly known as the Texas snowbell, was in 1994. This beautiful plant is a small tree or shrub native to the watersheds of the Nueces and Devils River of west Texas.I spent the first five years following leads from other botanists, looking in various herbariums and going door

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-23194015814637456082009-05-17T19:33:00.004-05:002009-05-18T02:59:31.596-05:00

Six years ago Board Members Anne Donovan and Maydelle Fason proposed that we begin holding an annual family picnic for young families and grandparents. The idea was to allow all ages to experience the ranch as a family.On May 3rd, we held our 5th Annual Selah Family Picnic with some 200 plus attending. Here are some scenes contributed by Amanda Fulton, Helen Ballew, Kathy Wilson and Colleen

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-82030131989808477122009-05-16T19:46:00.001-05:002009-05-19T05:31:32.048-05:00

Austin area television station KEYE put together a great story (running an extraordinary 5 minutes, 41 seconds) on the Bamberger Ranch Preserve, and broadcast it on May 14th. The text and video of the story are available from their website. (Update: David insists that the story ran 4:20 when it was broadcast, which I missed, but it is definitely 5:41 on the KEYE web site.)

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-30497792682920930582009-05-11T21:12:00.009-05:002009-05-11T21:27:57.901-05:00

David's assistant, Lois Sturm, sent along the following message today:To all directors in the viewing area of Austin's CBS affiliate channel 42 and to Julia Gregory and all of our volunteers:Thanks to an introduction by Bobby Cocke, CBS channel 42 KEYE TV came to the ranch on Saturday May 9 and did a great deal of filming of David's water project which was being worked on by a small group of boy

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-63022137666184730862009-05-05T16:51:00.028-05:002009-06-16T14:05:55.938-05:00

Colleen Gardner, Executive Director of the Bamberger Ranch Preserve, writes:Everything that happens on or around the ranch is a story. And never is the story short on details. On a cold and blustery volunteer workday with the Central Texas Trail Tamers this last winter, David Bamberger caught the ear of two new volunteers—“fresh meat” as the staff likes to tease—with some of his wonderful stories

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-39003131802723119672009-05-03T02:56:00.000-05:002009-05-03T03:24:03.200-05:00

“I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree” ~ this is the opening line in Joyce Kilmer’s (American poet 1886-1918) beautiful poem about a tree. It has always filled me with pride and been a motivating factor in my own near obsession with planting trees here on Selah. The recent rains have encouraged an explosion of flowering trees and shrubs, so much so, that I haven’t been able

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-78006177272058403992009-04-26T16:16:00.000-05:002009-05-03T03:24:31.231-05:00

I have written before of my love of trees, particularly flowering trees which I wasn’t used to seeing so much in my native state of Ohio. This week in Texas we have two beauties blooming! They are small trees, but are like giant bouquets.Blanco Crabapple (Pyrus ibensis var. Texana)Some botanists refer to it as the Texas Crab because Blanco County is considered the southwestern extent of its

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-77903299616518662082009-04-19T15:24:00.000-05:002009-05-03T03:25:00.617-05:00

Everything starts from philosophy ~ this I believe ~ Selah is not the name of the Bamberger Ranch, but rather it’s a place. To me, it’s like Walden was to Thoreau – a place not just for me, but for all who come here to look around, to see and witness the natural world and to reflect on the wonder, the magic if it all; and then, to think about our individual responsibility as stewards of our

J David Bambergerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02088265408830786142noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-32473027484467763062009-04-12T09:37:00.000-05:002009-05-03T03:25:30.595-05:00

David Bamberger writes:We determined long ago that our arboretum and nature trail would only have plants that were endemic to Blanco County. Not having any Canyon Mock Orange (Philadelphus Ernestii) growing here, I was delighted to have found one in a nursery in Austin. It was a small specimen in a one gallon container. Nevertheless, I put up the identification plaque and nurtured this rare

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-1456518663642960792009-04-05T15:24:00.027-05:002009-04-05T21:12:11.168-05:00

David Bamberger writes:In 1992 I read an article in the Native Plant Society of Texas Newsletter written by Benny Simpson of the Texas A&M University Experiment Station in Dallas about an endangered plant named the Murray Plum. He stated that it would do no good to find and protect the few known plants, but rather what was needed was for someone to gather together as many plants as possible from

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-20671417313116608052009-03-29T00:00:00.001-05:002009-04-05T21:01:07.567-05:00

David Bamberger writes:Margaret began this blog at the beginning of 2008 when she no longer had the energy to participate in our ranch programs. It was her way of staying connected to the natural world here on Selah as well as continuing to educate others. At the beginning she said to me, “David, I am now the CEO of Selah!” “Wait a minute,” I said, “We don’t need any more managers.” “Forget

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-44142115273229747322009-03-28T23:12:00.003-05:002009-03-28T23:28:38.898-05:00

David Bamberger writes:On April 4th we are holding our valued Land Stewardship Workshop – from 8:30 to 4:30. Lunch is served. Part of this day is spent talking about and demonstrating how to successfully plant a tree.On May 17th we’re holding a workshop on Water – it could be titled “How to Get Water Where There Isn’t Any.” On this day, you will learn about and see things that I've been told

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-87109259280189769562009-03-23T14:24:00.027-05:002009-03-23T18:11:27.118-05:00

Colleen Gardner, Executive Director of the Bamberger Ranch Preserve, writes:Science teacher and good friend of Selah (and new Education Advisor to Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve), Debra Mann, has been bringing out her senior classes for a 5 day science-based field trip to Selah for more than 7 years now. These groups of young thinkers have always impressed us at Selah – they are articulate,

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-3128836749403504012009-03-16T16:13:00.005-05:002009-03-16T16:22:43.480-05:00

A note to our readers from David Bamberger: This blog will continue, and you may expect the first of the new postings next Monday, March 23. Without a doubt, the style and content will change somewhat, but it will continue to tell the story of the Bamberger Ranch Preserve.

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-45806418888308937462009-03-09T16:09:00.005-05:002009-03-09T17:30:14.576-05:00

The following was written by Margaret Campbell Bamberger the day she received the diagnosis of Stage IV lung cancer, Friday, September 24, 2004.I sit, feeling alone and cut off from God. I close my eyes and let my mind wander.Why? Why me? I try to remove my close perspective and move out to where I can feel the life force around me. I think of all the life, past, current, seen and unseen, human

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-13288292817015249702009-02-24T17:01:00.007-06:002009-02-24T20:36:37.926-06:00

In the past, groups requesting tours of the ranch have sometimes contacted Margart Bamberger directly. Instead, we'd now like those requests to be directed to Colleen Gardner, whose email address is: brp(at)tstar(dot)net. Thanks, and enjoy the tours.

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1881464072874383686.post-49590160269779248262009-02-22T19:12:00.014-06:002009-02-25T22:08:05.096-06:00

Chris Johnson here, with an update on Margaret Bamberger's health:Margaret Bamberger has been receiving radiation therapy for brain cancer all month. She had an MRI on the 17th which showed no change in the lesions. So, the good news is that they haven't grown. Also, she's had no seizures, no headaches, and she feels great.This week, she'll continue the radiation treatment, after which they'll

Chris W. Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17874730776766584329noreply@blogger.com7