Speaker's Bio: J. David Bamberger is founder of the Bamberger Ranch Preserve (BRP), a 501-C-3 foundation, known as “Selah”.
The ranch is in the Hill Country near Johnson City, Texas. In 1969 he bought what the locals called “The worst piece of real estate in Blanco County”, 5,500 acres of badly managed, degraded ranch land.
He has spent the last 44 years restoring the ranch to health and productivity. It has been described as the largest habitat restoration project on private land in the state of Texas.
Over the past 44 years he has demonstrated on his ranch how a damaged environment can be restored, which was a painstaking project involving selective clearing and planting of native trees and grasses.
Over 88 species of grasses, most of them native, now thrive on the hillsides and valleys of Selah.
With grasses covering much of the rangeland, dormant springs began to flow and creeks began to run so the story of Selah is also a story of water. In 2007 a book about this experience, Water From Stone, was published by Texas A&M University Press.
One of Bamberger’s major interests is creating public awareness and educating private landowners about their roles. The most important challenge he has faced as a landowner is to exercise patience in working with nature; he says one must accept the limitations of the land, uncontrollable weather, and the interdependence of plant and animal species.
In 1992, the ranch began researching a recovery project for the Texas Snowbell, Styrax texana. The ranch currently propagates, plants and protects 1,000 of this federally listed plant in their home watershed of Real, Edwards and Val Verde Counties of Texas. The ranch is designated the lead recovery team for this species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Mr. Bamberger is a frequent lecturer and speaker at workshops and conferences throughout the state. His work has been featured in newspapers, magazines and television across the country and most recently, he was honored with the prestigious Aldo Leopold Award for conservation by the Sand County Foundation and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Featured Lunch Menu: Chicken fried chicken with cream gravy, mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes; mixed field green salad with assorted rolls and a featured daily dessert. Vegetarian meal or Grilled Chicken Caesar salad are available alternatives as well.
Please register by noon on Wednesday
We order meals based on your reservations and must pay for them even if you do not show up. Please keep this in mind if your plans shift and cancel your reservation so we can adjust the headcount.
