Creative Solutions for Species Management: The ESA Toolbox
Today, the DOD manages over 500 species listed as either threatened or endangered under the ESA and hundreds more “species-at-risk” that may warrant federal protection in the future. The DOD is committed to providing conditions compatible with conducting military training, testing, and operational missions while ensuring the conservation of ecosystems on which these species depend. However, in some circumstances, overlap between military mission activities and species habitats can result in area access and training constraints. Creatively managing the military mission and species conservation can reduce—or even eliminate—potential conflicts.
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My Quest to Find the Elusive Texas Alligator Lizard
On a warm spring morning a few years ago, I ducked into a rock shelter on Austin’s Barton Creek Greenbelt while taking a walk. Sunlight cut through the live oaks and painted the walls of the limestone canyons. Only as I stood up to leave did I see it: a slender, serpentine lizard sitting on a ledge, its armored back banded in orange and white, its narrow face and glittering eyes set in an expression of faint distaste.
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Podcast Ep. #9: The Story of Texas Land Trends
Over the last 25 years, we’ve documented how rapid population growth has changed Texas lands through fragmentation, development, and suburbanization. More and more people are moving to Texas every year, prompting decision-makers to seek additional natural resources and land to support them. In a state as vast as Texas, which boasts 142 million acres of private farms, ranches, and forests, our working lands are the beating heart of our state. Losing working lands impacts everything from wildlife habitat to rural economies to food and water security for major urban centers. Our changing landscape will impact all Texans, and a better understanding of the drivers of change will support the future conservation of working lands.
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Lone Star Healthy Streams workshop set June 13th in Bay City
A Lone Star Healthy Streams workshop will be held on June 13th at the Bay City Service Center (2105 Ave. M, Bay City). This event is hosted by the Matagorda County SWCD#316, open to the public. Although the education is funded, there is a $30 registration fee for refreshments and steak lunch.
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Roads now featuring lovestruck turtles ignoring traffic laws
As spring blankets Texas in a wave of blooming wildflowers and budding trees, another seasonal sign is quietly creeping across roads and highways: turtles on the move. Oblivious to traffic and speed limits, these slow but determined travelers are part of a natural rhythm tied to the warmer months: a journey driven by the urge to mate and nest.
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Successful Reintroduction of the Reticulated Flatwood Salamander
One of the world’s largest and most experienced providers of timberland investment services recently achieved a groundbreaking conservation milestone by successfully reintroducing the federally listed reticulated flatwood salamander (Ambystoma bishopi) in collaboration with multiple agencies and partners.
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Wildlife management earns statewide recognition
Faculty, staff, student research, contributions earn awards from Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society
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Texas A&M AgriLife fills critical knowledge gaps on javelina
NRI researchers are laying the foundation for the science-based management and conservation of javelinas, or collared peccary. Until recently, this native species seemed overshadowed by other Texas wildlife and plagued by misconceptions.
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Podcast Ep. #7: The Managed Lands Deer Program and Families Who Hunt in Texas
The Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute hosts The Land Steward Podcast each month with specialists in the field with diverse backgrounds to have relatable conversations about land and wildlife stewardship. In Episode 7, BW, our podcast host was able to bring the show on the road to her family’s ranch in the Hill Country to share candid interactions and discussions about managing deer populations as a family and how that experience has shifted the mindset on the ranch.
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The Winter Sourcebook Volume VI is here
Directly from the field, the Winter 2025 NRI Sourcebook is here. Each season, we publish a digital collection of recently published peer-reviewed scientific publications, research reports, and resources developed to support the improvement of conservation, natural resource management, and private land stewardship. This collection is for you, your partners and community to use and share where we can collaborate to create resiliency.
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