A Big Opportunity for Small-Acreage Landowners
Conservation efforts often focus on large properties with thousands of acres of potential habitat. That focus is understandable, given the impact that effective stewardship of those holdings can have. But it’s also important not to overlook landowners with smaller parcels—maybe a few hundred acres, a few dozen, or even less—who are passionate about conservation and determined to be good stewards of their land, but who may lack the resources to do so.
The upcoming Small Acreage – Big Opportunity program series seeks to address the needs of this growing demographic of small-acreage landowners. The series, called “SABO” for short, covers topics that are relevant to owners of relatively small properties (roughly 500 acres or less) who are interested in managing for native species. This year’s SABO will include 3 programs in different parts of the state: a west Texas session to be held at the end of August, an east Texas session at the end of September, and a north Texas session at the end of October. Content will also be tailored for these different regions, featuring local guest presenters who will share their knowledge and serve as an invaluable contact for participants who can call on them for assistance in the future.
SABO is a collaborative effort between NRI’s Amanda Gobeli, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Dr. Maureen Frank, and Texas Wildlife Association’s Iliana Pena. It is also funded in part by USDA-NIFA’s Renewable Resources Extension Act. This year’s sessions are planned to include a mixture of classroom and field components, with recorded presentations from last year’s virtual SABO serving as a primer for participants to become familiar with key concepts before seeing them in action in the field. Those recordings can currently be viewed for free at this link.
This year’s schedule is as follows:
- August 28, 2021 | Fort Davis, TX | Davis Mountains State Park
- September 25, 2021 | Nacogdoches, TX | Location TBD
- October 30, 2021 | Allen, TX | Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve
Registration is now open at this link. The cost to attend is $80, with lunch included. If you have any questions about the program or are interested in becoming a sponsor, please reach out to Amanda Gobeli at agobeli@tamu.edu | Phone: (720) 333-6224