Early mornings and field work at Holloman Air Force Base
Written by Hanna Hardt: There wasn’t one big, cinematic moment that defined my summer working at Holloman Air Force Base. No single breakthrough, no dramatic turning point. Instead, it was the accumulation of the little moments that made the experience feel meaningful—and made me undeniably grateful to be there.
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A summer in the Chihuahuan Desert on military lands
Written by William Schultz: Spending a summer working hands-on with endangered species in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert is an experience I’ll never forget. I had the chance to use field techniques I had never even heard of before and to work closely with remarkable desert-adapted species, from the endemic White Sands Pupfish (Cyprinodon tularosa) to burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) and even the elusive American badger (Taxidea taxus). Every day offered something new, challenging, and rewarding.
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Podcast Ep #12: Monitoring wildlife for New World screwworm
For many Texans, the New World Screwworm feels like a problem of the past. It was eradicated from the United States in the 1960s and is rarely discussed outside of history or veterinary textbooks. In Episode 12 of The Land Steward Podcast, we take a closer look at why the screwworm is once again a concern for Texans.
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Measuring river health through mussels: NRI researchers advance water quality study on the Trinity River
On a cool morning along the West Fork of the Trinity River, NRI researchers waded carefully through flowing water to check a series of mussel silos submerged along the riverbed. These silos, concrete domes with a central opening that houses juvenile mussels and allows water to flow through, are a part of a project examining how water quality influences mussel growth and survival. The field team is led by research associate Rachel Carpenter and supported by Dr. Charles Randklev, research scientist and head of NRI’s freshwater mussel program.
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