Dixon Water Foundation

Promoting healthy watersheds through sustainable land management

EVENTS

UNT Environmental, Social, and Governance Conference October 13, 2023

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“Through its work as an interdisciplinary research center of excellence, the Advanced Environmental Research Institute (AERI) supports initiatives that address our region’s most pressing environmental issues. As the Dallas-Fort Worth region continues its unprecedented economic growth, AERI aims to deepen collaborations with industry and local partners to foster innovations and workforce training initiatives for a sustainable and resilient North Texas region.”

Dixon Water Foundation will be participating in a panel discussion. Programming also features “two keynote speakers, panels with industry and government leaders, industry networking, and a showcase of research initiatives. Don’t miss this chance to be an active participant in shaping the future of environmental sustainability!”.

For more information, please see the link below

https://aeri.unt.edu/news/esg-conference

April 2023 at Dixon Water Foundation’s Leo Unit: Regen Ag School: Integrating Holistic Management® into Your Ranch or Farm

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Don’t miss this rare opportunity at the award-winning Dixon Water Foundation Leo Ranch to gain comprehensive knowledge in Holistic Management® and create a livestock grazing plan that will help create more land health and financial success on your ranch or farm.

This school is for you if you’re interested in farming, ranching, land conservation, or urban agriculture and want to improve your decision-making, profitability, water use, and soil health. Large- and small-scale producers are all invited! Visit the link below for more information.

Regen Ag School: Integrating Holistic Management® into Your Ranch or Farm

HMI Grazing Workshop at Mimms Unit September 20-21, 2022

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September 20-21, 2022 | 8:30AM – 5:00PM CST
Marfa Visitor Center USO Hall, 302 S. Highland Ave., Marfa, TX 79843
and Mimms Ranch of Marfa, TX

This two-day Advanced Grazing Workshop is for ranchers and those who want to learn how livestock grazing management strategies benefit rangeland and businesses with a focus on land literacy. Land and livestock managers who practice Holistic Planned Grazing monitor for results and rely heavily on their observations to effectively manage and adapt when conditions require. In doing so, they’re able to mitigate risk and loss.

Click here to read more and register

Holistic Planned Grazing

Dixon Water Foundation – Guided Hikes, October 2021

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Alamito Creek Preserve photo by Sarah Vasquez

We wanted to inform you of a couple opportunities that we are offering soon to hike on Dixon properties. These will be casual, free, guided hikes with limited attendance. The terrain may be rocky and the hikes will last a few hours, so please be prepared. 

The first date we will be offering is Sunday October 10, 2021 at our Alamito Creek Preserve, about 30 miles south of Marfa, Texas. Guests will meet at the entrance to the ranch and hike along the creek with local birding experts during this fall migration. We’re offering two time slots: 8:00 AM and 8:30 AM.

Please visit these links to register:

Alamito Creek Preserve 8:00 AM

Alamito Creek Preserve 8:30 AM

The second date (sold out) is Tuesday October 12, 2021 at our Mimms Unit ranch just outside of Marfa, Texas. This hike departs at 9:00 AM. Guests will hike with Dixon staff and a local ecological site expert to discuss the grasslands.


Please visit this link to register:

Mimms Unit – Marfa Grasslands 9:00 AM (sold out)

An email will be sent with further information after registration.

Hikes may be canceled due to weather or if pandemic conditions worsen. 

Borderlands Birding Bonanza events scheduled Nov. 14 & Nov. 15 in West Texas

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Borderlands Birding Bonanza participants view birds at Alamito Creek Preserve.
Borderlands Birding Bonanza events scheduled Nov. 14 & Nov. 15 in West Texas

Originally posted by Borderland Research Institute here.

ALPINE TX – Birding enthusiasts of all skill levels are invited to attend Borderlands Birding Bonanza events in West Texas on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15. The birding field trips will take place at the Dixon Water Foundation’s Mimms Ranch near Marfa. Registration is required and participants can sign up at https://bri.sulross.edu/events/.

The Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) at Sul Ross State University launched the new series of outreach activities in October to connect people with birds through its Bird Conservation Program. The first event, held Oct. 24-25 at Alamito Creek Preserve in Presidio County, attracted 40 birders from El Paso to East Texas.

“A good time was had by all and it was great to see people connecting with birds and nature,” said Dr. Louis Harveson, who is the Dan Allen Hughes, Jr., BRI Endowed Director and Regents’ Professor of Wildlife Management at Sul Ross State University. “We are excited about these new outreach opportunities, and we are extremely grateful to the Dixon Water Foundation and the Shield-Ayres Foundation for making these events possible.”

The October events were led by knowledgeable birders, including BRI graduate students Alex Chavez and Emily Card, local birding experts, and staff of the Dixon Water Foundation.

“We saw a lot of cool birds, including an American kestrel, western bluebirds and Lincoln’s sparrows,” said BRI graduate student Emily Card. “We all got very excited when we spotted an eastern sub-species of the northern flicker, because that’s a rare sighting around here.”

The goal of BRI’s Bird Conservation Program is to advance the awareness, appreciation, and conservation of birds in West Texas. With over 500 bird species in the region, it is no wonder that West Texas is a favorite destination among birders. Birding is also one of the main outdoor recreational activities from which landowners can derive substantial income, and BRI is working with private landowners to learn more about the bird species in West Texas.

Besides the field trips associated with the Borderlands Birding Bonanza, BRI’s Bird Conservation Program will be implementing a number of new initiatives to engage citizens in bird conservation. Upcoming activities will include bird photography workshops and educational seminars. In addition, a citizen science project will be developed that will document bird populations on private ranches through long-term monitoring efforts.

Register for the Nov. 14 and Nov. 15 birding field trips at https://bri.sulross.edu/events/


For more than a decade, the Borderlands Research Institute has encouraged effective land stewardship of the Chihuahuan Desert. Housed at Sul Ross State University, the Borderlands Research Institute builds on a long-lasting partnership with private landowners, the university’s Range and Wildlife Program, and cooperating state, federal, and non-governmental organizations. Through research, education, and outreach, the Borderlands Research Institute is helping to conserve the last frontier of Texas and the Southwest.

NORTH TEXAS OFFICE

4528 County Road 398
Decatur, TX 76234

WEST TEXAS OFFICE

P.O. Box 177
Marfa, TX 79843

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