Dixon Water Foundation

Promoting healthy watersheds through sustainable land management

National Conference on Grazing Lands on Dec. 13-16

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The sixth National Conference on Grazing Lands, a unique conference for livestock producers by livestock producers, is coming up December 13-16 in Grapevine, Texas. The program lineup includes a tour of Dixon Ranches Leo Unit and soil health presentations by ranch manager Robbie Tuggle and science advisory board members Dr. Lisa Bellows and Dr. Richard Teague.

Learn more about or register for the conference on the National Grazing Lands Coalition website or in this article by Hugh Aljoe, foundation board member and Noble Foundation producer relations manager.

Grass workshop and trail opening at Mimms

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The Overlook Trail at Dixon Ranches Mimms Unit officially opened September 26, 2015, in conjunction with a grass identification workshop with Dr. Michael Powell of Sul Ross State University. About 45 people attended the workshop, and many of them stayed for a group interpretive hike to the Overlook viewing area, designed by Marfa’s Joey Benton. Local flora and fauna experts from the Texas Master Naturalists Tierra Grande Chapter answered questions along the way.

The Big Bend Gazette featured the trail opening and workshop in an article in its October issue, available here as a PDF.

Powell is Director of the Herbarium at Sul Ross State University, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology, and author of numerous books and journal articles on plants native to the Chihuahuan Desert Region. Dr. Powell was assisted during the workshop with his wife Shirley Powell, a retired science teacher and the president of the board of directors at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute.

The 2.5-mile walking trail at Mimms is open during daylight hours and features exhibits about grazing management and the high-desert environment. The trail ends at the Overlook viewing area, where visitors can sit and appreciate spectacular views of the Marfa grasslands and surrounding mountains.

The foundation’s West Texas office and the trailhead are at the north end of Austin Street in Marfa. Please read and respect the guidelines for trail visitors posted at the entrance to the ranch. Dogs must remain leashed. Bicycles, motorized vehicles, camping, and firearms are not permitted.

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Cross Timbers Landowner Workshop at Leo on Oct. 2

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Landowners in Cooke County are invited to a one-day workshop on October 2 with Texas A&M AgriLife at Dixon Ranches Leo Unit. From 7:30am to 4pm, participants will learn about recognizing the cross timbers, wildlife habitat management & tax appraisals, range management, conservation easements, soils, and invasive plants. Admission is $20. CEUs available. For a complete program, download a PDF of the Cross Timbers Landowner Workshop agenda.

Kids on the Land at Bear Creek

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Our education partner Kids on the Land was at Dixon Ranches Bear Creek Unit in September. Their outdoor environmental programs teach children about the region where they live, connecting them to the land and a more sustainable future. With support from the foundation, Kids on the Land partnered with Morningside Children’s Partnership to provide this program to third through fifth graders from the Edward J. Briscoe Elementary School, which is a neighborhood in Fort Worth that has suffered high unemployment, violence, substandard health care, and low educational outcomes for years. Check out the photo gallery below and the testimonials to see what an impact this program had.

September 17 is North Texas Giving Day, when matching donors will double any contributions made to this great organization. Visit the North Texas Giving Day website to learn more.

Kids on the Land at Bear Creek

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Photo by Angie Dickson/Kids on the Land

“Being a [volunteer] for KOL is the hardest work I have ever loved. Because of this experience many of these students will never look at their world in quite the same way. It is humbling, awesome and a joy to witness the impact one day in nature can have on a child.”—Karen McGinnis, Kids On the Land volunteer

“Teaching students in the Kids on the Land program connects them to their sense of place and the world they live in. It touches their souls and connects them to real world learning in a meaningful life changing way.” —Kathy Cash, Kids On the Land volunteer

“Best day of school ever!” —Charles, Briscoe 3rd grader

Ian Mitchell-Innes at Mimms Unit

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Ian Mitchell-Innes, Holistic Management Educator and mob-grazing expert, held a workshop with Dixon Ranches staff, board of directors, and advisory board members at Mimms Unit in July. The South African rancher discussed grazing strategies, animal performance, and other topics.  

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You can learn more about many of the principles and practices he covered in this online presentation, Ranching in Sync with Nature:

Ian Mitchell-Innes Ranching in Sync with Nature from ffbroadwell

Hickory Creek Watershed workshop in Denton May 21

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A Texas Riparian and Stream Ecosystem Workshop in the Hickory Creek Watershed will be held on May 21 in Denton. The training will focus on the nature and function of stream and riparian zones and the benefits and direct impacts from healthy riparian zones. This workshop is supported in part by a grant from the Dixon Water Foundation and is being co-hosted by the City of Denton and the Upper Trinity Conservation Trust. Learn more about this program and similar riparian workshops on the Texas Riparian Association’s website. RSVP required by May 15.

Rendezvous and Josey Pavilion in NTFR magazine

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North Texas Farm and Ranch magazine’s November issue spotlights the upcoming Holistic Management Rendezvous 2014 and Josey Pavilion Grand Opening at Dixon Ranches Leo Unit. Check out the article about this sold-out event, or view the full November issue on NTFR’s website. The regional agricultural magazine also features a monthly column by Lisa Bellows, director of the Josey Institute for Agroecology at North Central Texas College.

Society for Range Management to visit Mimms and Alamito Creek

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“Borderland Conservation: Two Countries, One Cause,” the 65th Annual Meeting for the Texas Section of the Society for Range Management, is being held in Alpine and Marfa October 7-9. A ranch tour of Dixon Ranches Mimms Unit is scheduled for Wednesday, with presentations on field recognition of ecological sites, soil interpretation, map unit design, and soil inclusions.

Open Gate at Mimms on Marfa Public Radio

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You can now listen to the Sept. 8 Talk at Ten interview with Dixon Ranches Mimms Unit manager Casey Wade. He spoke with K. Yoland at Marfa Public Radio about the upcoming Open Gate, sustainable ranching, and other news at Mimms. Ann Adams from Holistic Management International also called in for the interview, and Megan Wilde, who manages communications for the foundation, joined them in the studio.

 

Registration opens for Sept. 13 Open Gate at Mimms

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Open Gate at Dixon Ranches Mimms Unit to focus on improving rangeland in drought

Registration is now online for an Open Gate at Dixon Ranches Mimms Unit from 9am to 4pm on Sept. 13 in Marfa.

Agricultural producers, wildlife managers, local agency representatives, and anyone else interested in sustainability, drought mitigation and biological research findings: this is a day for you. Learn about “Improving Land, Animal, and Water Health in a Drought” through short presentations and small group exercises.

Our speakers will share ranching techniques that improve rangeland productivity, water-holding capacity, wildlife habitat, and soil health. Participants will improve their land-monitoring skills, while learning about key soil-health indicators and ways to improve their soil. How to mitigate wildfire’s impact on soil health will also be covered.

Presenters include Robert J. Potts, president and CEO of the Dixon Water Foundation; Casey Wade, assistant general manager of Dixon Ranches in Marfa; Dr. Bonnie Warnock, associate professor and chair of the Sul Ross State University Department of Natural Resource Management; Dr. Lisa Bellows, Holistic Management Certified Educator-in-Training and chair of math and science initiatives at North Central Texas College; and Peggy Cole, Holistic Management International program manager.

This event at Dixon Ranches Mimms Unit is part of Holistic Management International’s Open Gate Learning Series of peer-to-peer, action-based field programs, during which participants share discoveries and management techniques with guidance from experienced facilitators and producers. Holistic Management® enables producers to better manage risk, make better decisions, and enjoy the benefits of sustainable agriculture.

Advance registration before Sept. 9 is $20 per person, including lunch. If space is still available, walk-in registration on Sept. 13 is $30 per person. To register or find out more, visit http://holisticmanagement.org/mimms/ or call 505-842-5252.

HMI hosted an Open Gate at Mimms Unit in 2011.

HMI hosted an Open Gate at Mimms Unit in 2011.

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