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Conserving the natural resources of the Chihuahuan Desert Borderlands
through research, education, and outreach.
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West Texas Water Research Center Coming to Sul Ross State University | |
The West Texas Water Research Center will focus on establishing research priorities and will provide guidance to local municipalities, agencies, and other stakeholders. | |
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Thanks to funding from the Horizon Foundation, a West Texas Water Research Center will soon be established at Sul Ross State University (SRSU) in Alpine. The Horizon Foundation has committed a $125,000 per year challenge grant over the next three years to help launch the new center, which will be incubated at the university’s Borderlands Research Institute (BRI).
The concept for a West Texas Water Research Center crystalized after the Water in the Desert conference held in January 2024 at Sul Ross State University. The conference, which was the first of its kind in the region, brought together over 260 attendees, including members of the Texas House and Senate, local groundwater conservation district leaders, scientists, and Texas landowners.
“It was clear to us after the successful Water in the Desert conference that a research center housed here at Sul Ross was the next logical step to advancing the water issues in the West Texas region and beyond,” said SRSU President Carlos Hernandez. “The Borderlands Research Institute has a proven track record of providing sound science to inform policy decisions, and incubating this new West Texas Water Research Center at BRI will help ensure its long-term success.”
Fundraising continues to match the $125,000/year pledged by Horizon Foundation. Once those funds are secured, a steering committee composed of water experts and university faculty will help guide the new center. One of its first priorities will be to develop a job description and help recruit, interview, and hire a director for the new center.
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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Partners with BRI to Provide Additional Resources for West Texas Landowners | |
Dr. Silverio Avila (below) is an Assistant Professor and Extension Range Specialist serving Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Borderlands Research Institute. | |
A new partnership in West Texas will provide additional resources to area landowners seeking assistance in conserving rangelands for both livestock and wildlife. BRI has partnered with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to fund a new position that is a joint appointment for both organizations. Dr. Silverio Avila has been selected for the role and will serve as Assistant Professor and Extension Range Specialist, embedded with the Borderlands Research Institute team at Sul Ross.
In this new role, Dr. Avila will help plan, conduct, and evaluate educational programs in rangeland management and will develop research programs in rangeland restoration, soil-plant communities and plant community response to grazing. He will also support and provide technical expertise to Extension Service agents in West Texas. He is on the faculty of both universities and will serve as a mentor on graduate student committees and undergraduate research projects.
“Dr. Avila’s joint appointment with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Sul Ross State University’s Borderlands Research Institute is a testament to the critical importance of collaboration in advancing rangeland conservation and management,” said Dr. Roel Lopez, head of the Texas A&M Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and director of Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute. “Through our collective expertise in research, teaching, and extension, this partnership aims to provide land and ranch managers with the latest science-based information and resources needed to steward the Trans-Pecos.”
Dr. Avila obtained his B.S. in Forestry from Universidad Autonoma Agraria Antonio Narro in Saltillo, Mexico, where he learned about the ecology, business, and management of forest and rangeland ecosystems. He obtained an M.S. in Range and Wildlife and a Ph.D. in Wildlife and Rangeland Sciences from Texas A&M University-Kingsville with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute.
“I am thrilled to be part of the team at Borderlands Research Institute and help serve the landowners in West Texas with educational resources to help them meet their land stewardship goals,” said Dr. Avila. “This partnership is a great opportunity to combine forces to benefit landowners across the region.”
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New Conservation Biology Report Available
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BRI is committed to sharing up-to-date information based on our ongoing research projects with landowners and natural resource managers. We do that in many different ways, including publishing regular research reports. Our latest report is now available.
Access the 2024 Conservation Biology Research Report and other reports HERE.
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Save the Date for West Texas Land Management Workshop on August 2 | |
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We’re pleased to support our friends at the Alamito Foundation for a land stewardship workshop coming up on August 2 in Marfa. The workshop is called “Far West Texas 101: A Workshop for Engaging the Land.” The workshop will focus on the basic principles of sustainable land management in West Texas. Other sponsors include the Chinati Foundation and the Dixon Water Foundation.
FIND OUT MORE AND REGISTER
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John B. Poindexter Honored as 2024 West Texas Conservation Leader | |
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John B. Poindexter was honored in April at a Houston event for his conservation contributions in West Texas. Poindexter is the owner of the acclaimed Cibolo Creek Ranch in Presidio County, south of Marfa. A steward of the land and history, Poindexter is a third-generation Texan whose passion for conservation shines through his meticulous care of the ranch he loves to share with others. This 30,000-acre expanse, steeped in natural beauty and historical significance, merited inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
His military service, distinguished by earning two Silver Stars and a Presidential Unit Citation, is a testament to his dedication to his country. The same spirit drives his conservation efforts, through the John B. Poindexter Endowed Fellowship for Desert Quail Research, established to deepen the understanding and ensure the conservation of these iconic species of the Texas landscape.
“John’s commitment to West Texas is evident in his beloved Cibolo Creek Ranch,” said Dr. Louis Harveson, who is the Dan Allen Hughes, Jr., Endowed Director of the Borderlands Research Institute. “It is one of the spectacular ranches in West Texas where he has restored the history, culture, and natural resources of the region, and we are proud to honor him and Cibolo Creek Ranch as the 2024 West Texas Conservationist of the Year.”
WATCH THE VIDEO
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New Faces on BRI’s Advisory Board | |
Nyle Maxwell (left) and Ryan Seiders are the latest members to join the BRI Advisory Board. | |
BRI is fortunate to have the support of a robust advisory board that helps guide its efforts. Recently, two new members joined the board: Nyle Maxwell of Georgetown and Ryan Seiders from Austin.
Maxwell is a former mayor of Round Rock who has dedicated his life to family, philanthropy and public service. With ranches near El Paso, Alpine and Brady, he is passionate about hunting and conservation, managing trophy white-tailed deer, quail, turkey, pronghorn, javelina, aoudad sheep and mule deer. Maxwell is a life member of the Texas Wildlife Association (TWA), and is currently serving as TWA Vice President. He is also a regular member of the prestigious Boone and Crockett Club.
Ryan Seiders grew up in Driftwood, Texas, and has a deep passion for hunting and fishing. It was that passion for the outdoors and an entrepreneurial spirit that led Ryan, and his brother Roy, to co-found YETI Coolers in 2006. Ryan’s passion for the outdoors has only grown over time, with favorite pursuits being white-tailed deer, quail, sheep, redfish, and tarpon. He has ranching interests from the South Texas Brushlands, to the Coastal Prairies, to the Trans-Pecos, and Kansas. Ryan also serves as a trustee for the International Game Fish Association and Texas Foundation for Conservation.
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As mentioned in a previous story in this edition of Borderlands Bulletin, BRI and Texas A&M AgriLife are teaming up to provide additional resources for West Texas landowners. In our latest podcast, Dr. Carlos Gonzalez and Dr. Silverio Avila discuss what that will look like in the coming months and years.
LISTEN
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