Conservation

The Caddo Lake Institute, founded in 1993 by Eagles frontman Don Henley, protects the Texas lake's environmental integrity from development and invasive species. The organization collaborates with agencies to restore natural water patterns, tackle pollution, and safeguard threatened species like the American paddlefish.

The Moore Park Big Tree Grove in Dallas, a haven for the Black community during segregation, received historic protection from the city and the Texas Historic Tree Coalition. This landmark includes 16 historic trees and was part of the first trees officially protected for historic value by the city council.

The Texas Historic Tree Coalition held six tree dedication ceremonies this year, celebrating landmark trees like the Fort Parker Pecan, West Dallas Gateway Pecan, Comanche Creek Live Oak Grove, Singing Trees, and Comanche Council Live Oak. These ceremonies resumed after delays due to the pandemic and other challenges.

Eight historic Dallas cemeteries will undergo a two-year rewilding program to transform them from common plots to native, wildlife-supporting spaces. The Constellation of Living Memorials, led by Friends of Warren Ferris Cemetery, aims to lower maintenance costs, create habitats, and offer community education.

Environmentalists, concerned about a massive Bitcoin mining facility in Navarro County, Texas, will join public interest groups and experts in raising awareness of the industry's risks to the power grid, utility rates, and natural resources. Critics argue that the facility could destabilize the grid and increase electric rates.

Doug Tallamy, on the Texas Green Report podcast, emphasizes individual responsibility for maintaining ecosystems, highlighting the need for properties to support pollinators, food webs, carbon sequestration, and water management. He advocates planting native species, reducing lawn areas, and coexisting with nature to combat biodiversity and climate crises.

A group in Denton, including a UNT instructor and her students, works to relocate black-tailed jackrabbits. As the city expands, these hares face habitat loss. They aim to transport the jackrabbits to a more suitable area, preventing their decline due to urbanization and increasing genetic diversity.

Four 60-year-old live oaks were relocated to an Addison park by AMLI, a developer building a mixed-use community aiming for LEED Silver certification. Environmental Design executed the move using ArborLift technology to preserve the trees, part of a sustainability effort that includes planting 350 new trees.

The Trinity River Audubon Center is hosting a free "Swift Night Out" on September 7, offering birdwatching of chimney swifts and others to aid scientists in counting bird populations. The event highlights chimney swifts' decline due to habitat loss and their valuable role in consuming insects. Registration is required.