CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt
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Thornscrub Sanctuary Update
🕑 Added 2024-04-23 05:52:44 +0000 UTCWell, we've looked at three properties so far. The first one, and the initial one I originally did the video about ended up being way too much money. The landowner wanted 7500 an acre for it, and I just couldn't justify it with the amount of buffel that needed to be removed (half the parcel had been root-plowed twenty years prior) and the proximity to a road. The second parcel was owned by 3 squabbling sibblings who had inherited the property from their parents and were also asking way too much money and unwilling to budge. The third property I was set to buy and the price was affordable, but when Javier and I brought some NAC guys down to offer a blessing and check out the parcel, they told us we definitely shouldn't purchase the property as it had been severely degraded and was basically a monoculture of Nopal (Opuntia engelmanii/alata/lindheimeri) and Mesquite and lacked diversity. I was bummed, but had to listen since it's not just my call. Javier basically talked to me out of it and said that we owe it to everybody who's donated to actually buy some diverse, at least SOMEWHAT intact habitat. I relented. The next day, we found a parcel of 100 acres for sale at a very reasonable price, and we went and scoped the property and found a wealth of species and diversity that has not been plowed or soured like so much of the land down here. Our project went from the goal of originally wanting to plant a massive native plant garden and restore degraded habitat to trying to protect intact thornscrub that's never been destroyed before. We have an opportunity to now protect some of the most incredible habitat that I've seen in the region since 2019.
If anybody knows any rich people who want to protect land in the peyote gardens of South Texas and wants a tax write-off through our nonprofit, please get at us. Anybody who makes a large donation would of course, be welcome to visit this special place. I realize this is an absurd pipe dream in many ways, but you never know who's out there and listening, I suppose. We surveyed this spot for five hours in the 95 degree heat (thank god it was overcast) and stepped away feeling intoxicated with the richness of the habitat we had just witnessed (along with the cool tortoise we got to meet). I hope we can make this happen. In the meantime, here's some nice photos from the other day. Thanks for the continued support. In other news, I've opened up a chatroom for people to use on the Patreon and I'll be checking it a few times a week. Post any questions, comments, info, advisories, etc. there.
ALso, I killed two more lawns this month and it felt great. The heat is coming for summer and planting won't be advisable here until November, but it felt good to create some more little parcels of habitat amongst all the destruction. The book is mostly done and we are just waiting on layout.
Joey
Comments
Lauren Rodriguez
Mossy earth channel on YouTube. They do rewilding around the world with a monthly subscription model. They recently bought land for conservation and restoration in the Amazon. Their recent video goes into it
Ana Rita
Awesome✌️
Anthony J Malone
What's mossyearth? I should do that. We will need all the help we can get
Anthony J Malone
You can Zelle us at thornscrubsanctuary@gmail.com as the Zelle address. Or write us a paper check to Morningstar conservancy or to me, Joey Santore, at PO box 2769, Mission Texas 78573
Lynn Jeffries
Great update! I didn’t know you had set up a nonprofit to support the land purchase. Could you share a link for where to donate? (Or re-share if you already have and I missed it.)
Geoffrey Lauprete
The property looks phenomenal so well done! 100 acres of native scrub habitat is a real chunk. FWIW I still think the other type of project, which includes the restoration of degraded habitat, is worth planning for. No question it will require more funding per acre given the restoration work, but the incremental value to native life forms could be significant- at the right price.
Lauren Rodriguez
Have you considered reaching out to @mossyearth on YouTube or other rewilding people for cross promotion? The community tab posts and quote/reposts from other channels with calls to action are how I find out about fundraisers for those and other channels when they are crowdfunding
Landon
Wish I could do something similar in the dwindling Cross Timbers region where I live. Losing beautiful habitat to Dollar Generals and dystopian tract housing. Can't wait to see the Thornscrub Sanctuary
MaxWe
The pics are awesome. Glad you were able to find an undeveloped haven that hasn't been subjected to the invasive species that have repurposed the continent to suit their whims.
