Powderhorn Ranch Conservation Project

We are now shifting over to a long term research project on this amazing piece of Texas Parks and Wildlife Property. Our thanks to the Nature Conservancy and John Karges for his support.

Our paper on the Hemileuca of Powderhorn can be read here:

https://experiment.com/u/wnLzSg

Please note: Hemileuca peigleri positions are intentionally obscured by iNaturalist due to the species status as vulnerable.

Just off a quiet stretch of highway in Calhoun County, beyond a nondescript metal gate, lies a 17,000-acre mosaic of dense live oak forests, coastal prairies, salt marshes and wetlands. This tract, known as Powderhorn Ranch, is one of the largest remaining undisturbed tracts of native coastal prairie habitat left in Texas—and likely the largest conservation deal in the history of Texas.

Crucial Habitat Protection
Secured by a partnership between The Nature Conservancy, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and The Conservation Fund, it offers sweeping, unobstructed views of tallgrass prairies and marshland and 11 miles of tidal bay front that protect vitally important seagrass beds and mollusk reefs. Its environmental significance cannot be overstated. Federally endangered whooping cranes currently winter just 15-30 miles south of Powderhorn. With the number of wild whoopers expanding, the ranch will undoubtedly become a critical habitat for whooping cranes in the coming years.

Reference: http://tinyurl.com/PowderhornRanch less ↑