Wasteland To Wonderland

Good News Good Planet

For more delicious news, go to www.GoodNewsGoodPlanet.com, and scroll to bottom for more ways to find the feel good stuff!* FROM WASTELAND TO WONDERLAND In 1969 fried-chicken tycoon J. David Bamberger had a novel idea: to buy the worst piece of land he could find in the hill country of Texas and restore it back to being one of the best. Inspired by his mother, an early environmentalist, Bamburger began one of the largest restoration projects in the state. He named this 5,500 acre swathmthe Selah Bamberger Ranch Preserve. The land was overrun with brush and totally devoid of water. Seven wells were drilled without finding a drop. But the hills were full of honeycombed limestone, which could act as natural aquifers under the right conditions. Culling out overgrowth and planting native grasses proved to be the key to rejuvenating the landscape, and streams began to flow where none had been before. Fifty years later Selah is full of grassy hills and wildflower meadows. Countless springs, ponds, and lakes grace the property supporting the ranch, an abundance of wildlife and the five families who live there. The waters also feed into the Perdenales and Colorado Rivers, providing more water for the city of Austin. Increasingly, the ranch's most important guests are the children who come for outdoor fun and learning, and to experience what Bamberger, now 91 years old, calls “Selah Moments”—the opportunity for the next generation to pause and reflect, while surrounded by nature. Now Bamburger is looking toward the future, slowly donating the land piece by piece to a foundation that will continue long after he is gone. Selah means "to stop and reflect," which is what visitors do when they view the land's stunning transformation. Bamberger’s ranch has received the nation’s highest awards for land stewardship. And this early visionary has a message for us: “Given the chance, nature can heal itself,” he says. “Nature can heal us.” #### *Hungry for more of the Good Stuff? Search "Good News Good Planet" on YouTube, Instagram, Patreon, Alexa and wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.