Animal Development - Pitchstone Waters (Page 5)

A Sharp Spike in Honeybee Deaths Deepens a Worrisome Trend

Yet another example of the damage being done to biodiversity, in this case insects, by the chemicals used in our industrial agriculture. This is germane to wildlife and habitat. NOTE: this article originally appeared on NYTimes.com on May 13th, 2015 A prolonged and mysterious die-off of the nation’s

how Holistic Management is beginning to spread in Chihuahua.

"Invasion Biology"

Desert Grasslands Restoration: Manejo Holistico in Chihuahua - Las Damas Ranch

At Circle Ranch, holistic planned grazing of herds including the one above has been very beneficial to wildlife and habitat. Planned grazing is increasingly used in northern Chihuahua, as described below. NOTE: this post has been re-published with permission of the author and HMI – after originally appearing in HMI’s

Animal Development

Returning the Wolf to Texas

The Mexican Wolf would be highly beneficial to West Texas wildlife, habitats, and cattle raising. NOTE: Post Originally Appeared on Rick Libello’s site on March 14, 2015 Less than a 100 yards from my office at the El Paso Zoo every day I am reminded of one of the

Animal Development

Pronghorn, Desert Bighorn & Lambs at Circle Ranch in Spring 2015

Three short videos of pronghorn and bighorn taken late winter and early spring 2015. We have lots of both. Mother bighorn and last year’s lamb. Pronghorn herd gathering at water. Bighorn ewes and lamb. Circle Ranch’s recipe for abundant pronghorn and bighorn: 1. Encourage animal biodiversity. 2. Periodically,

Animal Development

Steak Wars: The Desert-Friendly Cow

This New Mexico rancher is fighting the perception that only British breeds produce great beef. By Cally Carswell, High Country News Alfredo Gonzalez manages a modest herd of 200 beef cows on the Jornada Experimental Range, near Las Cruces, New Mexico, where grass is scarce, and water scarcer. Occasionally, he

"Invasion Biology"

Crop Herbicides Play a Role in Shrinking Monarch Population

A kaleidoscope of monarch butterflies hangs from a tree branch in the Piedra Herrada sanctuary near Valle de Bravo, Mexico. Photo: Rebecca Blackwell /Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A butterfly being considered for federal protection is emblematic of the plight that pollinating insects face in part because farmers, enticed by

"Invasion Biology"

Desert Restoration: Insights From the Human Body

Holistic thinkers rightly point out the health of wildlife and its habitat depends on the health of soil particularly its life-giving microorganisms. Here is a wonderful TED Talk discussing how microorganisms determine human health and behavior. Did you know there are 10X as many micro-organic cells in your body as

"Invasion Biology"

Wildlife Numbers Drop by Half Since 1970, Report Says

Biodiversity loss in our Southwestern deserts is part of a larger global trend. Wildlife “management” is making this worse. NOTE: Originally appeared on WSJ.com September 30, 2014. It was written by Gautam Naik. Analysis by WWF and Others Was Based on Thousands of Species in Rivers, on Land and

"Invasion Biology"

Planned Grazing Restoring Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands in Mexico

As you travel south from far West Texas, crossing the Rio Grande, you encounter the huge grasslands of the Northern Mexico area of the Great Chihuahuan Desert. This country is very similar to the Circle Ranch, and has experienced the same degradation from human impact that we see across the

"Invasion Biology"

Bacon Preservative Tested as Feral Hog Poison

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Tests Wild Pig Poison Dispensers at Kerr Wildlife ‘Management’ Area NOTE: Post Originally appeared in San Antonio Express News on June 21, 2014 NEW ORLEANS — A preservative used to cure bacon is being tested as poison for the nation’s estimated 5 million feral hogs.

"Invasion Biology"

Actually Raising Beef Is Good for the Planet

Despite environmentalists’ worries, cattle don’t guzzle water or cause hunger—and can help fight climate change. People who advocate eating less beef often argue that producing it hurts the environment. Cattle, we are told, have an outsize ecological footprint: They guzzle water, trample plants and soils, and consume precious

Animal Development

Planned Grazing and Keyline-Contour Subsoiling Restores Damaged Land at Circle Ranch, March 2009 – September 2013

In the southwest corner of Circle Ranch in the deep, steppe-shrub desert, we have a stock tank which we call “Lobo” because it was the last place that the Mexican wolf was seen in Hudspeth County before being hunted out. When we bought the ranch, it was grazed around a

Animal Development

Beyond Stockmanship At Rancho Las Damas, by Bob Kinford

The problem I was asked to solve is one of the reasons many cattlemen do not want to try holistic, planned grazing. During calving season the cows would leave their calves behind on the daily pasture changes, resulting in a loss of 15 to 20% of the calves. As it

Animal Development

Cows and Plows: Transformation Solutions

Commercial Farm Projects, Courses/Workshops, Land, Livestock, Rehabilitation, Soil Conservation, Water Harvesting — by Owen Hablutzel May 3, 2013 Though too often vilified, both ‘cows’ and ‘plows’ have proven to be among our most effective and available tools for restoring healthy ecological and eco-agricultural systems in our landscapes. Bucking the trend

Animal Development

Regarding Holechek and Briske, and Rebuttals by Teague, Gill & Savory

Correcting Misconceptions about the Supposed Discrediting of Savory’s Approach By Seth J. Itzkan Planet-TECH Associates Somerville, MA. 02144 www.planet-tech.com seth.@planet-tech.com June 2011. Updated May, 2013 Abstract This paper investigates the grazing management assessment reports authored by Briske (2008), and Holechek (2000) in light of their

Animal Development

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Blocks Private Turkey Reintroductions in Far-West Texas

January 17, 2013 Philip Dickerson Via email: phdickers@suddenlinkmail.com Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. 4500 W. Illinois, Ste. 203 Midland, TX 79703 Dear Philip: Thank you for your letter dated January 3, 2012 which arrived by e-mail January 8: Dear Chris, I hope this letter will summarize our conversion

Animal Development

Multi-Paddock Grazing

Most range and wildlife scientists advise that the best way to graze, if one must graze, is “low-density set-stocking”: In plain English, a few cattle in the same place, all the time.For decades now, planned graziers have been showing that “grazing in nature’s image”: i.e., large numbers

"Invasion Biology"

TPWD Habitat Survey at Circle Ranch

In late fall of 2010 Texas Parks and Wildlife Department conducted a habitat survey at Circle Ranch, to see if our many cattle and other species including so called “exotics” were harming habitat through “competition”. As confirmed by this report, TPWD biologists found the opposite to be true. It turns