Hey [Music]
fifty years ago you couldn’t hardly walk
fifty years ago you couldn’t hardly walk through this place it was wall-to-wall
through this place it was wall-to-wall
through this place it was wall-to-wall brush there wasn’t any grass and wasn’t
brush there wasn’t any grass and wasn’t
brush there wasn’t any grass and wasn’t any water nobody wanted
oh fuck he didn’t find his dog in the
oh fuck he didn’t find his dog in the United States of America hey I’m Texas –
well I was born in Ohio born into
well I was born in Ohio born into poverty to be honest about it
poverty to be honest about it
poverty to be honest about it he lived out in the country
he lived out in the country
he lived out in the country amongst the Amish people so I really got
amongst the Amish people so I really got
amongst the Amish people so I really got my life example set for me by my own
my life example set for me by my own
my life example set for me by my own mother that’s where my love of the
mother that’s where my love of the
mother that’s where my love of the natural world came from I never
natural world came from I never
natural world came from I never inherited a nickel that I inherited a
inherited a nickel that I inherited a
inherited a nickel that I inherited a love the natural world in a respect
love the natural world in a respect
love the natural world in a respect respect for it
respect for it
respect for it when I get out of the University I took
when I get out of the University I took
when I get out of the University I took a job I sold vacuum cleaners or guitar I
a job I sold vacuum cleaners or guitar I
a job I sold vacuum cleaners or guitar I went into the fast food business I’ve
went into the fast food business I’ve
went into the fast food business I’ve teamed up with the young man bill church
teamed up with the young man bill church
teamed up with the young man bill church and it was church’s fried chicken and we
and it was church’s fried chicken and we
and it was church’s fried chicken and we built that company up to over 1,600
built that company up to over 1,600
built that company up to over 1,600 stores and we sold and with that capital
stores and we sold and with that capital
stores and we sold and with that capital I was able to come here and begin my
I was able to come here and begin my
I was able to come here and begin my work on cela member dorrance preserve my
work on cela member dorrance preserve my
work on cela member dorrance preserve my objective was to take the worst piece of
objective was to take the worst piece of
objective was to take the worst piece of land I could possibly find in the hill
land I could possibly find in the hill
land I could possibly find in the hill country of Texas and begin a process of
country of Texas and begin a process of
country of Texas and begin a process of restoration that would change it back to
restoration that would change it back to
restoration that would change it back to be one of the best and that has happened
be one of the best and that has happened
be one of the best and that has happened right here
right here
right here by habitat restoration by working with
by habitat restoration by working with
by habitat restoration by working with Mother Nature and set it against her and
Mother Nature and set it against her and
Mother Nature and set it against her and that’s what we’re all about
46 years ago not a drop of water seven
46 years ago not a drop of water seven water wells were drilled 500 foot deep
water wells were drilled 500 foot deep
water wells were drilled 500 foot deep not a one produced any water the top 125
not a one produced any water the top 125
not a one produced any water the top 125 foot of these hills looks like this said
foot of these hills looks like this said
foot of these hills looks like this said words limestone when the driller drilled
words limestone when the driller drilled
words limestone when the driller drilled all goes well for me he said Bamberger
all goes well for me he said Bamberger
all goes well for me he said Bamberger when one place up here on the top my bit
when one place up here on the top my bit
when one place up here on the top my bit dropped 40 foot
dropped 40 foot
dropped 40 foot he said you got a cavern under there’s
he said you got a cavern under there’s
he said you got a cavern under there’s like an auditorium the only thing about
like an auditorium the only thing about
like an auditorium the only thing about it was 46 years ago it had no water in
it was 46 years ago it had no water in
it was 46 years ago it had no water in it it was dry it was dry because the
it it was dry it was dry because the
it it was dry it was dry because the water that was coming in was running off
water that was coming in was running off
water that was coming in was running off as opposed to sinking him when I came
as opposed to sinking him when I came
as opposed to sinking him when I came here all of the little holes and all of
here all of the little holes and all of
here all of the little holes and all of that limestone or just as dry as one of
that limestone or just as dry as one of
that limestone or just as dry as one of holding in my hand now what happened
holding in my hand now what happened
holding in my hand now what happened we replaced that condition with this
we replaced that condition with this
we replaced that condition with this condition two and a half years after we
condition two and a half years after we
condition two and a half years after we began the first spring came to life
as we continued on another spring showed
as we continued on another spring showed up we got up to where we have a level
up we got up to where we have a level
up we got up to where we have a level we’re in rider contract came out of all
we’re in rider contract came out of all
we’re in rider contract came out of all of that holes in that perched aquifer
of that holes in that perched aquifer
of that holes in that perched aquifer like that that’s where it come from it
like that that’s where it come from it
like that that’s where it come from it was stored in the earth and all because
was stored in the earth and all because
was stored in the earth and all because of one thing this one and I’m telling
of one thing this one and I’m telling
of one thing this one and I’m telling you I’m going to show you the greatest
you I’m going to show you the greatest
you I’m going to show you the greatest conservation tool ever made and
conservation tool ever made and
conservation tool ever made and everything I talked about could not have
everything I talked about could not have
everything I talked about could not have happened without grass the hill country
happened without grass the hill country
happened without grass the hill country is discovered with woody species
is discovered with woody species
is discovered with woody species primarily it’s cedar we took out a great
primarily it’s cedar we took out a great
primarily it’s cedar we took out a great portion of it here on the ranch we were
portion of it here on the ranch we were
portion of it here on the ranch we were discovered with it we had no grass when
discovered with it we had no grass when
discovered with it we had no grass when we took out the cedar and spread native
we took out the cedar and spread native
we took out the cedar and spread native grass seeds and it began to grow
grass seeds and it began to grow
grass seeds and it began to grow rainfall then percolated into the earth
rainfall then percolated into the earth
rainfall then percolated into the earth because of the root system of grass
because of the root system of grass
because of the root system of grass going down water percolates and it fills
going down water percolates and it fills
going down water percolates and it fills up your aquifer until the aquifer is
up your aquifer until the aquifer is
up your aquifer until the aquifer is full and when it’s full it has to come
full and when it’s full it has to come
full and when it’s full it has to come out somewhere and they call that a
out somewhere and they call that a
out somewhere and they call that a spring that spring supplied water for
spring that spring supplied water for
spring that spring supplied water for all the nature critters plus from all
all the nature critters plus from all
all the nature critters plus from all the families that live here and even
the families that live here and even
the families that live here and even send water downstream to the city of
send water downstream to the city of
send water downstream to the city of Austin
Austin
Austin what is it cost our governments and
what is it cost our governments and
what is it cost our governments and governments all around the world they’re
governments all around the world they’re
governments all around the world they’re spending millions and millions of
spending millions and millions of
spending millions and millions of dollars doing all kind of thing dams and
dollars doing all kind of thing dams and
dollars doing all kind of thing dams and reservoirs and pipelines and all of this
reservoirs and pipelines and all of this
reservoirs and pipelines and all of this can be done by you and I we don’t have
can be done by you and I we don’t have
can be done by you and I we don’t have to have government the can expect
to have government the can expect
to have government the can expect government to do it all anyway but if we
government to do it all anyway but if we
government to do it all anyway but if we do have some contravention to ethics the
do have some contravention to ethics the
do have some contravention to ethics the results from my modeling now do we see
results from my modeling now do we see
results from my modeling now do we see that kind of erosion year I’m telling
that kind of erosion year I’m telling
that kind of erosion year I’m telling you truthfully I’ve seen this property
you truthfully I’ve seen this property
you truthfully I’ve seen this property and the experiences that people have
and the experiences that people have
and the experiences that people have here change lives
here change lives
here change lives what is Oh beautiful thank you so much
what is Oh beautiful thank you so much
what is Oh beautiful thank you so much what the sealer mean when I was younger
what the sealer mean when I was younger
what the sealer mean when I was younger I discovered in the Psalms the word
I discovered in the Psalms the word
I discovered in the Psalms the word Selah it means to stop to pause to look
Selah it means to stop to pause to look
Selah it means to stop to pause to look around you and reflect on everything you
around you and reflect on everything you
around you and reflect on everything you see
see
see you
you
you [Music]
[Music]
[Music] to me that’s like Thoreau was to Walden
to me that’s like Thoreau was to Walden
to me that’s like Thoreau was to Walden Pond gives us a chance to say what’s my
Pond gives us a chance to say what’s my
Pond gives us a chance to say what’s my duty as a Stewart of this ranch land and
duty as a Stewart of this ranch land and
duty as a Stewart of this ranch land and I believe it’s to take care of it and to
I believe it’s to take care of it and to
I believe it’s to take care of it and to share it and if you don’t share what you
share it and if you don’t share what you
share it and if you don’t share what you have you’re going to live a lonely life
have you’re going to live a lonely life
have you’re going to live a lonely life [Music]
[Music]
[Music] that is a necessary ingredient for every
that is a necessary ingredient for every
that is a necessary ingredient for every human being that we need to catch up and
human being that we need to catch up and
human being that we need to catch up and live amongst mother nature and learn to
live amongst mother nature and learn to
live amongst mother nature and learn to appreciate her for what she really is
appreciate her for what she really is
appreciate her for what she really is I’ve given this land to a foundation it
I’ve given this land to a foundation it
I’ve given this land to a foundation it will go on in perpetuity it’ll never be
will go on in perpetuity it’ll never be
will go on in perpetuity it’ll never be any different than you see it today when
any different than you see it today when
any different than you see it today when I leave this world that’s what I want as
I leave this world that’s what I want as
I leave this world that’s what I want as part of my legacy
”
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