Celebrating 40 Years of Conservation Success
Wow - 2022 is here, and Texas Land Conservancy is officially 40! On behalf of the TLC staff and board of directors, we couldn’t be more excited to reach this incredible milestone. As we celebrate the last 40 years of our organization’s work to protect land across the state, I invite you to reflect with us on the impact that a small group of dedicated people can have on a big state like Texas.
It all started with Edward C. “Ned” Fritz and his conviction that things could not continue as they always had before. He saw that there were management practices that were not sustainable for our natural resources, and he fought to have them changed from the status quo. He saw that we were losing our native wildlife, and as those creatures had no voice of their own, he spoke up for them to make sure they were seen and heard. Decades before the influx of people moving to Texas and housing prices were at an all-time high, he saw a need to protect special places that defined our state – from the towering pine trees of East Texas to the hills of the Edwards Plateau and from the Blackland Prairie in north and central Texas to the Gulf Coast and everywhere in between.
He was not alone. Ned was supported by the unwavering force of his wife, Genie, as well as a network of dedicated volunteers. If you were not familiar with TLC – which was then the Natural Areas Preservation Association or NAPA – in the beginning, it was completely volunteer-led and run for the first 20 years of its existence. Katherine Goodbar is another name that immediately comes to mind when thinking of the pioneers of our organization. Katherine was the organization’s Stewardship Director for many years. Visiting each of our properties to ensure their protection and enlisting assistance from other volunteers to serve on committees to manage our preserves. Again, there are others before my time that spent countless hours and their own resources to grow and nurture this organization in its infancy. We honor their legacy this year and carry their torch in our day-to-day work.
I joined TLC in 2007 and have had the pleasure of leading this organization for the last 15 years. Even during this relatively short time, I have seen a lot of changes. From being the only staff member and taking on everything from bookkeeping, visiting protected properties, writing appeal letters, and taking out the office trash to now working with a team of seven full-time staff across the state – and I only sometimes have to take out the office trash.
It has been quite a journey to see the progress this organization has made. Over the last four decades, we’ve worked together to conserve over 120,000 acres of prairie, forests, family farms, wildlife habitat, and waterways in partnership with over a hundred landowners across Texas. As we have grown, we have developed a dedicated base of supporters, from individuals, to families, to businesses and foundations. Since 1982, each person who has contributed to this organization, whether it be a $25 donation or a few hours removing invasive vegetation from the prairie or showing up at a meeting to show your support, has created a ripple effect that strengthens TLC and provides momentum for the next land conservation success story.
This year, we are ready to celebrate 40 years of conservation successes! We have planned several 40th anniversary events across the state, so we hope you are ready to celebrate, too. To highlight just a couple:
Join us for Marysee Prairie’s 30th anniversary celebration, with a picnic and tour of the property in Liberty County on Saturday, April 2nd.
Ivy Payne Preserve in Anderson County celebrates 35 years of conservation, and we invite you to join us for our Spring Weekend at Ivy’s on May 6-8 and our Fall Weekend at Ivy’s on November 18-20.
Celebrate 20 years of conservation at Chalk Mountain Preserve in Somervell County with guided hikes and hayrides at this privately owned, TLC-protected property on June 11.
You can check out all of the upcoming events here: https://www.texaslandconservancy.org/events
We have also been collecting stories and photos from people that have made this organization what it is today, highlighting all the hard work, special moments, and conservation successes we have had over the last four decades. We will be sharing these throughout the year here: https://www.texaslandconservancy.org/40-years-of-conservation
As we move forward to the next 40 years, we hope you will continue to support this important work and help to create a future where being in nature won’t be a thing of the past.
Join or renew your TLC membership today—$40 for 40 years!
