Walking in the Long Grass of Lone Oak Ranch
Cheryl with one of her horses at Lone Oak Ranch. // Stephen Ramirez
“Our land was a gift,” she says. “It is up to us to try and figure out what to do now. It’s a privilege, honor and obligation to figure it out.”
Cheryl Spencer remembers walking out in the long grass of Lone Oak Ranch with her then ten-year-old grandson. “He’s rangy, long and lean, like my dad,” she says. “We got out in the grass, and it was taller than we are.” And there are photographs to prove it, along with how the family has loved and cared for the land for generations. She credits her grandfather for returning the property to native grassland. “The land was originally bare dirt and gullies,” she says, but her grandparents and her father dedicated their lives to “fixing fences, making hay, combining seed” and everything else that goes into nourishing a property.
While Cheryl’s family has lived on the ranch for generations, she did not have the privilege until later in life, and being close to the land they’ve preserved is a privilege. “It is so rewarding to contribute to these efforts,” she says. “This land shaped what we care about.”
Cheryl asserts that conservation is something everyone can do. “We don’t have deep pockets,” she says, “we have to work with what we have.” TLC has provided both the encouragement and the practical resources to help Cheryl’s family protect Lone Oak Ranch. “TLC is on the cutting edge of finding out what/who to connect with and how to go about it.”
Now that her grandson is grown, she knows he shares her values of continuing to protect the land. He recently confirmed as much, saying, “Grandma, that’s what I’ve always wanted.” Cheryl says it’s no small act solidifying these values with the next generation. “We’re on the cutting edge of making a difference on climate change. We can affect the microcosm, and all of us can make a big difference.” As someone who is part of a 100-year legacy of Texas land, Cheryl knows that this inheritance comes with responsibility. “Our land was a gift,” she says. “It is up to us to try and figure out what to do now. It’s a privilege, honor and obligation to figure it out.”
Cheryl walking in the yellow indiangrass. She credits her grandfather with returning the property to native grassland.
Celebrating 40 Years of Conservation
We have 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 have been 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!