1/21/01 Bamberger Ranch Trip Report

January 21, 2001
Bamberger Ranch Conservancy, Texas (by Lynda DeGroot)
On this beautiful Spring-like day, at least 15 Trail Tamers, plus several Master Naturalists and others, gathered at Madrone Lake on the Bamberger Ranch for a MAJOR brush removal project and to work on a new section of trail near the picnic area.
At about 9am and armed with pulaskis, McLeods, shovels, bow saws, chain saws and LOTS of loppers, we split into two groups. One group stayed at the picnic area and worked on rerouting a section of trail near the lake. I was assigned the other group, and along with J. David Bamberger himself, we headed over to an area where we took on the removal of numerous dead trees and what seemed like ACRES of ferocious wood briar vines. The task was to clear as much brush, wood briar and dead trees as possible so that J. David could have his staff re-seed the area in native grasses and other native plants.
Two HUGE bonfires were started in order to burn the dead tree limbs and brush, and even though we kept adding to the piles throughout the day, there was a LOT more to do than we had time for. We worked until about 4pm and headed back to the picnic area for an early dinner of tamales, chili and COLD drinks, compliments of J. David and his wife, Margaret.