East Foundation

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Have you ever wondered what lies behind the gates of East Foundation's ranches? Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service featured our 'Behind the Gates' program in their November volume of On the Move and offered an exclusive look into our working ranchlands - where conservation meets innovation. Through our education initiatives, students and educators get hands-on experience with scientists, ranchers, and like-minded partners, discovering how sustainable ranching practices and wildlife conservation can thrive together. Want to learn how this Texas-sized living laboratory is shaping the future of land stewardship? Read on below! 🌿🐄 #EastFoundation #Conservation #Ranching #Texas #Sustainability

From wild game to working ranches: How hunting transforms Texas land management! Our game species research on our ranches is based on - and reinforces - the fact that legal, ethical, and science-based hunting is important for game species management, conservation, and ranch economics. Did you know hunting-related expenditures from white-tailed deer hunters alone bring $4.3 billion annually to Texas? East Foundation’s science team is tackling vital questions about sustainable harvest rates for bobwhite quail, white-tailed deer population resilience, and nilgai antelope management - all while proving that private land ownership, cattle ranching and wildlife conservation can thrive together. Read about how this innovative approach to land stewardship is shaping the future of Texas rangelands and wildlife management. https://lnkd.in/garbWPTV 🌿

This adult male vermilion flycatcher, a true gem of South Texas, was spotted and photographed by Wyman Meinzer on our San Antonio Viejo Ranch. Adult males are brilliant orange-red with a dark brown mask through the eyes and brown back, wings, and tail - they're sure to dazzle against the dense mesquite and prickly pear. Flycatchers are feisty and fiercely defend their nesting territories with spirited calls and displays. They sit on the exposed perches of insect-rich places prepared to catch insects - grasshoppers, beetles, bees, and butterflies. Species like these thrive on the San Antonio Viejo Ranch as a direct result of our conservation work to protect native wildlife habitats within our ranches. We do what's right for the land and the life that depends on it - we provide invaluable sanctuaries for birds and other creatures that help make this region exceptionally biodiverse. #eastfoundation #vermilionflycatcher #southtexasnature #southtexasbirding #conservation #ranchwildlife #biodiversityprevails

This week, we welcomed over 1,100 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students from 14 South Texas schools to our Behind the Gates Field Days at San Antonio Viejo Ranch. Students learned from hands-on, science-aligned learning experiences that brought classroom concepts to life! Through interactive stations, students explored: • Cattle ranching operations • Native Texas wildlife & endangered species conservation • Animal traits & adaptations • Predator/Prey, Hunters and Law Enforcement • Food chains, Food Webs, & Energy Periods • Land Stewardship & Watersheds • Technology in Ranching & Wildlife Management This unique outdoor classroom experience helps connect the next generation of land stewards with nature while building essential knowledge about conservation and resource management. From learning about endangered ocelots to understanding predator-prey relationships, students gain firsthand insights into the delicate balance of our ecosystem. We thank our dedicated education staff, partners, and sponsors who make this transformative program possible! Together, we're investing in South Texas youth and the future of natural resource conservation. 🌱 Want to learn more about this event? Click here: https://lnkd.in/ggrRum6i #EastFoundation #BehindTheGates #Conservation #Education #SouthTexas #Wildlife #OutdoorLearning #LandStewardship Partners: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Lake Casa Blanca International State Park Texas Game Warden Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Rio Grande International Study Center US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute-Texas A&M University Kingsville

East Foundation's research on sustainable bobwhite quail harvest in South Texas compares hunted and non-hunted sites, finding similar quail densities but higher over-winter population declines in hunted areas (49% vs 38%). The study reveals hunters are most active from mid-December to late January, prefer areas with 22% brush density near access roads, and average 2.6 covey encounters per hour, with spatial analysis showing hunting parties cover about 60 acres per hour using two pointing dogs. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/gBFWR53B

Did you miss out on our Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom feature? Discover the fascinating world of South Texas ocelots today! Watch as Dr. Rae Wynn Grant and Peter W. Gros explore the secret lives of these rare wild cats and discover East Foundation's conservation efforts. Special thanks to Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant and Peter Gros for showcasing our work in the recovery of these magnificent creatures. #WildKingdom #WildlifeConservation #Ocelots #SouthTexas CNBC Stream now on NBC's website: https://lnkd.in/g9ergjEF

👻It was a dark and stormy night and then poof! All the ticks in the world disappeared…. Sounds like a dream right? But, what actually would happen if ticks went missing from our ecosystem? 😧Opossums would be hungry. They eat up to 5000 ticks a summer. Hungry opossums won’t reproduce. 😧Less opossums would make the great horned owls and hawks hungry. Hungry raptors won’t reproduce. 😧Less raptors means MORE mice. 😱More mice mean more pests in our parks, putting pressure on food sources for other herbivores, in our homes (EEP!), and in farms, contaminating our food supply (Double EEP!) 👻The extinction of the smallest species can have a MAJOR impact on the ecosystem. But don’t let this scary conservation story spook you! Check out some of our #ConservationPartners who are saving species big and small in the Lone State State: Defenders of Wildlife Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute Fossil Rim Wildlife Center East Foundation

Did you watch our episode of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom? Leave a 🐾 if you did! We had such a fun time being part of this historic show and working with Dr. Rae Wynn Grant and Peter Gros! #WildKingdomTV Watch Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Protecting the Wild Episode: The Hidden World of Ocelots - https://lnkd.in/g9ergjEF

📚 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐨, 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐨! We have an excellent opportunity for you to take part in. Applications for the Land Stewardship Ambassadors program are due November 1st! LSA increases awareness of land stewardship principles, promotes civil engagement in today's youth, and inspires students to obtain careers that support land stewardship. Join this incredible 10-session journey where you'll: - Learn from experts at the Witte Museum and East Foundation - Experience two unforgettable weekend trips - Connect with students from across South Texas - Gain hands-on experience in land stewardship and conservation 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲! https://lnkd.in/gNCPHBz7 #EastFoundation #LandStewardship #TexasEducation #Conservation #StudentOpportunity