EXPLORING YOUR PROPERTY: AN END OF THE YEAR WALKABOUT (OR HORSE OR TRUCKABOUT)

The end of the year is a great time to explore your property.

As 2010 winds down and New Year's resolutions are made (or at least contemplated), now is a great time to put some thought into how your land is faring. Spend some time, perhaps a sunny afternoon, and really explore your land. With bugs and critters at a minimum, and Texas temperatures typically pretty nice (not too hot and not too cold), winter is an excellent time to explore your property. As your land is constantly changing, you might notice things now that you wouldn't in the middle of the summer.

Look for any changes over the past year (or years) that might be negatively impacting your property. Check for soil erosion. Are there places where your soil is headed downhill to your neighbor's property or into the creek? Placement of slash or rocks to slow the flow and seeding bare areas can help address this.

Have invasive species invaded? Common invasive species include Chinaberry, Chinese tallow, and willow baccharis. In the case of Chinese tallow, its numbers in East Texas increased by 174 percent from 1992 to 2007, creating tight monoculture grips on the land, excluding diversity, and wiping out special habitat and native grasslands. If you do find some non-native trees, removing them before they proliferate saves headaches in the long run. Think about having them taken out, turned into dead snags to provide nesting and roosting areas for native birds, or replaced with colorful native varieties. Carolina buckthorn, flame-leaf, fragrant and evergreen sumacs, rough-leaf dogwood, red oaks, and big tooth maples all provide wonderful fall colors, and will help you let go of any beautiful, but potentially damaging, invasives.

Assess your cedar control. Are there areas that need to be thinned out? Keep in mind that slash, the material from cut trees that you've taken out, can be put to good use as erosion control or standing brush piles, providing habitat for small critters that keep the food chain going. Running the slash through a shredder and using it as mulch is also a good option. Burning it is the most economical choice but should be a last resort, as that can sterilize the soil beneath the burn pile, leaving a bare patch open to erosion and/or eventual invasion by fast-growing, non-native grasses. Returning slash to the land instead will build your soil, counteract past erosion, and improve your soil's ability to hold water. And consider where to sow some native grasses.

While on your walkabout (or horse or truckabout) look at your property through the eyes of the wildlife. How do the deer find your property? Wildlife are primarily looking for three things: food, water, and shelter. As wildlife managers, it is our goal to provide adequate food, water, and shelter. As land stewards, we need to determine if the best way is through natural or supplemental methods. As you explore your property, look at the biodiversity of plants, check out your brush piles, and see if you have any nest boxes that might need replacing.

Finally, look at your land as just that -- your land! As you explore, think about improvements you might want to make. Wildlife ponds, nature trails, and wildlife viewing destinations are common additions that will allow you to better enjoy your land in 2011 and beyond!