"WHAT HAPPENS IF...": ESTATE PLANNING FOR LANDOWNERS (PART 2)

The last edition of Seasons* discussed the simple steps you can take to protect your property in the event of mental disability. In addition to creating financial and medical powers of attorney to avoid a Court conservatorship, a conscientious landowner should also prepare other documents as part of a comprehensive estate plan, such as a will or revocable trust or documents establishing an ownership entity such as a partnership, or limited liability company..

Here is the second issue every landowner should consider.

What happens to my property when I die?

You have two choices. 1) Plan for an orderly disposition of everything your own - your estate. Or 2) Fail to plan. The horror stories in the news about the probate process usually involve people who did not plan their affairs. These people have an estate plan which can be called the "No Plan" estate plan. Under the "No Plan" estate plan, the State and Federal governments and the Courts step in to make decisions for you.

The government plan includes the federal and state laws and court cases including:

• the state intestacy statute determines who receives your assets at death, and if there is no one to receive it, the State takes title, and
• tax laws, including estate taxes, that determine how much of your assets will be confiscated by the government.

This "No Plan" estate plan is the most expensive plan for you and your loved ones, and usually produces the most disastrous results.

THE SOLUTION

The good news is that it is relatively easy to implement a comprehensive estate plan. Thoughtful estate planning allows you to protect your property and provide for your loved ones. You can transfer your property with an much or as little control as they may need and as you desire, and in ways which protect their inheritance from creditors and predators, while saving every possible administrative expense, transfer cost, tax dollar, attorney fee and court cost you can.

If you are creating an estate plan to transfer your land and other assets, you have three choices: 1) Use a will. Or 2) Use a revocable trust. Or 3) Create a business entity and design a succession strategy including provisions for the transfer of ownership at death. Often these three work together to produce the best result for the control and distribution of your land

A well-drafted will names an executor to administer your estate and carry out your wishes, names a guardian for any minor children, provides a comprehensive scheme to distribute your personal property and your land, and sometimes creates trusts to hold property for the benefit of loved ones. To distribute the property the will must usually be admitted to probate court in the County where you live or own land. In Texas you can minimize the costs associated with probate by providing for independent administration of your estate. Although wills can be contested in court, it is difficult to overturn your wishes for your property.

Alternatively, you can create a revocable trust while you are alive, place your property in the trust before you die, and avoid the probate process entirely at death. You can be the trustee of your trust while you are alive to maintain control of the trust and your property. You can change, amend or revoke the trust entirely as you see fit. At death, a successor trustee you name steps in to manage the trust assets and make distributions according to your instructions. The trustee is bound by law to follow your exact instructions. The time, trouble and expense of probate can be avoided, although a revocable trust can be more challenging to manage while you are alive.

If your land is owned in a business entity, then the way the ownership interest in the limited partnership or limited liability company is transferred controls what happens to the land. Company agreements often include buy-sell provisions and limitations on the transfer of ownership interest to keep land in the family. If the decedent's share of a business interest is sold at death then the proceeds can be controlled by the will or trust.

Regardless of whether you use a will or trust to manage and distribute your property, or coordinate these with a business entity, you are wise to begin the planning process by consulting a knowledgeable estate planning attorney.

* To read Part One, visit:

plateaulandwildlife.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-happens-if-estate-planning-for.html

TOP 10 LEGAL TIPS FOR THE OWNER OF RURAL LAND IN TEXAS

By Braun & Gresham, Attorneys at Law and Plateau Land & Wildlife Management

The owner of rural land in Texas...

Should not hold property in their own name, except their homestead.

Should claim their rights under Texas laws that limit liability.

Should claim all their homestead rights, if they live on their land.

Should have a will and special plans for leaving rural land to heirs.

Should fight for a fair price and reasonable limits if their land is condemned.

Should remove all possible exceptions to their title and title insurance policy.

Should use written hunting and grazing leases specifically drafted for their land.

Should maintain the lowest possible property tax rates on their land.

Should protest the market value of their land for property tax.

Should know there is no minimum acreage for open space valuations, except in subdivisions.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING: WINTER AND WILDLIFE (JANUARY - MARCH)

Wildlife management activities to consider for January - March:

BRUSH MANAGEMENT
While the cool of spring might be the most enticing time of year to fire up a chainsaw to clear brush, this type of "spring cleaning" might actually be detrimental to the wildlife you are trying to protect. Spring is a familial time of year for all the mama and the papa animals -- the whine of a saw and the disturbance of brush are not conducive to reproductive activities; nesting may be disrupted and newborns stressed. Rather, it is a much better practice to do your important brush thinning and habitat improvement now, before spring has sprung, or wait until the hot summer months.

MOWING (OR NOT MOWING, RATHER)
Another time-sensitive activity is mowing native meadows, it is important to not do so too early in the season. It is a much more effective practice to let the grass and wildflowers stand undisturbed until they go to seed. If you watch the plants carefully in the late spring and summer, you will actually see the many ways that seeds are formed and dispersed. Occasional mowing at the right time, in the right amount, and correct patterns can be important to the health of a grassland, but allowing nature to run its course is the best possible method of reseeding.

FIRE ANT CONTROL
While it is typically in the heat of the summer when seething fire ant rage really takes hold as mounds of imported red fire ants dot the land, Plateau finds the key time for fire ant control actually begins in March and winds down in June, before throes of summer and toes in sandals. Treatment starts up again in September after the hot, dry summer ends, and before the cold, wet of winter. Why this timing? It's a temperature issue. When the ants are cold, or hot, they go deep into the ground for temperature regulation and do not actively forage above ground. They also go deep during dry periods in order to find moisture, and come above ground during wet periods to avoid drowning. Now is the time to get on the schedule.

NEST BOX MAINTENANCE
For some birds, breeding season begins as early as February and for those who do not have Plateau maintain your nest boxes, consider this a friendly reminder that your boxes need to be checked and readied by the start of February. Some birds will not use boxes with abandoned nests in them, plus, removing debris (and other little critters who may have snuggled in for the winter) creates a healthier environment for the next brood of nestlings.

PURPLE MARTIN BOX INSTALLATIONS
Purple Martins have been managed intentionally by humans longer than any other North American songbird. Today, whether for their beauty, song, or voracious appetite for pesky flying insects, an estimated 1 million North Americans provide housing for Purple Martins. Due to a decline in natural nesting sites (such as tree cavities) as a result of urban sprawl, farming and logging, as well as competition from the non-native House Sparrow and European Starling, human-provided housing and management has become vital to Purple Martins, especially east of the Rocky Mountains, where they have undergone a complete "tradition shift". Purple Martins are now the only bird species entirely dependent on humans for supplying them with nesting cavities. Purple Martins arrive in Texas around the first half of February. Installation of Purple Martin boxes by Plateau's expert field technicians is currently underway and will finish up for the season in February. Contact us for more details.

SPRING BREEDING BIRD CENSUS
Our Spring Breeding Bird Census (BBC) is conducted during the breeding season -- approximately mid-March through early June. These popular surveys begin at sunrise for the "dawn chorus" and give you the opportunity to walk your land accompanied by a skilled birdwatcher. This is a fantastic learning experience, not only for information about birds, but you can learn more about your land as well.

Plateau can help you meet all of your wildlife management goals. Contact us today for more information!

WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT

By Shane Kiefer, CWB®, Senior Wildlife Biologist

With over $500 million in losses,the 2011 wildfire season was the most expensive in Texas history, according to the Insurance Council of Texas. The Bastrop Fire alone was more destructive than any single year in history with $325 million in losses. In the past year, wildfires statewide have destroyed nearly 4 million acres and more than 2,900 homes, killing 10 people.

You have probably heard many of these statistics before. While they are scary, it might seem difficult to determine how you, as a landowner, can have any impact. The natural inclination is to go out and do big things that you hope will solve the problem or protect you. The problem is that big things are not always the right choice.

When it comes to ecological issues one of my favorite mantras is: "The quicker the fix, the higher the risk, and the greater the cost."

The good news regarding wildfires is that they are really only a problem when they threaten our property or lives. Fire is an important part of the ecology of our state. We cannot, and should not, rid the landscape of fire. That policy was tested in the western U.S. in the 20th century and resulted in catastrophic fires including the famous Yellowstone Fires of 1988. What we should do is address fires at the point where they threaten property and lives: the wildland/urban interface. This term includes any area where human habitat (houses, barns, etc.) meet wildlife habitat, so it is not limited to those sprawling suburbs with greenbelts.

The place where that fire threatens your house, barn, livestock, or life is where your action needs to occur. More good news: that area is relatively small. This makes it easy to create what should be the focus of any rural landowner: defensible space. Defensible space is an area around a structure that is managed to reduce the threat of wildfire reaching the structure and one that can be protected in the event it is threatened by wildfire. This space does not have to be large. Even if you went to an extreme of 200 feet from your house, that's only 3 acres that needs management. Compare the cost of that to the cost of managing 300, 3,000, or 30,000 acres of the landscape.

How should this space be managed? That depends on each particular situation including vegetation, topography, surrounding landscape, etc. Plateau has Texas Forest Service certified "Citizen Wildlife Ecology Specialists" on staff to help you identify your particular risk level and to help you mitigate your risk in the event you are ever threatened by fire. Many of the steps to reduce your risk are inexpensive and simple to do. While nothing can guarantee protection from fire, you can reduce your risk and increase the chances your home will survive. And with the right advice, it is a whole lot easier than you might think.

With over $500 million in losses,the 2011 wildfire season was the most expensive in Texas history, according to the Insurance Council of Texas. Photo: Texas Forest Service.

SNAKES 101: MYTHBUSTING

By Shantel Lewis, Products and Services Division Administrator

Few creatures instill more fear and are subject to more mythical misconceptions than snakes. Here are a few myths and truths about snakes.

Myth: Venomous snakes are out to get you (and bite you for no reason)
Truth: Snakes bite out of fear (being stepped on, being cornered, etc.) or to attack prey their size, such as a mouse or a bird. Venom creation requires energy and snakes, just like any other animal, strive to maintain all the energy they can. A snake bite can be avoided by being careful while walking around known venomous snake territory. Step carefully and if you come upon a venomous snake, do not give it a reason to strike (such as poking it!).

Myth: Snakes are slimy
Truth: Anyone who has held a snake knows that they are not at all slimy Snakes have hard, dry scales covering their entire body. Their ventral scales are specially designed to grip surfaces and their latitudinal and longitudinal muscles help with the well-known "slithering" motion. They shed their skin every few weeks but that process slows as they age and becomes every few months. A snake sheds in one piece, like a sock being rolled off your foot.

Myth: Snakes can squeeze you to death
Truth: Actually, yes, they can. But you're safe in Texas. Burmese and reticulate pythons have been known to suffocate their careless owners and, in a heartbreaking case brought to trial in 2011 in Florida, a 2 year old toddler was strangled to death by the family's pet python. However, these snakes are not native to Texas or the United States, for that matter. While their populations in the wild in Florida are growing to dangerous levels thanks to the shameful actions of people who buy them as exotic pets and then dump them when they become too large to manage, fortunately, this problem has not invaded Texas. Certainly people will operate outside of the law, but in Texas you must hold a license to own non-indigenous (species not native to Texas) venomous snakes and the following constrictors: African rock python (Python sebae), Asiatic rock python (Python molurus), green anaconda (Eunectes murinus), reticulated python (python reticulates), and southern African python (Python natalensis). While most of our state's native snakes are nonvenomous and rely on constriction to kill their supper, there are no snakes native to Texas that are even remotely large enough to squeeze you to death. As long as your outdoor adventures are within the Texas borders you're safe.

Ultimately, most wild snakes will do what they're programmed to do -- slither away quickly before being captured or, if captured, attempt to get out of your hands and back to a safe hiding place. As with all wildlife, respect the snake and the snake will respect you.

Shantel safely captured this photo of rattlesnake. If you come upon a venomous snake, do not give it a reason to bite.

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD: A QUICK LOOK AT THE QUAIL AND SMALL WILDLIFE STATION

By Tim Milligan, Landowner Services

While on a property installing a quail station the other day, it dawned on me that there is a simple way to explain what we are trying to do with this great new product, and a simple reason why it makes so much sense.

The property where we did the install is the landowner's country place, a piece of land the family loves but is not as centrally located as their city place, where they make their home --  a place close to jobs and schools and day-to-day conveniences.

Where I grew up in Austin was the city equivalent to good quail habitat. We lived where we did because of the area. There were nicer areas I'm sure, but none that I know of were quite as complete as my neighborhood. There were grocery stores, gas stations, a hardware store, banks, schools, a hospital, restaurants and a park, all within walking distance. We lived there because at  any given time we didn't have to venture far to get anything we needed and most things we wanted.

A quail lives life much the same way and by many of the same rules we do. They need a great neighborhood where they can put down roots and raise a family. The less they have to travel to get what they need, the better chance they'll have of making it from year to year and bringing up young.  If they can find a place that meets their needs for both habitat and food in close proximity, they'll stay there and not leave until something changes.

The Plateau Quail and Small Wildlife Station helps provide vital pieces of that habitat neighborhood and, by doing so, provides a boost to your quail and other small wildlife's survival by keeping their travel time to a minimum. If these vulnerable little species have to spend too much time out in the open looking to satisfy any one need, they will not last long -- or they will just find some place better suited to their way of life.

Whether you have done a considerable amount of work to create habitat, or have been blessed with great cover and nesting grasses from the very beginning, you may still be lacking a couple of key ingredients for your quail, songbirds and other small wildlife. Think about adding a grocery store and gas station to the neighborhood and just see if the number of families in the area doesn't increase over time. As it becomes more convenient to live there, you may end up with the most desirable wildlife neighborhood.

The Quail and Small Wildlife Station is available from Plateau and is a great fit for almost any property. Contact us to discuss your goals and habitat and see if the Plateau Quail and Small Wildlife Station is the right new addition to your neighborhood.

Welcome to the neighborhood. The Plateau Quail and Small Wildlife Station.

MILLICAN RESERVE HOSTS SUCCESSFUL YOUTH HUNT

By Kasey Mock, Account Manager - Texas Pines & Prairies
with Bill Bebee, Texas Youth Hunt Program, Hunt Master

Stretching out across 2,800 acres in the Texas Brazos Valley, Millican Reserve is an exciting development designed to set a new standard for stewardship and interactive planning. Set in a vast and pristine natural setting near College Station, Texas, the natural beauty and rich heritage of this place creates an authentic and healthy community to live, work, and play in while staying engaged with the land.

Early in the planning phase, the owners of Millican Reserve looked to Plateau Land & Wildlife Management as their partner in conservation. With the placement of a Wildlife Management Plan, Millican Reserve has been able to retain a favorable tax valuation without grazing pressure from livestock. By utilizing additional management activities such as habitat planning, nature trails, supplemental shelter, and census of indigenous wildlife, the property has seen a tremendous improvement in diversity of species and improvement of habitat which will set this project apart from other rural developments.

Recently, Millican Reserve hosted a successful Texas Youth Hunting Program hunt, allowing seven youth hunters to harvest four doe on the 2-day hunt. This is great opportunity to pass on our hunting heritage while helping the landowner meet their wildlife management objectives. Texas Youth Hunting Program is a partnership of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Wildlife Association in San Antonio, Texas. Over the course of the hunting program weekend, youth ages 9 to 17 are educated on safe, legal and ethical hunting practices.

For information on Millican Reserve visit millicanreserve.com.
For information on the Texas Youth Hunting Program visit texasyouthhunting.com.

Texas Youth Hunting Program is a partnership of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Wildlife Association in San Antonio, Texas.

UP IN THE SKY! IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE...NO, IT'S DEFINITELY A BIRD!: THE NORTHERN HARRIER

By James Hall, Staff Biologist - Wildlife Planning Administrator

For many people, the word "Harrier" conjures images of gleaming, vertical-takeoff fighter jets roaring through the sky at nearly the speed of sound. For those of us grounded in a quiet, subsonic life, a Harrier is a very different type of winged predator, and it is best observed through binoculars rather than a NORAD radar, though the sighting may be equally as thrilling.

The Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus), a medium-sized hawk found throughout North America and across the northern latitudes of Eurasia, arrives in Texas during the winter months, coursing over live oak-mesquite savannahs, marshes, and farmlands. Though many diurnal (active in the daytime) raptors can give amateur bird watchers difficulty in identification, Harriers exhibit uniquely distinct features, such as an obvious white rump, and an owl-like facial disc visible from below. Unlike other hawks that rely mostly on sight to search for a meal, Harriers also depend on noise produced from prey, as they glide low over their hunting ground. The facial discs consist of stiff feathers allowing for greater transmission of sound, intensifying their hunting efforts. Following a swift and calculated pounce, prey such as small mammals, birds, and reptiles, will suddenly find themselves in the deadly embrace of talon and feather. Most wintering Harriers visiting central Texas are first-winter juveniles, which more closely resemble adult females. They typically have rust-colored bodies at an earlier age, or streaked chest, barred fan-like tail feathers, and a dark head. Breeding adult males will appear a clean white from underneath, and pale gray from above, with darker wingtips.

Much like their aluminum alloy technological cousins of the sky, Northern Harriers are tactical and auspicious predators. Keep your eyes peeled over open grasslands for a these hawks, coursing but a few feet above the earth -- just don't expect to see them featured at any future air shows.

Northern Harrier

IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME: WILDLIFE SEEKING REFUGE FROM DROUGHT

By Kasey Mock, Account Manager - Texas Pines & Prairies

The 1989 movie Field of Dreams tells the story of an Iowa corn farmer played by Kevin Costner who felt lead to build a baseball diamond in his fields. Those who have seen the classic film will recall the famous line: "If you build it, they will come." Now, pretend you are Kevin Costner, and the Black Sox represent local wildlife populations. Rather than looking for a place to play ball, they are searching for a steady supply of food and water that is quickly vanishing from many parts of the state.

"If you build it, they will come" is never truer than in a serious drought. La Nina has taken its tool on the Lone Star State leaving dry tanks and limited forage in its wake And despite the recent rains, there will be no quick fix for the ravages left in La Nina's wake. Wildlife and domestic animals alike are still actively searching throughout the day for food, water, and shelter, needs that Plateau is helping Wildlife Management property owners supply.

We have received many emails from clients sharing their success stories during the drought. Client reports of the first sightings of Bobwhite quail in over a decade, more and bigger deer, and increased diversity have been common threads as animals are forced to leave over-grazed pastures in search of the basic necessities.

"Great news Kasey, I saw a pair of Bobwhite Quail at 12:10 today, Sunday, August 28, 2011. This is the first we've seen in over ten years on the property! - Bob"

"Ever since June we have noticed several new big bucks showing up at one of our water tanks at dusk just about every night. We don't put out food, but they have adequate browse and forbs on the property." - Carolyn

These are just two examples of the results Plateau clients are experiencing in Texas. By managing pastures to promote native plants, providing a quality supplemental food source, and, most importantly providing a dependable source of clean water, property owners are doing their part to supply the three basic necessities to local wildlife.

As property owners and managers, we bear the responsibility to be good stewards of these resources. Stewardship is defined as the conducting, supervising, or managing of something; especially, the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one's care. I would encourage you to do a quick evaluation of your management activities. If your wildlife numbers have decreased this is a sign that you could be doing more to supply their needs.

Have you seen more wildlife this year? Send us your stories! Email plateau@plateauwildlife.com.

Plateau has a full line of products and services designed to help you better manage these resources while improving your property and marinating a favorable tax valuation. Please don't hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance.

ADVENTURES IN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT: SERVICE AGREEMENTS

By Kameron Bain, Business Development

Wow, another year at Plateau has flown by full of new adventures and many lessons learned. I am so amazed how year after year my knowledge of not only the wildlife management valuation but of land and wildlife in general keeps growing. I always thought I had to leave the Plateau office to find adventure, but over the past few months I went on adventures with many members of my team without leaving the cool, and just recently warm, comfort of the office.

As over 200 of Plateau landowners know when the air starts to cool and pumpkins start being replaced by wreathes and bright lights, Service Agreement proposals start hitting the email boxes. While it may seem to just suddenly appear like an unexpected surprise, there is a lot of planning and research that goes on behind the scenes. Plateau Service Agreements are annual contracts that assist landowners in fulfilling the goals of their wildlife management plan as well as other property goals or interest of individual landowners. Agreements can include everything from Annual Reports to feeder re-fills to bird surveys to consulting time with your biologist to learn more about your piece of land. I personally love service agreements. It is in my nature to make lists and spreadsheets and to plan and organize. I love seeing all the activities lined out so the landowner can view what will be done over the coming year. I was excited to uses some of my strengths to assist our landowners.

The adventure all started back in September when the Plateau biology team reviewed the 2011 agreements and offered recommendations on changes, additions or input they received from the landowner. Meanwhile our products and services team was busy creating a more efficient site visit structure based on the number of nest boxes and new options to re-charge rainwater collections systems, and re-fill and re-charge our newest product, the Quail and Small Wildlife Station. All was going very smooth. That was until the October bump in the road, a few weeks of technology issues stalled the process. Oh well, best laid plans.

By November, life in the office returned back to normal and it was time to build the agreements. I could not have done this part without my service agreement partner in crime, Steve Parker. Steve is Plateau's Products and Services Manager who is committed to giving each landowner exceptional client service. Hours upon hours were spent pouring over client history to make sure all bases had been covered to ensure that each individual client was in compliance with the wildlife management guidelines. 2011 log sheets were reviewed to check on missing nest boxes, and products and services suggestions made by our awesome wildlife services technicians. Slowly, we put all the pieces together to build each agreement, sometimes with multiple reviews by the biologist or account manager.

With the change of seasons this December, almost all of our 2012 Wildlife Management Services Agreement are in the clients hands. Now the fun can begin when I can interact with the clients, discuss their property and look forward to a new year. I have to give a very special Thank You to Steve. From Steve I learned a lot about wildlife management guidelines for many activities, how to view agreement in terms of compliance and more importantly that exceptional client service means to doing your due diligence and leaving no stone unturned. I am so proud to work with someone who takes care of our clients as well as Steve does.

Until, next Seasons and next service agreement season, have a Happy Holiday.

CREATING BUTTERFLY HABITAT: A NOVEL WAY TO EXECUTE ON YOUR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN

By Monika Maeckle, Plateau client

When my husband and I first bought our property on the Llano River back in 2000, I had no idea we were on the Monarch butterfly migration flyway. Soon after signing the papers, we started camping at the top of our hill and exploring our stretch of the Llano.

It wasn't until five years later that we began to notice Monarch butterflies each spring and fall. I say "we didn't notice" because we weren't paying attention. They were there, we just didn't see them because we weren't looking.

That all changed in 2005. One fall afternoon my friend Jenny Singleton invited us to "come tag Monarchs" at her family's place on the San Saba River outside Menard. We didn't know what to expect, but even now the memories of that delightful day make me smile.

Over on the San Saba, Dallas natives Jenny and husband Matt play host to thousands of Monarch butterflies roosting in their pecan trees every mid-October as they migrate through Texas to their winter roosts in the mountains of Michoacan, Mexico. Jenny, an avid naturalist and teacher, organizes "tagging weekends" whereby groups of visiting friends help her net and tag the migrating Monarchs, later submitting the data to Monarch Watch, which oversees the citizen scientist program from the University of Kansas, Lawrence.

That day in 2005 my husband and I trotted along the Sabinal River bottom, long handled nets reaching into the pecans, where colorful clumps of Monarchs were resting on their journey south. After netting the Monarchs we carefully transferred them to ice chests to await the "tag team," which recorded their sex and then affixed a tiny weightless, numbered tag on to the discal cell of each butterfly's wing.

Our first experience reaching into the nets alive with Monarchs to gently extract them one at a time for tagging left us hooked. The Monarch is one of nature's most beautiful and noble creatures, remarkable for its migratory endurance.

That weekend changed our approach to wildlife management. Before, we were focused on deer, turkey, pigs, birds and fish. Now, creating butterfly habitat tops our list of wildlife management responsibilities.

How does one create a butterfly habitat on your property?

The exercise entails increasing the wildflower population, especially butterfly-friendly nectar and host plants. Depending on your property, it might mean simply providing more sun to areas already occupied by wildflowers.

We recently created a "riverwalk" on the banks of the Llano which resulted in more Goldenrod and Frostweed-attractive Fall nectar sources for butterflies. The task involved simply clearing a trail through the pervasive Poverty Weed that dominated our riverbanks.

For the last three years, we've thrown seedballs packed with Antelope Horn, Cowpen Daisy, and Jimsonweed seeds-host plants to Monarch butterflies, the Bordered Patch and the dramatic Sphinx Moth, respectively--onto recently cleared areas of our property. With the historic drought, results have been mixed, tied completely to the weather.

But we remain hopeful as recent rains drench the ranch. Now is prime time for planting wildflowers: plant them and butterflies will come. Talk to your Plateau consultant to find out what might work for your property.

Monika Maeckle, a principal of the Arsenal Group, a communications consultancy, is a Master Gardener, avid butterfly evangelist and caterpillar wrangler. She has tagged more than 1,500 Monarch butterflies and had 22 recovered in Michoacan. She writes about butterflies and their life cycle at www.texasbutterflyranch.com. You can find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @butterflybeat. Email butterfly questions to Monika at butterflybeat@gmail.com.

MY OUTDOOR HERITAGE

By Craig Bowen, Account Manager - Hill Country North

I was standing over a human cadaver performing an academic autopsy when I realized I wanted to devote my career to rural land and the associated people. I will admit this is a curious situation in which to reach such a decision, but a little background information will help in understanding.

I grew up surrounded by rural land management, primarily ranching and farming, at the base of the Llano Estacado region of Texas. As many young people in my position do, I took for granted the freedom of hunting and fishing whenever I wanted, solitarily roaming the pastures and fields at my discretion, and learning about rural land culture from experienced elders.

My maternal grandfather taught me biology and ecology, and I can remember effortlessly sitting in his considerable lap very early in life pouring through volumes of outdoor encyclopedias, learning about everything from animal identification and behavior to flint knapping; my paternal grandfather took me fishing frequently, and we wandered around various farms and native pastures for hours on end; my father took me hunting in every season, and taught me about the work involved in rural land, from hoeing cotton to breaking ice in livestock water troughs; and my mother made sure she, my father, and I went on frequent camping trips, inhabiting state parks on school-year weekends and even longer jaunts during the summer.

Academically, I was most interested in science. During high school, I attended two science-based leadership camps which changed me forever. The first chronologically was the Buckskin Brigades, a leadership camp designed by the Texas Wildlife Association focused on wildlife management. This camp is 100 rigorous hours of everything from drill-style marches complete with cadences to classroom debates. The second, which my AP Biology teacher recommended me for, was the NYLF/MED (National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine) which is a pre-medical school camp designed to teach high school students what it takes to become a doctor. This camp is what brought me to a well-lit basement in Chicago's Loyola University Medical School standing over the aforementioned cadaver.

The day before the autopsy, I had visited the Chicago Field Museum as an elective event associated with the Forum. As I stood over the dead body, an elderly female whose chest plate had been removed by my partner - who, given her exuberance towards the subject, is almost certainly a surgeon today - I stared at the internal organs and appreciated the fact that I was much more entertained the day prior gazing upon the awe-inspiring maneless, man-eating lions of Tsavo and full skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex. The realization floored me because I had thought of nothing more in the last few years than medical school and all which follows. I enjoyed the rest of my time at Loyola, but my sights were now set on much different things. I eventually attended University and earned degrees in Wildlife Ecology and Agricultural Economics, all the while searching for ways to earn a living serving landowners and helping native Texas wildlife.

Today, I have many outlets directly related to my outdoor heritage: my career, which takes me from property taxes to real estate sales, and my hobbies, which range from shooting sports in arenas all over the country to casting for redfish on the Texas coast. At the Buckskin Brigades when I was 16 years old, Dr. Dale Rollins, who eventually found himself on my Master's committee at Texas A&M University, said to me, "Let your vocation be your avocation," and both are now without question rural land and the outdoors in general.

For most, outdoor heritage means teaching young people to enjoy outdoor sports or simply spend time outdoors for recreation. For me, outdoor heritage became a life full of rural land and the outdoors, and encompasses the way I make my money; the way I spend it; the food I eat; what I teach my son; the time I spend with my wife; the way I process my surroundings; and how I relate to my fellow humans. My friend Justin Dreibelbis, who serves as the Conservation Programs Coordinator with Texas Wildlife Association, put it this way: "Hunters, anglers, and other outdoor sportsmen are the original conservationists, and they pay for conservation across the country. Moreover, I wouldn't have near the relationship I have with my father or grandfather if we had not hunted together."

So, the next time you are enjoying your property and the outdoors, think of others who may not be so lucky, particularly our young people, and make every effort to teach a child something about the outdoors, or take your own children on an open-air adventure.

You never know, it just may define their entire life.

A young Craig Bowen celebrates the outdoors.

*****

Plateau Land & Wildlife Management helps Texas landowners protect and enhance their greatest asset -- their land -- with wildlife management plans, wildlife tax valuation assistance, qualifying wildlife management valuation activities, and more.

Securing the Legacy Video

We would like to introduce you to another friend of Plateau Land & Wildlife, Wyman Meinzer. Mr. Meinzer is the Texas State Photographer and has a number of wonderful videos documenting the beauty of the Texas landscape. One of his videos, “Securing the Legacy,” documents the critically important work of the Natural Resources Management program at Texas Tech University. Instructing the students in both the ecological history of Texan ecosystems as well as proper management of it is range of ecosystems, the program prepares students to serve as environmental stewards for generations to come. Several Plateau biologists have come from TTU including Shane Kiefer, our very own Senior Biologist, shown in the video. We invite you to check out the video below.

Securing The Legacy from Wyman Meinzer on Vimeo.