The third annual Bennett Trust Land Stewardship Conference is scheduled for April 14-15 at the Inn of the Hills Resort and Conference Center in Kerrville. The conference is funded by the Ruth and Eskel Bennett Endowment and hosted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, said Dr. Larry Redmon, co-chair and Bennett Trust AgriLife Extension specialist.
Cost of the two-day conference is $75 and includes all meals, break refreshments and tour transportation costs. Register online or by calling 979.845.2604.
The conference will open with registration at 7:30 a.m. April 14 and the program will begin at 8 a.m.
The following topics and speakers will fill the morning program:
- The Story of Hope, Colleen Gardner, Selah Bamberger Ranch Preserve.
- Water = Value: Riparian Restoration and Stewardship, Steve Nelle, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service retired wildlife biologist.
- Holding on to Mine: 1-d-1 Valuation and Implications, Linda Campbell, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Scott Fair, Gillespie County Central Appraisal District.
Following a lunch, concurrent sessions will be offered with the following topics and speakers: More People – Finite Resources, Dr. Roel Lopez, Texas A&M Institute of Renewable Natural Resources; or Balancing Supply and Demand (Without Economics), Dr. Robert Lyons, AgriLife Extension.
The groups will come back together for the final sessions of the day:
- Managing for the Whole, Dr. Jim Cathey, AgriLife Extension.
- Managing Deep-Rooted Invasions, Lyons.
- Managing Warm-Blooded Invaders, Dr. John Tomacek, AgriLife Extension.
- Perspective on the Day, Dr. Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension.
The second day of the conference will be dedicated to tours. Individuals will pick from a tour of the Hillingdon Ranch in Kendall County, a “Wine and Roses” tour in Gillespie County or a Kerr Wildlife Area tour.
For more information, visit bennetttrust.tamu.edu or contact Redmon at l-redmon@tamu.edu, Machen at r-machen@tamu.edu, or an AgriLife Extension agent in the region.