Jim O’Donnell – Wildland Conservation

Business-Organization: City of Austin, Wildland Conservation Division

For over 30 years, Jim has combined his love of teaching, biology, and environmental stewardship to help protect the Black-capped Vireo and endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler in Central Texas. He taught 5th grade science and environmental education in Dripping Springs for 28 years. During that time, he was instrumental in setting aside the 214-acre tract of land that is now known as the Vireo Preserve, which once supported the largest concentration of Black-capped Vireos in Travis County. As a result of his efforts and knowledge of the endangered songbirds and their ecosystems, Jim was appointed to the Biological Advisory Team that provided the basis and support for the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, a system of preserves established under a federal Endangered Species Act permit to protect multiple endangered and rare species in Travis County. After retiring from teaching in 2009, Jim has spent the last 10 years designing and implementing habitat restoration on the Vireo Preserve, which is now owned and managed by the City of Austin as part of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. Jim uses his knowledge of the species, plants, permaculture, and teaching to implement regenerative habitat restoration projects with a community of volunteers to benefit a variety of native Texas ecosystems. He regularly gives presentations to numerous state and local groups on this topic.

Austin, TX
USA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/austinwildlandconservation/

Workshop(s)

Workshop 1: Restoring Ecological Diversity at the Vireo Preserve, Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, Austin, Texas

The land use history of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve has had a substantial impact on the health, viability, and diversity of its ecosystems. With over a 150 years of repeated clearcutting and overgrazing, we are left with a substantial loss of top soil and erosion issues. Borrowing techniques and designs from permaculture, forest gardening, and natural farming, we are restoring and creating systems for habitat specialists including the Black-capped Vireo, endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler, and numerous rare and unusual plant species. Creating and restoring endangered species habitat requires focusing on the whole supporting community. Starting from the ground up, we begin with capturing water on contour to spread and sink water to rehydrate our hillsides, rebuilding and activating soil biology, seeding and planting to increase biodiversity at all levels, and promoting the regeneration of woody plant communities. We then design native plant guilds to create a sustainable framework with the goal of developing vibrant, abundant, and complex systems. What’s really exciting about this work is that it is being implemented by a community of volunteers who are teaching others how to regenerate their own land with informed design plans.