Bamberger Ranch Preserve
Bamberger Ranch, also called Selah, is a ecological restoration and conservation project near Johnson City, in Blanco County, Texas in the Texas Hill Country.
History
Former Church's Fried Chicken executive J. David Bamberger created the preserve in 1969.Bamberger specifically sought out a worn-out ranch with poor economic prospects and when he found Selah, “The ranch was mostly bare ground or infested with cedar. There was no grass and absolutely no live creeks, springs, or ponds.”
After removing the "cedar" and planting native grasses, rainwater infiltration improved and the aquifer underlying the property refilled. The site now has several running springs that did not exist when Bamberger bought the place.
Bird biodiversity on the land has increased from around 50 species to over 220 species.
The ranch also works to promulgate endangered species. It has a herd of scimitar-horned oryx, and Bamberger also markets the Texas snowbell tree to other ranchers.