(Music)
I think they're so pretty.
They're just happily eating at that feeder, aren't they?
They certainly aren't frightened by us.
There they go off!
My great grandfather came to this county in 1883.
>>This is Betty Tanksley.
>>He acquired ranch land and cattle.
(Cow moo)
That was how the family ended up in Brewster County, Texas.
>>Betty and her husband Ben took over the family's 25,000 acre ranch in 1989.
Ben passed away in November of 2013, but during his time on the ranch he reshaped the land
in a way to make the most of one of the region's scarcest resources.
>>It was about six or eight months ago the last time we had any significant rainfall.
We had a little bit of rain about a month ago, but only about two-tenths.
It's all about water out here.
Preserving and directing it to your benefit.
>>With the goal of capturing and managing water, Ben built dirt tanks, diversion dams,
and developed an intricate irrigation system to move water all over the ranch.
>>The water in this reservoir comes from Jack's reservoir over there.
We are pumping it over there and it's gravity flowing from Jack's reservoir to here.
And then from here it's gravity flowing to the water troughs that are down below us.
We're using just a couple of wells to water basically the whole north side of the ranch.
(Hawk call)
Ben's vision was to preserve water and to direct the water to the benefit of the ranch.
He was building some small dams and some large dams and did a lot of what we call divots.
(Music) (Bulldozer engine)
Little small defilades.
>>The divots capture rainfall and allow water to penetrate the soil.
The Tanksleys use a native grass mix to reseed the areas cleared with divots.
Ben's innovative technique has successfully grown grass all over the ranch.
>>Now we just pray for rain.
Yep.
(Music)
>>We're recognizing the Tanksleys for this award not because they did a great job implementing
lots of things that we recommended at Parks and Wildlife.
The roles are really kind of flipped in this situation.
We've been able to take things we've learned that Ben was willing to try and share that
information with other landowners who are interested in accomplishing similar goals.
>>Oh look there's an antelope right there.
>>Oh it sure is an antelope there.
He's looking for this green grass that's in this divot.
>>So while the Tanksleys wait for rain, the ranches other residents appreciate the work
they've already done.
>>Everything does have a purpose out here and our purpose is to preserve and protect
and improve the land.
We hope to continue with the improving of the land, so that all of us will hand it down
to the next generation better than it was when we took over.