(music)
>> SAN ANTONIO HAS GROWN
IMMENSELY OVER THE LAST 10,
15 YEARS.
>> IN 2010, I THINK WE'RE
SUPPOSED TO BE AT
A MILLION-EIGHT.
BY 2030 WE'RE GOING TO BE
AT 3 MILLION OR SOMETHING.
>> SAN ANTONIO IS A HUGE CITY,
GROWING VERY FAST.
>> WE THINK THINGS ARE CROWDED
NOW?
JUST WAIT.
>> AS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO
GROWS,
IT EXTENDS INTO THE ROLLING
TEXAS HILL COUNTRY
TO THE NORTH.
IT'S AN ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO
LIVE, WORK AND SHOP,
BUT THE TRANSFORMATION OF
THIS LANDSCAPE FROM RURAL
TO URBAN COULD THREATEN ALL
RESIDENTS OF THIS CENTRAL TEXAS
METROPOLIS.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE
SAN ANTONIO GROW IN OTHER
DIRECTIONS,
BECAUSE NORTHWARD IS THE ONLY
DIRECTION THAT THREATENS
OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF WATER.
FOR MANY YEARS,
UP UNTIL JUST RECENTLY,
IT WAS OUR ONLY SOURCE OF WATER.
(thunder, falling rain)
>> RAIN FALLING ON THESE HILLS
TRICKLES DOWN THROUGH
FRACTURED LIMESTONE AND
RECHARGES THE EDWARDS AQUIFER.
AND WATER FROM THE EDWARDS
AQUIFER KEEPS SAN ANTONIO
ALIVE.
>> GROWTH AND URBANIZATION
OVER THE EDWARDS AQUIFER
RECHARGE ZONE IS NO GUARANTEE
THAT THE AQUIFER WILL BE
POLLUTED.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY INCREASED
THE RISKS,
AND WE ARE SEEING CONTAMINANTS
IN THE AQUIFER.
>> YOU GO TO A LOT OF CITIES,
AND YOU START TALKING ABOUT
THE AQUIFER LEVEL,
PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU WITH
A BLANK STARE.
IN SAN ANTONIO EVERYONE
UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT IS.
WE FOUND THE BEST WAY
TO PROTECT THE WATER QUALITY
AND QUANTITY WAS SIMPLY TO
PURCHASE LAND,
PURCHASE WATERSHEDS.
>> LESS THAN 20 MILES FROM
DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO,
GOVERNMENT CANYON STATE
NATURAL AREA PROTECTS WATER
SUPPLIES BY SIMPLY REMAINING
NATURAL.
BUT THIS PRISTINE WILDERNESS
OF MORE THAN 8,000 ACRES
WAS ALMOST LOST TO
URBAN EXPANSION.
A NEW TOWN OF MORE THAN 80,000
PEOPLE WAS PLANNED TO BE
BUILT IN GOVERNMENT CANYON.
>> I DON'T THINK THERE IS
ANOTHER NATURAL AREA OR PARK
IN THE SYSTEM THAT HAS
THE HISTORY THAT THIS ONE DOES.
A LOOSE COALITION OF
MANY PEOPLE WITH INTEREST IN
OUR WATER SYSTEM CAME TOGETHER
AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF SOME
ECONOMIC ISSUES AT THE TIME
AND PUT THIS TOGETHER
FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
>> THE REAL ESTATE BUST OF
THE 1980S HALTED
DEVELOPMENT PLANS
BUT CREATED AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR A CITIZENS GROUP WITH
A DIFFERENT VISION FOR
THE FUTURE OF THIS LAND.
>> A GROUP OF 45 DIFFERENT
ORGANIZATIONS FORMULATED
WHAT IS CALLED THE
GOVERNMENT CANYON COALITION.
AND THE GOVERNMENT CANYON
COALITION HAD IDENTIFIED
THAT THIS WAS A SPECIAL SPACE
THAT NEEDED TO BE PROTECTED
IN ORDER TO PROTECT
A MASSIVE WATERSHED.
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF LAND
IN BANKRUPTCY,
SO WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY
THERE TO BUY LAND
FAIRLY INEXPENSIVELY --
LESS THAN $500 AN ACRE.
>> YOU GET A DOUBLE HIT HERE.
YOU GET A CHANCE TO
PRESERVE A NATURAL AREA
AND YOU GET A CHANCE TO PROTECT
SAN ANTONIO'S WATER SYSTEM.
>> THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO
WASN'T INTERESTED.
AT THE TIME I HAD CITY COUNCIL
PEOPLE TELL ME,
"IT'S RIDICULOUS.
NOBODY GOES OUT AND BUYS LAND
TO PROTECT THEIR AQUIFER."
TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE
DIDN'T HAVE MONEY.
THE EDWARDS UNDERGROUND
WATER DISTRICT,
WHICH IS NOW
THE EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY,
DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN
THE LAND MANAGEMENT BUSINESS.
EVENTUALLY WE REALIZED THAT
WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT
A PARTNERSHIP.
>> IT IS AN UNUSUAL PARTNERSHIP,
AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT MAKES
GOVERNMENT CANYON
A LANDMARK, MODEL PROJECT
IN TEXAS.
>> THE PARTNERS PURCHASED
THE INITIAL 4,700 ACRE TRACT
IN 1993.
GOVERNMENT CANYON STATE
NATURAL AREA WAS BORN.
>> GOVERNMENT CANYON IS
RIGHT HERE...
>> IT'S JUST A GREAT PARTNERSHIP
BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE DIFFERENT
EXPERTISE COMING TO THE TABLE,
NO ONE PERSON HAS ALL
THE ANSWERS...
>> ...AND YOU ALSO HAVE
DIFFERENT MONEY COMING TO
THE TABLE,
TO MAKE RESEARCH POSSIBLE,
TO MAKE MANAGEMENT BETTER
AND MORE EFFECTIVE,
AND ALSO TO BUY SOME OF
THE SURROUNDING LANDS.
>> AMONG THOSE LENDING THEIR
EXPERTISE TO GOVERNMENT CANYON
IS A CAVE SURVEY TEAM
GATHERING DATA.
>> TODAY WE'RE AT THE BAT CAVE,
TO RETRIEVE DATA THAT WAS
COLLECTED OVER A YEAR'S
TIME PERIOD.
WE'VE BEEN RECORDING
RELATIVE HUMIDITY
AND TEMPERATURE DATA
EVERY THREE HOURS
FOR THE PAST YEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO DOWNLOAD
THE DATA INTO THIS LITTLE DEVICE
AND THEN TAKE IT BACK
AND PUT IT IN THE MAIN COMPUTER.
WE HAVE A LARGE BAT COLONY HERE
AS WELL AS SOME ENDANGERED
KARST INVERTEBRATES
AND BY GETTING THE INFORMATION
OVER SEVERAL YEARS WE'D BE ABLE
TO BETTER MANAGE THE CAVE
FOR THOSE ANIMALS
AND JUST THE CAVE IN GENERAL.
>> SOME WERE INSTALLED UP
IN THE CEILING CLOSE TO WHERE
THE BATS ARE ROOSTING,
AH, TO REALLY GET SOME GOOD
DATA ON THE HABITAT IN THE CAVE,
THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE CAVE.
>> IN ORDER TO MANAGE ANY PIECE
OF PROPERTY,
YOU REALLY HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
WHAT YOUR RESOURCES ARE.
>> AT GOVERNMENT CANYON,
THE RESOURCES ARE HISTORICAL
AS WELL AS BIOLOGICAL.
EVEN THE NAME APPEARS ROOTED
IN AREA HISTORY.
>> AS FAR AS WE KNOW,
IT'S CALLED GOVERNMENT CANYON
BECAUSE IT PROVIDED THE ARMY
WITH A PATHWAY TO THE OUTPOSTS
WEST AND NORTHWEST OF HERE.
>> FOOTPRINTS OF THE EARLIEST
INHABITANTS CAN STILL
BE SEEN HERE,
BUT THE AREA'S HISTORY
AND BIODIVERSITY CAN ONLY BE
PROTECTED IF KNOWN
AND UNDERSTOOD.
RESEARCH IS CRITICAL TO
PRESERVING GOVERNMENT CANYON.
>> THE THINGS THAT WE ARE
SURVEYING FOR
ARE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES.
>> HERPETOLOGIST CAREY GUFFEY
CHECKS HIS TRAPS,
NEVER SURE JUST WHAT
HE'LL UNCOVER.
>> ALRIGHT,
THIS IS A TEXAS PATCH NOSE.
LET HER CALM DOWN AND GRAB HER
SO I CAN MEASURE HER.
THEY'RE BITERS,
THEY LIKE TO GRAB YOU WHEN
THEY CAN.
MEAGAN, YOU WANT TO HELP ME
MEASURE?
>> ANIMALS CAUGHT ARE
RECORDED AND RELEASED,
BUILDING A VALUABLE FOUNDATION
OF DATA ABOUT WHAT LIVES HERE
BEFORE THE NATURAL AREA
IS OPEN.
>> ONCE THE PARK
OPENS TO VISITORS
WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT
IMPACT IF ANY VISITORS HAVE
ON THESE PARTICULAR ANIMALS.
>> THE STUDIES CONTINUE,
BUT SCIENCE HAS ALREADY SHAPED
A MASTER PLAN WHICH KEEPS ALL
PARK DEVELOPMENT LOW IMPACT,
INCLUDING OVER 40 MILES
OF TRAILS.
>> MOST OF THE TRAILS
IN THE NATURAL AREA
ARE FOLLOWING OLD RANCH ROADS.
SOME OF THOSE ROADS
WERE COMPLETELY OVERGROWN.
WE'RE TRIMMING BACK BRANCHES
AND CUTTING PRICKLY PEAR CACTUS
OUT OF THE PATHWAY.
>> WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON TODAY
IS THE MULTI-USE
EQUESTRIAN TRAIL,
SO THERE'LL BE HIKING, BIKING
AND EQUESTRIAN ACTIVITIES
ON THIS.
TRAIL WORKDAYS WOULD NOT HAPPEN
IF IT WEREN'T FOR
OUR VOLUNTEER WORKFORCE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR COMING OUT.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> IT'S ONE OF THE REGULAR
ACTIVITIES THAT'S BEEN GOING ON
FOR YEARS WHERE PEOPLE CAN
COME OUT AND GET THEIR
HANDS DIRTY.
>> AS TRAILS EMERGE,
OTHER FACILITIES TAKE SHAPE.
THE INTERPRETIVE BUILDINGS
SEND A CONSERVATION MESSAGE
BY DESIGN.
>> THE METAL POSTS THAT ARE
HERE, IT'S OLD PIPE.
THESE CISTERNS WILL COLLECT
RAIN WATER OFF OF THESE ROOFS.
OUR RESTROOM FACILITIES WILL
RUN OFF OF RAIN WATER.
WITH US BEING SO CLOSE
TO THE RECHARGE ZONE,
IF WE DON'T LEARN TO
PROTECT THESE RESOURCES,
WHO IS GOING TO PROTECT THEM?
>> EVEN BEFORE OPENING DAY,
THE EDUCATIONAL MISSION
OF GOVERNMENT CANYON IS
BEING FULFILLED.
>> WE BROUGHT FIFTEEN GIRLS
FROM THE MARTINEZ STREET
WOMEN'S CENTER,
AND WE'RE CAMPING.
MOST OF THESE GIRLS HAVE
NEVER CAMPED BEFORE,
SO IT'S A TOTALLY NEW
EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF THEM.
HAVING THIS EXPERIENCE THAT SO
MANY PEOPLE NEVER GET TO HAVE,
INNER CITY KIDS OR NOT,
IS A GIFT.
>> IT LOOKS LIKE THE MOON
WITH A MAN SITTING ON IT,
THE MAN'S SITTING ON THE MOON!
>> OVER JUST ONE WEEKEND
AT GOVERNMENT CANYON,
THE NATURAL WORLD HAS MADE
A FEW NEW FRIENDS.
>> WE WENT WALKING TO
THE WOODS TO GO SEE HOW NATURE
WAS LIKE,
AND WE TOOK PICTURES OF
DIFFERENT THINGS.
>> THEY HAD ASKED US
IF THE NATURE COULD TALK
WHAT WOULD THEY SAY,
AND I PUT
"YOU CAN SEE ME
AND ADVENTURE ME,
JUST DON'T MESS ME UP."
(music)
>> BECAUSE OF A UNIQUE
CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP,
GOVERNMENT CANYON WILL ALWAYS
BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE
FIND ADVENTURE
AND WHERE NATURE WILL BE SAFE.
>> FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
WE JUST NEED SOMETHING THAT'S
NATURAL IN THIS WORLD.
>> AND FOR THE FUTURE OF
A GROWING SAN ANTONIO,
THIS NATURAL AREA COULD NOT BE
MORE IMPORTANT.
>> EVEN IF A MEMBER OF
THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T ACCESS
THE PROPERTY FOR RECREATIONAL
REASONS OR EDUCATION,
THEY STILL REAP THE BENEFITS
OF HAVING GOVERNMENT CANYON IN
THEIR OWN BACKYARD TO PROVIDE
WATER QUALITY PROTECTION.
>> WE TALK ABOUT THE SCIENCE,
WE TALK ABOUT THE WATER,
THE ONE THING THAT ALWAYS SEEMS
TO GET OVERLOOKED IS
GETTING OFF THE CONCRETE
AND HAVING REFLECTIVE
SOULFUL TIME,
IT'S JUST AN INCREDIBLE JEWEL
FOR SAN ANTONIO.
(water flowing)