When catastrophic wildfires burned through Bastrop County in 2011, victims included the region’s iconic loblolly pine trees, as well as the pine ecosystem’s resident Houston toads—an endangered species found only in Texas.
On October 22, the public will have a unique opportunity to see local efforts to protect and bring these species back, when the Pines and Prairies Land Trust hosts a traveling edition of the national Wild & Scenic Film Festival on its 600-acre ranch and wildlife refuge in Paige, about an hour’s drive east of Austin.
Billig Ranch narrowly escaped the 2011 fires, but it lies just 10 miles from Bastrop State Park, where more than 6,000 acres burned. Preventing similar damage by future wildfires is top of mind for the land trust’s staff, as is helping wildlife recover and find refuge. Houston toads aren’t found at the organization’s properties today, but they were in the past. With a little TLC, experts think the ranch could once again harbor these creatures.
