Rust Ranch



Current Project Milestones:
The number of monarch butterflies added to the overwintering population from this project.
investor-ready
about the project
Exchange Region: |
South Central Region
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State: |
Texas
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Ecoregion: |
Post Oak Savannah
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County: |
Bastrop
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Property Land Use: |
Ranch
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Acres Enrolled: |
36
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Functional Acre Uplift Goal: |
18
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Project Status: |
Underway
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Restoration Start Date: |
Spring 2018
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Expected Year Goal Achieved: |
2022
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Total Project Cost: |
approx. $8,500 for 2 years (ongoing maintenance not included)
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Funding Status: |
40%
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At Rust Ranch, the predominant land cover is forested woodlands, which are leased for hunting. We are focusing our monarch restoration efforts on 36 acres of open pasture in an area that has a history of overgrazing.
Baseline habitat assessments using the Monarch Habitat Quantification Tool indicated a lack of milkweed abundance at the site. To improve habitat quality for monarchs, local ecotype milkweed plugs were planted at Rust Ranch in the spring of 2018. Using local ecotype milkweeds is important since the plants evolved in similar environmental conditions and will therefore have a higher likelihood of successful establishment. Future land management activities will include a combination of mowing, to reduce competition from grasses, and additional plantings of milkweeds.
Kevin Rust tries to implement at least one project to improve the health of his land each year and the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Exchange gives him the perfect opportunity to continue this practice. He is particularly excited about the benefits that this project will have on soil health and on the management of invasive vegetation.
Scoring Habitat Attributes
The HQT tracks a number of habitat attributes that are important to the species. Over time, restoration actons will improve these attributes and benefit our target species. We track progess against our projections below.
Monarch Butterfly
Baseline
Projected
Projected Uplift
Exchange Registry
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