50 Years Ago, This Was a Wasteland. He Changed Everything | Short Film Showcase

Almost 50 years ago, fried chicken tycoon David Bamberger used his fortune to purchase 5,500 acres of overgrazed land in the Texas Hill Country. Planting grasses to soak in rains and fill hillside aquifers, Bamberger devoted the rest of his life to restoring the degraded landscape. Today, the land has been restored to its original habitat and boasts enormous biodiversity. Bamberger's model of land stewardship is now being replicated across the region and he is considered to be a visionary in land management and water conservation.
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The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners.
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In Selah: Water from Stone by Fin & Fur Films, see how former Church's Chicken CEO David Bamberger transformed a desert wasteland into a wildlife oasis.
Directed by Ben Masters: benmasters.com/
50 Years Ago, This Was a Wasteland. He Changed Everything | Short Film Showcase
• 50 Years Ago, This Was...
National Geographic
/ natgeo

[@garylucier3197]

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.”

[@ireneduke5022]

I planted a Rose of Sharon (Althea) 10 yrs ago in my front yard. Someone before me had planted one many yrs ago. The person who did, never saw his beautiful tree in its finest years; I did. His gorgeous bush died this summer - I saw its beauty for 17 summers. Now, I will never see my Rose of Sharon during its prime yrs; someone else will. This beautiful bush grows slow. This summer it is producing its first flock of flowers - its beauty is memorizing to one's eyes.. Rose of Sharon is one of God's favorite bush - it is in the book of Solomon.

[@anuragchoudhury7207]

Comment of the year

[@josephobenauer3093]

@Niko Roulias Most Excellent quote.

[@dudegreat3871]

Except if you watch the video, he CUT DOWN the trees to let the grass grow hahahha

[@lucasmoriconi94]

Or like this old fella here, plant some grass. AMAZING results

[@BryceLovesTech]

Why do we worship the wrong people in our society. This man is a hero

[@Chris-wi3vu]

Bryce totally agree with you, people that actually do something great don't get recognition they deserve

[@jfmc2581]

A True Christian thus very charitable. A true Patriot thus he loves his country and strives to make it better, And a true Capitalist thus for the success and greater good of all. There is a real lesson here that has never been needed more than now. Great story.

[@meiko431]

Bryce I very agree

[@MaghoxFr]

Jf Mc Exactly.

[@jameschristophercirujano6650]

Well you guys do for sure.

[@piyushdaigavhane3488]

I am presently 19, and this short film inspires me to buy barren land somewhere and plant a forest, so that I can educate my society and inspire others. I will surely do it.

[@snfow]

The smartest thing you could do then is find somewhere like this in your country , learn how, probably replant what would be there originally.

[@paultrauzzi5360]

The mark of a good citizen or steward is one that plants trees that he knows won't grow to maturity until after his death. You do it for the next generation.

[@Svensk7119]

Yes, what @snfow said. Grow native grasses/trees.

[@wendyscott8425]

Your forest won't do much for the land. What you need to do is plant grasses or bring in livestock to fertilize and stimulate the soil so the native grasses in the seed bank can start growing and putting their roots way down into the soil, capturing rain, and attracting all kinds of wildlife. Don't know where you live, but you might consider some beavers, too!

[@centurione6489]

I am 63 and I have been planting trees across two continents from Europe to Montana, to Florida.. I remember most of them. Some grew, , some died, some were removed , some ... I don't know ...🌲🌳🌴🌵

[@peted2770]

I have about an acre in my backyard that had been mowed for 60 years (family property). Last year I damaged my mower and paid someone to mow the front yard. We let the back grow wild and were impressed with how we started getting more life in it almost overnight. This year I didn't mow it and what an amazing change has happened. We have an abundance of butterflies, dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, rabbits, bees, and I even saw a couple garter snakes in there. My daughter and I walk through the field now and check out all the wildlife and flowers, it is beautiful.

[@Cristofre]

I stopped mowing a part of my property and had volunteer cherry trees and blueberry bushes come up. Lots of native flowers too. My property is much more healthy now.

[@anands5661]

cool!

[@garymccann2960]

I was just lazy and decided not to mow my backyard, grass got tall after 8 or 9 months, I got embarrassed decided to cut it, found a rabbit's nest. I left a 15 foot circle of tall grass and enjoyed watching the baby's grow.

[@stephaniebephanie3542]

We have 8 acres that was previously cattle pasture. we have let it grow and never mowed since we moved in 5 years ago. Our few goats and sheep deal with the noxious weeds and tree seedlings. The grass is thigh high. We love watching all the species you mentioned as well. We also live in an area where fireflies are abundant in summer. They are in our field in the millions! What a world!

[@Etdashou1]

What a beautiful story to share, thank you.

[@sunil.m.k]

True embodiment of "leave the world better than you found it"

[@OlSkunGun]

Just like polish king Kazimierz III Wielki

[@GreyDintZ]

But... churches... mass retail with a bigger carbon footprint than that property. It's not all roses.

[@nomcc5522]

Boy Scouts

[@bimfred]

He had a lot of ground to make up after profiting from fastfood. Industrial chicken farms are about as disrespectful to ‘the world’ as you get. And the obesity epidemic is no joke. Nice he found some personal redemption with all the millions he made from those two things.

[@ristonalaimo5048]

The guitar music in this clip sounds like Mae - Falling Into You

[@inthekitchen8842]

This man's property is about 50 miles from me. He removed non-native cedar trees. These cedars were brought to the Texas Hill Country centuries ago. They are a great nuisance and are water stealers. One adult cedar tree drinks about 300 gallons a week. When these trees are removed, native grasses and oaks and many other native trees begin to grow. Yes, even springs can begin to flow on some properties. His vision was amazing and his love of the Earth is a gift to all of us. God bless Texas!

[@DOTTORE_FOX]

In The Kitchen Gof bless the whole world... not just texas dude

[@MW-gh1mo]

Amazing, and he isn't a scientist.

[@grock610]

We have a ranch out in Spicewood and have been clearing cedars for the past decade. We had a spring pop up and it absolutely amazed us!

[@5thGenNativeTexan]

There aren't any "non-native" cedars in central Texas. The ashe juniper has been here for hundreds of centuries, but it was greatly limited to creek areas, etc, up until the middle 1800's when land began to be cleared in large amounts. As the land eroded and became more caliche, one of the few plants that could survive (ashe juniper) began to spread quickly and took hold literally everywhere.

[@inthekitchen8842]

@@5thGenNativeTexan thanks. I haven't heard that theory before. Interesting...

[@fivemjs]

As a Texan I know exactly how dry and unforgiving this land can be....and how incredibly beautiful and life giving it can be. Depends on who takes care of it.

[@davidbradford4105]

Agreed. As a Texan, I believe most of us would like to know this. I once heard in on a TV show a saying, "The young don't always listen to the old." Much of how to keep Texas lush was lost and he rediscovered it.

[@trumpetflowerII]

There was a time when no one needed to look after the land, as it was part of evolution. Putting roads through a national park, and collecting money does not automatically mean the system "cares". It does imply control that does not always benefit the park and its animals.

[@SickndSoul]

At 0:00:36 Was that not ignorant of him to separate Texas from the USA?

[@vascocampelo2054]

@@SickndSoul bro, did you ever have a dog? Ohhh you the cutest boy in the whole world, yes yes you are, you know what you are the cutest dog. No wait you the most cutest dog in the universe....etc

[@chrisphinney8475]

Best dog in the USA, Texas too. Y'all are so proud of your state

[@johngault8688]

Stories like this needs to be covered more often. It's incredible how we can restore land to thriving, bio-diverse natural landscapes.

[@cowsmuggler1646]

Who care is if some land that nobody is ever going see is better. Better to make burgers out of it. You just worship the rocks. But happy burgers not happy rocks.

[@kristinetrott5087]

​@@cowsmuggler1646 Well now, aren't you the stupid one?!

[@xoxonoso]

Heroes don't always wear capes. Sometimes, they sell fried chicken.

[@tidypog3272]

Not all heroes sell fried chicken. But all who sell fried chicken are heroes

[@arnie3631]

And plants trees

[@sharonsolana]

He really wasn't a hero to the chickens.

[@Sventasis]

@Styx62 Ga You are my role model. I wish I had your vision and courage to bring it to life!

[@thephoenix2176]

😂👏👏

[@jarvis911]

He literally made the world a more beautiful place to live in for others. That's the kind of legacy I want to leave

[@jimwilleford6140]

StONe AGe Amen

[@rogerdodger8415]

Start by voting out democrats

[@jarvis911]

@@rogerdodger8415 what good has voting ever done bro

[@rogerdodger8415]

@@jarvis911 It's not about what it does. It's what it keeps FROM being done. People who live in communist countries. Ones like North Korea and Cuba. They know what I'm talking about. I'm not a dude.. I'm a dudess.

[@jarvis911]

@@rogerdodger8415 my apologies my dudess but I don't trust in republicans or conservatives as we call them across the pond, they want to privatise everything for profits, a little bit of socialism is a good thing, just look at the NHS compared to the US healthcare system, everyone here in UK is proud of the NHS but it'd never happen in the US, don't get me wrong I'm not on either side of the fence, I despise them all equally

[@trinityreid1737]

RIP David Bamberger❤️, a legend that shaped my dreams and my character. A big part of who I am today and who I want to be. I love and miss you.

[@angelus2790]

"If you dont share what you have, youre gonna live a lonely life" -old mans wisdom is the best

[@tvdinner325]

Cue tRump and bezos. SELFISH!

[@sophiareygrace6656]

THIS is the type of content National Geographic should be more producing!!

[@naverilllang]

It's actually geographic in nature

[@Willybean08]

And not endless shark documentaries

[@bigmac7077]

Well guess what they produced it 😱😱😱

[@austinbevis4266]

Yeah enough stupid prison shows

[@BeardedDragonMan1997]

@@naverilllang Are you chinese

[@BertContr0l]

“There are no barren lands, only barren minds.”

[@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479]

Laffs in chernobly amd deserts

[@kamalganesh8789]

Epic.

[@greateagle8799]

@@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479 life thrives in deserts

[@greateagle8799]

@@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479 and plant life in chernobyl

[@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479]

@@greateagle8799 i would hesitate on calling it 'thrive' as it is abdundant, alot of life in deserts would thrive in forests given a few generations to get used to the area but almost any animals sent there can die quick, still i do admit alot of the cuter animals like the fennec foxes are a plus.

[@davidwarren4569]

This documentary shows that every situation is different. Here in Australia in some places where forest has been cleared and grasses and grain have been introduced, the underlying salt has turned land into unusable salt flats. We need to sit and reflect and observe each piece of land and see what works in our own situation.

[@FireflyOnTheMoon]

Cedars are not native to the area. It shows the importance of growing what is native to a place - trees, grasses, flowers

[@1Melody1963]

So true. I am in central North Carolina, USA. We have some grass areas, other places are hilly forested. Each different area hosts different plants and animals. As humans, we should strive to be good stewards of the land instead of making it into what suits us.

[@darlenelarochelle4011]

Absolutely! Non native floral and fauna create problems.

[@mariastellamelendez8670]

There are other videos on youtube where people buy desert property and build burms and swales and plant native trees and plants to bring back to life the land. Some countries are doing it also like Spain, and some African countries.

[@Sharkdog11b]

I can’t find a logical reason in the slightest for 1000 people to thumbs down this. This is a beautiful biography and a fine way to remind us the kind of person we should all strive to be.

[@g.christelbecker6349]

these are lonely, unhappy and foolish people who do that. always ignore thumbs down.

[@randolphtorres4172]

Either 1000 over educated people with no common sense at all or maybe they don’t like Church Chicken ie. Kentucky Fried Chicken stock holders.

[@TheAnon26]

Id guess its the part about government. Yes, individuals can make a difference. But without government action, the difference is minuscle - particularly because most humans are too lazy to change.

[@collection6062]

the elite 1% downvoted it because they want to destroy nature instead of paying people to repair it.

[@yahiadeif9336]

I can't give a reason why I disliked your comment...

[@epsospremium6088]

*Sold a profitable business to heal nature* on the private ranch. Nice life project to have. Good to see that he was happy with his life choices.

[@PapaTrump]

@epSos Premium sold a private business to retire. Moved to the country to live like he did when he grew up. Undid all the doing money grubbing capitalists did due to guilt and missing what he grew up with.That’s how I saw it.

[@jimwilleford6140]

epSos Premium I would guess much happier than most. He had found out that lots of money doesn’t make him happy. He used it as it should be used. To contribute the healing of the earth to others.

[@kristypolymath1359]

@@PapaTrump Why didn't he return to Ohio?

[@adam-ns1he]

@@PapaTrump you call it grubbing, quite telling of your lifes achievements lol

[@imonthewinningside8281]

Oh, come on, Michael and Jim! He wasn't unhappy with the money he made, and he wasn't guilty, and he certainly wasn't yearning to go back into poverty . He made his fortune, then was able to give back to the land he loved. Like Donald Trump. 😉

[@chrisconnor8086]

i went there every year in middle school thanks to one of the coolest teachers ever, Mr Matthews. He was good friends with Bamburger and two years we were able to stay in the cabins, for a weekend, as a field trip. I think it had a big impact on all of us

[@ToniBoordane]

Looks like it based on your avatar pic. When you have no connection to nature, you don’t take care of it. When you have a connection to it, you care about it

[@bigmac7077]

@SKROO GOOGLE no one cares

[@mike92505]

God bless good teachers.

[@RebekahSBryan]

I grew up in the hill country and I’m so sad that I’ve never heard of this place or even visited!

[@tannerannichiarico7255]

Shout out your school name then hahaha give a little credit

[@DXT61]

"If you don't share what you have, you are going to live a lonely life" Sharing comes from the heart. It is a gift from one to another without force or guilt attached to it.

[@janetchristian]

What a wonderful legacy. My parents lived in Fredericksburg, near Selah ranch, until they passed away. It's wonderful to see how Selah ranch has quite literally blossomed into something so special.

[@latesilvan4004]

This guy should be getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom instead of political hacks and lobbyist

[@Trunk874]

amen

[@brandonharris9237]

Preach it

[@pinarellolimoncello]

Or congressional medal of honour like John Rambo, he's a Green beret of land restoration. Hallelujah, put him in the book of life.

[@joeavelar2222]

Darn right! Or celebrities also!

[@MaximusXXX77]

I agree...and I don’t understand how if someone is a great athlete that entitles them to this prestigious award. Should only be given to individuals who have done great things for our American society!

[@STNG17-]

For the next generation, please don't destroy that oldman land. It's a beautiful legacy.

[@kevintunaley5079]

@MsBizzyGurl until some greedy corp pays government enough money to give them control of that land

[@tommoore2012]

@Kuuryo According to a comment below that was left by someone who says they live 50 miles from him, he removed all the invasive cedars. Now all the life in that area is entirely native.

[@OmaBike]

It will stay a preserve until the government wants to sell it for the mineral rights.

[@khaledaldalabih5530]

@SendMeNoodles Cedars are native to west coast area near the Pacific hot currents, due to no natural migration for birds from west to east, and the great arid lands in the Midwest there is no way Cedars seeds can reach the Texas without human intervention, it's definitely not native to area and the Eco system isn't ready for such invasive species

[@khaledaldalabih5530]

@SendMeNoodles thank you for the informative reply, i know the orginal Cedars as i'm for the ME, even the national flag of Lebanon has a Cedar on it< in Arabic it's called (Arz or أرزه).

[@MHTutorials3D]

A life spent the best way possible

[@DancingTeapot]

5:20 gave me chills when he said "...all of this can be done by you and I."

[@remedy....9040]

This is someone who used his success to not be financially wealthy but spiritually wealthy....You sir, are the American Dream...

[@Love-jf7rs]

He sure turned it back for God! God's Judgement: 'The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants, great and small and for destroying those who destroy the earth.” (The Holy Bible)

[@lelipstick]

Not just the American dream but humanity's dream ❤

[@lexicat6177]

The kind of person to aspire to be more like.

[@aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh]

this guy founded church's fried chicken and wants selah to be his legacy. respect.

[@iryboy]

In name of the lord .kill chicken tok pok pok

[@brianandlynphilippines]

@@iryboy if you mean the name church? No, Mr. Church was running a kitchen, serving chicken. Mr. Bamberger happened to try said chicken, loved it. Mr. Bamberger encouraged Mr. Church to go into the big business of Church's Fried Chicken, humbly keeping Mr. Church's name, even when Mr. Church decided he was ready to relinquish his stake in the business.

[@sheaross3124]

Respect indeed God bless much love from Kansas City USA;)

[@christophernolen4117]

What a wonderful,brilliant, beautiful legacy…a gentleman from Ohio has to come to the scenic Hill Country and has discovered/ nurtured the Hill Country fountain of youth. Bravo sir! May your legacy live on and other Hill country land owners repeat this successful plan that will bring life back to the sometimes parched hills of central Texas!

[@mfcarpino]

What an amazing human being. The world needs many more people like him.

[@longlowdog]

This moved me. I own a wee patch of land in Scotland and I'm managing it for wildlife and this inspires me to do more, learn more, be more.

[@onefeather2]

May the Good Lord Bless you and protect you.🙂🙂❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@_despresso_]

HackNoodle27 why do we always find ourself with people like you🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️😔🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ Like if you don’t like it okay, but please keep your thoughts for yourself if they won’t do any good to anyone or anything. Thank you.

[@justjazz784]

Bless you brother. I wish you well in your efforts on your land. Scotland is a wonderful land, filled with wonderful people. Even if I don't understand those people sometimes :-)

[@longlowdog]

@@justjazz784 what don't you understand about us? We are not all woad painted Picts with a grudge. Some us are really quite nice folk.

[@justjazz784]

@@longlowdog ah mate every Scotsman I've run across have been absolutely lovely. It's just the accent at times can be overwhelming, especially in a big group :P. Nothing but love for Scotland :)

[@dominikno3495]

When he vanished from that little bench i choked up so much. Stories like this, especially from older people, are telling us what we are all about, what we are here for. We just have to listen carefully.

[@MeTheRareBird]

Absolutely agree, i wasn't ready for that vanishing effect, one tear fell.. Thr elderly have the life experience we must listen, they know better than us all

[@eddiedickens3184]

Dominik No This is a great man,most people aren't good enough to breathe the ssme air as this gentleman.

[@cucco1]

In this case it's totally true.

[@ethanphaethon7608]

Same, I'm tearing up... Such a wonderful person. :(

[@kwangkim1235]

Diggy d lmao and what good are you doing exactly?

[@DoomsdayDame]

"You're the finest dog in the United States of America." I'm crying and it's only just started

[@alexreyes1766]

"And Texas too." Love that quote from the video

[@IVMRGREENXX]

same here. that last scene too.

[@thialove2121]

@@alexreyes1766 I laughed thinking the add on to the sentence was the zinger... "And Texas too!"

[@WildWestGal]

Yup, same here... And the ending scene! 😢 This lovely soul chose to align himself with the Divine intent, and It touches the heart in a very deep way.

[@nathanmoro5589]

Anytime I am bogged down by what is going on in the world, I return to this video and feel so much peace. Thank you David.

[@Xscapeplan01]

"If you don't share what you have your going to have a lonely life" - God bless this man.

[@thereisnopandemic]

JAY PARIS better a lonely life than surrounded by leeches.

[@thereisnopandemic]

***** survival of the fittest

[@momentary_]

+Joseph Mauricio Flores Humans became the dominant species of Earth by becoming social and working together. No species using the selfish individual model such as tigers, bears or sharks can compete with us. You basically want us to de-evolve back into a lesser species.

[@thereisnopandemic]

sexyloser​​ We do as we please if there is no god. Survival of the fittest who cares if others can't make it right. Who cares if others do not make it, and who cares if we de-evolve since we personally will be dead to enjoy the evolution a million years from now. Do thou wilt, for we die tomorrow if evolution is true being selfish its what is best for us individually.

[@momentary_]

+Joseph Mauricio Flores Human species becomes weaker when people revert back into selfish individuals instead of a cooperative group. "Survival of the fittest" means the fittest species survives, not the fittest individuals survive. One lion is more fit than one human in most situations, but 100 humans is more fit than 100 lions in every situation.

[@sahgahndeezbahls1536]

KZbin, recommend more videos like this to us. Not how Taco Bell cinnamon twists are made at 3 am.

[@DailyRandomness]

as I look down at my clock and its 2 45 am lol

[@motleycat5030]

Haha

[@jesse8600]

How are taco bell cinnamon twists made?

[@stickybeans7475]

Then like these videos!!!

[@Nadya2004]

😂 I watched that video too

[@otool]

I would love to be able to meet Mr. Bamberger and just listen. The world needs more like him.

[@urbanhistoria1991]

This is powerful. Hugely inspiring what he's accomplished and the message he carries with it.

[@akeelabbas28]

"If you dont share what you have you will live a lonely life" wow

[@nagihangot6133]

Most people are not interested in what you have to share, lmao. They want that hype and "live".

[@jonathanprisbrey9473]

Money will be dust in a thousand years, friends are eternal.

[@hiba756]

I read the comment right when he was saying that... I got chills

[@magniwalterbutnotwaltermag1479]

@@jonathanprisbrey9473 friends and family come and go aswell, the moments with them are the eternal ones

[@borbors]

Well I've shared my whole life now I'm lonely and poor...

[@higherresolution4490]

David Bamberger is the kind of person you'd want to continue living on earth for hundreds of years. There are so few people like him. Who would replace him? Not many. A wonderful film-shared on 2 Facebook pages.

[@eddvcr598]

Tomas Nofziger - There may not be many who are able to replace him, but if we each do our part in protecting our planet, then collectively we can continue David Bamberger’s legacy.

[@jgcrepooc]

This film you mention..how to find it..it sounds interesting...

[@omw2fub559]

@@jgcrepooc this video itself is the short film😂

[@chanphi25]

"Two and half years after we began, the first spring came to life ,as we continued on..another spring showed up.." Aaa.. Music to my ears 🕊

[@truthseeker9688]

Simply wonderful. Thank you, Mr Bamburger.

[@madtheumbreonlol6272]

What a legacy you will leave. Bless You!

[@astroflight6571]

Good job old boy, but your legacy will likely evaporate, because government does not want springs, ponds and lakes everywhere, they don't want people like you to provide a simple answer, because they are greedy, they want water to be hidden and rare so they can charge big dollars for it. That's the truth.

[@pantufeve4702]

Last time I checked government comprised of people like you and me. Your pessimistic view on life and government is generalist and sad. "Your legacy will likely evaporate, because..." the truth in your view is futileness, dark, hopelessness, and lifeless. You've already given up and are now campaigning for others to join you in your misery. Mr. Bamberger's legacy will NOT "evaporate" because you want to prove a point on government; rather, if you hear what he said was "ALL OF THIS CAN BE DONE BY YOU AND I. WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE GOVERNMENT AS WE CAN'T EXPECT GOVERNMENT TO DO IT ALL ANYWAY." Btw, "Good job old boy?" - Egocentric and disrespectful. Manners are what lacking on the Internet when expressing opinions and views. If you EVER have children take note on bring HOPE and LIFE to them instead of being combative to my sincere recommendation.

[@astroflight6571]

You misunderstood. In Australia, much outback farm land has become arid and worthless, unable to sustain stock much less wildlife, however one farmer listened to an old Aboriginee. The lesson was to cease all weed control, leave the land be, give it time to heal. He trialed it on a large block and after a couple of years the result was amazing; it was full of the very weeds that had been previously sprayed and torn out, but grasses and shrubs came back; it was able to sustain stock with little to no maintenance, and the wildlife was back too. He did not preach or publish, but the owners of neighbouring properties noticed, so he told them. It worked for them too. Does the government promote the approach? No, it does not. Do they care? Probably not, it doesn't fit with their agenda. It is down to the individual. I should add that most land owners do not follow the protocol, it is not promoted by government, so must be garbage. To too many, government is still Daddy.

[@crazy808ish]

Well if there's anyone who knows the trouble of maintaining land and an ecosystem, it's someone in Australia for sure.

[@nunyabiznez6381]

In the United States we have a region known as the Midwest. It is also known as the breadbasket of our nation and is where most of the nation's grain is grown. Formerly it was millions of acres of grasslands where millions of bison roamed. They would eat the grass and poop thus fertilizing yet another generation of grass. Then we came along and killed off the bison and plowed up the grasslands and turned them into vast megafarms to supply the nation with wheat, corn and other grains. For the last century and a half we have been sucking the water out of the aquifer. Some scientists believe there are fewer than fifty years before the aquifer is completely dried up. When that happens, our breadbasket will become a great sandy desert like the Sahara. The top layers of soil will blow off like it partially did in the 1930's. There is soil in Africa and Asia that blew there across the Atlantic Ocean 75 years ago. The next time that happens will be worse. There will be no soil left. There will be nothing but sand left. This will stretch from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains and from southern Canada to Texas and even to Mexico. Both our grain production and our cattle production will cease and for the first time in our history we will need to import food to survive. We can stop it but nobody will want to. We need to do as you suggest. We need to let the land heal. We need to cut back on our grain production and let the aquifer replenish itself. We need to stop pumping up all the water out of the aquifer.

[@JohnDoe-fv3vs]

People like this guy should live 3 lifetimes... such good they do for the earth.

[@corsomagenta]

maybe they do. Who knows what God does?

[@coffeeenema6958]

Yes he will, it's called reincarnation. Just has to change bodies

[@zed4225]

We need more David Bamberger's in this world. How satisfying for David to see his dream come to fruition. Absolute legend

[@mmpw5775]

I cry because he’s a beautiful soul. I cry because we don’t honor stewards of this beautiful earth. 🙏

[@rondarawson6236]

Yes ..indeed it has made me cry....I think any caretaker of this earth....feels the happiness when part of the world is healed.....peace be with you...❤

[@matthewsawczyn6592]

"He's the finest dog in the United States of America. And Texas, too."

[@CoolGuy-dg9nf]

The irony!!

[@nunpuiisingson298]

Can you please explain that to me? Isn't Texas a state in the U.S? I'm an outsider so I don't really get the irony.

[@Mr362silent]

Damaged lips alot of us Texans consider Texas it's own country lol

[@nunpuiisingson298]

@@Mr362silent okay. Thank you for you're reply.

[@toothytube]

@@Mr362silent : And a lot of us "non" Texans fully support those of you that seek succession and territorial independence. Of course, we would much prefer that you took most of the other "former" Confederate States of America with you, but Texas would be a big step in the right direction.

[@markvos2692]

This is my dream to help restore natural habitats to help work with the environment, instead of against it. This man is so inspiring, and I love seeing things like this to help give ecologists like me some hope about today's world.

[@williambuck9744]

Mark Vos first you must have the financial means

[@amizzlebear7728]

Mark Vos please for the sake of the earth, follow your dream!!! I am following that goal too :)

[@MandeepSingh-bv2zw]

Same here

[@GuillotineQuene]

Who would thumbs down this?... This is amazing. More people need to have this kind of drive.

[@SimielBlack]

This video provides no evidence that the place was a "wasteland" before he got there. The pictures of him drilling show shrubs and trees, not desolate rocky environments like its implied. I'm not saying he's lying about the underlying geology, I'm just pointing out that the video doesn't present what he means by "wasteland". For all we know it could have had a thriving ecosystem that he didn't like the look of and turned it into a temperate forest.

[@martinmckenna759]

@@SimielBlack I’m sure if you want to learn more information for the answers to your questions, you could use the internet to find the answers.

[@SimielBlack]

@@martinmckenna759 I was explaining why people could dislike the video, the actual answers are irrelevant. The video is bad at presenting it's own story.

[@creepyzebra]

I rewatch this film every time it pops up in my feed. Absolutely stunning conservationism and a really well put together documentary.

[@CallumMcCartney]

Not enough people care for the world because they've never learnt to appreciate their surroundings. You can appreciate these places, but actively trying to recreate them not only leaves you with satisfaction but creates a place in history which people could enjoy for centuries.

[@CallumMcCartney]

PogChampignon Wouldn't have made my comment if I didn't believe in what I said. I grew up in a semi rural village around a lot of farm land, wetlands and often used to go to the lakes with my dad and grandad where they child get away from work and a busy city life. I used to go fishing, look after animals and my Grandmother and dad taught me how to grow certain things and what to do with them. To be fair I'm quite annoyed at the fact you're basing my likes from videos on how I am and what I believe in, because that's a very narrow selection. But think what you want, even if you are under the impression that 'millennials' only preach this for a sense of self fulfilment. Quite jealous that you managed to actually have a childhood on an island where not much urban life would interfere with everything.

[@LoisoPondohva]

***** you're a kinda shite of a person.

[@agner1787ify]

Callum McCartney im so happy u said that and i hope u have done as much as u expect from others.

[@Favorline]

The problem is. look at the enocnemy. 60%+ live in porperty or with low income meaning they don't have the money to do this kind of thing. even if they wanted badly to do so. This old man even said that he used the capital from the sold firm to do this. So stop bitching and let those who got the money do this. I want this and i want more green solutions. but i know i don't have the money to do much about it. but a lot of people has plente of money to do this with out even making a dent in their money. why don't they ?

[@HappyMemoriesFoto]

What a beautiful dream, to find the worst piece of land possible and turn it into an oasis. Most of us have wrong dreams, unfortunately.

[@oh8wingman]

I don't believe we have the wrong dreams. Instead, I tend to think most of the worlds population cannot afford to have dreams. Don't get me wrong. What Mr. Bamberger did here is a truly inspiring and great thing. The problem is simply that most of the world are just trying to survive and they will do whatever it takes to do so.

[@arditcullhaj7303]

Yes sir

[@jaydentownsend5402]

At the end I guess a dream of just trying to be better every day, nicer, stronger etc. That's just as good a dream as you get. In retirement, if possible a place like this is just the last piece in the puzzle of doing good and education others. In the west we aint looking up to teachers as much as we used to.

[@jonothandoeser]

I want a Mercedes.

[@spilatino2888]

That’s my dream as well, I’m hoping to do it in a huge desert out in California or the middle east

[@fabsouth69]

I chucked up a few tears when you talked about how this would be your legacy. This is a beautiful person people, a treasure

[@QUINTUSMAXIMUS]

For me, he's the biggest celebrity. What he did was amazing. He created a paradise. We need more people like that.

[@ichirinov3833]

He is the type of people this world urgently needs.

[@ShawnScott]

Went here for a weekend as a teenager and it was one of the best experiences of my life.

[@TheRainHarvester]

Do you camp there, or is it exhibit land? What is there?

[@laurafedora5385]

That’s amazing, he would love to know that.

[@ShawnScott]

@@TheRainHarvester I went as part of a camp I was in the summer of 1994.

[@sir2022]

This is a great and inspirational story and wish all of us could grasp the idea of being good stewards towards the land and nature. Thank you so much for sharing this story with us.

[@davidc6032]

I've lived most of my adult life in central Texas. The hill country is not towering and spectacular like the Rockies (I've live there too), but it has an ancient and sublime feel to it that really lends itself to quiet contemplation as Mr. Bamberger said. It's terrific that he put his property into balance vs. the cockeyed grazing lands that are basically throwing gasoline on the fire.

[@Whipspur]

There’s nothing in this short documentary that said anything against grazing…it was overgrazed, yes. But with rest and the removal of a non-native invasive species(cedars), it became usable again. The grazing of grass is 100% natural to prairie land.

[@ashkachui]

Back in our childhood days, we had one old women who would plant grass in our neighborhood ground. We would laugh and mock the old lady, but later on we realize that grass was necessary to avoid soil erosion.

[@juancena1117]

Ash Kachui i thought Grass was useless

[@hairudinabdkarim7284]

the main purpose of grass is to harvest water from air

[@uciel_6628]

Hairudin Abd Karim this is real dude,are you have some scientific article to prove this. kinda insteresting with your comment

[@hairudinabdkarim7284]

+deslon samosir I have no article. but I saw this everyday in my backyard. you can see it every morning. a drop of water accumulate at the tip of grass. and the soil is wet.

[@ngborshing2359]

Grasses or if you have a natural lawn in your house helps in *purifying the air from dust and others, to some extent * takes most of the carbon dioxide * gives you oxygen to breathe *absorbs most of the heat in turn keeping the area a lil bit cooler * helps in soil erosion *a recreational area * also helps in stopping fire hazards for your house from wildfire * it purifies rainwater and also the water underground quality. This are some of the beneficial of having a natural lawn grasses .

[@victorfanai3243]

Something is seriously wrong. How can anyone dislike human stories like these.

[@annesitsgirls7566]

Victor Fanai only stupid people does

[@warrenbrowne9648]

Just needs a few plastic bags in the tree branches 😘- I’m joking 😳

[@christianfreedom-seeker934]

Lol the wacky environmentalist nut jobs disliked this!

[@tiadeese]

I thought the same thing. How could anyone diskike this? 😭

[@microde_8351]

They liked it so much, they turned their device upside down and liked it again

[@cstarkey4868]

Love everything Ben Masters does. First saw him in Unbranded/and bought his book. Then found him again on The River and the Wall. Now this. He's better than anything in Hollywood times ten!

[@CheeferSutherland]

He is everything I’m aspiring to be. I promise to do everything I can to leave this world in a much better place than I found it.

[@briangarrow448]

Stories like this give me hope for my grandchildren. Well done, sir, well done...

[@kevlarvesty1195]

Brian Garrow the hope of everybody relies on government officials not pushing the button anywhere around the world

[@jerryhernandez1895]

Brian Garrow I don't have any grandchildren I'm only 13 years old but if I ever do I hope they carry out a great legacy. Sadly my grandfather from my dads side passed away almost 2 years ago and I never met him. I will hopefully meet my grandfather from my dads side.

[@jonathan.gasser]

You could make a movie out of this wise man

[@33ro0]

Oh man would I love to see that. Great idea!!

[@praveentkphotography569]

True

[@nadavlee]

100% movie material

[@snackattack9755]

He is a multimillionaire doing the same thing the govt (people) want. Taxes could do that.

[@PaperadiGomma123]

@Cro-Magnon Beta : exactly, he's just a very rich man that decided to get his park.

[@aussieanne6812]

I just stumbled across this inspiring story - lifted my spirits immeasurably. In these difficult COVID times we all need uplifting stories that inspire and help us to reflect on what really matters in this world.

[@roboudshoorn5820]

Such an amazing and inspiring human. And how his vision provided a landscape for nature to thrive again. ❤❤❤

[@huehue5286]

"We can't expect government to do it all" that's the hard truth people don't want to know.

[@RaulDukeKnife]

Hue Hue he didn't mean that to be a hard truth chief. It's a nice way of saying the government don't have the means and wouldn't be interested in great things like this if they did have the means. Most folks don't want anything from the government; just less harm. When you harm something in Mother Nature, you are a nemesis. Only problem is some folks can't fight back against that enemy, so they look to that enemy for mercy -- those are the folks you think "don't want to know" Try again red state brother.

[@jimwilleford6140]

Hue Hue Government can do a great deal however.

[@StanleyKowalski.]

government cant do it all , i agree, but at least it shouldnt adopt policies that polluting land and air

[@fierceapes]

Forget whether the government does or does not have the means to do it, the government constantly does it for the wrong reasons. They want to line their pockets with money, harnessing the water into electro-power. Ugly concrete dams, rerouting water that has a direct devastation on its original source. Every person on this planet, including me, is the #1 enemy of nature. We are destructive, we do things to nature that we do not fully understand or foresee the consequences, nor would we accept them. This guy is no enemy of nature, more like it's best friend. It takes a very rare kind of person to do this. Resilience, perseverance and patience. I'm impressed.

[@RealJudyi]

But they a So shouldn't get in the way. Which is what lobbying is.

[@Lucien-dx8rd]

This reminds me of a wonderful place in New Zealand called Tahi. They turned rundown farm land too a native forest with more species than most of New Zealand’s national parks. It restored wetlands that where drained and started getting rid of pests.

[@suzannefronzaglio2427]

This is reminding me of a video I watched recently, of Deborah Tavares explaining how there is NO water shortages, and the expert on "Primary Water" drilling technique, that she interviewed. We need to get back to the "old ways" in EVERYTHING!

[@onikataoka8286]

the world desparately needs more people like him.

[@owenttddedd5728]

That's the kind of men that we need in this world....beautiful documentary God bless him.

[@Gunner6000WarZ]

If you didn't tell me this guy was from Texas, this line right here woulda gave it away. "You don't have to have government. You can't expect government to do it all anyway."

[@thefpvlife7785]

Gunner6000WarZ I'm a native New Yorker n we know we can never depend on Govnt.

[@gadblatz4841]

Gotta love that old fashioned American anarchism.

[@escapefromny2012]

It takes MONEY.

[@3506Dodge]

government was essential the creation of the oil and gas industry and to tech that is increasingly important in Texas. Don't be ungrateful jerks.

[@velvetindigonight]

No you can do it in your own back yard and your own parks and green spaces. I got involved in the volunatary management and care of mine and there changing. In the UK our gardens total an area the size of the county of Suffolk 3,800 km squared. If everyone rewilded some of their garden eg let the grass and wild flowers grow, make a wildlife pond, plant a fruit tree and some fruit bushes this provides oxygen and a place for the wild, food and is good for our soul. We are not helpless we have the power if enough of us get involved. You seem despondent do look up the transformation of the Loess Plateau by the Chinese and the Knepp Estate in the UK. Hope it gives you hope? Hx

[@escazuzu9950]

I'm currently trying to create (or manipulate) a garden in Texas. This reminds me that I need to look at what was here before and take her back to what she had been. This video is truly inspirational. I hope to visit this place one day.

[@Mojo522]

One of your best stories ever National Geographic.

[@Wilscuts]

This man has my dream life

[@isaacmuscat]

no such thing, this guy worked to make this possible, you can do that too once you put your dreams into practice 😊

[@praveentkphotography569]

Me too

[@kreigdernier9553]

Wil 718bx i suggest you get selling that chicken then

[@johnnye.baldiv3581]

Kreig Dernier haha haha

[@msinaanc]

Wil 718bx Take a look at permaculture gardens man. They are splendid!

[@rickferrier3496]

Could you imagine if most or all of the wealthy had this mans attitude it would change the world for the better.

[@MaghoxFr]

Rick Ferrier The wealthy probably do all these things and more. Middle class is cancer.

[@Tokiohotel192]

Middle Class is not cancer. We have the biggest impact on the circulation of money through the economy. Your uneducated perspective is a disease.

[@candidegunn3624]

The wealthy are the ones who destroyed it in the first place and they do 99% of the destroying of the Earth.

[@thomassherer5962]

Some ... of the Wealthy

[@argh523]

Lacy Monster - Lol "If you don't believe me, watch some conservative billionair propaganda plz"

[@dawnsstar5918]

Now THAT gives a a real meaning to leave the wortld better than when you came in it!! Just Wow.... Mr. David Bamberger should be a household name.....and he should be well known more than what he is. I know I won't forget this guy.

[@3kingsmia]

This works in places with decent rainfall not in every place. But grasslands are vital and a big problem is we lost the Buffalo who graze, fertilize and proliferate them. We've also farmed out most of the grassland of the Midwest. It's a complicated issue, we've thrown a wrench into our natural ecosystems.

[@Donnah1979]

Even deserts have rainfall. The trick is to find plants, who are drought resistant and indigenous to the area and start with those.

[@JW4REnvironment]

Well said. Mr. Bamberger sets out a nice example of helping the land to heal. I like that Dwight Eisenhower also said that he is most proud of leaving his piece of land in better condition, as the person who led D-Day and liberated Europe from Nazism. Bravo to the current administration for its goal of leaving 30% of the United States ecosystems and lands intact as open space. The will help to allow nature to continue to provide us so many ecosystems benefits like clean water and biodiversity.

[@sahej6939]

It’s not really complicated. It’s big Agro and cheap meat and corn syrup bio fuel

[@risk5riskmks93]

Check out the company Wild Idea.

[@sagadabeans]

You lost your Buffalo because there was a deliberate, concerted campaign to eradicate them.

[@tubqhe]

Beautiful story. Bring back the birds, bees, meadows and streams. Time to turn them deserts into a paradise.

[@kingpopaul]

Bees were imported, bumblebees and other pollinators are mostly native from NA though.

[@pinarellolimoncello]

tubqhe Am with you pal.

[@wcskeleton1388]

kingpopaul bees are still incredibly useful to the ecosystems

[@francineroot-adler7205]

Israel did! The only green space in the Middle East!

[@pyramidship596]

If we turned something like Sahara into green lands and jungles it would destroy the amazon rain forest.

[@NewEnglandViews]

Honestly... One of the best videos on KZbin 💛

[@jimwilleford6140]

New England Views Yes. I wonder if other ranchers surrounding him, did the same....

[@NewEnglandViews]

Jim Willeford excellent question. Would make a nice video for a follow up.

[@Suresh8848m]

Wow...what a motivating guy David Bamberger is? He is a true hero and I have a great respect for him. He taught us a wonderful lesson that will be remembered for generations to come if humanity makes it that far, given our current state of ecological crisis.

[@alexanderrestucci3604]

This almost brought me to tears. Beautiful short film about a beautiful person doing his very best for our mother Earth..

[@nurulanizazainudin]

Respect to this person. Happy Earth Day to you sir. You inspired me.

[@rihardsrozans6920]

Not cool man, she would need a mans permission for that.

[@mickeyd8747]

That is beautiful Nurul Aniza Zainudin. You are a good person.

[@nurulanizazainudin]

Maruigi17 killing is a crime.

[@nurulanizazainudin]

Rihards Rožāns i speak for me. i don't need to have anyone's permission.

[@Thataussiebattler]

This is paradise!....what a gentleman and what a beutiful place.

[@woodyspooner]

Beautiful, the world needs more people with this man's vision that turned a dry waste land into paradise🌱🌿🌻

[@robertlayng2732]

This man's example of reclamation and stewardship, is an example who we really want to be. God bless you!

[@09876631163]

Such a self less act. You brought tears in my eyes sir.

[@joannecarroll5504]

lovely, but not selfless; he increased the value of his original property investment by millions, that's clever.

[@dianemoonstone4715]

+Joanne Carroll : He's "given the land to a foundation"...which will allow it to go on "in perpetuity" as part of his legacy long after he's dead. Well done, Mr Bamberger. Something we can hopefully all emulate.

[@marymotch]

I’m literally balling my eyes out. Although I don’t believe he’s a botanist, he learned what was actually native to that area and transformed it to how it should be. For anyone that doesn’t know, this is a micro example of HOW the dust bowl happened. They removed the native grasses, the water disappeared from the ground, and it stopped raining bc there was no water. I grew up in the middle of the woods in Ohio with a great big stream system literally in my driveway. My childhood experiences IS the reason why I love environmental science. I believe every child should have access to native untouched land, so that they can explore and learn. Thank you for inspiring me, I hope that more follow in your footsteps ❤️

[@rianabrand]

Wonderfull!

[@MrTwitch62]

It is also why you will see most all farms will have tree lines

[@MrTwitch62]

@Heloise O'Byrne Good question! A tree line is something you will see a lot of farmers do to keep the wind from blowing all their soil away and protects the fields some. When you pass by a farmers field and you look, you will see lines and patches of trees growing in the middle of them.

[@MrTwitch62]

@Heloise O'Byrne We learned the hard way due to the dust bowl in the 1930's. You are welcome for the response.

[@sahej6939]

but untouched isn’t quite right, since restoration is key

[@reeblesnarfle4519]

A most beautiful film, in every way. God bless this gentleman, his ranch, and his dog. 🙏❤

[@gamtngirl3655]

Can’t we all just hear this man’s message... So life changing.

[@peanut703]

Wish more people with such wealth were more like this man. Truly a hero in my eyes.

[@Sklouchechi]

I really hope no one touches this land, just preserve it and spread.

[@adic9091]

The earth needs more people like him. What an inspiration.

[@blueyedsole]

What a life sir...so humble from beginning to end. Well done, God bless.

[@ripmartin1673]

"Finest dog in the United States, Texas too!" had me crackin up

[@yahiadeif9336]

You're humor is broken, so is your mom's back

[@DiscipleOfChristDV]

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. --- Greek proverb

[@danielhughes284]

But he literally cut down the trees and planted grass instead...

[@headlights-go-up]

I sincerely hope you and Daniel Hughes didn't take "plant trees" as literally planting trees. If you take every word of a proverb literally you're going to have a bad time.

[@KandelaGC]

@@headlights-go-up well said

[@xgi36]

He removed scrub cedar trees that consume about 10 gallons of water each day. I have planted thousands of trees and at 82 continue plant.

[@bob_frazier]

I'm retired, and I'm planting baby trees, but I'm in western Oregon.

[@brandonhiraeth4537]

I can't watch this without tears in my eyes. This is so important and the emotions it makes me feels are honestly overwhelming.

[@zed4225]

I feel the exact same

[@loranv3435]

BLESS YOU SIR, FOR ALL THE GOOD THINGS YOU HAVE DONE.

[@BrooklynBeTheBoro]

So happy that I stumbled across this video. His spirit and genuine love of nature is so amazing. I couldn't help smiling from ear to ear throughout the video.

[@codjh9]

I took a tour of his ranch about 10 years ago. It's great, and I greatly appreciate what he's done.

[@heribertoramos7739]

You sir changed me watching this video.. i hope to serve the world one a day as you did.. thank you for this.

[@ayushpratap8837]

Wow ❤️... People should also really consider watching 'dhun' and other land revival stories from India. Where tribal men and women have single handedly turned barren land in lush forests.

[@Alucia0]

What an amazingly wonderful story. This is a story of true love for this world. What a beautiful legacy.