I Bought A Wasteland To Turn It Into A Desert Forest

I Spent $79,000 On a Wasteland in Texas. Why? I aim to transform the most isolated desert in Texas into a thriving desert forest, establishing a homestead for me, my family and volunteers. To ensure the success of my ambitious project in this remote location, several crucial steps must be undertaken. The key components include desert irrigation, the construction of shelters, and the utilization of heavy equipment such as bulldozers and skid steers. Each one of these factors is critical and I have no experience at all in any of them. Will I succeed? Let's find out!
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⏱️TimeStamps⏱️
0:00 Most Isolated Spot in Texas. Chihuahuan Desert, West Texas
1:35 About me, my business, and Desert Forest
4:09 Before I Bought this Ranch in Texas, I came out to inspect it
4:45 Route to get to this Ranch
5:11 Sierra Blanca, Hudspeth County, Texas
6:15 How people live in the Desert
6:57 Coming down this ranch road first time
7:36 The challenge of finding your property
8:10 Finally, I reached my land
8:33 Buying land in Texas
9:06 Drone Footage of my Land
9:44 What is the Desert Forest?
10:32 Potential to Capture Massive Amounts of Water
11:46 My plan for Phase 1
Hi, my name is Shaun and I am 41 with a beautiful family: a wife and three young kids.
I live in Texas and I run my own business integrating software systems, which keeps me busy.
Yes, tech is my job, but geeking out on tech isn’t what I do in my free time; I spend HOURS daydreaming about permaculture.
I’m always looking for adventures.
That's why I lived in Yemen for two years learning Arabic, which I speak fluently.
And now I'm buying 320 acres of West Texas wasteland?!?
“What is wrong with you?” - that’s a direct quote from my wife, although she eventually did give me permission to steam ahead.
You might ask, “Why buy this land?”
I want a challenge. Longer term, it’s a good business project.
After my wife gave me her blessing, one of the first properties that came up matched absolutely everything I was looking for. The land is almost completely barren. Monsoon rains bring water at the height of summer, when it’s most needed.
I don't know if this project will work out for me or not, but one thing is for sure: it will be interesting.
#westtexas #wasteland #desertforest #dustups

[@rom7633]

Hi, Land Development Civil Engineer here. I really like your project and what you're trying to do. A recommendation I really encourage is to build a shelter with supplies first before you do any work to change the land, just you have somewhere to ride out storms and to store any equipment you get to do changes to the land. I also recommend hiring a landscape architect or civil engineer to draw some overall plans for your drainage features. You don't want to accidentally ruin all your hard work in building up the soil by having it washed away. They'll draw plans that include things like silt fencing to keep in disturbed soil. It helps to get multiple perspectives, so I'd also recommend asking people in nearby Native Reservations what plants/practices work best for this land too.

[@rockjockchick]

Good ideas. It’s always good to see what others are doing/have done.

[@machtschnell7452]

No native reservations in Texas and virtually no federal lands outside of National Parks. There are sovereign advantages in joining the USA as a republic as opposed to a territory.

[@DavidSiebert]

A shelter would be a really good idea. Not just for safety but as a place to stay while doing work. Not having to do the drive will give you a lot of extra work time

[@threeriversforge1997]

Excellent point about the storage building. Homesteadenomics has a good channel here on KZbin and one of the things that stands out is how he never puts up a building on his desert property without figuring some way to use the roof's surface area to capture rainwater. In arid climates, every inch of surface you can get means gobs of rain collected if you can install some barrels.

[@KA-om9oz]

Civil city boy..haha. better stick to making mailboxes

[@vonheise]

I am 76, my accomplishments are behind me, however, my thirst for watching others accomplish goals never ends. I not only learn things I will not use, but love watching others enjoy their successes, whether it is someone sailing around the world, turning a school bus into a home, or growing something in the desert, it is all new and interesting to me! Enjoy this journey, and I suspect you will succeed in this project as you have in the past...

[@Automedon2]

So many things to do in life, aren't there Ken? I have had a crazy 66 years and I thought I'd done everything I wanted, but videos like this one make my mouth water for more experiences. I have enough years left in me for one more big adventure.

[@vonheise]

@@Automedon2 My bucket list, before I had ever heard of one, was to visit or camp in every state, go to Australia and Panama, and skydive. I almost completed the list, and the military added Europe which was not on my list. At some point after retiring from the Air Force, I decided it was not a good idea to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, so I erased the skydiving goal. I fly drones now, and envy those who sail or live near interesting places to video, however I do enjoy watching others do it.

[@jamesstrickland5387]

my neighbor is 85 and just bought a new red camaro. Still alot left to do!

[@SilentKnight43]

@@jamesstrickland5387 Fairly sure I was behind him the other day with his left-turn signal blinking for 2 miles. But hey, good for him at 85. I'm nearing 60 and recently bought a StingerGT-2. Never too old.

[@noraroseexclusive]

Hello, how are you doing today and how’s the weather out there?

[@user-xm1sp5zr2n]

I am 51 years old from yemen I am very happy to see your steps forward successfully We have a good experience in our country how to deal With this kind of desert lands and as i understood from your video that the water is very near to reach and this the most important thing Best wishes for you

[@dawnhuss5793]

I encourage you to talk to an ecologist familiar with that area. People tend to look at deserts as wastelands, but they are anything but to the animals and plants that live there. A desert forest sounds wonderful as a person, but you may find it’s detrimental in some ways to some species. It’s also worth considering the downstream effects as you catch more of that precious water. I’m not saying it’s a bad idea or anything, but I would encourage you to know what’s there and what the key dynamics of your ecosystem and water systems are before you change them. It will help guide your decisions and increase your success.

[@aarms304]

Came here looking for this comment. I think this guy likes permaculture…but not ecology or conservation. Sad he’s going to scrape and modify all this beautiful desert land.

[@mmmSandwiches]

Permaculture is a design system for creating sustainable human environments. I feel like he missed this point and is just playing with nature.

[@NH-jm9fq]

great response.

[@Jen.O]

As a part time Mojave desert resident, I know from personal experience seeing others try to do what you propose that this flys in the face of desert ecology. Probably the first pont is that once you break the fragile desert surface and remove the protective desert 'crust' you will open up a Pandora's box of sand storms and erosion in ways that can never be mended. Learn about your ecology and how you can live WITH IT not AGAINST IT.

[@jameslibby5215]

This. Its important to learn how to work with the native environment. Putting non-native plants into the area can be awful for the environment. I'm sure there is a lot of things that can be done with the native ecology.

[@stevejohnstonbaugh9171]

You need to know your boundary lines definitively. Start as close to the mountain range (highest elevation) where your catchments and swales will be most effective without MAJOR excavation. If you start high, your rainfall diversion systems can be smaller and have maximum impact on the volume of flash flooding that occurs in the arroyos in a heavy storm. The initial objective is to infiltrate the storm water at the highest elevation, install your plantings, get them established. Then move down hill to the next phase (following the water) as time and resources permit. If you are very clever you may find opportunities to redirect/divide the water course upstream into multiple flows with excavation and structures. As you follow the water down hill your structures/excavations must become larger and permanent because the watershed increases exponentially. Over time, if you are successful - you should have a healthy aquifer that you can pump to support your small trees in their critical first two years on site with micro irrigation.

[@wevlcking]

Agreed. You would be surprised how much rainwater you can capture at elevation in just one storm. I captured 500 gallons in two 250-gallon totes in one storm and never had to manually supply water to them going forward. They always held water and supplied what I needed for a small wildlife trough I located about 100 yards away down the hill. I linked it with a standard commercial water hose that I covered up just enough to be out of the direct UV light of the sun with dirt, rock, and vegetation. Texas A&M has some great resources for how to build rain catchments in the West Texas desert.

[@stevejohnstonbaugh9171]

@@wevlcking Texas A&M is a land grant university so I'm certain their extension service would be a GREAT resource. I live in Pennsylvania so our go-to resource is Penn State :) Thanks for the reply! I'd love to see pictures of your wildlife trough.

[@jamesfaber6284]

😊

[@hadmatter9240]

Texas. Did you ignore that? The area is (mostly) arid. Really sad.

[@ohreally404]

@@hadmatter9240 West Texas is dry, not the entire state, in fact the East is quite the opposite. Most deserts still get precipitation at higher elevations, which is why the humidity is on the higher end (78%)

[@kristofferh2312]

Just as an input from an academic nerd, a good way to learn, and gather resources is to try to get local bachelor students and master studentes (in agriculture or other nature based sciences) do projects on your site. Could be beneficial for you both. Love the project shaun!

[@triciac1019]

Such a great idea for all involved.

[@CharlesReedPi]

That's a good idea

[@yeeebayeeba4268]

Worst idea ever. Unless you get someone who graduated more than 25 years ago. If he hires a fresh grad, they'll turn that property into a rainbow he'll hole.

[@kristofferh2312]

I disagree, doing thesis work, does not include large scale projects nor any permanent change. Thesis projects and/or research projects most often are done in miniature scale to contain and limit the amounts of factors that could corrupt the results. (Also to limit the content of your thesis) I do not know where you got the idea, that he should hire someone from?

[@shanedubbs4830]

​@@yeeebayeeba4268hmm seems to fit the point of the project... or are you just homophobic

[@user-mm1nt1it5v]

In dry areas that have temporary water flowing through them it helps a lot to build rock structures sideways across where the water flows. It slows down the flow and holds back the water behind each structure and allows the water time to seep into the ground. This has been done on wadis in saudi arabia and is now being used in the us. Even if you do nothing but built these rock structures the added moisture will allow new plants and trees to grow. If you look at the irrigation canals in arizona youll notice vegetation built up on one side of the canal and thats because the concrete channel is causing the same effect and making water build up on one side vs flowing past. You have the perfect spot to do this with the dry river bed in your property.

[@RaphaelClancy]

I've lived in the desert most of my life and since you asked for advice. Here's one from the ages. Good fences make good neighbors. Hire a surveyor and put a fence around your land. Not only will that keep you out of trouble with your neighbors, it'll save you some heartache as well. A project like this takes a long time and it would be a shame to have it grazed to the ground after some fella's cows get out.

[@dustupstexas]

The migrants cut every fence in sight

[@RaphaelClancy]

@@dustupstexas That's a shame, still might be a good idea to get the place surveyed. Good luck to you, I've always wanted to do something similar. I'll be curious to see how it all shakes out.

[@lauralee6628]

FIRST RULE of Allan Savory is always make the assumption that what you are going to do will fail. Which is sensible because what you are actually doing is making a prediction based on other peoples propaganda - making all types of unproven claims - as to how they are greening the desert. TRUTH is you will increase Biomass provided you FIRST Fence your 320 acres or somehow exclude all grazing mammals for a yet to be determined time. Looking 12 months down the road you now know that some of your predictions are simply delusional. Keep on Truckin Road Runner!!! Peep Beep!!!

[@Matzes]

a fence around 320 acres will cost a fortune lol @@RaphaelClancy

[@islamisthetruewaytogod6812]

Hello ! May Allah protect and guide you to his light and happiness in this life and the hereafter, God bless, Ameen. Excuse me for giving a little presentation of Islam, because it is very misunderstood nowadays, especially on those « Antichrist's » times, where media and politics are mixed to distort history and truth. Thank you very much for your time. Islam is an arabic word that means the Surrender to the One and Only God, our Creator, Protector, Provider, who gives us life and all that we have, we are safe and sound by his will and grace, we are His and to Him we return, and we have to thank him in this trial life by submitting to him by our free will, or later in the Day of judgment when it's too late to save our own skin. Islam was the original Religion descended to earth from heaven with Adam and Eve (peace and blessing be upon them) in the beginning of humanity. and was passed to people with the succession of the 124 000 prophets and 315 messengers of God to all nations and civilizations since, passing by Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ismaël, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, David, Solomon and Jesus (Peace and blessing be upon them) during the history of mankind, the last replaces and completes the previous, until the succession of the last messenger of God fourteen centuries ago, Muhammad (Peace and blessing be upon him) to complete the noble morals of all mankind, to bring humans and jinns out of darkness into light, and to purify people's religion and belief from corruption and polytheism, and return it to purity and true monotheism, like it was in the times of the prophets (Peace and blessing be upon them). Many Religions that we know nowadays, at their beginning were true and under Islam, initiated by one of the prophets of God, but their original teachings, history and scriptures have been corrupted over time with falsification and polytheism, or lost and replaced with false ones. That's why Islam is the only Religion accepted by God nowadays, which consists in bearing witness that there is no god besides Allah (God in Aramaic, the original language of Jesus and the Gospel), and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, just like Jesus and Moses and others are His servants and messengers. Never a messenger of God said he was God or literally son of God, it was the people after him who changed the words of God and corrupted the Religion. God is unique and absolute, He does not need to have a family and sons or to associate anyone else with His kingdom, He can simply create whatever He wants, everything belongs to Him, and to Him everything will return. Allah said in Surah Al-Mu’minun : “God has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what it has created, and some of them would have gained supremacy over others. Glory be to God, far beyond what they describe. The Knower of the hidden and the manifest. He is exalted, far above what they associate. (91-92 / Translated by ITANI). Allah means the one and only God, the God of all prophets and creatures, the creator of the universe and mankind, and the Master of the Day of judgment, where our destiny, Hell or Paradise, is decided based on our faith and deeds in this trial life, and above all, Allah's mercy. Allah said in Surah Al-Ikhlas : In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. Say, “He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him.” (1-4 / Translated by ITANI). Allah said in Surah An-Nisa : O FOLLOWERS of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds [of truth] in your religious beliefs, and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God's Apostle - [the fulfilment of] His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary - and a soul created by Him. Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, "[God is] a trinity". Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God. Never did the Christ feel too proud to be God's servant, nor do the angels who are near unto Him. And those who feel too proud to serve Him and glory in their arrogance [should know that on Judgment Day] He will gather them all unto Himself: (171-172 / Translated by Muhammad Asad). Allah the Most Merciful said in Surah Ali-Imran : Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages - behold, God is swift in reckoning! Thus, [O Prophet,] if they argue with thee, say, "I have surrendered my whole being unto God, and [so have] all who follow me!" - and ask those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime, as well as all unlettered people, "Have you [too] surrendered yourselves unto Him?" And if they surrender themselves unto Him, they are on the right path; but if they turn away - behold, thy duty is no more than to deliver the message: for God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His creatures. Verily, as for those who deny the truth of God's messages, and slay the prophets against all right, and slay people who enjoin equity - announce unto them a grievous chastisement. It is they whose works shall come to nought both in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to succour them. (19-22 / Translated by Muhammad Asad).. God said : Say, “We believe in Allah, and in what was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. And to Him, we surrender.” (2:136 / Translated by Community) Salam (Peace) -----

[@ShowCat1]

Thank you for no annoying music, no shaky camera work, and good audio. New sub. Looking forward to enjoying your adventure with you. BTW, I was born and raised in Ft. Worth.

[@matthewbrightman3398]

Same!

[@deepb249]

Yep

[@steveperreira5850]

I totally agree

[@rilmehakonen9688]

I live in a BIG Asian city. The silence in your vid speaks to me.

[@dahveed284]

Wishing you good luck. It won't be easy. BTW, NEVER drive into the desert without a lot of water, full gas tanks, and rescue equipment. Even if you can contact the local police force, it could still take them a day to get to you. I've ridden dirt bikes out in that area and it is a beautiful area, but very harsh.

[@Tenaciousgrizz]

You might need to check in bro really close to the border. Might not be safe

[@monhi64]

I remember this story of a dude who was trying to reach some specific place in the desert, didn’t you know pack anything. Shit hits the fan and he’s miraculously rescued by someone coincidentally driving by at the perfect time. Dude gets home and recovers, shortly after does the exact same thing but this time there was no one to rescue him and ended up dying of dehydration presumably. I’m so nervous about that shit I could never travel out in remote desert without like ten+ gallons of water in the trunk etc

[@thebenefactor6744]

I've never been to a desert climate and I was thinking the same thing. He should have had that car full of water, gas, supplies, medical gear, and notified someone of his route.

[@davehunt0000]

This is solid advice. I'm an archaeologist who works in similarly hot, remote regions in Utah and Nevada. I never have less than 30 gallons of water with me as well as a week of food and a Garmin inReach satellite SOS device.

[@sethtenrec]

This is a stupid idea, huge waste of water. The desert is a desert for a reason.

[@txsumusicman4162]

I had 60 acres once, just outside of Sierra Blanca. I found out that during the 90s and early 2000s the Texas governors allowed Sludge to be imported daily from new york by the ton. They claim the land was claimed to be safe, but after I found out that it was used as a sludge dump, I got rid of it. There are many articles if you are curious. Additionally. Many Sierra Blanca residents got cancer and were fighting to prove it was because of the toxic sewage from NY.

[@D_Cali_Life]

Wow that’s a hidden story. Post more about it. There has been many land out there for sale at $5,000 for 5 acres

[@charlesissleepy]

west texas seems an awful far place to dump nyc sludge. there was a very prominent toxic waste case in upstate new york in the 70s but I suspect your sludge had a more local origin. Also, sewage wouldn't cause cancer. Industrial waste or mining tailings certainly could though

[@DidacusRamos]

That happened in Illinois too. Chicago "exported" sludge to farms for free claiming it was safe. Turned out to be very toxic. Suing was very expensive so most farmers couldn't. Horrible when someone tries to do the right thing and others are just there to externalities costs...and responsibility.

[@plakor6133]

@@charlesissleepy does not sludge have toxic metals? I recall an experiment at Pack Forest, WSU, using city sludge as forest fertilizer. The metals were an issue. ,

[@stevescuba1978]

​@@plakor6133sludge has toxic metals, as well as residual pharmaceuticals, other waste products that are dumped down drains, everything that the rain rinses off streets and buildings, etc. It's horrific stuff.

[@cyotedude]

I am so glad that you, a software engineer and a dude from the suburbs, is doing this west Texas project. I know I can build my mini-farm in central TX, where I get alot more H2O, sometimes too much but all at once. Like last night when it raind so much as to flood my backyard and my wastewater tanks! It wont be too long and we will be in drought conditions wth burn bans. My soil composition is not sand/rock like yours. I have 20 percent sand in my 60 percent limestone silty loam and gravel rock. But with the right ammenities, I can work this. For one part, its about finding the right native trees. For the other part, its about building up the right composts into my soil for gardening.

[@WildWest144]

The possibility of turning part of West Texas into a desert forest has been heavy on my mind for the past few months. I wish you the very best of luck with this.

[@dustupstexas]

Thank you!

[@jansmith3158]

@@dustupstexas watch yt ch Bushradial how to dig a well. (he has good vids on this)

[@Campzzyzx]

Check out Geoff Lawton. Permaculture guru you may find value in. Best of luck to you

[@houstonfirefox]

@paul sroczynski On a recent visit to my property north of Sierra Blanca off FM1111, I noticed watermelons growing wild right next to the road - was amazing since it was so dry but they certainly looked healthy!

[@f.rodriguez8852]

I grew tomatoes, chilies, watermelons in El Paso.

[@LS1LE]

Being a Texan, I am very excited about your experiment! Thank you for your straight forward honesty and direct approach. Great job!

[@paulginsberg6942]

A very useful challenge. I hope you succeed. You might well become an inspiration to many.

[@estebancorral5151]

Being another Texan, I am even more excited than you. Plus, I left helpful suggestions in the comments.

[@jamesrichards3721]

Go back to California

[@justinschexnayder8485]

I'm not Texan but I read the Texans' comments.

[@CS-oe8og]

@@justinschexnayder8485😂

[@jimyeats]

That's not a wasteland, that's a beautiful natural desert environment.

[@bilbobaggins6038]

It was grassland until overgrazed by sheep ...

[@hhjhj393]

Meh, could be providing more work. I don't think it's a goal. Forests are better.

[@root42]

That's what I was wondering: what is the natural history of this place? How long has this been a desert? What is the current ecosystem? What will the terraforming do to it?

[@barreiraludrio]

@@bilbobaggins6038 it wasnt overgrazed by sheep, it's the natural aspect of this area

[@eutytoalba]

Yeah, this is the key arena where being a hippy turns internally inconsistent and even goes full-circle completely to the other side of the ideological fence: losing track of what's "conservation" and what's "development". Like when a NEW structure called Stonehenge was constructed (NOT "re"-constructed) out of the remnants of an ancient ruins. The one that's there now is just somebody's project, because the over-enthusiastically retrospective hippies forgot that conservation means leaving things completely alone like the wilderness is a museum. The wilderness doesn't actually care what habitat it is, that's why gardens for "land improvement" is a human introduction, and morally oriented based on human opinion. Humans like living things, so we work the inhospitable earth to draw life to it. When we were all raised on cartoons that portray "Mother Earth" as a verdant maiden in the feminine prime of both fertility and fragility, hippies forget that natural wilderness IRL is mostly already a calcified fossil field where nothing much is going to happen again for another 600-million years. Even the plants that are there in the meantime grow centuries more slowly, stay small and scrubby to the end of their days, and provide next to nothing of use for other creatures. There's no spectacular natural dynamics yet in motion to tantalize us visitors, let alone make it possible for us to survive and dwell there ourselves. The desert starkness is beautiful to see, but is best experienced through photographs. If it has cactus at all, you're already dealing with an oasis. People instinctively like oasises because it means there's shelter and food; but hippies don't realize that "improving" a natural oasis is still called "developing" it. Which just goes to show that hippies and even mega-developers really have the same goals after all. One just makes the mistake of assuming that lush abundance is the natural order of the world. There is something Spiritual, however, about finding stones that have never been touched by man before, and that alone drives people crazy enough to explore places that otherwise promise nothing gainful. Call it by any name, but humans are ALL on a compulsive treasure-hunt to rediscover Genesis. And when conservationists go too far is when they try to hold everyone else across our entire species back as if a single stone bumped out of its natural place could thwart the search forever. That's why some people lose their marbles over cairns. That's why those people get so angry about human exploration potentially "disturbing" other ("pure") planets. Everyone wants the story of how those rocks got there all by themselves, but what happens is that the human race sacrifices its own future of possibilities, as if we're not an amazing, happenin' thing in the universe, too.

[@simonnash9541]

We live in South Austrslia on 500 acres, an area that has 14 inches of rain each year. But drought years occur every 8th year, those years is no water. We have plant 2000 trees with a 30% loss. We have used mostly Eucalyptus tree and other trees from similar climates around the World. The first year is hard work to give trees a drink every 8 weeks. We use a small water truck bought for $8000 . We also spent money on organic weed surrounds or plastic 13:24 sheets around 26inches diameter. This keeps weeds away from young trees and limits evaporation. All the best mate Cheers Carolyn and Simon Temperatures range from -1c to 44c in summer.

[@mycool4374]

I'm also South Australia, I wish you the best with your project! 🎉😊

[@anirudha6237]

You should've researched a little about what type of trees should you plant , see , eucalyptus is one of very thirsty trees , it drains the earth of ground water way faster than most trees

[@isabellevince5174]

Agreed. A very thirsty tree!

[@user-nwwioxy]

@@anirudha6237 don't understand, eucalyptus is the worst tree to be planted in a desert ahah

[@v1e1r1g1e1]

You're doing well... but might I also recommend you plant claret ash? I live in Mildura, Victoria, which is about as rainless as you can get: we get one or two days of rain a month... and it's never all that much when it does rain. As you do for the eucalyptus trees, claret ash require care and watering for the first year... especially if you've got poor soil (like I do) and a dry/drought start... which I did. Once those claret ashes are established, though, they are very hardy and give beautiful shade and the leaves provide excellent mulch and fertilizer for future use.

[@OTDMike67]

Greetings...I'm a 66 year old native Texan who used to do some ranching...your vision and project are intriguing....I've only been to far West Texas one time, and it's a unique ecosystem...I appreciate you giving back to the land, and look forward to your videos......Mike

[@carl4short]

'giving back to the land' aaaaaaaMEN!🥰

[@savannahsmiles1797]

@@carl4short I enjoy seeing the entrepreneurial spirit he possesses. Our country was built on those that gave it their ALL trying to produce a sustaining property. Most didn't have anything but sweat equity going for them. The land most chose wasn't this barren. I am excited to see this project. I took a garden, of sand, sand, and MORE sand and created an oasis on the rocky mt plains. I learned lots, but I saw it thrive, until amendment 64 changed everything. It ushered in the wrong element, and I left my lil house on the prairie, and all that got ruined by that amendment.

[@OTDMike67]

@@savannahsmiles1797 I am truly sorry you lost what you had built....seems to be a "trend" in today's world, and I don't care for it at all....my "giving back" statement seems goofy in retrospect, my ranching experience was to be a good steward of the land, and that is what I see here....I really appreciate what this man is doing. Have a great day!!

[@dougreynolds2813]

me too! not the 66 year old Texan, i'm a 68 year old Mighigan farmer; but i appreciate this and look forward to more.

[@sparkysrun4274]

@@savannahsmiles1797 please, what is amendment 64? I'm sorry you had to leave such a wonderful place!!!!

[@mikeking2073]

I lived and worked out there in that part of West Texas for 40 years. A drought out there can mean that there is NO RAIN AT ALL for YEARS at a time. 2 years and not a drop of rain is not uncommon. The other phenomenon regarding rain is yes, it might rain 14 inches a year, 10 inches in one downpour and 4 in the next and you're done with rain until next year.

[@TheJohnnyjackflash]

He’s right about that those thunderstorms come through and just drop it the key is how you going to keep as much as you can in your Arroyo.

[@rockjockchick]

Lots of swales will help trap the water. It’s always all about the water.

[@CombatHD3]

@@TheJohnnyjackflash arroyo, like negra arroyo ln, albequerque nm?????

[@fortwoods]

10 inches in one and 4 in another? Come on, that’s not true and if you know anything about the SW monsoon season then you know that’s not true.

[@wevlcking]

@@fortwoods Absolutely true. A storm might dump 5 inches a mile away, and your property will get nothing. It all depends on the weather pattern of the monsoon season. I've had 2-3 years of fruitful monsoon seasons and 2-3 years of nothing, and your hauling in water to survive. The jet stream and weather pattern decides when it's your turn to receive the rain.

[@shexdensmore]

With such a high humidity, might want to look into a condensation catching system/dehumidifier system that is made from the environment and acts passively. Something like a natural trellis fence system that's planted longitudinal or adjacent to the sunrise. Or long tunnels connected to large gazebo like structures made of trees that are weeved together. The idea is to create shade that will naturally cool the air and possibly increase the condensation. Also, make dams along any stream beds to help slow and increase ground water absorption. Also, utilize any driftwood that's carried down stream from flash floods.

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

I'm 74 and my passion is growing Oak trees (from seed). I live in the country near Farmersville, Texas.

[@caryd67]

I grew an oak tree from a nut that I impulsively picked up off the ground! It just turned 2 on December 12. I can’t wait for spring growth! Trouble is, it’s in a pot and will need a permanent home, sooner than later and I’m a renter. I’m thinking about donating to the city where they can put in a local park.

[@ThePhobosAnomally]

@@caryd67 How about having it as an outdoor bonsai? It sounds to be doing well in a pot. At least check "oak bonsai tree" I am sure Nigel Saunders has many good videos on that. You may want to adapt the soil a bit, so that it will not only live, but thrive.

[@vitaeve]

Hey, I live around that area too. There's definitely a decent variety of some beautiful oaks in the area to choose from.

[@maryannkom299]

I lived in wWashington state. My apartment was next to an enormous oak tree. It housed many squirrels. They loved the acorns we got every fall. They buried them everywhere. So come spring and summer there were oak trees coming up everywhere. And they grow fast and could get several feet tall if you left them alone. We pulled out so many of them. But they’d always get about 10 inches tall before I noticed them.. but those squirrels could build a forest if we let them.

[@triciac1019]

​@@caryd67that would be cool and you can visit it regularly.

[@tristan.bevins]

What a weird coincidence, thank you KZbin algorithm. I’m a Texan studying permaculture and I got the same thing in mind. Thank you very much for going through the trouble of the project itself and putting it all together for the public to see. Appreciate you and good luck my fellow Texan 💪

[@tenminutetravelbreak]

+1. I do live in Texas, but I grew up in WA state, and the majority of my relatives worked in forestry, logging, or paper mills - something to do with trees. Clearly this is a different kind of tree that will grow here but I like the idea. Hope this project succeeds.

[@ghettotroof]

you all should colaborate!

[@gotmilk6955]

Same I’m from Fort Worth and am currently getting a degree in Forestry

[@coreyus007]

I am in dfw in permaculture certification class too. Lets collab! Lol

[@ThatWhichErodes]

@@coreyus007 i'm in DFW and am interested in a permaculture course; can you tell me more?

[@martinsibileau8314]

Hey Shawn, I am from northern Patagonia. You'd be surprise of the things one can achieve in the desert. Here's my advice: Preventing erosion (i.e. protecting plants from wind, cattle, sudden floods) is as important as irrigating/watering plants. You prevent erosion by covering all those little canyons in the property with dead wood and fencing. And then there are plants that can lead the recovery process. Plants that grow first and provide shelter and shade to grass coming after. In northern Patagonia people have even managed to plant vast amounts of lands with ponderosa pines, which are extremely resistant to dry and cold weather.

[@peterclancy3653]

Hi Martin just before I left station work the government lands department instigated a similar project on some areas around water points where the pastoralist could fence small areas in water courses to supply a constant seed bank which over time would rejuvenate the natural bush! Great idea!

[@brucewales5965]

Amen

[@brucewales5965]

This is the most percent change process out there. Help Nature improve nature.

[@donreed]

If you plant the ponderosa pines, the next day, Hoss from Bonanza shows up with a check for the residuals. Buy him a cup of coffee and ask him how he's been doing. Haven't seen him since I threw my TV off the roof in the year 2000.

[@weifung7444]

@@donreed Ha ha true, ponderosa pine forests have been planted mostly by a government agency, to generate employment….and a deficit.

[@bryanyuko7367]

Bro, your honesty at the beginning of the video is refreshing...it really drew me in and made me root for you!

[@ladyhawk5245]

Happy to find your video. This comment section looks like a potential resource of some great information. This is exciting for sure.

[@richardoder3459]

I live a little further south in Val Verde county where we average 19” a year but last year we went 11 months without any measurable rain. When it does rain you get 40-60 mph winds and a monsoon 2-3” in a very short time frame. I have built swales all around my property and they will hold back 3-4’ of water and slowly release it over a two day period so make your water catchment deep and strong. I will also point out that solar works very well here and it is all I use.

[@angelofamillionyears4599]

Have you installed wind turbines and solar? kzbin.info/www/bejne/jKPXdqCdpq6beas

[@richardoder3459]

@@angelofamillionyears4599 yes I have! 12 watt inverter, 30kwh of 48v lithium batteries and 6,400 watts of solar on twin dual axis trackers.

[@angelofamillionyears4599]

@@richardoder3459 Does it supply 100% of electricity?

[@MizMissiB]

I live in Val Verde County as well, North of Comstock. Been working on my property for about five years now. If I were younger, it would probably go faster but it’s going forward at least

[@richardoder3459]

@@MizMissiB we are between Del Rio and Comstock and have been working on our place a little over a year now we are in our 60’s so we know about the old part.

[@sharpjk]

Your commitment is commendable...thank you for doing this. Even of you do not fence your entire area, make large concreate blocks to mark out outer points of your land. Also get a digital station land survey done. This will help you mark out your boundary, understand how the land high/low points are, etc.

[@triciac1019]

I am so excited to see how this project develops. You have been doing really good research. None of us knew how to walk and we learned. Good luck and congratulations!

[@effervescentrelief]

I live near this area. This has been a dream of mine, to create a forest in the desert here. Good luck to you!

[@mikel7782]

Several years ago I built a replica of a Military Base out there to train dogs and their handlers that were going to Afghanistan. From Van Horn go south on 90 about 70 miles and in the old Lobo, TX take Chispa Road SW toward the Rio Grande. No way to miss the base. Draw to the area originally was a Mica mine in the 1800s, a railway actually ran down there for it. Your problem if you try to drill wells is a lot of the water there is brine. We had to ship in. Also, out there, a post or anything painted purple is the same thing as a no trespassing sign. Check your ownership of the property through the county court house - yes a lot of unscrupulous land deals out there. MARCH IS SUPER COLD AND VERY WINDY!! Those black jelly beans on the ground are rattle snake scat. Deer and antelope all over. I fell in love with it out there, but when my wife asked why she had to visit - how to describe it... "If it doesn't bite you, it sticks you". Dangerous that close to the border - everyone out there has a gun on their hip - no lie - it's just the way it is. Best steak in Van Horn is at the Cattle Company and the coolest motel is the El Capitan - A must see with very cool southwestern decor, awesome fire place and a relatively full bar. Order the cactus. Good luck with a forest out there - you have your hands full!!!!!!

[@david834]

I'd actually consider getting the land surveyed (you'd like to think the title was sufficiently evaluated by a title attorney, but this is West Texas)...closest surveyor I could find is based in Alpine, and that's 90+ miles as the crow flies.

[@xili7077]

Off topic but do you know of any Indian mounds or ruins in the area?

[@jamesbolen4872]

@@xili7077 don’t answer that! It’s a trap.

[@Yowzoe]

@@jamesbolen4872 agreed--let's keep remaining artifacts in place--so much has been plundered by waves of soulless soulless thieves

[@kbanghart]

@@Yowzoe I live in California and if I ever move to texas, I'll vote for Democrats

[@clkgroup6367]

Shaun - I commend your vision. Being that you are so isolated (and close to the Mexican boarder) I would invest in personal security as a priority for your property journeys. Suggestions include: 1. Depending on your cell phone signal strength, a satellite phone and/or short wave radio. 2. Personal protection. 3. Additional water, food, shelter supplies, first aid kit. 4. Truck maintenance items such as a tire patch kit, tire inflator, battery pack, gas, etc. There are lots of off road channels that can help prepare you. Good luck and Happy New Year!

[@YSLRD]

And a partner. Maybe a couple of peoole.

[@richardjreidii]

Came to say this.

[@Yowzoe]

these definitely were some of my thoughts watching as well

[@MRing1107]

Thinking the same thing. Rolling up on that property at the wrong time might cause the channel to mysteriously go quiet. Plenty of local news from border towns over the years of ranchers getting threatened or running in to hostile groups.

[@flavius_pisapia_sculpture]

Sekem in Egypt is another very successful place that was a desert and now is an award winning farm.

[@bbear88]

Im from South Texas and I am so excited about your project❤

[@FTroop37F]

That's beautiful, man. A major issue for me, in a remote area in CA, was keeping the tweakers off out of my modest little cabin, and keeping them from stealing even things that were nailed down. Your parcel is far more remote and hopefully that isn't an issue for you. Try to make contact with your neighbors so that you can watch one another's back, but know that remote areas like this can (do) appeal to anti social folks as well... black helicopter observers and sketchy people. There are plenty of good decent people who just want to do their thing, but there is a sketchy/tweaker element too. I'm in AZ now but was in El Paso a week ago. Good luck to you there. It's beautiful countryside and I'd love to see you make this work. PS...You won't believe the freakings stars at night.

[@sixtonshark2854]

The stars at night are, indeed, big and bright

[@caminoduro7861]

For the outsiders, a "wash" is basically a dry stream bed that flows water only during heavy rains, and may be subject to flash floods from thunderstorms which are miles away. Sometimes referred to as arroyos. Keep up the great work Shaun!!!

[@Automedon2]

also where the coyotes and rattlesnakes find shade

[@RebuildingAtlantis]

Actually it's called an arroyo. Thanks for your Outsider lack of knowledge

[@oliverbme]

@@RebuildingAtlantis it's the same word in two languages. Not sure why the hostility is necessary here.

[@oliverbme]

@@RebuildingAtlantis Sorry you're having neighbor issues already, is he bothering you or something? I don't have strong feelings about it either way. If you look for "wash" in the dictionary, I guarantee you dry stream bed will be one of the definitions. Weird hill to die on.

[@childrenoftolkien]

Thanks know it all.

[@dread0ne1]

Heya Shaun. Great video, thank you much for the courage and vision to share your project.

[@donnakemper3231]

I just discovered your channel and have binge-watched every episode. I'm rooting for you, Shaun, and I've shared your channel on my socials to get the word out. I know it's been challenging, but you are doing important work. You rock and you are an inspiration.

[@mauionamission]

Shaun, take a look at Halsey National Forest in Nebraska. They turned the dust bowl sand dunes into a pine forest, and keep growing seedlings for replacement.

[@atomicsmith]

Looks like a great project. My advice would be to start smaller. 88 acres is too big to deal with initially. Laser focus on 1-3 acres for the first 3 years ( it will take that long to see any real gains.) once you’ve established some water collection, shade, topsoil growth and active compost it will be easier to extend those things from the perimeter. It will also mean you make your mistakes small and fast, and perfect some processes that you can then roll out faster and more confidently. Your first 24 months will just be learning the lay of the land, the seasonal cycles and the subtle variations of vegetation.

[@murraymadness4674]

AGREE! insane to think you are going to do 10 acres let alone 88. I'd start with 1 or max 5. Solar and wind is also a no brainer..

[@TrogdorBurnin8or]

The difference between 100 acres and 1 acre is the difference between a backhoe and a shovel being available full-time.

[@beartooth867]

I have 9 , separate projects on each acre and break those down, bought an excavator

[@rockjockchick]

For sure!

[@kirstenkosinski8448]

Best of luck to your incredible journey. We need more people like you.

[@CanadianWookie]

I respect the hustle. Good luck on your project and wish you all the success

[@macbeavers6938]

Hello Shaun. I live in a Van Horn RV Park, I am retired, and have 20 acres I am working down Green River Road a few miles north of Old Mexico. I moved to Texas because it is still a "relatively" free state. Elevation of 4000 feet minimizes extremes both hot and cold. The area is safe and the surroundings are nothing short of spectacular, and oh yes, I love deserts. Look forward to following your progress. You now own 320 acres but it might as well be 3200 or 32,000 cause there ain't nobody around you. Ha. Ha.

[@futur3gentleman802]

Really excited to see and learn from your journey.

[@T.K...]

Texas is free as long as you are a Christian Nationalist and you don't want cannabis, bodily autonomy, and enjoy seeing your tax dollars used for political stunts.

[@MexicoAdventurer]

Mac, you sound like a very interesting person. Are you planning on becoming a youtuber? I'm subbing in case you do.

[@Yowzoe]

Mac, about how cold did it get this past Christmas week in your area from the Arctic air mass?

[@macbeavers6938]

@@Yowzoe Shaun got down "12" and then "16" or so the following night. Tends to be colder out of the city also.

[@Beligana]

Hi Shaun, good luck! I grew up in the "high desert" of New Mexico and Arizona in VERY remote parts of the Navajo Reservation. I have also lived all over Texas as well. One thing I would add to the many fantastic comments here, something you most likely already know, and something I learned taking Bio Ecology and Micro Biology courses at Texas Tech is that on a macro scale it can seem like nature is your enemy. On a micro-scale though nature is really trying to help you. Whole ecosystems of helpful organisms are present in semi-arid, temporary water shed environments. They exist there and are ready to be harnessed and drawn upon. I am super excited to see how this goes. I am also, no kidding, jealous as well. Time, emotions, and life exist differently in the remote parts of the earth. I hope you can spend a lot of your time on this adventure.

[@Ston3808]

I’m rooting for you and plan to watch the journey. Godspeed and good luck.

[@milesfromnowhere1985]

Congratulations on the project, Shaun! I've just inherited 40 acres of rocky, shrubby piñon/juniper land in SE Colorado, and my goal is to move out there with my small goat herd and start a small food forest on the drainage that runs through the land. I've been inspired by the Greening the Desert project, and now I'm excited to see how things have gone for you. I believe in a determined but flexible attitude toward permaculture that can find a way to make even the toughest conditions conducive to reviving the soil and growing food. If you can make it work, damnit, so can I. Looking forward to watching more videos!

[@marlonfernandez6469]

I am from this area. I believe in the cause you are doing. I have always wanted to do this in the desert. I can't wait to see the progress and the journey.

[@Automedon2]

I took a 6 month cross-country camping trip. My absolute favorite places were deserts. If you've never experienced the quietness of a remote desert, you don't know what quiet is. That and the stars. I love the aloneness. I'm retiring this year and if I could find a place to park an RV and live surrounded by that silence and beauty, I'd grab it. One of my favorite places in Texas is Fort Davis. Heaven.

[@GoodwillWright]

I still think an anechoic chamber is more quiet than a desert.

[@noraroseexclusive]

Hello, how are you doing today and how’s the weather out there?

[@GuitarPlayinGibby]

Right on man, looking forward to seeing the impact!

[@mayar4989]

Hi Shaun, I admire you for having the guts necessary to embark on such a project. Since I retired I have always wanted to do the same or similar work but now thanks to you I feel encouraged and energized enough to finally start.. so thx a peta-trillion DEV-bro!

[@arcadiapermaculture974]

Good for you, man. A worthy endeavour. The best tip we can offer is to start small - find the keypoint on your property, test your methods, and expand outwards from there, and down the watershed. If you try to do too much too soon, you'll end up doing nothing particularly well, and make more work for yourself. Looking forward to watching the journey!

[@jameswatson8420]

One of the things we learned while living in the high Chihuahuan desert of West Texas/Southern New Mexico (very different than the Sonoran desert of Arizona) is the the soil will grow almost anything. The underground bolsons contain enormous amounts of water but are fairly deep, The Hueco bolson may be near your property.

[@markanthonypalumbo9431]

Well done, man! Big hopes and love for what you are doing. Best of luck.

[@benpardon3809]

Thanks for the video it's the first one I've seen on you tube of someone actually doing something good for life and the planet.

[@lyfandeth]

Google Maps has been known to say the sun tises due West. I'd strongly suggest getting the USGS topographic maps for your area. They will show dirt roads, trails, and they are usually spot on-- not subject to gps service disruptions.

[@melanieamrell4817]

One issue you may have is that the ground in this area is heavily salted. This use to be an ocean and now huge chunks of salt are found in the ground. We have some property out in sierra blanca and we actually found a Joshua tree growing on it.

[@wevlcking]

Olive and pomegranate trees are great options. There are several species in both that would do well in West Texas with the appropriate preparation. I don't recall off the top of my head, but a company in Lubbock will test samples of your soil for you. Google them, give them a call, and they will fill you in on how to pull samples and send them.

[@falcolf]

I'm immediately stoked to follow your project! I love rewilding efforts like this.❤

[@carlogheller6779]

Hi Shaun I find your project/experiment very interesting & will be following & observing your progress with interest & curiosity! Good luck!

[@metalroofing6708]

Dude! Wow - visionary!... this is what I needed to see today. You are the guy who everyone will be talking about in 15 years as lucky. This is inspiring! I am a fan. This will be a struggle for sure but it will be well worth it! Thank you

[@dustupstexas]

Thank you so much

[@willm5814]

Totally agree

[@kimjones2056]

He isn’t the first to do this. It has already been done.

[@mannyagrinya1529]

Interesting adventure. Much like other folks have pointed out - make sure you're fully prepped to rescue yourself or be rescued if something goes awry. Having something like a Garmin inReach when you're out there that can both allow you external comms via text as well as pinpoint your location in case of a need for rescue would not be a bad idea/investment. Good luck. Looking forward to your progress.

[@islamisthetruewaytogod6812]

Hello ! May Allah protect and guide you to his light and happiness in this life and the hereafter, God bless, Ameen. Excuse me for giving a little presentation of Islam, because it is very misunderstood nowadays, especially on those « Antichrist's » times, where media and politics are mixed to distort history and truth. Thank you very much for your time. Islam is an arabic word that means the Surrender to the One and Only God, our Creator, Protector, Provider, who gives us life and all that we have, we are safe and sound by his will and grace, we are His and to Him we return, and we have to thank him in this trial life by submitting to him by our free will, or later in the Day of judgment when it's too late to save our own skin. Islam was the original Religion descended to earth from heaven with Adam and Eve (peace and blessing be upon them) in the beginning of humanity. and was passed to people with the succession of the 124 000 prophets and 315 messengers of God to all nations and civilizations since, passing by Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ismaël, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, David, Solomon and Jesus (Peace and blessing be upon them) during the history of mankind, the last replaces and completes the previous, until the succession of the last messenger of God fourteen centuries ago, Muhammad (Peace and blessing be upon him) to complete the noble morals of all mankind, to bring humans and jinns out of darkness into light, and to purify people's religion and belief from corruption and polytheism, and return it to purity and true monotheism, like it was in the times of the prophets (Peace and blessing be upon them). Many Religions that we know nowadays, at their beginning were true and under Islam, initiated by one of the prophets of God, but their original teachings, history and scriptures have been corrupted over time with falsification and polytheism, or lost and replaced with false ones. That's why Islam is the only Religion accepted by God nowadays, which consists in bearing witness that there is no god besides Allah (God in Aramaic, the original language of Jesus and the Gospel), and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, just like Jesus and Moses and others are His servants and messengers. Never a messenger of God said he was God or literally son of God, it was the people after him who changed the words of God and corrupted the Religion. God is unique and absolute, He does not need to have a family and sons or to associate anyone else with His kingdom, He can simply create whatever He wants, everything belongs to Him, and to Him everything will return. Allah said in Surah Al-Mu’minun : “God has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what it has created, and some of them would have gained supremacy over others. Glory be to God, far beyond what they describe. The Knower of the hidden and the manifest. He is exalted, far above what they associate. (91-92 / Translated by ITANI). Allah means the one and only God, the God of all prophets and creatures, the creator of the universe and mankind, and the Master of the Day of judgment, where our destiny, Hell or Paradise, is decided based on our faith and deeds in this trial life, and above all, Allah's mercy. Allah said in Surah Al-Ikhlas : In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. Say, “He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him.” (1-4 / Translated by ITANI). Allah said in Surah An-Nisa : O FOLLOWERS of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds [of truth] in your religious beliefs, and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God's Apostle - [the fulfilment of] His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary - and a soul created by Him. Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, "[God is] a trinity". Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God. Never did the Christ feel too proud to be God's servant, nor do the angels who are near unto Him. And those who feel too proud to serve Him and glory in their arrogance [should know that on Judgment Day] He will gather them all unto Himself: (171-172 / Translated by Muhammad Asad). Allah the Most Merciful said in Surah Ali-Imran : Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages - behold, God is swift in reckoning! Thus, [O Prophet,] if they argue with thee, say, "I have surrendered my whole being unto God, and [so have] all who follow me!" - and ask those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime, as well as all unlettered people, "Have you [too] surrendered yourselves unto Him?" And if they surrender themselves unto Him, they are on the right path; but if they turn away - behold, thy duty is no more than to deliver the message: for God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His creatures. Verily, as for those who deny the truth of God's messages, and slay the prophets against all right, and slay people who enjoin equity - announce unto them a grievous chastisement. It is they whose works shall come to nought both in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to succour them. (19-22 / Translated by Muhammad Asad).. God said : Say, “We believe in Allah, and in what was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. And to Him, we surrender.” (2:136 / Translated by Community) Salam (Peace) -----

[@earthartgems]

I really appreciate your humble honesty right out the gate.

[@laurawild7096]

I love that you are taking this project on! We need more people like you who want to repair the land. There are too many developers who just plow over the land to build huge housing developments without any regard for where the water/wildlife is going to go. I live near Baltimore and years ago there were huge developments made in the wetland region south of us, which caused severe flooding to one of our most beloved historic towns in the area (Old Historic Ellicott City). You can look up videos of the flooding and all the damage it did to the bustling town that houses a lot of unique small businesses. The issue has since been fixed but there were at least two big floods before anyone did anything about it. I praise you 🙏

[@shawnsg]

The land isn't broken and in need of repair.

[@gonefishing3644]

This looks like a good challenge. I hope you had a local attorney involved in the title transfer when you bought the property from a stranger. Do make sure you have a clear title before you do any work on or makes any changes to the property. The first thing I would do after getting a clear title to a property, is to hire a licensed surveyor to properly survey the property and mark the property lines so I would know the actual location of the property. Even if the property has already been surveyed by the seller or all the locals believe they know where the corners are on the property, I would still want to have a new survey done by someone I hired --- just for my own peace of mind. I would do this before I put in any improvements whatsoever. The last thing you want is to have a neighbor sue you sometime in the future because you put a fence or road on what their new survey shows their property or built a structure on land you do not own. You never know when a neighbor will sell their property, and this usually means a new survey. The second thing I would do is get some water on the property. Water rights can be tricky in the desert southwest. So, get some legal advice on this from a local attorney and see if it is lawful to drill a deep well on your property. If it is, I would then hire a dowser and a well drilling crew and be prepared to pay whatever it took to get a useful flow of drinking water. And then install solar panels to power a water pump and put in a stock tank to hold some water. For the third thing, before I made any attempt to collect seasonal rainwater from the dry washes, I would become very familiar with the state's and county's water rights laws and ordinances and get some local legal advice on this subject. Ranchers tend to be very strict about what happens with rainwater that flows through dry washes. You do not want to accidentally poach on someone else's water rights. Traditionally, water poaching ends in gunfire. If you restrict water flow from getting to public lands, then you will harm local wildlife and draw the wrath of the state or federal government. Make certain you have the law on your side and community support before you even think about damming or diverting water from any dry wash. I wish you good luck with your greening project.

[@cnam1258]

Excellent advice.

[@QuesoCookies]

Frankly, most of those points could be damning to the whole project, so I would have done them before I ever finalized a purchase of the land. Hopefully, he gets good news.

[@noraroseexclusive]

Hello, how are you doing today and how’s the weather out there?

[@johnndamascene]

Love your transparency about your background, Shaun. I too am a mostly suburban guy who has had a deep interest in rehabilitating land. I subbed and will be eagerly watching your journey!

[@plantwaif]

Super thrilled to have found this channel. I wish you the most luck and look forward to seeing the developments.

[@ajansay]

Subscribed on the 3rd minute mark, this is so cool. Keep up the good work Shaun

[@TaipanTex]

Wishing you much success on your endeavour! Living in coastal and central Texas my whole life, I've always also been absolutely fascinated about not only how, but why people choose to live in that very isolated part of Texas. It's desolate but at the same time quite beautiful actually.

[@ReallyBillyR]

Great video! Love the editing and appreciate the good audio even outdoors. Looking forward to seeing this project grow!

[@gregward7255]

You’re one of the most interesting people I’ve ever come across. I wish you well!

[@719angler]

Good work Shaun, Wishing you the best!

[@twohomesteads6512]

I am fascinated by de-desertification videos. I am so hoping you start a trend for our entire west clear up to the desert in Eastern Washington. Can”t wait to watch the progress of this. It is so exciting and necessary.

[@ronbootsfarm8266]

As a fellow Texan, wishing you the best! Looking forward to the progress. We lived out near Midland for a couple of years so have driven through similar country as your land, you have your work cut out for you!

[@airfiero4772]

Interesting project. I look forward to seeing how it comes out.

[@AhJodie]

Great explanations and I hope you have fun! I am glad you want to do what you are planning! It will help the whole area and all of us all over the world!

[@Sobrevivencialismo]

Hey Shaun! Congratz on your project, its gonna be a long battle but i am sure that is gonna worth it! We live in Brazil and have a similar project, so we kind know how deep the hole is, lol. Keep up! Subscribed!

[@antonystringfellow5152]

Would be interesting to know what part of Brazil. As an expat Brit who live in Brazil, I know most outsiders have no idea how diverse the landscapes and climate are in this country. Few people know that Brazil has large, semi-arid areas, they tend to think it's mostly rainforest, like the Amazon and the Serra do Mar.

[@a.andrinov]

@@antonystringfellow5152 Theyre from the south, parana specifically

[@marcosviniciuscipriano5993]

26 alqueires tá caro hein Julio

[@ferreira226]

Nao sei como o youtube sabia do meu sonho e me recomendou esse video. Comprar uma area longe de cidade e de homens, no Texas (free carrying a gun, low tax, sem progressimo ou Woke Culture, etc) è meu sonho. E estou trabalhando para realizar isso

[@ferreira226]

​@@marcosviniciuscipriano5993caro? O cara pagou 250$ por acre.

[@bogart281]

I just subscribed to your channel, I use to live in Valentine so I know the area very well. I'm also a master gardener and have a suggestion for a grass you should use it's side oats gramma (native grass of Texas), it needs very little water it fights erosion and it provides food seeds for birds. Black Gap WLM has some water retention methods you may want to look at to install around your mountains and hills, your county extension service agent can help with that project. Good luck and watch where you step.

[@hornbyx2o]

Good on ya Shaun! Hope the project goes well.

[@MassimoCastelli]

That's such an awesome project. I wish you all the best.

[@thangle13]

You need to find the brass survey markers to confirm your property lines. 320 contiguous acres should have at least 2 if not several more to let you confirm you're in the right area.

[@djmcommish12]

Thanks for the video! I've been doing the same thing for about 6 months now on 100 acres in Apache County Arizona. I have a similar sized wash running right through my property. You have inspired me to document my efforts as well. Hopefully I'll have a video up in a month or so. Thanks Shaun!

[@dustupstexas]

Best of luck!

[@newbie9266]

Thanks a lot to all the recommendations made. I live in Germany and last year I bought a property in the Spanisch Sierra Nevada region with similar intentions like improving the soil, water catchment etc. There is so much work to be done that one oftentimes may lose focus and not find where to start at all 😂

[@izeugirdor]

I love what you're doing with this land. I'm a South Texan and have seen it work down here. Good luck with everything.

[@TheRockInnRobin]

My parents moved out to Fort Davis 30 years ago and love it. Their fig tree one year was so full and not old enough they had to brace the limbs of the tree. It can definitely be done! Wishing you a great success out there!

[@carl4short]

❤❤❤I LOVELOVELOVE Fort Davis!!!❤❤❤

[@aokaylynn6]

My Dad wants to move there. Is the snakes and scorpions or mosquitos a problem?

[@TheRockInnRobin]

@@aokaylynn6 not really much for mosquitos. Snakes and scorpions are the same as the rest of the state mostly

[@pamelaspooner7183]

Ft. Davis is nothing like where he is.

[@EricNutsch]

A very ambitious project! I grew up on a property in the high desert of Southern Idaho. Even with the help of limited irrigation it can be challenging to get trees to survive in their non-ideal environment. I would recommend a "phase zero" with some scientific/experimental testing of some ideas your first year to see what works before attempting the "phase one" mass tree planting. I would recommend separating the variables as much as possible to maximize learning. For example, try raising 5 trees of 3 different species in an area with limited irrigation (trucked in water or solar pump). This will tell you which may best be suited for survival and growth in these conditions given water is not an issue. Then independently test water gathering systems based on water volume gathered and stored. This will tell you much more than the percentage of trees that lived or died. Also consider testing the macro-nutrients (NPK), micro-nutrients, and soil structure conditions independently. Additional items you may run into is that the chosen tree varieties are often preferred food for local insects and herbivores. You may have to introduce some predators to bring things into balance. For example the introduction praying mantis at our property in Southern Idaho was very effective at the long term control of locust. If you can get a permit for a well, a solar pump could keep a small water trough full to attract some coyotes to keep the small herbivore population down.

[@lauralee6628]

FIRST RULE of Allan Savory is always make the assumption that what you are going to do will fail. Which is sensible because what you are actually doing is making a prediction based on other peoples propaganda - making all types of unproven claims - as to how they are greening the desert. TRUTH is you will increase Biomass provided you FIRST Fence your 320 acres or somehow exclude all grazing mammals for a yet to be determined time. Looking 12 months down the road you now know that some of your predictions are simply delusional. Keep on Truckin Road Runner!!! Peep Beep!!!

[@abnormal_deformables5707]

I am so stoked to see this journey. This is something I have always wanted to do

[@TheNighthawk00]

This is such an interesting project. I wish you all the best and I will keep following this.

[@Rustanator2]

I really hope you continue to document this whole process. This is absolutely something I would love to do given the financial means.

[@noraroseexclusive]

Hello, how are you doing today and how’s the weather out there?

[@johnkayoss5422]

I'm on 150 acres in Colorado, with a similar intent, and could use help...

[@OneMansOpinion.]

@@johnkayoss5422 Im down to come help for 2-3 acres of land to build my own home on when your project is finished. Let me know

[@islamisthetruewaytogod6812]

Hello ! May Allah protect and guide you to his light and happiness in this life and the hereafter, God bless, Ameen. Excuse me for giving a little presentation of Islam, because it is very misunderstood nowadays, especially on those « Antichrist's » times, where media and politics are mixed to distort history and truth. Thank you very much for your time. Islam is an arabic word that means the Surrender to the One and Only God, our Creator, Protector, Provider, who gives us life and all that we have, we are safe and sound by his will and grace, we are His and to Him we return, and we have to thank him in this trial life by submitting to him by our free will, or later in the Day of judgment when it's too late to save our own skin. Islam was the original Religion descended to earth from heaven with Adam and Eve (peace and blessing be upon them) in the beginning of humanity. and was passed to people with the succession of the 124 000 prophets and 315 messengers of God to all nations and civilizations since, passing by Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ismaël, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Joshua, David, Solomon and Jesus (Peace and blessing be upon them) during the history of mankind, the last replaces and completes the previous, until the succession of the last messenger of God fourteen centuries ago, Muhammad (Peace and blessing be upon him) to complete the noble morals of all mankind, to bring humans and jinns out of darkness into light, and to purify people's religion and belief from corruption and polytheism, and return it to purity and true monotheism, like it was in the times of the prophets (Peace and blessing be upon them). Many Religions that we know nowadays, at their beginning were true and under Islam, initiated by one of the prophets of God, but their original teachings, history and scriptures have been corrupted over time with falsification and polytheism, or lost and replaced with false ones. That's why Islam is the only Religion accepted by God nowadays, which consists in bearing witness that there is no god besides Allah (God in Aramaic, the original language of Jesus and the Gospel), and that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, just like Jesus and Moses and others are His servants and messengers. Never a messenger of God said he was God or literally son of God, it was the people after him who changed the words of God and corrupted the Religion. God is unique and absolute, He does not need to have a family and sons or to associate anyone else with His kingdom, He can simply create whatever He wants, everything belongs to Him, and to Him everything will return. Allah said in Surah Al-Mu’minun : “God has never begotten a son, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what it has created, and some of them would have gained supremacy over others. Glory be to God, far beyond what they describe. The Knower of the hidden and the manifest. He is exalted, far above what they associate. (91-92 / Translated by ITANI). Allah means the one and only God, the God of all prophets and creatures, the creator of the universe and mankind, and the Master of the Day of judgment, where our destiny, Hell or Paradise, is decided based on our faith and deeds in this trial life, and above all, Allah's mercy. Allah said in Surah Al-Ikhlas : In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful. Say, “He is God, the One. God, the Absolute. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him.” (1-4 / Translated by ITANI). Allah said in Surah An-Nisa : O FOLLOWERS of the Gospel! Do not overstep the bounds [of truth] in your religious beliefs, and do not say of God anything but the truth. The Christ Jesus, son of Mary, was but God's Apostle - [the fulfilment of] His promise which He had conveyed unto Mary - and a soul created by Him. Believe, then, in God and His apostles, and do not say, "[God is] a trinity". Desist [from this assertion] for your own good. God is but One God; utterly remote is He, in His glory, from having a son: unto Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and none is as worthy of trust as God. Never did the Christ feel too proud to be God's servant, nor do the angels who are near unto Him. And those who feel too proud to serve Him and glory in their arrogance [should know that on Judgment Day] He will gather them all unto Himself: (171-172 / Translated by Muhammad Asad). Allah the Most Merciful said in Surah Ali-Imran : Behold, the only [true] religion in the sight of God is [man's] self-surrender unto Him; and those who were vouchsafed revelation aforetime took, out of mutual jealousy, to divergent views [on this point] only after knowledge [thereof] had come unto them. But as for him who denies the truth of God's messages - behold, God is swift in reckoning! Thus, [O Prophet,] if they argue with thee, say, "I have surrendered my whole being unto God, and [so have] all who follow me!" - and ask those who have been vouchsafed revelation aforetime, as well as all unlettered people, "Have you [too] surrendered yourselves unto Him?" And if they surrender themselves unto Him, they are on the right path; but if they turn away - behold, thy duty is no more than to deliver the message: for God sees all that is in [the hearts of] His creatures. Verily, as for those who deny the truth of God's messages, and slay the prophets against all right, and slay people who enjoin equity - announce unto them a grievous chastisement. It is they whose works shall come to nought both in this world and in the life to come; and they shall have none to succour them. (19-22 / Translated by Muhammad Asad).. God said : Say, “We believe in Allah, and in what was revealed to us, and in what was revealed to Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus, and in what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. And to Him, we surrender.” (2:136 / Translated by Community) Salam (Peace) -----

[@niv8880]

I have to say what your company does has now become my speciality, love the work.

[@aviansoul]

Awesome project! I’ve often considered doing the same (lived in El Paso for six years). I’ll be watching and praying for you. Exciting and inspiring endeavor!!!

[@dougbourdo2589]

If there is not a Legal Survey of the two lots, I would suggests having a survey done and requesting the surveyor to stake the boundaries, corners, etc. It is about a half a square mile of land so it should not be too bad to have done. Best of Luck. Subscribing to follow your journey! I live in NM near another Sierra Blanca!

[@Rattlerjake1]

That should have been done by the previous owner and he should have seen the boundaries before buying the property.

[@joebauers2194]

@@Rattlerjake1 heh..... not out there. Most properties are not surveyed.

[@Rattlerjake1]

@@joebauers2194 - Horseschitt! ALL US property has been surveyed to establish it's boundaries. If you look the property up in a title search there will be a plot map with the grid coordinates and azimuths for each boundary leg.

[@Rattlerjake1]

@@joebauers2194 - Bull hockey! All US property is surveyed to establish it's boundaries. How do you think he knew where his property started? Got to the big rock and travel NW to the mesquite tree? All surveys are in geo-coordinates and azimuths. Wake up, f00l!

[@khavafis]

All the best in your project. Looking forward to see the progress. Geoff Lawton is so inspiring in turn you could be inspiring to others to take a stab at regenerating land and make it abundant.

[@gavinhill3164]

Best of luck! I think it's a fantastic project and I have my fingers crossed for you

[@joegarcia1674]

Great video and information. Years ago I spike about purchasing land in that same area but for different reasons. I was enlisted in the Army for a few years. I don't mind the desert as much now that I know what it takes to stay alive. Keep the videos coming. I'll keep my head on a swivel for them.

[@straightnochaser9276]

Been thinking about this concept for a long time. Kudos to you for doing it! Can’t wait to follow along

[@charlesnatt1832]

Brilliant idea and presentation. Looking forward to hearing more. Officially subscribed!

[@denisemarshall2432]

Good man. We need more people like you! I will follow with interest!

[@aliciarrrrrr]

I live on the coast of Texas. I’ve been to West Texas, BRUTAL! Im definitely here to see your journey. I wish you lots of luck and determination!

[@colliecoform4854]

I love watching all of the different projects around the world on desertification and how they go about greening the desert. There was even a great project in the US that I believe is now a park, could be wrong. Good luck in your efforts. As a gardener let me say one thing. Mulch, mulch, mulch. Retains moisture, builds the soil, happier plants. Good Luck to you.

[@banaproperties]

I absolutely love this video! I have bought and sold many parcels in West Texas and will be following closely!

[@alexandersmith9499]

love what you are doing! I did the same with a few dozen acres on the Olympic peninsula Washington which is now in a protective easement in perpetuity. And now I live in Thailand where I have purchased some acreage and have restored a closed-canopy subtropical rainforest adjacent to the national park. Different challenges than you are facing....but fun and rewarding!

[@dwighthires3163]

I absolutely love this concept. I agree we need some good, well-documented examples of proper land management in desert regions. What you are attempting is worth your life's work it you can inspire others in land care and restoration. I am signed up as a subscriber and want to watch you make progress in the coming years. Save those flyovers, they will be worth gold as you prove your point. Considering living on your land, it radically changes your investment and awareness of the worth of your work.

[@jaysmith179]

Watch out for all the illegals moving on your land because of a weak President.

[@curvatecture5178]

This is great. Your delivery and concise narration of your plans is set for success, there are so many people out there deeply interested in this type of idea, and you deliver your ideas super clearly and in an interesting way to watch. Your channel will be a big success, and hopefully your forest too!

[@TOPMOSTPOP]

Lucifer stood up Geoff Lawton &Paul Gautschi 2try &conceal whitewash me. Geoff &Paul are great. They are indeed world leaders but u have 2chew thgrass spit out the hay. Its that 1% of poison they dont realize Satan gave them that will get u. I work with thgroup who designed eden. We were put here 2make a change. We were rejected. We are Yahwehs elite represented by thbranch Noah brang in2 the ark. I built my 1st food forest on a mt. Above Los Angeles. I live on a cabin Lake Wister with 50 fruit trees. We are stationed USA bcuz most of Yahs people are here. We also are in charge of returning th ark of thcovenant. I know where its buried. Right now I control thsolar system. Yahweh calls it "my department." I do it with a seperate computer program. Dimensions are computer programs. So basically I built a 3.5 tons quartz &precious stones motherboard being the fire mentioned in Revelation. We are thwhite horse rider given a bow &no arrows. (Unconventional weapon) Its a capacitor basically, Yahwehs life force commonly known as orgone. I built it right here in my yard spanning 50 miles radially. In this way angels are returnimg from Pleiades system. Thsolar system was heaven once, my motherboard is a portal 2heaven &works out past thconstellations burning Satans dimension. (Outer space is thbiblical abyss) All thworlds problems can be solved in thgarden. The universe revolves around fertile soil. All cities were founded on fertile soil. Jesus stated he who lands on fertile soil will inherit eternity. Soil is everything. I have single handidly transformed thlocal fauna with electric bicycle& 15 gallons seed from wild edible plants Los Angeles basin. That strain of DNA edible plants extra special as indians there recieve 2springs per year &developed plants at a faster rate. Wister is parallell with LA on latitude &so also has 2springs. But we get 55" rain. I would have chose this spot 2incorporate your project. Such as the barren pine mountain range in Muse. Lucifer destroyed USA mostly using farmers &especially lawnmowers. USA had no fences when Yahwehs people (Israelites) lived here ( = Indians. Violent Indians were Atlantians, Satans kids) Yet these peaceful gardners had buffalo at arms reach &an eden of full sun edible plant patches on fertile soil due 2BEAVERS. U must have full sun beavers bought that AND water& fertilized soil. (In summer beaver ponds dry up and deer &bear swarm the profuse shoreline fruits &rich greens) Satan uses LAWNMOWERS lower water table &destroy roadside edibles. Most all edible plants grow on ROADSIDES. So Satans boys keep roadsides annihilated. Earth was named Shan when angels lived here &our solar system was heaven. It had fruit trees &gardens back then. When gardners stand on thshoulders of Lucifer or his trojan horses they are doomed 2failure. There are some basic inherent problems I am seeing with your approach. Meanwhile 95% people on earth now are not humans. They dont know that. Yah calls them plasticines. Biblical tare race. These money trail non profit organization are always businessmen. Plasticines are computer animations basically. (Satan puts demons in flesh bodies using Hadron Collider.) These poisonous people are engineered as messiah pharisees but so as 2always foil gardening, in the end. Satan allows money 4food only. 98% You Tube videos are Plasticines. People deluge these false christs with praise &cash. 90% of thcash they allowed 2pocket.