Third and Fourth Graders at Gonzales Elementary School are learning about protecting and restoring Texas’s natural heritage--one tree at a time. Gonzales Master Gardeners work with the Third Grade to learn about conservation and restoration by planting black walnut seeds. The students are learning about the depletion of natural resources and that each person in the community can make a difference in protecting and restoring Texas’s natural riches. The Master Gardeners tend the trees until the following fall when any trees deemed ready are distributed to landowners in the county in an effort to restore these magnificent trees to our area
The black walnut was once a dominant tree in Gonzales and surrounding counties. These trees are large, rugged trees usually 50 to 75 feet tall. Some trees have been recorded to reach 150 feet in height. The Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) produces a nut and highly valued, dense dark wood. But today, this tree is “one of the scarcest and most coveted native hardwoods” according to the Ladybird Wildflower Center database.
The abundance of flowing creeks and rivers made Gonzales County an ideal location for the black walnut. In the mid 1800’s, Gonzales County was about one third open prairie and two thirds timber. Well known for its black walnuts, Gonzales was home to a number of enterprising cabinet makers who found the beautiful dark wood ideal for their skilled carpentry. The furniture they produced was greatly sought after. Many historic homes in Gonzales still have their furniture and magnificent paneling and staircases made by local furniture makers like legendary Augustus Kleine. In addition, commercial timber buyers were drawn to Gonzales’s black walnut wood. By 1881, the Gonzales Inquirer reported that an estimated three-fourths of the black walnut had been used up in the preceding 10 years. In 1882, a single Ohio firm purchased one million feet of walnut timber from trees just between Gonzales and Belmont. In time, the forests were depleted. The Inquirer lamented that “A good walnut tree requires 100 years to grow to a proper size.” With no reforestation, the tree became a rarity.
Having a variety of trees in the landscape is a critical part of a healthy environment. Trees are central to everything else that lives on the land. Particular understory plants thrive with specific trees and particular animals are dependent on those plants and trees. Having a few varieties of trees increases the likelihood that pests, diseases or adverse conditions can have a major impact on the plant and animal population. A good example is the American Elm tree in the northern states which was nearly wiped out by Dutch Elm disease, a problem that fortunately doesn’t happened in this area’s much warmer climate. But Texas is facing her own natural disaster in the form of Oak wilt which is nearly always fatal to red oaks and live oaks. In settings where most of the trees are susceptible to a single disease, the chances of deforestation are much greater than in settings where the susceptible trees are spread out among many other types of trees.
The tree population seen today in Gonzales County is dominated by red oaks, cedar elms and hickory. Red oaks are the most common tree. They grow fast, taking advantage of their prolific seed production but they are short lived trees as well. In addition to the devastation to the red oaks from Oak wilt, all three common trees are highly susceptible to drought pressures. By the end of 2012, the Texas Forestry Service had estimated that across Texas as many as 500 million forest trees had succumbed to drought and as many as 56 million urban trees. Estimates included that Gonzales County lost 10% of its trees in the 2011 drought event alone.
Considering the problems that the tree populations in Gonzales and surrounding counties face, Gonzales Master Gardeners and the Gonzales Independent School District have partnered to give Gonzales school children a firm grounding in taking action. The vast majority of land in Texas is in private hands and Texas landowners and residents have always taken a keen interest in protecting the land and their heritage. Passing these values on to the next generation is part of ensuring Texas’s future.
By helping to raise both trees and awareness, Gonzales Master Gardeners look forward to a day when Gonzales County will once again have productive forests of black walnuts and a canopy of trees that can withstand the test of time. We give away trees each year from the trees grown by Gonzales school children to landowners in the interests of restoring these trees and other native Texas trees that once abounded in our area.
The black walnut was once a dominant tree in Gonzales and surrounding counties. These trees are large, rugged trees usually 50 to 75 feet tall. Some trees have been recorded to reach 150 feet in height. The Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) produces a nut and highly valued, dense dark wood. But today, this tree is “one of the scarcest and most coveted native hardwoods” according to the Ladybird Wildflower Center database.
The abundance of flowing creeks and rivers made Gonzales County an ideal location for the black walnut. In the mid 1800’s, Gonzales County was about one third open prairie and two thirds timber. Well known for its black walnuts, Gonzales was home to a number of enterprising cabinet makers who found the beautiful dark wood ideal for their skilled carpentry. The furniture they produced was greatly sought after. Many historic homes in Gonzales still have their furniture and magnificent paneling and staircases made by local furniture makers like legendary Augustus Kleine. In addition, commercial timber buyers were drawn to Gonzales’s black walnut wood. By 1881, the Gonzales Inquirer reported that an estimated three-fourths of the black walnut had been used up in the preceding 10 years. In 1882, a single Ohio firm purchased one million feet of walnut timber from trees just between Gonzales and Belmont. In time, the forests were depleted. The Inquirer lamented that “A good walnut tree requires 100 years to grow to a proper size.” With no reforestation, the tree became a rarity.
Having a variety of trees in the landscape is a critical part of a healthy environment. Trees are central to everything else that lives on the land. Particular understory plants thrive with specific trees and particular animals are dependent on those plants and trees. Having a few varieties of trees increases the likelihood that pests, diseases or adverse conditions can have a major impact on the plant and animal population. A good example is the American Elm tree in the northern states which was nearly wiped out by Dutch Elm disease, a problem that fortunately doesn’t happened in this area’s much warmer climate. But Texas is facing her own natural disaster in the form of Oak wilt which is nearly always fatal to red oaks and live oaks. In settings where most of the trees are susceptible to a single disease, the chances of deforestation are much greater than in settings where the susceptible trees are spread out among many other types of trees.
The tree population seen today in Gonzales County is dominated by red oaks, cedar elms and hickory. Red oaks are the most common tree. They grow fast, taking advantage of their prolific seed production but they are short lived trees as well. In addition to the devastation to the red oaks from Oak wilt, all three common trees are highly susceptible to drought pressures. By the end of 2012, the Texas Forestry Service had estimated that across Texas as many as 500 million forest trees had succumbed to drought and as many as 56 million urban trees. Estimates included that Gonzales County lost 10% of its trees in the 2011 drought event alone.
Considering the problems that the tree populations in Gonzales and surrounding counties face, Gonzales Master Gardeners and the Gonzales Independent School District have partnered to give Gonzales school children a firm grounding in taking action. The vast majority of land in Texas is in private hands and Texas landowners and residents have always taken a keen interest in protecting the land and their heritage. Passing these values on to the next generation is part of ensuring Texas’s future.
By helping to raise both trees and awareness, Gonzales Master Gardeners look forward to a day when Gonzales County will once again have productive forests of black walnuts and a canopy of trees that can withstand the test of time. We give away trees each year from the trees grown by Gonzales school children to landowners in the interests of restoring these trees and other native Texas trees that once abounded in our area.