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Use of Volunteers
In Land Management
Bill Branan 1
Volunteers can be an important part of a land management strategy. Following is a single
example, but there are many I could mention for The Research Ranch and no doubt there are
countless other examples on other areas.
The Research Ranch was criss-crossed by about twenty-five miles of fencing just three years
ago. In addition, its seventeen-mile perimeter fence was not wildlife friendly -- a fact that
became clear one day as my wife and I watched a herd of thirty pronghorns attempt to enter the
Research Ranch. Unfortunately, back then our perimeter fence•s lowest strand was about six
inches above the ground and strung so that the pronghorn had great difficulty getting under or
through -- pronghorn are very poor jumpers, thus going over the fence is not really an option for
them. Anyway, four antelope got through onto the Research Ranch. The other twenty-six
couldn•t make it. Then the four couldn•t get back out to rejoin the herd. Ultimately the herd split
up for the night. We realized that something had to be done.
We contacted the Arizona Antelope Foundation for advice. To make a long story short, we
enlisted volunteers to remove most of our interior fences and to upgrade most of our perimeter
fences to wildlife standards -- removing the bottom two strands of barbed wire and then adding
a new, barbless lower strand twenty inches above the ground. We had ranchers, retirees,
attorneys, and the whole spectrum of folks working together to remove and upgrade fences. In
fact, volunteers donated over ten miles of the barb less wire. The budget savings has been
enormous -- probably more than $20,000. The good will we earned was enormous for the
Research Ranch, but also for grasslands in general as so many from so many backgrounds
worked together. Currently, we are replacing any wooden perimeter posts with steel posts
recycled from interior fences, which will also provide us the ability to institute a burn plan on the
Ranch-- burning can be problematic with wooden fence posts. Incidentally, nothing has gone to
waste -- the steel interior posts are being moved to the perimeter. The wooden posts are
heating several of our buildings -- we measure firewood in miles, not in cords. The old wire was
given to a small company that fashions it into decorations, including cowboy hats, boots, pistols,
cacti, etc. -- to date the Research Ranch•s old wire has been exported to over 30 countries,
which makes us about the most international ranch on earth.
Volunteers assist in research -- probably 25 people will participate in our upcoming sparrow
round-up, but there are many other opportunities to learn by working with some very
knowledgeable and patient scientists. Volunteers also maintain our buildings by creating
straw-bale exterior insulation, rewiring, replumbing, repainting, and on and on.
We recruit volunteers mostly by providing guided tours of the Research Ranch, in fact, it's
difficult to get onto the Ranch and not receive a tour from my wife. We've learned that the
Research Ranch sells itself once folks discover what s happening there.
1
National Audubon Society, Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch, Elgin, AZ.
258