Eulogy for the Thornscrub amp Borderwall Habitat Destruction

>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=r6NObLjtyTo

This episode focuses on a piece of private property that had been frequented - with permission from the landowner - for decades by botanists, birders, and other naturalists from the region. This piece of land was destroyed last week in order to make way for the border fence, destroying two federally listed endangered plant species, as well as hundreds of old growth Peyote plants. This piece of property was one of the most intact crumbs of remaining wildplant and animal habitat in a region that is slowly getting smothered with garbage retail development, car-dependent sprawl and McMansions. • The property in question was a private ranch that the state bought (for likely far too little) to build the border wall after the federal government temporarily put a halt to the project on private property. The landowner told us he basically had to sell or suffer an eventual eminent domain possession. He seemed numb. This property had been in his family for at least a hundred years. • A friend who's studying rare plants here came out during the afternoon heat to show us where some things were that we missed. Ernesto I had been here three weeks ago to scope it as well. All these plants (Hamatocactus hamatacanthus, Echinocereus poselgeri, Ancistrocactus scheeri, etc) will be transplanted to a new home in the ground on private property a few miles away where they will be safe and protected, but the state should've been doing this and funding it. Instead it was all volunteers. • Botanists native plant people from the region have been coming here for the past two weeks to rescue plants, like Coryphantha macromeris, Echinocereus poselgeri, Echinocereus enneacanthus, Homalocephala texensis, Thelocactus bicolor, Physaria thamnophila (federally listed), Ancistrocactus scheerii, Hechtia glomerata, Mammillaria sphaerica, Mammillaria prolifera, Escobaria emskoetteriana,Hibiscus martianus and even a few Asclepias prostrata (also federally listed) that were in the direct path of the 200 ft wide by miles-long swath that is going to be cut. Sadly, there was so much that couldn't be saved. • Your contributions support this content. It sounds clichéd, but it's true. Whether it's travel expenses, vehicle repair, or medical costs for urushiol poisoning (or rockfalls, beestings, hand slices, toxic sap, etc), your financial support allows this content to continue so the beauty of Earth's flora can be made accessible to the rest of us in the degenerate public. At a time when so much is disappearing beneath the human footprint, CPBBD is willing to do whatever it takes to document these plant species and the ecological communities they are a part of before they're gone for good. • Plants make people feel good. Plants quell homicidal (and suicidal!) thoughts. To support Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't, consider donating a few bucks to the venmo account societyishell or the PayPal account email [email protected]... • Or consider becoming a patreon supporter @ : • / crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt • Buy some CPBBD merch (shirts, hats, hoodies n' what the shit) available for sale at : • https://www.bonfire.com/store/crime-p... • To purchase stickers, venmo 15 bucks to societyishell and leave your address in the comments. • Plants ID questions or reading list suggestions can be sent to [email protected] • Thanks, GFY. • Regardless, it felt good to see the Lophophora blooming en masse later in the day, plump and happy. • At least there are still people who care enough to save the crumbs of what's left. I'm thankful to everyone who has been coming here for the past two weeks to save and move plants that were in between the two stakes that designate the path of the border fence. Without them so much more would have been lost.

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