Calming the Waters Progress

Wallisville -The First Legal Battle

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 22:28:21 GMT

Saved by bald eagles

One of Jim’s first bay litigations involved the Wallisville Reservoir. The fight over constructing a dam where the Trinity River meets Trinity Bay had been raging since the early ‘70s. The dam was intended to create a reservoir that would be a companion freshwater source, along with Lake Livingston, to serve the booming population of Houston. Our crew shot what would have been lost by these moves, and what eventually replaced the dam in the Army Corp of Engineers plans.

The dam was first addressed by the Sierra Club, Houston Audubon, The Environmental Defense Fund, Houston Sportsman’s Club, and The Texas Shrimp Association to save 19,700 acres of swamps and wetlands and protect freshwater inflows into Trinity Bay.

An iniltilal injunction in 1973 successfully stopped the reservoir’s construction. But in 1979, a behind-the-scenes lobbying effort exempted the project from its environmental impact statement, and in 1986 it was all back in court, this time with Jim Balckburn involved with attorney Ray Berry as lead before Judge Bue.

The legal battles volleyed back and forth until the injunction against construction was lifted in 1987 by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. But just as everyone thought construction would begin, a glimmer of hope appeared in the form of two endangered Bald Eagles. They were nesting at Lake Charlotte, located in the heart of the project area.

With this discovery, Jim, now as lead attorney was able to delay construction again, and over a period of ten long years, the project evolved into building a saltwater barrier to manage the freshwater flows from Lake Livingston—which ironically was what the original reservoir had really been inte nded to do all along.

Current saltwater barrier.

Looking Forward

Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:35:09 GMT

Jim hopes Texas will someday achieve a circular economy

To help build the ending of the film about Jim Blackburn, we wanted to get some of his thoughts about what he envisions his initiatives will look like for Texas in the future. We talked about what the carbon removal demand will look like in the nexr decade, how the living shoreline concept he is working on will provide a multitude of protections to the land, it’s inhabitants, and the the health of the environment as a whole. He also pointed out how the living shoreline may encourage the dedication of land up from the water’s edge to more carbon farming over the large footprint of Texas’s expansive family ranches, rather than opening them up for commercial development. It will also be better for all of us who might otherwise end up subsidizing the costs of flood damage brought on by the inevitable erosion from storm and searise damage from climate change.

Jim reminisced about how his wife, Garland, who has been a partner in all of his work, was instrumental in making what might have stayed only a pipe dream, a reality.

I t was the early ‘70s at UT where Jim was dating Garland. He was unhappy studying traditional law. She mentioned that her girlfriend's partner had just switched his major to —environmental law. At that time environmental law was brand new. Even the word environmentalism was new. Jim wisely followed Garland's advice. From that early decision, he was set on a path to becoming Texas’s pre-eminent environmental lawyer . . . and the rest, as they say, is history

Interview: Douglas Brinkley

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 02:17:47 GMT

Is Jim the next environmental revolu tion?

Rice History Professor and renown author of books about important currents in American history, Douglas Brinkley , spoke to us for for "Calming the Waters" in September.

His most recent book, Silent Spring Revolution , the third in a series about the history and evolution of the American environmental movement, examines the importance of Rachel Carson’s award winning book, Silent Spring . It was a seminal work, revealing the impact dealt by artificial chemicals, specifically DDT and launching an eco-revolution. Ultimately, Carson’s work would inspire landmark legislation during the administrations of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon as well as the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.

Mr. Brinkley’s book closely parallels the education and activism of Jim Blackburn who began his career in law close to the time of Earth Day, Jim's career grew as the new subset of law called environmental litigation matured. Hiss early initiatives started with research about development and the environment. His first job was working with George Mitchel to craft a new concept called The Woodlands. Mitchel envisioned working with nature rather than destroying it to construct homes and commercial buildings and The Woodlands arose in and among the piney woods north of Houston,.

When there was more awareness of the impact of pollution on the environment and health of the community, Jim’s worked became more focused on battling the industry and urban development that threatened Texas. And when it came in fashion, he began to “sue the bastards” for their careless destruction of these delicate habitats and coastal resiliency.
Eventually, especially after the TAP (Texas Aransas Project) litigation, Jim realized that litigation could only go so far to make lasting change in environmental protection. Thus began his journey to find the middle way to win environmental battles, that may be ushering in… the next eco-revolution?

Kayaking Christmas Bay

Sun, 07 Jan 2024 21:35:23 GMT

The Earth Church that resides on the ocean’s edge

To open and close the documentary with visuals of Jim’s passion for the coastal environment, we filmed him on a kayak fishing trip to Galveston Bay in October. It is here he often retreats to recharge and visit what has become his Earth Church—the place where he best finds spirituality in nature.

The trip featured an area in Christmas Bay, a place west of the city of Galveston where freshwater inflows mix with the salinity of bay waters between the mainland and the barrier island of Galveston and create a perfect nursery for fish, shrimp, oysters and coastal fauna. It is not just a beautiful place, but also a critical commercial asset for the health of the local economy.

Although the day’s cool clear weather ushered in a welcome escape from a brutal summer, good fishing was more elusive—but then, isn’t it always. As we followed Jim, he followed the many clues that might lead him to pockets of fish. Often it wasn’t directly spotting the fish themselves, but the behavior of birds in the area looking for the same thing. Specifically, the pelicans have always been one of Jim’s touchstones along the Texas coast, as they course the bay waters for subtle signs of activity that could lead them to the next meal.

Exploring Matagorda Bay

Mon, 19 Dec 2022 23:33:45 GMT

Bill Balboa leads the tour

Bill Balboa is the President of the Matagorda Bay Foundation . Matagorda Bay is one of the most diverse bays in the chain from the Sabine to the Rio Grande.
As Bill describes it, the bay features "coastal prairie dotted with oak mottes, bisected by coastal streams and river bottoms, and punctuated with freshwater marshes and tidal wetlands.” We were able to film this lovely estuarine habitat along with its wildlife populations when we hitched a ride with Bill, his wife, and David Goff who was working on the areas’s Christmas Bird Count.

In addition to the many water environs —intracoastal canal, water cuts, and the bay itself—we visited Dog Island . The 900-acre island was recently purchased by the Matagorda Bay Foundation. Bill hopes to develop it into a protected refuge offering kayaking, camping, and hiking for visitors.

The foundation has also undertaken the restoration of several oyster reef complexes at Oliver Point and near Palacios . Those projects will both serve as natural breakwaters for the coastal shoreline, reducing the erosion that has accelerated with sea level rise, and helping to return the bay to its roots as a healthy home for oysters.

Peter Byck Interview

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 15:00:01 GMT

We Meet the Carbon Cowboy

One of the most influential individuals in the formulation of Jim Blackburn’s carbon offset initiative is documentary filmmaker Peter Byck. Peter is a professor of practice at Arizona State University in both the School of Sustainability and the Cronkite School of Journalism. He teaches filmmaking for environmental subjects and has also directed a great number of environmental documentary films including Garbage , a documentary on refuse, Carbon Nation , a film about closing the carbon cycle, and Soil Carbon Cowboys about adaptive multi-paddock grazing. Peter met (and interviewed) Jim for Garbage, and the research in AMP grazing that has motivated much of his current filmmaking was instrumental in Jim’s development of The Texas Coastal Exchange and BCarbon . Our interview covers Peter’s regenerative agriculture journey, crossing paths with Jim, and his take on the future challenges in taking AMP grazing to scale.

Peter Byck arranged for us to shoot his interview in the museum at the Walter Chronkite School of Journalism,
Arizona State University. ASU has been supportive of his projects.

The Coastal Environment

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 15:00:03 GMT

A Birds-Eye View of the Texas Coast

To support all the interviews that reference the focus of Jim’s work, the Texas Gulf Coast, our crew spent nearly two weeks filming by land and drone the three major areas of the coastal environment: the upper coast near the Sabine River, the mid coast from Aransas Bay to Galveston Bay, and the lower coast from Rio Grande north to Padre Island.

Each area has unique characteristics and biomes. Along the lower coast we shot in the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge , home to many waterbirds and the endangered ocelot in a uniquely saline estuarial environment. Further north along the coast we shot in Port Mansfield, site of coastal wetlands, a healthy fishing area, and the site of the only cut in the Padre Island barrier island. Finally, at its northern-most point, we shot in the Padre Island National Seashore where we documented some of the best preserved sand dune systems along the coast as well as the home to many coastal bird populations and in Corpus Christi Bay, a thriving population of bottle-nose dolphins.

The mid-coast area we covered included the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge , home to the wintering grounds of the last wild flock of endangered whooping cranes. North of the ANWR was the Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Management Area which displayed great wetlands and coastal prairies. Closer to Houston were Lavaca and Matagorda Bay. Matagorda Bay is a great example of wetlands and estuaries that are home to healthy populations of birds, and fish. Oyster reefs there are in the process of restoration by the bay’s guardian Matagorda Bay Foundation headed by Bill Balboa. Finally, we made our way to Galveston Bay. We photographed a great success story of wetland/prairie/living seashore restoration underway at Galveston Bay’s Virginia Point . This endeavor continues through the efforts of Scenic Galveston headed up by Lalise Whorton Mason.

The Upper Bay was covered by filming in Houston Audubon managed Bolivar Flats —a wonderful beach frequented by large numbers and varieties of coastal birds—and The High Island system of birding sanctuaries. Nearby was another target of our work, the coastal prairies and woodlands of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge . Finally, at our northernmost point of our journey, were wetlands and marshes adjacent to the Sabine River. the McFadden National Wildlife Refuge and Sea Rim State Park .

We Interview Jim Blackburn

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 21:35:04 GMT

Jim Recounts His Journey

The subject of our environmental film did not disappoint with his interview. In a far-ranging conversation we covered his early life and the influences that ignited his love for nature, his fateful decision to pursue environmental law—a legal area in it’s infancy at the time—and his battles to protect the Texas coastal habitat and the people and creatures that live there.

Of particular focus was the litigation taken up for the Aransas Project against the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority. That year 23 Whooping Cranes died over winter during a drought and a fatal reapportionment of freshwater inflows. Jim’s seesaw of a win, then a loss on appeal, and a final appeal declined by the Supreme Court that resulted an epiphany: in Texas, the only path to eventual victory is a middle way .

The lion’s share of our discussion centered on the creative initiatives that Jim has developed to strengthen coastal environmental protection using regenerative ranching, increasing ecotourism, and celebrating the environment through a spiritual connection to nature—a place that Jim likes to call the Earth Church .

Floating with the Fishermen of Team 11.

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 19:14:59 GMT

Testing my Kayak rig

A key B-roll sequence we plan to capture for the film is one of Jim’s best loved activities (kayaking and fishing) from his favorite Earth Curch pew (Galveston Bay). Along with drone aerials and shots from the land, we plan to use a kayak rig to get a water level view of Jim with his band of brother kayakers, Team 11 . Take a look at some test footage from Armand Bayou using a stabilization rig mounted on my kayak.

Judge Janis Jack remembers

Sun, 15 May 2022 13:14:18 GMT

What would Thoreau do?

We had the privilege of interviewing Judge Janis Graham Jack, a Senior Federal United States District Judge in Corpus Christie. She presided over the TAP (The Aransas Project) vs Shaw trial where Jim Blackburn led the plaintiff's team in a suit against the TCEQ (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality) and GBRA (Guadalupe Blanco River Authority) The case claimed that the state had mismanaged the fresh water inflows to San Antonio Bay. High salinity levels in the bay caused the reduction of some critical food sources for the resident endangered Whooping Cranes. Consequently, that year 23 endangered Whooping Cranes perished because they were not able to find their usual food source.

The Judge recounts her impressions of Jim Blackburn as an individual who was dogged in his pursuit of justice. After she found in favor of the plaintiff in this case, the defendants appealed h er ruling to the 5th Curcuit Court in New Orleans, where i t was overturned. Jim tried again by a ppealing the the case to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court refused to put the case on the docket for review and J im's options for appeal in the court system ended there. This series of legal hurdles resulted in an epiphany. He came to understand that a better way to win environmental cases in Texas is to find a middle-way to bring both sides together in a win-win scenario.

In this case, after all the legal maneuvering was over, the litigants met for lunch. They discussed their differences and came to an agreement addressing the problems of fresh water inflows to the bay. Eventually almost all of the goals of the original litigation were achieved. This was a true win-win-win for TAP, the GBRA and of course... the beloved Whoopers.

Git Along Little Dogies

Thu, 12 May 2022 00:59:40 GMT

It's still the right thing to do

Third generation (and going on fourth) rancher Loy Sneary of Sneary Cattl e j ust outside Bay City was interviewed about his grazing practices. In particular, he was an early adopter of the Adaptive Multi-Paddock grazing method that is integral to Jim Blackburn's TCX and BCarbon initiatives. This grazing practice encourages ranchers to move their cattle to new paddocks frequently. The regular movement to fresh paddocks allows the coastal grasses that are the cattle's foraged food, to be protected from overgrazing, and therefore maintain and grow deeper roots. The deeper the roots, the greater the grasses' ability to sequester carbon.

Jim Blackburn has developed a commercial carbon market around AMP grazing. If a rancher agrees to implement this system of grazing, the increase of carbon sequestration is monitored, measured and ultimately monetized. Organizations, individuals and companies who want to reduce their carbon footprints pay the ranchers for their good environmental practices and the resulting sequestration. BCarbon was formed to make this market value measurable and valued at an agreed-upon level.

Loy has already benefitted from this extra stream of income, and he enthusiastically advocates AMP to his ranching neighbors and, through this interview, to Texas and the nation.

Prayer and Prairie

Sat, 07 May 2022 21:15:02 GMT

Presentations at Rothko, on the Neches River
and Mitigation banks on the Calcasieu

Setup for Jim's presentation at the Rothko Welcome Center

A Busy Week

It was a busy week of shooting. On April 30th, Jim made an Earth Church presentation at the Rothko Welcome Center , reading from, and signing copies of, his book of poetry.

Jim's reading at the Rothko event

Jim reads poetry while floating down the Neches River

Ivory Bill Boat Tour

On the next day (May 1st) Jim set sail on the pontoon boat Ivory Bill. That day his Earth Church presentation was given while moving through cypress trees on the Neches River, and attend by an audience eager to be enveloped by the spirituality of the Bayou.

Land under restoration to Savannah Pine Wetlands in contrast with the
commercial loblolly pine operation at right.

EIP Mitigation Bank

Finally, on May 3rd, we captured B-roll of an EIP mitigation bank in Calcasieu Parrish. This bank has returned a Savannah Pine Wetlands to a region that had formerly been used by commercial Loblolly pine monoculture stands destined for lumber. Savannah Pine Wetlands were the predominant environment in this Southern Louisiana area, and you will note the stark difference between the two: the Pine Savannah lush with prairie grasses and flowers. Thank you to our guide, Matt Conn from SEG Environmental.

Matt Conn

FeatherFest

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 16:53:21 GMT

A Venerable Texas Ecotourism Event

Our crew covered the 25th anniversary FeatherFest Festival in the Galveston. FeatherFest perfectly illustrates Jim’s initiative to increase EcoTourism as a means to encourage a more broad-based interest in the local habitat and it's protection.

We covered four of the dozens of events and classes offered over the long weekend: Shorebird Photography at East Beach, Birds in Flight from a Boat ( North Deer Island ), Ground Level Bird Photography at Bolivar Flats, and Birding the Port Arthur Area with Glenn Olsen . Birds were bountiful and spring-energized, and everywhere we went participants were excited about our project—the name Blackburn being a symbol of courage in the good fight for the health of the Texas Coast and it’s inhabitants.

Coming up next is coverage of Jim’s speaking and book signing event at the Rothko Chapel's Welcome Center on Saturday, April 30th .

Shorebird Photography

Birds in Flight from a Boat

Ground Level Birding at Bolivar Flats

Birding the Port Arthur Area

A Magical Mystical Tour

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 20:14:11 GMT

Earth Church puts on a show

During a wonderful evening at Houston's Orange Sho w we covered an eclectic outreach event. Jim Blackburn gave a presentation about the importance of a spiritual connection with nature the importance of an "Earth Church” for environmental action. Mary Anne Weber and the Houston Audubon raptors were there and Joanna Friesen guided dance improvisations. Even nature leant a hand with a cool Spring evening to greet the attendees during this multi-sensory show.

Putting a Price on Nature

Sun, 03 Apr 2022 20:15:01 GMT

Using land, science, and law to influence money and behavior over time.

The crew last week was in Sausalito, California to interview one of Jim Blackburn’s mentors, Adam Davis, co-founder and Managing Partner at Environmental Investment Partners. More than 35 years ago, Adam devised a business plan that would align economic development and environmental restoration.
EIP develops mitigation bank solutions for businesses who needed to offset unavoidable, permitted impacts to wetlands, streams and habitat areas. Governmental agencies, like the Corp. of Engineers, issue credits to EIP which are then offered for purchase by project developers to satisfy their mitigation compliance.
These monies are used to undertake sustainable environment restorations, such as restoring coastal marshes or coastal prairies. Jim and Elizabeth Winston Jones sought Adam's Advice about early ideas for both the Lone Star Coastal Alliance and the Texas Coastal Exchange.

Earth Church Outreach

Mon, 28 Mar 2022 15:24:26 GMT

A Presentation at Christ Church Cathedral

Jim Blackburn has continually examined his views on the relationship between spirituality and nature. The ideas expressed in his recent book of poems, Earth Church , form the direction of his environmental work today. He seeks kinship between spirituality and robust efforts to save our environment. Dominion over nature can no longer be our goal, harmony is needed

Jim recently talked to parishioners of Houston's Christ Church Cathedral about Earth Church and his recent collaborations with artist Isabelle Scurry Chapman. He read some poetry from the recent book, and was well received even here in the oil capital of the world.

You can hear Jim read some of his poetry here .

Gone Birding

Fri, 04 Mar 2022 23:55:40 GMT

Love is in the air

It’s edging towards spring, and the birds on High Island are getting a running start…at breeding that is. They are building nests and courting at the rookery on Clay Bottom Pond. Led by Hosuton Audubon legend Joe Smith who had a tip about amorous activity at the Smith Oaks Bridge Sanctuary we went to investigate. One wonderful surprise was the large number of Roseate Spoonbills, who almost outnumbered all the varieties of egrets and cormorants. All in all, a very thrilling morning in one of the most superlative places to bird in the country.

Coming up next, an interview with Adam Davis, one of the founders of Ecosystems Investment Partners, a group that inspired Jim during his development of the Texas Coastal Exchange and BCarbon.

BCarbon Presentation

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 23:12:03 GMT

BCarbon and the circular economy

On the night of February 8th 2022, Jim Blackburn spoke to a small in-person group at The Houston Museum of Natural Science and the talk was broadcast via Zoom to a wider audience. The subject of the evening was BCarbon and the Circular Economy. If you would like to hear the whole presentation, you can play the audio below.

Or you can download the transcript of Jim's speech:

Since last we heard Jim speak, his ideas have matured and expanded, and he had much news about new partners, new customers, and a general tipping point in acceptance of the BCarbon idea, not only locally, but internationally.

Thank you to all of the donors at Emily Todd’s fundraising event who have supported Calming the Waters and whose generous donations made this filming possible!

Interview with Rev. Carla V. Pryne

Sun, 07 Nov 2021 21:41:50 GMT

Finding a spiritual journey in nature.

Along the beautiful shores of Vashon Island just west of Seattle, we interviewed Carla V. Pryne, Episcopal Priest and Co-Founder of Earth Ministry Reverend Pryne spoke to us of her journey to link spirituality and the Gospel to Nature, and how that ministry can move religious individuals to link their love for the creation, and action to protect our environment and build resiliency into our critically important natural habitats.

Pryne describes the influence of her father on building her awareness of nature and the Nestucca oil barge spill off the coast of Seattle—where thousands of birds died—as epiphanies driving her long career of environmental advocacy. Today, retired from the ministry, Carla continues to speak out about nature and God while spending more time with family, her horses, and a newfound love of raising bees.

Jack E. Davis Interview

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 23:52:44 GMT

A few words of encouragement

Our most recent interview is with author and professor at the University of Florida, Jack E. Davis. He also holds the Rothman Family Endowed Chair in the Humanities and teaches environmental history and sustainability studies there. Jack brings an expert perspective to the importance and evolution of the Gulf of Mexico, all focused around coastal habitats and waters.

He helps bring to our story of habitat protection and resilience an expansive historical context charting the steady degradation of the Gulf's environment from the first European explorers to today's most dangerous impacts from climate change. Jack has lived much of his life in Florida near the eastern Gulf coast and he developed an early love for it's waters and wild inhabitants. An enthusiastic kayaker—like Jim Blackburn—he poured his passion for the region into the Pulitzer Prize-winning book for history, The Gulf:The Making of an American Sea.

Interviewing Nathan Pence

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 22:47:51 GMT

About how to move forward in Texas

We recently interviewed Nathan Pence, Executive Manager of Environmental Science for the Guadalupe-Blanco RIver Authority in Seguin, Texas. Nathan is assigned to work with Jim Blackburn, Ann Hamilton, and The Aransas Project to develop the post litigation agreement to monitor and protect the habitat for the endangered Whooping Cranes in and around San Antonio Bay.

After The Aransas Project lost its final appeal in the courts, Jim and former General Manager Bill Wes had hammered out a "middle-way" solution for this delicate ecosystem. When Bill retired, he passed along the development duties to Kevin Patteson and then Nathan Pence when he came aboard GBRA.

Jim was excited to work with Nathan whose resume included work at the Edwards Aquifer Authority to protect the endangered species at the Comal and San Marcos Springs. Nathan suggested working out a Habitat Conservation Plan for the rivers and bays important to the Whoopers and the estuarial waters they inhabited during the winter. Jim had always hoped to achieve four goals — expand the Whooping Crane dedicated habitat, improve the habitat in the Guadalupe River delta, develop a "refugium" to ensure that San Antonio Bay would always have a protected estuarine zone, and explore the applicability of the Texas Coastal Exchange to restoring grasslands and seeps and springs for base flows in Guadalupe River. Not only did Nathan's plan encompass those four goals that but it expanded the agreement to cover protecting additional endangered mussels and salamanders in the Guadalupe River basin up into the Hill Country.

Jim feels that the The Aransas Project taught him some of the most important lessons in his career as an environmental lawyer. His epiphany was that, especially in Texas, the best way to succeed in environmental protection is to find a compromise where both sides feel that they have won. Litigation is still necessary in some cases, but if a middle-way can be found, it is often the best road to success.

Ecotourism

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 21:37:46 GMT

Economic value for habitat

One facet of Jim Blackburn's environmental initiatives is support for ecotourism, both as a means of educating the public to care about nature and offering local economic growth through an industry that values habitat as a natural treasure and a bulwark against climate change.

Our crew started the shoot with an interview of Victor Emanuel one of the first and most successful practitioners of birding ecotourism. Victor waxed eloquent about how he acquired his love for birds from his mother and began his journey to make birding ecotourism work as a business, while negotiating other journeys in his life including involvement in progressive politics. Now in his early '80s, Victor is as spry and enthusiastic about birding as ever.

We next travelled to Rockport where we visited the barrier island nesting grounds for the whooping cranes with Capt. Kevin . Despite taking our trip during the nonmigratory months this area, Capt. Kevin was able to take us to wonderful pockets of nesting birds, and even a lone whooper—a juvenile who had decided to stay in the refuge over the summer…those teenagers, just can't convince them to do anything!

Rio Grande Valley

Then we set off for the Rio Grande Valley where we would visit six birding sanctuaries: Quinta Mazatlán World Birding Center, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Frontera Audubon, Estero Llano Grande, and the South Padre Island Birding And Nature Center. To present the wonderful network of parks and refuges that make up this internationally known ecotoursim heaven for birding, we interviewed Debralee Rodriguez from the Valley Land Fund and John Brush, the Urban Ecologist for Quinta Mazatlán.

Debra detailed the mission of the land fund to protect habitats and their inhabitants through outreach and education. One innovative approach uses annual wildlife photo contests. The contests educate both young and old about the wonderful natural heritage in the Rio Grande Valley. In addition, the land fund enlists landowners to play a role in conservation by promoting land easements to protect habitats. These are are voluntary agreements between a landowner and a qualified organization like Valley land Fund to restrict development of a property.

John Brush of Quinta Mazatlán was an equally eloquent proponent for habitat preservation in the Valley. John knew every lush nook and cranny of the grounds of Quinta Mazatlán and showed us its wonders in an early morning tour, not even dampened by the AM showers.

All in all, our shoot in the Valley reinforced the power that ecotourism has to motivate people to preserve our natural world. And through every interview, the mantra of emphasizing education for the young was unanimous. From Victor Emanuel's birding camps , to the Valley Land Fund photo contests specifically for young people , and the many youth programs at Quinta Mazatlán , our future in nature is inextricably tied to the next generation.

Chiltipin Creek

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 20:21:41 GMT

Protection for natural beauty near Sinton, Texas

On June 14th we shot along Chiltipin Creek and the Aransas River where they form a lovely estuary in Capano Bay. Jim is recently involved in negotiations with Steel Dynamics who has a manufacturing site near Sinton, Texas and Chilitipin Creek. Proposed wastewater discharge from the site would have allowed significant quantities of heavy metals and other pollutants to be dumped into Chiltipin Creek.

Their talks have resulted in Steel Dynamics agreeing to build a wastewater holding pond, full of wetland plants, that will hold the metals for later removal.

Carbon Sequestration

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 20:21:38 GMT

Rancher Loy Sneary measures his success

On June 12th, our crew covered the measurement of carbon sequestration that Rancher Loy Sneary had achieved on his land through multi-paddock grazing. Mr. Sneary has been an early and enthusiastic proponent of Jim Blackburn's carbon market through the Texas Coastal Exchange and should realize a monetary reward from offset that local industries have agreed to pay.

Sandhill Cranes in Galveston

Thu, 27 May 2021 20:29:57 GMT

Shooting Along 8 Mile Road in Galveston

From a good distance, the Sandhill Crane seems a close cousin to the Whooping Cranes. But, they are smaller with different color patterns and range of breeding grounds. They leave their summer breeding grounds in Canada and arrive on the Upper Texas Coast in October, with the greatest numbers occurring in December to February. In Galveston, they can be reliably observed near Scholes International Airport and along 8 Mile Road. Thanks to bird guide Glenn Olsen for all the viewing tips to this very showy example of the diversity of bird life so close to home.

A few other birds showed up to greet us when we went out to visit the Sandhills!

Poetry and Paintings

sunspot (Barbara Mills) — Sat, 29 Jun 2019 22:33:10 GMT

Jim and Isabelle Poetry Show and Tell

Jim is a man of many facets. On one hand, he is a tough environmental lawyer...and on the other a poet, with a warm love of the natural world: its birds, habitats, and waters. As a followup to an earlier book of his verse with illustrations by Isabelle Scurry Chapman, Jim and Isabelle have partnered on Hill Country Birds and Waters . The new book was presented at Brazos Bookstore on June 29th to a standing room only crowd and our film crew was there to record the event.

Quintana Island

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 21:26:36 GMT

Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary

The Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary sits like an exotic island of birding habitat on the modestly larger (and actually man-made) island of Quintana just off the coast of Freeport ,Texas. Although surrounded by industry, the spring migratory birds still find their way back here each year.

Calming the Waters' crew photographed Jim Blackburn and his friends as they toured the sanctuary, led by bird guide and naturalist Glenn Olsen. A healthy variety of birds, and an explosion of spring flowers ornamented the several acres of parkland.

Whooping Crane Festival

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 22:19:55 GMT

Lots of Interviews and a few

Whooping Cranes

Our team's visit to the Whooping Crane Festival yielded interviews with diverse attendees: George Arcibald former marine biologist for US Fish and Wildlife, , Sally Crofutt , one of the first managers of an eco-tourism program, Jace Tunnell , Director at Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Tom Stehn , who played a large role in Jim Blackburn's TAP vs Shaw litigation in 2011.

Additional man-on-the-street interviews were filmed on the Whooping Crane Boat and the whoopers themselves appeared through the fog.

Matagorda Bay Bird Fest

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 21:57:34 GMT

Community turns out for Eco-Tourism

Palacios, a small community near Matagorda Bay has been working to encourage ecotourism for economic development. For the last three years, they have held the Matagorda Bay BirdFest—"connecting people, birds, and nature"— that hosts birding tours of the bay and wetlands, a speakers series focused on the environmental riches of the area, and a wonderfully quirky "Parade of Birds" featuring exotic bird floats, large bird vehicles, and lots of bird costumes down South Bay Blvd. near downtown.

Katharine Hayhoe

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 21:57:36 GMT

Katherine Hayhoe

Climate Scientist and Professor

TexasTech University

Our crew traveled to Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas where we interviewed Climate Scientist and Evangelical Christian, Katharine Heyhoe. Ms. Heyhoe has been a prominent voice in the climate change debate as a spokesperson for embracing both spirituality and science—especially where it involves the urgency of acting to mitigate environmental impacts we see everyday.

Her voice strongly reinforces Jim Blackburn's message in his book, A Texas Plan for the Texas Coast, that there is a productive avenue to encouraging more environmental protection from people of faith in Texas. Spirituality is one of the three primary ares we examine in Calming the Waters.

Christmas Bird Count

Sun, 16 Dec 2018 21:41:47 GMT

Shooting the Freeport Bird Count

Our production joined the Freeport Christmas Bird Count contingent scouring the Justin Hurst Wildlife Management Area for native and wintering species. The weather was perfect, the number of species was huge, and leading the group of five was legendary nature guide and bird lover, Victor Emanuel.

Creating an Oyster Reef

Sat, 15 Dec 2018 21:22:25 GMT

Bill Balboa rallies volunteers to
create an oyster reef

Bill Balboa, Executive Director of the Matagorda BayFoundation, is working to rebuild oyster reefs in Matagorda Bay, He is pictured here enlisting local volunteers to make a human chain for placement of the shells that will "seed" the reef.

Shooting Progress

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 21:19:14 GMT

Shooting at Bolivar Flats, San Bernard
and Anahuac

Beautiful weather has allowed gathering video coverage of the iconic Bolivar Flats Sanctuary on Bolivar Peninsula, then more wildlife B-roll at The San Bernard and Anahuac National Wildlife Refuges.

The Texas Coastal Exchange

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 20:42:32 GMT

The Texas Coastal Exchange is Open for Business - Rice Bioscience Research Collaborative

Jim Blackburn and development partners in the Texas Coastal Exchange met with a cross section of the community to discuss the TCX's goals and mechanics, and to sign up candidates for a Texas coastal exchange for ecological services—carbon, fish and wildlife, water, and endangered species— around the Galveston and Matagorda Bay areas. Notable speakers included: Jim Blackburn, Henk Mooiweer (Soil Value Exchange), Val Marmilion (America’s Wetland Foundation/Louisiana Coastal Exchange), and Dave Batker (Earth Economics).

Stephen Harrigan

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 19:37:44 GMT

Stephen Harrigan

Writer

Stephen Harrigan is a Texas novelist, screenwriter, and long-time writer for Texas Monthly and nature publications like Audubon , Outside and National Geographic . His family moved to Corpus Christi when he was young, where he became fascinated with bay and coastal waters.
His debut novel, Aransas , followed a young dolphin trainer through the realization that the beautiful creatures needed live their lives free in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Stephen continues to return to the subject of Texas and its natural places in his work today.

Andrew Sansom

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 19:28:11 GMT

Director of the The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment

Former Director Texas Parks and Wildlife and Nature Conservancy

Andy Sansom spoke eloquently about his long love of—and work to protect—nature and water in Texas, and the many challenges to their health from over demand, misuse, and neglect. Mr. Sansom's interview was taped overlooking Spring Lake, the headwaters of the San Marcos River, once threatened by overuse of the Edwards Aquifer source, but saved after a protracted battle to protect some of the river's endangered species.

Bill Balboa

Sat, 13 Oct 2018 19:04:22 GMT

Bill Balboa

Texas Sea Grant Extension Agent &

Matagorda Bay FoundationBoard Member

We recently interviewed Bill Balboa. He spoke about the unique beauty and ecological importance of Matagorda Bay. Later we followed him as he directed a community effort to jumpstart oyster reef restoration, involving a large group of 4H students and Matagorda County citizens

Richard Gibbons

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 18:59:01 GMT

Richard Gibbons

Conservation Director

Houston Audubon

Richard Gibbons of Houston Audubon gives his thoughts about the importance of the coastal habitat to birds and how birding as ecotourism has supported a win/win for the coast.

Elizabeth Winston Jones

Tue, 18 Sep 2018 18:42:48 GMT

Elizabeth Winston Jones

Environmental Program Consultant

Elizabeth Winston Jones reviews her long collaboration with Jim Blackburn. It all started with Houston Wilderness and its Green Think Tank, from which the Texas Coastal Exchange and the Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area were launched. She also gives insight about meeting with Landowners

Al Garrison

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 18:34:07 GMT

AL Garrison

Fishing Guide

Jim Blackburn joins his long-standing fishing guide on Matagorda Bay. Al Garrison has been Jim's mentor— teaching him the ways of the bay and its waters.

Morning Brainstorming

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:51:25 GMT

Innovation Consultant

About thinking "outside the frame"

"I've heard a lot of speeches in my career, but hearing Jim speak stays in my mind, because of his kind of unique approach to solving certain problems. And I thought, 'I just need to have a meeting with Jim, and let's see what comes out of it'. In thirty minutes we hit it off and we understood that we could really start to collaborate."

Interviewing Henk Mooiweer

Wed, 08 Aug 2018 21:56:42 GMT

Henk Mooiweer

Innovation Consultant

Interviewing Ann Hamilton

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 14:58:21 GMT

Ann Hamilton

Senior Grant Officer, Retired

About the Aransas Project vs Shaw - 2011

"Jim had the right questions and George (Archibald, co-founder of the International Crane Foundation) had the right answers. It was a fascinating trial. It was like reading a John Grisham novel... The trial was sort of a capstone for my love of whooping cranes and knowing that there were so many people who cared about those birds."

Calming the Waters Progress

Wallisville -The First Legal Battle

Saved by bald eagles

Looking Forward

Jim hopes Texas will someday achieve a circular economy

Interview: Douglas Brinkley

Is Jim the next environmental revolu tion?

Kayaking Christmas Bay

The Earth Church that resides on the ocean’s edge ﻿

Exploring Matagorda Bay

Bill Balboa leads the tour

Peter Byck Interview

We Meet the Carbon Cowboy

The Coastal Environment

A Birds-Eye View of the Texas Coast

We Interview Jim Blackburn

Jim Recounts His Journey

Floating with the Fishermen of Team 11.

Testing my Kayak rig

Judge Janis Jack remembers

What would Thoreau do?

Git Along Little Dogies

It's still the right thing to do ﻿

Prayer and Prairie

Presentations at Rothko, on the Neches River and Mitigation banks on the Calcasieu

A Busy Week

Ivory Bill Boat Tour

EIP Mitigation Bank

FeatherFest

A Venerable Texas Ecotourism Event

Shorebird Photography

Birds in Flight from a Boat

Ground Level Birding at Bolivar Flats

Birding the Port Arthur Area

A Magical Mystical Tour

Earth Church puts on a show

Putting a Price on Nature

Using land, science, and law to influence money and behavior over time.

Earth Church Outreach

A Presentation at Christ Church Cathedral

Gone Birding

Love is in the air

BCarbon Presentation

BCarbon and the circular economy

Interview with Rev. Carla V. Pryne

Finding a spiritual journey in nature.

Jack E. Davis Interview

A few words of encouragement

Interviewing Nathan Pence

About how to move forward in Texas

Ecotourism

Economic value for habitat

Rio Grande Valley

Chiltipin Creek

Protection for natural beauty near Sinton, Texas

Carbon Sequestration

Rancher Loy Sneary measures his success

Sandhill Cranes in Galveston

Shooting Along 8 Mile Road in Galveston

Poetry and Paintings

Jim and Isabelle Poetry Show and Tell

Quintana Island

Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary

Whooping Crane Festival

Lots of Interviews and a few

Whooping Cranes

Matagorda Bay Bird Fest

Community turns out for Eco-Tourism

Katharine Hayhoe

Katherine Hayhoe

Climate Scientist and Professor

TexasTech University

Christmas Bird Count

Shooting the Freeport Bird Count

Creating an Oyster Reef

Bill Balboa rallies volunteers to create an oyster reef

Shooting Progress

Shooting at Bolivar Flats, San Bernard and Anahuac

The Texas Coastal Exchange

Stephen Harrigan

The Earth Church that resides on the ocean’s edge

It's still the right thing to do

Presentations at Rothko, on the Neches River
and Mitigation banks on the Calcasieu

Bill Balboa rallies volunteers to
create an oyster reef

Shooting at Bolivar Flats, San Bernard
and Anahuac

Texas Sea Grant Extension Agent &

Innovation Consultant