Across Texas, woody plants are steadily spreading into grasslands. Mesquite, juniper, and other brush species are crowding out native grasses, eating into forage for cattle, changing water cycles, and raising the risk of wildfire.
To slow that spread, Playa Lakes, Oaks and Prairies, and Rio Grande Joint Ventures are going beyond herbicides, fire, and mechanical control. The partners are using social science to learn what motivates landowners to manage brush – and what deters them – then creating more effective communication and outreach messages that promote taking action early before these woody plants are harder and more expensive to control.
“We’re using what we learn to shape outreach efforts that actually reflect motivations, barriers, and needs of people on the ground.”
“The people element is a huge aspect of this work,” said Ryan Roberts, PLJV Social Science Specialist. “We’re tying together social science and communications, collecting interviews and focus group data, then using what we learn to shape outreach efforts that actually reflect motivations, barriers, and needs of people on the ground.”
Building on the social science results and messages developed as part of a previous project, the team has been talking with landowners in west, central and south Texas, asking about brush management, prescribed fire and everyday challenges of putting practices on the ground.
The idea? Build on lessons learned in Kansas and Oklahoma, but tailor the approach to Texas landowners. What works in one region may not work in another, and this effort is designed to hear directly from the people who know the land best.
“Earlier this year, I sat down with landowners across Texas to really listen. I wanted to understand how they see brush, what they need, and what keeps them from managing it. That insight is shaping every message we create,” Roberts said.
Those conversations will shape a communications guide designed for NRCS staff and conservation partners. The guide will include messages tested with landowners, practical tips for one-on-one conversations, and strategies for reaching different audiences.
But it won’t stop there. The team plans to host training sessions across the state and follow up with webinars, so staff and partners have easy access to the tools.
“It’s so important to have boots on the ground,” Roberts said. “We hear over and over again that turnover in conservation agencies is a challenge. New people come in, but they don’t always have the field experience or relationships that make conservation work succeed. Training professionals on how to work directly with landowners – how to listen and communicate – that goes a long way. It’s what keeps conservation grounded in reality.”
While the research is centered in specific counties, the ripple effect is expected to be much wider. Once developed, the communication guide and training can be used across Texas and adapted for other states facing the same challenges.
At its core, the project is about pairing proven science with clear communication, so landowners have both the knowledge and the motivation to address brush encroachment.
The Texas project is funded through a Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Partners for Conservation Grant. The previous work in Kansas and Oklahoma was funded through a NRCS National Conservation Innovation Grant.