Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve

Established in 1969, the 5,500-acre Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve stands as one of the major habitat restoration projects in American history. Inspired by the writings of Louis Bromfield, J. David Bamberger (1928–2026) transformed “worthless” land by replacing shrub Ashe juniper with native grasses. This restored the watershed, reviving eleven dormant springs. The Preserve also came to host the world’s first man-made bat cave and critical recovery programs for the endangered Texas snowbell and scimitar-horned oryx. To share its message, the Preserve also grew to offer educational programs for children and landowners. For this living laboratory’s long-term survival, Bamberger donated the property and assets to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2002. The books, Water from Stone (2007) and Seasons at Selah: the Legacy of Bamberger Ranch Preserve (2020) help further explain the mission of the Preserve and its founder.