Research and Biodiversity at Selah
We are a 5,500 acre preserve run by a team of professional biologists, and we work with scientists from across Texas and beyond to create meaningful projects that inform biodiversity protection.
The Margaret Bamberger Research and Education Center
For over 50 years, Selah Bamberger Ranch Preserve has been a showcase habitat restoration project with a strong educational mission. For more than 30 years, the ranch has been used as an outdoor classroom for students and landowners. The Margaret Bamberger Research and Education Center, completed in 2018, serves as a research and education facility on the ranch. This building provides state-of-the-art technology and is unparalleled in terms of its capacity to provide a unique experience for students, visitors, and researchers.
J. David Bamberger is one of Texas’ greatest conservation heroes because of his inspiring vision and commitment to restoration and sound land stewardship of Selah, Bamberger Ranch Preserve. J. David’s late wife, Margaret, acted as the catalyst and muse for the educational programs that have benefitted tens of thousands of students and visitors to the ranch over the years. We honor her legacy with this one-of-a-kind research and education building that continues to inspire visitors from all backgrounds.
Biodiversity
at Selah
Flora
With our lush restored native grassland savannah, Selah has a large diversity of woody plants, succulents, forbs and grasses. Our herbarium currently houses a collection of over 350 preserved specimens of plants from the ranch.
117 Woody Plant Species
245 Wildflower Species
97 Grass Species
4 Fern Species
6 Cacti Species
Fauna
From birds to bees, Selah has a variety of wildlife big and small. We currently have voucher specimens housed in the Texas Natural History Museum, as well as our growing insect collection located here on the ranch.
8 Amphibian Species
221 Bird Species
5 Fish Species
12 Insect Orders
14 Lizard Species
28 Mammal Species
23 Snake Species
6 Turtle Species
Keep track of our real time finds with Selah’s iNaturalist place page, where you can see what visitors, staff, and scientists are recording as part of a global biodiversity project.
“I’d like to say what an influential experience I had at Selah. It’s not that I’m never around nature, I just didn’t notice the little things until I learned wildflowers and trees and bird calls….I’ve decided to change my minor to incorporate biology in college.”
— 12th Grader, Austin Waldorf School
Contact us.
selah@bambergerranch.org
830.868.2630
2341 Blue Ridge Drive
Johnson City, TX 78636