Segment 1
The Mesquite tree – easy to say it’s not a popular tree for Texas ranchers. It’s thorny – it hogs water – stringy with shade – crowds out grassland – and almost impossible to kill.
But there’s another side to the Mesquite. It could be considered a super tree that have many positive attributes that benefits the ecosystem above and below the ground.
And the Mesquite is also a super food that’s tasty too.
Rodney Bovey is a longtime rangeland scientist with the Agricultural Research Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He’s written the book “Mesquite: history, growth, biology, uses and management.”
It’s published by Texas A&M University Press.
Segment 2
Across Texas there are some magnificent trees that have some odd features. They might have branches or trunks that suddenly jut out in 90 degree angles or bow along the ground. Some of these trees may have been tied down and twisted long ago by the native peoples in Texas. Long before there was GPS there were the marker trees of the first nations. Now there is a race on to find, identify, confirm and preserve these historic trees before they are lost.
Steve Houser is a co-author of the book "Comanche Marker Trees of Texas." It’s published by Texas A&M University Press.
