50 Years Ago, This Was a Wasteland. He Changed Everything | Short Film Showcase

Almost 50 years ago, fried chicken tycoon David Bamberger used his fortune to purchase 5,500 acres of overgrazed land in the Texas Hill Country. Planting grasses to soak in rains and fill hillside aquifers, Bamberger devoted the rest of his life to restoring the degraded landscape. Today, the land has been restored to its original habitat and boasts enormous biodiversity. Bamberger's model of land stewardship is now being replicated across the region and he is considered to be a visionary in land management and water conservation.

#NationalGeographic #DavidBamberger #ShortFilmShowcase

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The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's belief in the power of science, exploration, and storytelling to change the world. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of National Geographic Partners.

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In Selah: Water from Stone by Fin & Fur Films, see how former Church's Chicken CEO David Bamberger transformed a desert wasteland into a wildlife oasis.

50 Years Ago, This Was a Wasteland. He Changed Everything | Short Film Showcase

National Geographic

[sunil.m.k]

True embodiment of "leave the world better than you found it"

[garylucier]

“A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in.”

[jarvis]

He literally made the world a more beautiful place to live in for others. That's the kind of legacy I want to leave

[peted]

I have about an acre in my backyard that had been mowed for 60 years (family property). Last year I damaged my mower and paid someone to mow the front yard. We let the back grow wild and were impressed with how we started getting more life in it almost overnight. This year I didn't mow it and what an amazing change has happened. We have an abundance of butterflies, dragonflies, crickets, grasshoppers, rabbits, bees, and I even saw a couple garter snakes in there. My daughter and I walk through the field now and check out all the wildlife and flowers, it is beautiful.

[inthekitchen]

This man's property is about 50 miles from me. He removed non-native cedar trees. These cedars were brought to the Texas Hill Country centuries ago. They are a great nuisance and are water stealers. One adult cedar tree drinks about 300 gallons a week. When these trees are removed, native grasses and oaks and many other native trees begin to grow. Yes, even springs can begin to flow on some properties. His vision was amazing and his love of the Earth is a gift to all of us. God bless Texas!

[piyushdaigavhane]

I am presently 19, and this short film inspires me to buy barren land somewhere and plant a forest, so that I can educate my society and inspire others. I will surely do it.

[chrisconnor]

i went there every year in middle school thanks to one of the coolest teachers ever, Mr Matthews. He was good friends with Bamburger and two years we were able to stay in the cabins, for a weekend, as a field trip. I think it had a big impact on all of us

[fivemjs]

As a Texan I know exactly how dry and unforgiving this land can be....and how incredibly beautiful and life giving it can be. Depends on who takes care of it.

[longlowdog]

This moved me. I own a wee patch of land in Scotland and I'm managing it for wildlife and this inspires me to do more, learn more, be more.

[aaaaarrrrrggggghhhh]

this guy founded church's fried chicken and wants selah to be his legacy. respect.

[BryceLovesTech]

Why do we worship the wrong people in our society. This man is a hero

[johngault]

Stories like this needs to be covered more often. It's incredible how we can restore land to thriving, bio-diverse natural landscapes.

[sophiareygrace]

THIS is the type of content National Geographic should be more producing!!

[epsospremium]

*Sold a profitable business to heal nature* on the private ranch.
Nice life project to have. Good to see that he was happy with his life choices.

[latesilvan]

This guy should be getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom instead of political hacks and lobbyist

[trinityreid]

RIP David Bamberger❤️, a legend that shaped my dreams and my character. A big part of who I am today and who I want to be. I love and miss you.

[STNG-]

For the next generation, please don't destroy that oldman land. It's a beautiful legacy.

[higherresolution]

David Bamberger is the kind of person you'd want to continue living on earth for hundreds of years. There are so few people like him. Who would replace him? Not many. A wonderful film—shared on 2 Facebook pages.

[madtheumbreonlol]

What a legacy you will leave. Bless You!

[DXT]

"If you don't share what you have, you are going to live a lonely life" Sharing comes from the heart. It is a gift from one to another without force or guilt attached to it.