Conservation Stories

Dusty Timmons visits with Camille Null, director of volunteer programs for Heroes on the Water, to talk about how kayak fishing became a powerful therapeutic outlet for veterans, first responders, and their families. Camille shares the story of how the organization began in 2007 after founder Jim Dolan saw the way time on the water helped injured service members reconnect, relax, and rebuild a sense of community.

The conversation explores the calming effect of being outdoors, the importance of finding support after service or trauma, and how Heroes on the Water’s volunteer-led chapters create safe, welcoming spaces across the country. It’s a moving reminder that healing does not always happen in a clinic — sometimes it starts with a kayak, a fishing rod, and someone willing to make the call.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website. 

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of Dry Side Dispatch features Lauren Garduno of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance discussing the history, purpose, and future of the Ports-to-Plains corridor. The conversation traces how the project grew out of West Texas transportation needs and NAFTA-era trade, and how the Texas and New Mexico portions were eventually designated as future I-27. 

Garduno also looks ahead at what a modern I-27 could become, including smart-highway technology, autonomous vehicle lanes, fiber infrastructure, drone and air-taxi connections, and new freight and energy systems. The episode emphasizes the corridor’s potential to improve trade with Mexico and Canada, strengthen rural economies, relieve traffic on other interstate routes, and create a major north-south transportation link through the Great Plains.

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Joe Richards of Playa Lakes Joint Venture and Tomorrow’s Water to talk about the vital role playas play in groundwater recharge across the High Plains. Joe explains how these temporary wetlands function, why they matter for the Ogallala Aquifer, and how restored playas can support water quality, wildlife habitat, community water planning, and long-term agricultural resilience.

The conversation covers playa restoration, conservation programs, landowner incentives, municipal water needs, and the importance of including playas in broader water strategies. It’s a practical and hopeful look at how restoring these often-overlooked wetlands can help protect tomorrow’s water for farms, communities, and future generations.

More about our guest: 

Joe Richards, playa & water conservation outreach specialist, Playa Lakes Joint Venture

Instagram: @Richardsoutdoorphoto

Facebook @Richardsoutdoorphotography

Website Resources: 

https://richardsoutdoorphotography.com/

For more information about SARA, please visit sara-conservation.com

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Conservation Stories is presented by The Sandhills Area Research Association (SARA). Subscribe now to hear all the interviews.

We are proud to bring you our local radio show, The Dry Side Dispatch. All past episodoes of the radio show are available on the Sandhills Area Research Association You Tube channel. You can also listen live via the YouTube chanel on Friday's at Noon. All future episodes will now be included on this platform and the Sandhills Area Research Association's website. 

The Dry Side Dispatch is a West Texas radio show and media project from the Sandhills Area Research Association broadcast live on KRFE 95.9 FM. Hosted by Tillery Timmons-Sims, Andy Timmons, and Dusty Timmons, the program focuses on regional agriculture, land conservation, hunting, oil and gas, and local news

This episode of Dry Side Dispatch features longtime Tahoka attorney, farmer, and rancher Calloway “Cal” Huffaker discussing the changing realities of rural West Texas. The conversation covers Tahoka’s history and growth, the importance of small-town schools and civic involvement, and programs that have helped shape rural communities and agriculture across the region. 

The discussion then turns to how agriculture and land use are evolving, particularly through solar and wind development, increasingly complex landowner contracts, wildlife and conservation concerns, and the need to plan for cleanup and long-term impacts. Huffaker also reflects on rising farm costs and the growing shift toward diversified income—such as livestock, hunting, renewable energy, and other land uses—as producers adapt to a changing agricultural economy.

Dusty Timmons visits with Renee Thornton, founder and chair of the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Women Hunt program, to talk about helping more women find a pathway into hunting, conservation, and the outdoor community. Renee shares her own story as a solo adult-onset hunter and explains how that journey grew into a program designed to train, equip, mentor, and support women as they build confidence in the field.

The conversation explores Women Hunt’s Field to Fork program, the importance of firearms education and ethical hunting, the role of women in conservation advocacy, and the ripple effect that happens when women bring their families and communities into the outdoors. Renee also shares about new Women Hunt initiatives, including Mama Bear Field Camp, the Ruby Mayflower Blake Legacy Fund, and the Ignite podcast.