Conservation Stories

Dusty Timmons visits with Matt Rice of American Rivers to talk about river conservation, water policy, and the growing need to protect freshwater systems across the Southwest and Texas. Matt shares how American Rivers works with agriculture, cities, conservationists, and local communities to find practical solutions that support healthy rivers, clean water, recreation, wildlife, and rural economies.

The conversation explores the complexity of water challenges, from invasive species and aging dams to irrigation, floodplains, river restoration, and the importance of local watershed groups. It’s a thoughtful look at how rivers connect people across political, geographic, and ec...

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 f...

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with David Senter of the American Agriculture Movement to talk about the history of farmer-led advocacy, the rise of AAM in the late 1970s, and the grassroots efforts that brought thousands of farmers to Washington, D.C. David shares the story of the Tractorcade, the fight for fair prices, and the policies farmers pushed for to protect family agriculture.

The conversation also explores the farm crisis of the 1980s, the founding of Farm Aid, the Farm and Ranch Congress, and the ongoing challenges family farmers face today, from low commodity prices and high input...

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 f...

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 ac...

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 f...

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...

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 f...

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...

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 f...

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Evart Outlaw of American Farmland Trust to talk about protecting working lands, supporting farmers and ranchers, and helping producers adapt in a changing agricultural landscape. Everett shares the mission behind American Farmland Trust, including farmland protection, conservation easements, sound farming and ranching practices, and the importance of keeping producers on the land.

The conversation also highlights the Texas Grazing Network, a peer-to-peer mentorship program that connects ranchers with experienced producers who can help them improve land stewardship, soil health, forage production, profitability, and long-term resilience. It’s a practical and hopeful look at ho...

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 f...

Dusty Timmons visits with award-winning wildlife journalist Chester Moore of the Gulf Great White Shark Society to talk about the surprising return of great white sharks to the Gulf of Mexico. Chester shares how years of sightings, research, satellite tagging, and one remarkable shark named LeeBeth helped confirm what many once doubted: great whites are not only present in the Gulf, they are part of its story.

The conversation explores shark conservation, public misconceptions, illegal harvest, the importance of large predators in marine ecosystems, and the role of storytelling in inspiring curiosity and care for wildlife. It’s...

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 f...

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Brian McMath, executive administrator of the Texas Water Development Board, for a helpful look at how Texas plans, studies, and funds water solutions across the state. Brian explains the agency’s three major roles — science, planning, and financing — and how those efforts support communities working on water supply, wastewater, flood mitigation, infrastructure, and long-term resilience.

The conversation explores regional water planning, the importance of local input, aging infrastructure, water loss, innovative solutions like desalination and produced water, and the financial tools available to help communities prepare for the future. It’s a clear and prac...

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 f...

Dusty Timmons visits with Gray Thornton, president and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation, for a wide-ranging conversation about the history, challenges, and future of wild sheep conservation. Gray explains how bighorn sheep populations declined from historic highs to near extirpation, and how hunters, agencies, landowners, and conservation groups have helped rebuild herds across North America.

The episode digs into desert bighorn restoration in Texas, the growing challenge of free-ranging aoudad, disease issues like mycoplasma ovipneumoniae, sheep translocations, predator and habitat pressures, and international conservation work with species like argali and ibex. It’s a fascinating look at...

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 f...

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Heather Kinkade of ARCSA International to talk about rainwater harvesting, stormwater catchment, and how communities can make better use of the water that falls on rooftops, streets, and developed spaces. Heather explains the difference between rainwater and stormwater, how captured water can be treated for different uses, and why these systems are becoming increasingly important as water supplies tighten.

From rain barrels and rooftop systems to rain gardens, curb cutouts, underground tanks, and large-scale commercial projects, this conversation explores practical ways homeowners, builders, cities, and entrepreneurs can rethink water conservation. It’s a ho...

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 f...

Dusty Timmons visits with attorney and conservation advocate Cole Payne about the changing landscape of Texas land use. From wind and solar leases to battery storage, data centers, remediation requirements, and long-term landowner protections, Cole explains why landowners need to understand the details before signing agreements that could shape their property for generations.

The conversation also turns toward conservation easements and the importance of preserving working lands, wildlife habitat, and outdoor traditions. Cole shares how programs like Texas Brigades are helping young people connect with natural resources, build leadership skills, and carry conservation forward into the future.<...

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Will Masters of Ogallala Life Conservation to learn about landscape rehydration work happening in the Amarillo area. Will shares how his team is using natural materials like rocks, brush, trees, and old Christmas trees to build small “leaky dam” structures that slow runoff, capture sediment, and help water soak back into dryland creek systems.

From Wildcat Bluff Nature Center to Rock Creek in Borger, this conversation explores how small, place-based restoration projects can improve watershed health, reduce flooding, support vegetation, and create hope for a more water-secure High Plains. It’s a reminder that c...

Dusty Timmons visits with Michael Scherer of Fishing’s Future to talk about helping families discover the outdoors through fishing, education, and conservation. Michael shares how the organization began as a way to teach families together, not just kids, and how its programs have grown to include family fish camps, school partnerships, adaptive fishing opportunities, ambassador training, and hands-on conservation education.

This conversation explores why fishing is more than catching fish. It is a way to build memories, reconnect generations, teach responsibility for natural resources, and give families the confidence to keep going outdoors together long after th...

Tillery Timmons-Sims welcomes back Ladonna Clayton for a conversation about groundwater conservation, agricultural transition, and what it takes to protect the Ogallala Aquifer before the well runs dry. Ladonna shares how her work in eastern New Mexico is helping producers voluntarily retire irrigation wells, conserve water, and transition to new forms of agricultural production without leaving families or communities behind.

The episode explores incentive-based water conservation, conservation easements, aquifer rebound data, the role of state and federal funding, and the possibility of a “CRP for water” approach that could help farmers, ranchers, municipalities, and rural economies adapt for...

Dusty Timmons visits with Dana Dykema of the Ignite Podcast and Women Hunt to talk about her path into hunting as an adult, beginning with a desire to better understand where her food comes from. Dana shares how her work connecting local farmers with consumers led her into conversations about regenerative agriculture, conservation, and eventually hunting as a deeper expression of food responsibility.

The conversation follows Dana’s first hunt, her family’s growing interest in the outdoors, the challenges of learning as an adult-onset hunter in Canada, and the community she has found through Women Hunt, the...

Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Mark Funderburk, president and CEO of UMC Health System, to talk about healthcare, leadership, service, and the role UMC plays across Lubbock and the surrounding region. Mark shares his personal path into healthcare, UMC’s mission as a public hospital, and the importance of building a sustainable culture where employees, patients, and communities feel supported.

The conversation explores rural healthcare, regional medical access, trauma and burn care, EMS, cancer treatment, urgent care, employee well-being, and the long-term investments needed as Lubbock continues to grow. It’s a meaningful look at how healthcare, community, stew...

Dusty Timmons sits down with longtime Texas fly fishing guide and conservation advocate Chuck Naiser to talk about the decades-long work of protecting the Texas Gulf Coast. From the early fight to stop commercial gill netting of redfish and trout to Chuck’s current work with FlatsWorthy and oyster reef preservation, this conversation explores what it takes to defend a natural resource before it reaches the tipping point.

Chuck shares the history, hard lessons, and persistence behind coastal conservation efforts, including the creation of oyster reef sanctuary areas, the importance of healthy bay ecosystems, and why responsible st...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, Tillery sits down with Marshall Tolleson of HSI Water to talk about irrigation water, soil salinity, and the chemistry behind healthier fields. Marshall shares his path from ag research and extension work to helping bring sulfur-based water treatment technology to Texas, explaining how sulfurous acid systems can help reduce salt buildup, improve infiltration, support nutrient availability, and make every inch of irrigation water work harder.

More about our guest:
Marshall Tolleson
Website
Text SALTY to 9792322528
Email

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

Tillery Timmons-Sims is joined by her brother, Dusty Timmons, for a behind-the-scenes introduction to a new series of interviews recorded at a hunting and fishing lodge gathering conservation leaders, outdoor advocates, podcasters, and nonprofit voices from across the country. Dusty shares stories from his weekend of recording 11 conversations, covering everything from great white sharks in the Gulf of Mexico and desert bighorn sheep in Texas to oyster reef restoration, women in hunting, veterans on the water, family fishing programs, and the power of simply getting people outdoors.

This episode sets the stage for an upcoming run of...

Leah Duzy returns to Conservation Stories for a practical conversation about the changing intersection of pesticides, endangered species protections, and EPA label requirements. Leah and Tillery discuss new herbicide, insecticide, and rodenticide strategies, what growers may start seeing on pesticide labels, and how mitigation practices like buffers, cover crops, no-till, and runoff management can help keep farms compliant. They also talk through the challenges of managing requirements field by field, the role of state enforcement, and why reading the label matters whether you’re farming hundreds of acres or spraying weeds in your own backyard.

More about ou...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, Tillery Timmons Sims is joined by attorney, Texas Tech professor, and renewable energy consultant Kassandra McQuillen for a conversation about the rapid development of data centers in West Texas. Together, they unpack what data centers are, why they require significant energy and water resources, and what proposed projects could mean for communities, landowners, and the Ogallala Aquifer.

Using the proposed Fermi data center project near Amarillo as a case study, Kassandra explores questions surrounding land use, water rights, public accountability, energy infrastructure, and informed community decision-making. This episode is not about...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, host Tillery Timmons-Sims sits down with Texas FFA state officers Madison Diezi and Kinley Hoelscher to explore the impact of FFA on students, agriculture, and future leadership. They discuss how FFA goes far beyond livestock shows and farming, helping students build communication skills, professionalism, advocacy, and lifelong community. From rural roots to urban agriculture, this conversation highlights why FFA continues to play an important role in preparing young people for careers in agriculture and beyond.

More about our guest: 

Maddison Diezi, Texas FFA State Officer (Area XI) Kinley H...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, Tillery Timmons-Sims talks with Larry Sunn of Rain Bees about rainwater harvesting as a practical water solution for drought-prone areas like West Texas. Larry breaks down how much water can be collected from a roof, what kind of tank size a family might need, how filtration works for potable and non-potable use, and why shifting away from wells and water-hungry landscapes may become increasingly important. The conversation also explores the economics of rainwater systems, public water concerns, aquifer recharge, and how education can help communities rethink the way they value and manage water.<...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, Tillery Timmons-Sims visits with Chase Head about the connection between housing, poverty, dignity, and community care in Lubbock. Drawing from his work with the South Plains Food Bank and Yucca Properties, Chase shares how his real estate business has become a way to provide stable housing, practical support, and renewed hope for people facing homelessness, fixed incomes, and difficult transitions. The conversation explores empathy, the fragile realities many families face, and the ways ordinary people can make a real difference through generosity, relationships, and a willingness to see the humanity in others.

In this episode of Conservation Stories, the conversation stretches beyond traditional ag topics and into the growing intersection of nutrition, health, and the future of food. Host Tillerry Timmins-Sims sits down with Allison Childress, a registered dietitian, Texas Tech faculty member, and co-founder of a culinary medicine startup, to talk about how food can be used to manage chronic disease, how their app helps people navigate complex dietary needs, and why GLP-1 medications may be reshaping not just personal health, but consumer behavior, grocery buying habits, and even agricultural markets. It’s a wide-ranging discussion about obesity, stigma, food ch...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, host Tillery Timmons-Sims sits down with Texas Tech agricultural economist Darren Hudson to explore how decades of innovation in farming have reshaped life on the South Plains. Their conversation looks at the unintended consequences of the biotech revolution, from herbicide resistance and changing management practices to the economic pressures facing producers today. Together, they also dig into the bigger picture: water use, the future of irrigation, and what declining agricultural resources could mean not just for farmers, but for Lubbock and the surrounding communities that depend on agriculture. It’s a thoughtful, wide-ranging di...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, Tillery Timmons-Sims talks with Paul Sousa, a California dairy advocate and former water-quality regulator, about what the rest of agriculture can learn from California’s intense regulatory environment. Their conversation looks at the tension between environmental compliance and agricultural viability, especially around water, groundwater nitrates, methane reduction, and the rising cost of regulation for producers. Sousa explains that while California’s rules can be burdensome and politically frustrating, they have also pushed innovation, created new support industries, and in some cases opened up real opportunities, such as methane digesters that generate additional farm reve...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, Tillery Timmons-Sims talks with Arkansas farmer Adam Chappell about the economic pressures reshaping modern agriculture, from corporate consolidation and weakened competition to the policy choices that keep farmers trapped in an increasingly fragile commodity system. Drawing on both lived experience and hard data, Chappell explains how seed, chemical, machinery, and grain markets have become so concentrated that many farmers have little real choice in what they buy, grow, or sell, even as their margins collapse. The conversation also explores the emotional and cultural cost of that system: the decline of rural community, the...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, host Tillery Timmons-Sims talks with Eric Yates of NoFence about how virtual fencing technology is changing livestock and land management. Their conversation explores how GPS-enabled collars for cattle, sheep, and goats can help producers contain animals, rotate grazing areas, protect sensitive land, respond more quickly to emergencies, and even reduce labor demands in large or difficult terrain. Eric explains how the collars use audio cues and mild corrective pulses to train animals to respect invisible boundaries, while also giving producers real-time location and movement data that can help with everything from gathering livestock...

In this episode of Conservation Stories, host Tillery Timmins-Sims sits down with Erin Irwin, co-founder of The Daisy Project—a new Lubbock-based nonprofit launched in April 2025 to help families feed their household pets during tough times, with the goal of preventing rehoming and abandonment. Erin shares the personal story behind the organization—created in honor of her daughter Haley and inspired by Haley’s love for animals—along with what it’s been like building a “baby nonprofit” from the ground up. They talk about the real-world impact The Daisy Project is already making (including thousands of pounds of food distribut...