Meet
Stretch, the giraffe.
We took a field trip today to the Texas Disposal Systems and Exotic Game Ranch. This was an invitation only for the area home schoolers. Not open to the public, this exotic ranch had generously opened their facilities for tours, and even provided a 40-min bus ride throughout the ranch and landfill. We were humbled at their generosity!
This is one of the largest landfills in the nation. You would have never believed it while looking around. Everything was so beautiful and the air was crisp and clean.
Exotic animals have been brought in from around the world. We learned that all the animals spend 10 years in quarantine to allow time to acclimatize and adapt to their new surroundings. The Texas weather is similar to Africa, making the ranch home to several endangered species.
An ancient Mesquite tree.
Taking a bus ride through the ranch...
Each landfill is dug 62 feet - which will be filled with waste that has been brought in from Austin, 1/3 of San Antonio, Georgetown, and a few other towns. Layered with red clay and topped with 62 more feet of earth, the landfill is hidden. We were amazed at how clean the area looked!
A covered landfill.
Incoming trucks are weighed and the trash is sorted, recycled, and taken to the landfills.
A flea market is on the premise, selling items that were found among the trucks.
The first truck that started this all.
Recycling trees and untreated wood for mulch.
Mulch mound.
Driving through the mulch area. Glass is even recycled, and broken down into a fine powder. The road sparkled from the glass -- it was like driving on diamonds.
This is truly a wonderful way to be good stewards. Nothing, it seemed, went to waste. Even though this was a business that dealt with WASTE. The landfill even had a tree farm.
Meet Stretch, the giraffe. 
We took a field trip today to the Texas Disposal Systems and Exotic Game Ranch. This was an invitation only for the area home schoolers. Not open to the public, this exotic ranch had generously opened their facilities for tours, and even provided a 40-min bus ride throughout the ranch and landfill. We were humbled at their generosity!
This is one of the largest landfills in the nation. You would have never believed it while looking around. Everything was so beautiful and the air was crisp and clean.
Exotic animals have been brought in from around the world. We learned that all the animals spend 10 years in quarantine to allow time to acclimatize and adapt to their new surroundings. The Texas weather is similar to Africa, making the ranch home to several endangered species.
An ancient Mesquite tree.
Taking a bus ride through the ranch...
Each landfill is dug 62 feet - which will be filled with waste that has been brought in from Austin, 1/3 of San Antonio, Georgetown, and a few other towns. Layered with red clay and topped with 62 more feet of earth, the landfill is hidden. We were amazed at how clean the area looked!
A covered landfill.
Incoming trucks are weighed and the trash is sorted, recycled, and taken to the landfills.
A flea market is on the premise, selling items that were found among the trucks.
The first truck that started this all.
Recycling trees and untreated wood for mulch.
Mulch mound.
Driving through the mulch area. Glass is even recycled, and broken down into a fine powder. The road sparkled from the glass -- it was like driving on diamonds.
This is truly a wonderful way to be good stewards. Nothing, it seemed, went to waste. Even though this was a business that dealt with WASTE. The landfill even had a tree farm.
Heading back for the Pavillion for lunch.
What an incredible day!
6 comments:
Wow, looks like a fun day!We have Mesquite here in Hawaii too.We call it Keawe. So the animal handlers don't worry about toxins leaching through the soil and grass?
Before the field trip did you know this place existed? It looks like it was the type of place a person seldom hears about.
Did you shop any at the flea market?
Wow, I had no clue they did that with the trash. Our city recycles our tree branches and grass into mulch and gives it back to us for free but our trash gets hauled to a very stinky dump out by the river.
WOW!!! that looks like fun!!!
I heard about the ranch through an awards banquet that Josh had to attend. The landfill was very educational and they have a solution of keeping the contaminants from polluting our water supply, etc. Something about layering the landfill with red clay, etc.
You just wouldn't believe it if you'd seen it with your own eyes. I wanted to move there! ;-)
What a great home-school day!! Neat pictures! :)
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