ROBBER BARON PRESERVE

Robber Baron Restoration Project

As San Antonio has grown and urbanization surrounded Robber Baron, vandalism of the cave became a problem, as did worries about unauthorized visitation, especially by children who might become lost.  Over the years, four separate gates were installed, each replacing a former gate that had been violated by vandals.  The fourth gate was the most secure, a 5 ton concrete bunker with a metal door.  The bunker was effective at preventing vandalism, but presented other problems.  It restricted airflow and prevented nutrients from reaching the cave's endangered species.  Its weight was also causing the entrance shaft through the underlying fill (put in the sinkhole during various nearby construction projects) to begin to collapse.  In 2002, TCMA received a Partners Grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), originally to modify the gate, but ultimately it was realized that a more significant restoration project was needed.

After reviewing options, TCMA decided to restore the entrance to as near the original sinkhole bottom as possible, digging out decades of accumulated trash and fill.  The bunker was replaced with a secure, but ecologically friendly gate, that allows the natural passage of air, water, nutrients, and organisms.  During the sinkhole excavation process, a trench had to be dug to allow equipment access, and it was converted to a series of steps to make access easier and reduce erosion.  On the surface of the property, new fences were constructed around both the grounds and the sinkhole that are more attractive and provide more safety.  Additionally, the grounds were re-landscaped, removing numerous overgrown non-native plants and planting drought-tolerant native plants.  To create a more inviting park-like environment for the neighborhood, a trail was built across the property and a picnic table installed.  An educational kiosk provides important historical, biological, and geological information about Robber Baron.

Through external funding sources and the work of more than 275 volunteers, who donated 3700 hours of work over a 5 year period, the project was successfully completed in November, 2008.  Robber Baron is now a centerpiece of TCMA for its unique assets, and an educational resource where people can visit to learn about the hidden world beneath their feet.

Removing the old bunker entrance.	Digging open the second entrance.

The trench into the sinkhole, finished with steps and a bridge.  Photo by Jim Jasek.

Project Funding

Besides many thousands of dollars of volunteer donations and allocations from the TCMA Board, a large portion of the project funding has been through several grants.  A US Fish and Wildlife Partner's Grant provided $5000 for restoration of the cave entrance.  A second phase of funding was received through a $4500 grant from the Magnolia Charitable Trust.  An additional $7000 of funding was acquired through the Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) for restoration of the surface of the property by removing non-natives, controlling erosion, and xeriscaping.  TCMA continues to seek donations and other material assistance for other future improvements to maintain the Preserve.

Mixing cement for fence post footers.	Stacking rocks for the trench retaining wall.

How Can You Help?

Although the restoration project is now complete, maintenance and improvements will be ongoing both on the surface and in the cave. We plan to hold work days approximately twice yearly in the future.  Announcement of these work days can be found here: http://www.tcmacaves.org/robberbaron/rb_schedule.html or by signing up for the Robber Baron email list (Send an e-mail to one of the individuals below).   For more information please e-mail Linda@tcmacaves.org or joe.mitchell@tcmacaves.org.

For more information please e-mail joe.mitchell@tcmacaves.org

Preserve Manager: Joe Mitchell

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