HRM of Texas - InSites

HRM of TX assists planning in Mitchell Lake project

by Paul B. Martin, St. Philip's College

Mitchell Lake, just southeast of Palo Alto College, has received sewage waste from this local (San Antonio), high input community for many years. A "pleasant" side-effect/result is adequate water and abundant nutrients, i.e., an artificial lake and wetlands which are attractive to numerous bird species, including exquisite long-range migratory birds. The "Mitchell Lake Community" is relatively peaceful and very beautiful-and can be a wonderful spiritual experience.

Mitchell Lake is owned by the San Antonio Water System, which is currently searching for a coalition of non-profit organizations truly interested in "managing" this community holistically. I believe this lake might be most effectively utilized as a vehicle to change mindsets of the dominant species (people) in the larger community from: "(virtual) instant material gratification systems" to "conservation and development of sustainable community." This might involve: 1) cautious and tentative decision-making involving continuing education, 2) a low input system including management, 3) "targeting" the poor with resources, 4) education and other initiatives that connect Mitchell Lake with "our own backyards"/homes, and also might focus on 5) leaning more toward "living in concert with nature" vs. stewardship.

The structure, infrastructure and WONDERFUL PEOPLE of Holistic Resource Management of Texas, have provided hope within our collaborative team of interested folk for managing the Mitchell Lake Community sustainably-in a way that is socio-politically just, humane and economically viable; i.e., ecologically sound. The collaborators-San Antonio Water System, Mitchell Lake Wetlands Society, St. Philip's College, EPA, HRM et al.-now have a mechanism for communicating holistically about our goal and action plan for Mitchell Lake.

The HRM process of continually developing ethical knowledge, "refining" the goal and reevaluating the concept of the whole, monitoring/testing and replanning, and bringing more of the local community into the team, has been invaluable to our process, i.e. movement toward "conservation and development of a sustainable Mitchell Lake Community.

David West ranch