Throckmorton, Texas (February 5, 2026) — Nantz Land & Cattle, owned and operated by Robert and Stacy Nantz in the Rolling Plains region of the Texas Panhandle, is the newest ranch to earn the National Audubon Society’s Bird-Friendly Land Certification. Obtained through Audubon’s Conservation Ranching program, the certification recognizes lands managed for birds and biodiversity.
Audubon Conservation Ranching is a conservation, certification, and science program rolled into one that lends hope to struggling grassland bird populations. Since 1970, grassland birds have experienced the steepest population drop – 43% according to the most recent State of the Birds Report – in any terrestrial biome. The primary culprits behind these losses in Texas and nationwide include habitat loss and degradation, tree and shrub encroachment, and pesticide applications—all challenges addressed by the program’s collaborative approach to support land management that enhances biodiversity and productivity.
For more than 15 years, the Nantz family faced the challenges of conventional ranching. In 2023, they turned to regenerative practices, transforming not only their cattle and land, but also their outlook. Today, Robert and Stacy steward 18,820 acres in Throckmorton County. The land is actually owned by Travis County (Austin area in central Texas), part of Texas’s “school lands,” a state lands model designed to manage land and bolster education funding. While management from the Nantzes benefits the local ecosystem, revenue from the ranch benefits the Travis County Permanent School Fund. “Travis County is an exceptional landowner that has been supportive and deeply committed to good land stewardship,” says Stacy. “They share our environmental values and have been incredibly supportive of our regenerative management approach, sharing in our excitement in our Audubon certification.” Together, the ranch stands as a model for how working lands can work for both people and wildlife, notably birds.”
“Regenerative ranching has changed everything for us – our cattle, our soil, our bottom line, and most importantly, our mindset,” says Stacy. “Earning the Audubon certification is the next step in our journey, affirming that what’s good for birds and biodiversity is also good for ranchers.”
To earn the certification, the Nantzes meet rigorous standards for habitat management, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, all of which are verified by a third-party audit. Once certified, ranchers and associated brands use the Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly seal on beef and bison product packaging, signaling to consumers a new way to support on-the-ground conservation efforts.
At the heart of their approach is using cattle as a habitat management tool. By consolidating their herd and moving cattle frequently, Nantz Land & Cattle gives pastures long periods of rest – sometimes 300 days or more – before they are grazed again. This system creates a mosaic of grassland structure across the ranch: patches of short grass, taller cover, and diverse forbs. That diversity provides nesting and foraging opportunities for priority grassland birds such as the Grasshopper Sparrow, Cassin’s Sparrow, Lark Bunting, Eastern Meadowlark, Northern Bobwhite, and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.
In addition to adaptive grazing, the ranch is tackling invasive mesquite and prickly pear, implementing prescribed fire, and following a drought management plan – all guided by a master Audubon Habitat Management Plan. Together, these practices are restoring the Rolling Plains grassland and improving both ecological and economic resilience.
“This certification recognizes the Nantz family’s dedication to stewardship,” said Anita Gilson, Senior Private Lands Coordinator with Audubon Texas. “By using cattle to mimic natural disturbance and create a patchwork of habitat, they are showing how ranching can be a powerful tool for conservation.”
Nantz Land & Cattle joins a growing movement of ranches across the country working to restore America’s grasslands through bird-friendly practices. Twenty ranches in Texas are Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly, and nearly 150 ranches across the Southern Plains, Great Plains, Upper Midwest, and the western U.S. are operating under the certification, a collective bringing more than 4 million acres under bird-friendly management.
Funding for the Audubon Conservation Ranching program in Texas is provided by the Dixon Water Foundation, the National Fish and Water Foundation, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
For more information about the Audubon Conservation Ranching program in Texas, please get in touch with Anita Gilson. For more information about Audubon Conservation Ranching nationally, please contact ConservationRanching@Audubon.org.
About Audubon Conservation Ranching
Audubon Conservation Ranching partners with ranchers to sustain healthy grasslands, abundant birdlife, and resilient rural communities. Through our bird-friendly land certification and science-based approach, we empower land stewards to enhance habitat, improve soil health and water quality, and strengthen the connection between conservation and ranching. By purchasing products from Audubon Certified Bird-Friendly Land, consumers become conservationists, helping protect America’s grasslands and the birds, wildlife, and people that depend on them. For more information, visit www.audubon.org/ranching.
