Plant native stabilizer grass on a Monahans Sandhills dune crest, site 5, the public Monahans Sandhills State Park near Monahans, TX 79756, Ward County (2026-08-04)

The survey above found a bare or thinly stabilized dune blowout segment inside the public Monahans Sandhills State Park, and a hand planted native grass stabilization on the stable crest or interdune flat would otherwise leave this segment losing more ground to windblown sand for another season. Standard: USDA NRCS conservation practice standard 550 range planting plus Texas Parks and Wildlife dune stabilization practice, applied here to an active dune blowout crest or interdune flat segment inside the public Monahans Sandhills State Park near Monahans, TX, Ward County. SDG 15.1 and 15.3. Proof: before after photos plus species and plant count record plus GPS Method (USDA NRCS conservation practice standard 550 range planting plus Texas Parks and Wildlife dune stabilization practice, applied here to an active dune blowout crest or interdune flat segment inside the public Monahans Sandhills State Park near Monahans, TX, Ward County. SDG 15.1 and 15.3.): 1. 1. Confirm the crest or interdune flat segment with park staff and photograph the bare or sparsely stabilized sand before starting, staying well clear of the active slipface. 2. 2. Hand dig planting holes with hand tools only, no power equipment, on the stable crest or interdune flat only. 3. 3. Hand plant native dune stabilizer grasses (sand bluestem, giant sandreed, Indian ricegrass) at the spacing set by park staff. 4. 4. Hand mulch around the new plantings and photograph the planted segment from the matching before vantage, recording species and plant count. Done when: Before photo of the bare or sparsely stabilized segment; Confirmation only hand tools were used, work stayed on the stable crest or interdune flat, never the active slipface; Native species and plant count recorded; After photo of the planted segment from the matching vantage

Where

the public Monahans Sandhills State Park near Monahans, TX 79756, Ward County

Pay

$165 proposed

This packet is not funded yet, so this figure is a proposed price and not money waiting in escrow. If a buyer funds it, approved proof settles that price onchain. If nobody funds it, approved proof earns provable credit toward the work instead of cash. You see which before you claim, never after.

Proof

before after photos plus species and plant count record plus GPS

This is exactly what gets it approved. Nothing settles without it.

Level

intermediate

Open until

2026-09-03

How this work is done

A documented method, so this packet comes out the same whoever does it. Typically 45–90 minutes. Method of record: USDA-NRCS soil-health in-situ assessment

Bring

• soil auger or trowel
• infiltration ring + measured water + timer
• penetrometer (if compaction in scope)
• clean bucket
• sample bags + labels
• gloves
• GPS phone
• camera

Steps

1. 1. Navigate to the plot; record GPS; sketch the sampling layout.
2. 2. Photograph each sampling station.
3. 3. Run the infiltration ring; record time to infiltrate 1 inch.
4. 4. Assess aggregate stability and note visible organic matter, roots, and biology.
5. 5. If compaction is in scope, record penetrometer resistance by depth.
6. 6. Collect 0-15 cm cores if a lab subsample is specified; bag, label, complete COC.
7. 7. Enter all measurements with units + depth, GPS, photos into the proof record; sign.

If it does not match the plan

• Infiltration > 30 min/inch or high penetrometer resistance -> flag compaction; recommend cover crop / reduced traffic.
• Very low organic matter / no visible biology -> flag degraded; recommend amendment plan.

What counts as done

• Before photo of the bare or sparsely stabilized segment
• Confirmation only hand tools were used, work stayed on the stable crest or interdune flat, never the active slipface
• Native species and plant count recorded
• After photo of the planted segment from the matching vantage

Proof is measured against these, not judged by taste.

The standard this serves

Soil Health. Soil health is the discovery, now written into USDA standards, that soil is not dirt but a living body: it breathes, digests, holds water, and can sicken or recover. The tests are wonderfully physical. Time how fast water soaks in. See whether a clod holds together in water or falls apart. Smell for the sweetness of organic matter. Mastery looks like a farmer who can read a handful of ground like a page. This packet is one plot examined by those methods and recorded, one honest page in the story of a piece of land.