Four Seasons, Six Generations:
One Family’s Story of Stewardship

AN OVERVIEW

Using exceptional artistic nature photography and four heart-felt, in-depth essays, this book will illuminate the societal benefits of keeping Texas’ legendary open spaces open. The extended Alfred Giles family, whose lineage includes some of the influential founders of Texas, have stewarded their beloved Hillingdon Ranch for six generations. The original ranch is still substantially intact, but now different members of the extended family, including Langford, operate individual units. This family and this ranch, which is located near Comfort, Texas, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, will serve as an example of the land stewardship that is occurring across the state. In essence, this is the story of a sustainably owned ranch and its contributions to a society that is largely unaware of the importance of nature.

To give readers a sense of the interconnectedness of these ranches with nature, the book will be organized by seasons. The text, and a few detailed captions, will explain what is required to keep the ranch running during a particular season, while the photographs will illustrate what is happening on the land as result of the interplay of stewardship and nature. The foundation of the four, seasonal essays will come from interviews with family members themselves, representing at least three generations, and will combine personal recollection and experience with the how’s and why’s of natural resource management. The tone will be personal and inspirational.

The book will also include a Foreword, Introduction, and Epilogue that establish the book’s relevance, the family’s history, and the future challenges faced by land stewards, respectively.

The photographic goal is capturing the ever-changing beauty of the landscapes and waterscapes, not recording the day-to-day activities on the ranch. With that said, there will be appropriate images of on-going ranch chores that illustrate the constant activity necessary to maintain a working ranch and manage the natural resources within its fence lines.

The book will contain approximately 200 pages and up to 200 photographs. The book is slated to be in the Conservation Leadership series, a partnership between Texas A&M University Press and The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University. The series editor is Andrew Sansom, head of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, and Shannon Davies at Texas A&M University Press will serve as this book’s editor.

 

WINTER

 

SPRING

SUMMER

FALL 

DROUGHT 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

DAVID K. LANGFORD has served in the leadership of the Texas Wildlife Association since 1986. He was TWA’s Executive Vice President from 1990 until his partial retirement in 2002.

Langford is an award-winning photographer ( www.westernphotographycompany.com ) of western, cowboy, wildlife, and nature images, and is published worldwide. He and his wife, Myrna, live on their family’s part of the featured six-generation ranch, near Comfort, and have two children, their families, including four grandchildren. Their ranch has also become a nature photography destination (www.blockcreeknaturalarea.com ) for photographers of all skill levels.

In recognition of his photography and natural resource advocacy accomplishments, Langford has received many awards and honors. Foremost among them is having the Images for Conservation Fund’s second book dedicated to him. This is an exceptional honor as ICF’s first book was dedicated to Lady Bird Johnson.

LORIE WOODWARD CANTU has worked as a writer and public relations practitioner exploring the intersection of agriculture, natural resources, and public policy for 25 years. Her career, which has included stints in the public and private sector, has taken her across the country and around the world, where she’s been enthralled by the people of the land and their stories.

Cantu was reared on a ranch near Lexington, Texas, but now makes her home in San Angelo with her husband, Ruben, who is a wildlife biologist, and their two children, Kate and Will.

RELEASE DATE

Currently in production, and scheduled for official release in the Fall of 2013.

For more information, please contact:

David K. Langford
Western Photography Company
P.O. Box 1059, Comfort, TX 78013
dkl@westernphotographycompany.com
www.westernphotographycompany.com
830/995-2147