Adios to the Brushlands

My cousin is the author of this eloquent book. He even wrote me into the story. Aside from all of that, Arturo has seen the destruction of the Texas and especially South Texas brushland as bit by bit of it has been rootplowed to make farmland and now Colonias and subdivisions. As young adults we watched the brush piles lit and the sky look like the fires of hell as wildlife habitat was destoyed. If anyone could write this book with the soul of one who mourns destruction, it is Arturo--he lived it.

Sr. Longoria's words transport the reader into the brushlands and into the cultural and political climate of S. Texas. He eloquently expresses what I can only feel about the many values of our wild places. A career in investigative reporting serves the author well: his explanations of why the brushlands have disappeared provide essential understanding for anyone hoping to reverse that trend. It's an exciting book, hard to put down. It is my hope that decision-makers will adopt the author's tenets on how to proceed in imparting an essential love of and respect for wild places in the hearts of our children.

This book tells you how the brushlands of south Texas used to be, but there is still hope of saving it for future generations. The author tells his story in such a beautiful way that the reader can actually see the brushlands.