San Antonio Cactus Society Saves Endangered Species

0:00Meet the San Antonio Cactus and Xerophyte Society, a crew that's been obsessed with prickly plants since 1978. They're all about saving endangered species like the Black Lace Cactus, native to South Texas, and on the brink of extinction. This group zeroes in on conservation, propagation, and education, pushing folks to grow cacti from seed instead of ripping them from the wild. Field collecting just doesn't work well when you uproot them from their natural spots. This is booming with roads and homes disrupting habitats, so they've ramped up efforts against threats like mining that's endangering the Black Lace Cactus. They linked up with others, for rescue missions, the native plant society grabbed over 2,000 plants in January, then SACXS scooped up the rest in February. Now those cacti are safe at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, repotted and recovering. The plant is to grow thousands more from seed and replant them back home, highlighting how these plants provide food, shelter, and hold soil together.

1:02And fragile ecosystems, with more species at risk, this patient fight rolls on. I'm Corey with The Story, and you've been listening to El Paso News today, AI-powered local news.