The Botanist with 500K Fans Who Bought the Rarest Ecosystem in Texas

Most people drive through South Texas and see nothing — scrubby brush, dry heat, thorns. I used to see it that way too. Then I met Joey Santore. Joey is a botanist, illustrator, and the voice behind Crime Pays but Botany Doesn't. A few years ago, he did something most people only talk about: he acquired a piece of Tamaulipan Thornscrub — one of the rarest ecosystems in North America — and started protecting it. Less than 1% of this ecosystem is formally protected. Most of what remains sits on private ranch land, unrecognized or actively cleared. We spent a day walking his land to understand what's actually out there, and why it matters. 📖 Joey's book Concrete Botany is out TODAY — a gritty, botanically-accurate look at ecological disturbance and the resilience of plants living through it. If this video resonated with you, this book is required reading. → https://amzn.to/4sijos4 📬 Texas Field Notes — my free Friday dispatch on Texas land, wildlife, and the people doing the work to keep it wild. → coryames.com ⏰ CHAPTERS 00:00 — What Most People Miss in South Texas 01:00 — The Tamaulipan Thornscrub 01:45 — Walking the Land with Joey Santore 03:00 — The Goliad Gravels 04:00 — Plants That Wait 06:00 — Peyote and the Plants Worth Protecting 08:30 — Javelinas, Feral Pigs, and Evolutionary History 11:00 — Why This Place Is Worth Paying Attention To -- -- 🌱 MY WORK: 📬 Texas Field Notes — a short Friday dispatch from the same desk-to-trail workflow that powers my essays, short films, and native-plant guides: https://coryames.com 📬 The San Antonio Something — weekly newsletter for San Antonio locals: https://cory-ames.kit.com/cfc0c898b2 🛍️ Wild & Wise Texas Goods: https://store.coryames.com -- -- 👋 Some links in this description are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend things I actually use or believe in. #CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt #TamaulipanThornscrub #TexasNativePlants #SouthTexas #TexasEcology #Conservation