Native Prairie
There is one known native prairie location on The Weston Ranch. This is found on the west side where the land was never cultivated in an area of rolling hills and drainages leading into Santa Clara Creek. It is dominated by the native tall grass, little bluestem, with some scattered plants of yellow Indiangrass. This area represents one of the last remaining relic prairies on blackland soil in Guadalupe County. Just to the east along Koehler Road more of these important native grasses, including sideoats gramma, can be found. These grasses should be allowed to grow and set seed before being mowed by county workers. It is the goal of the Weston Ranch to restore large areas back to native prairies. This will take a commitment of time, labor, and money.
Riparian Areas
There are two primary water sources on the Weston Ranch: Fourmile Creek, on the northern portion of the ranch, and Santa Clara Creek which drains the southern majority of the ranch. Both creeks are a part of the Guadalupe River watershed, but taking different paths to ultimately reach the Gulf of Mexico. From this standpoint, the ranch serves as an important contributor to water quantity and quality in the region.
However, both creeks have suffered degradation over the years mainly due to diversion for farming, erosion from enhanced runoff due to urbanization and over grazing, and brush encroachment. Restoration of these riparian corridors would greatly improve the natural water flow and habitat for fish and wildlife.
Krueger Woods
The Krueger Woods is another unique woodland growing on shallow limestone soils. Dr. Alex Godet, a geologist from UT San Antonio, explained that the limestone features on the ranch are part of the Pecan Gap Chalk which lies on top of the Austin Chalk Group formed during the late Cretaceous, about 82 million years ago. These limestone formations are very similar to those found in the Edwards Plateau which arises approximately three miles north of this site.
Specht Woods
The Specht Woods lies in the central portion of the ranch, and is a unique live oak gallery woodland in the midst of the surrounding Blackland prairie. This area of approximately 90 acres is one of four study sites for the Weston Ranch Eco-Challenge, a biological survey of plants and animals on the ranch, initiated by student volunteers in April 2022. As of August 2022, there have been 141 species documented. Typical plants found in the canopy on this site are Texas live oak, cedar elm, hackberry, and Texas persimmon. Typical plants found are Texas live oak, ashe juniper, kidneywood, and the invasive ligustrum. These woods are also part of the Eco-challenge, with a documented 106 species of plants and animals.
Nature Trail
A 1.4-mile loop trail begins at the Krueger House and winds through the Krueger Woods, connecting three limestone outcrop areas. The trail emerges from the East end of the woods, and briefly follows a pipeline before joining a ranch road leading back to the trail head.