| Woven into the thin, sandy soils, between the Fort Worth Prairie and the Broken Red Plains, lays a vanishing band of vegetation called the Western Cross Timbers. It is diverse woodland---some trees and low shrubs, tangled vines, sandstone streams, and sprinkled with open glades. The place has an unkempt appearance, but it is a place where our history is rooted. The Western Cross Timbers is unknown to many people, some of who live under the trees' canopies. My thesis begins as a framing narrative and hopefully culminates as a recovery narrative for the residents of 3 North Central counties, Jack, Wise, and Young. Through field study, vegetation sampling, literature reviews, and interviews, this thesis attempts to tell the story of the Western Cross Timbers. And through this story, the communities who call the Western Cross Timbers home, can see the potential they hold for future greatness. |
