Writer, @TexasMonthly. Formerly @texasobserver. Piss and vinegar. Native Texan. Plus: fishing, kayaking, gardening and climbing. @forrest4thetree[email protected]
Austin, Texas
Joined August 2009
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Thank you, Elon, you finally got me to log off here! Find me @forrest4thetrees.bsky.social
EXCLUSIVE: Texas has been considering selling Boca Chica State Park to Elon Musk texasmonthly.com/news-politi…
Two sources familiar with internal discussions of the potential sale said Elon Musk’s SpaceX is the prospective buyer and confirmed that the 1,300-acre property in question is the beachfront state park, which is adjacent to Musk’s burgeoning Starbase facility, near Brownsville.
Greg Abbott and Rick Perry spent the last 25 years turning the Texas governorship closer and closer to a corrupt autocracy. It's going to be pretty funny if they then hand it over to a Democrat in a few weeks.
Forrest Wilder retweeted
NEW: Rightwing Texans spent decades steadily tearing down the church-state wall, claiming it is a myth meant to obscure America's true Christian roots. Now, Trump is helping them export their playbook nationally - and codify their views into federal policy. (Gift link below).
The people who create and promote these soul-crushing technologies deserve more than just our contempt, they deserve to be held accountable. The negotiations with tech CEOs should start with, Why shouldn’t you be in jail?
This Politico headline falls right into French's very, very thin ruse, where he pretends to just be anti-immigrant. In fact, his whole shtick is old-school racism served up with a dollop of unoriginal internet edgelord-ism. He wants to deport Native Americans, for godsakes.
Anyway, read @RobertDownen_'s latest on Bo French. Rob has the worst job in Texas media—following the far right to the gates of hell—but he's damn good at it.
texasmonthly.com/news-politi…
Forrest Wilder retweeted
Those issuing statements on this post about University of Texas students include a senator, two Senate candidates, the Governor, the House Speaker, and the board chair at Texas Tech.
Those silent on this post about University of Texas students include the University of Texas.
Love the programming choice at the Dallas convention where they have some plummy English influencer @oliverhenry explaining why Americans shouldn't be mad about anything. Tocqueville this dude is not.
Forrest Wilder retweeted
Big Bend river guides Tara & Joe of Hidden Dagger are in TM today, talking about how long it’ll take our community (and the desert) to recover even if the bulldozers stay gone. Can’t emphasize how apocalyptic the vibe here has been over the past six months texasmonthly.com/travel/big-…
Forrest Wilder retweeted
The election is not the main thing here, but I have to assume no one in the White House understands how angry this is going to make a lot of Texans
BREAKING: DHS IS BULLDOZING THE MOUTH OF SANTA ELENA CANYON.
DHS waived every single environmental law, now they’re butchering the most iconic part of Texas’ crown jewel national park. All happening the day after a massive protest right here and on the morning CNN left. This is an indefensible attack on Texas’ natural heritage.
Footage by Natalie Newman. Available for media use w/ credit.
Matthew McConaughey narrated the "Deep in the Heart," the TX wildlife film; he goes to Marfa to "recharge"; he says he loves West Texas. Yet he has nothing to say while the region is decimated. In this, he's no different than most TX elected officials.
nytimes.com/2026/08/11/style…
My daughter is 4 years old and we are already receiving crap like this in the mail—a whole industry devoted to making parents neurotic and children miserable. I dunno, maybe let’s see how she does in kindergarten first.
Forrest Wilder retweeted
My colleague @Forrest4Trees wrote a wonderful piece for @TexasMonthly about the beauty that lies just south of the border of that region as well.
If you ever get a chance to simply visit the folks in Boquillas, I highly recommend it.
texasmonthly.com/travel/made…
Forrest Wilder retweeted
People struggle to understand the remote nature of Big Bend.
In 2015 I flew a plane around the entire border of Texas and photographed it from the air. It took 6 days to complete the trip. Big Bend alone was one full day of flying and photographing.
Both sides of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, are hundreds of miles of the most inhospitable, yet beautiful desert landscape. The Chihuahuan Desert is unforgiving country. A place with massive rock cliffs and very little terrain you can traverse by foot safely.
The visitor rate in the park is on the lower end compared to more accessible parks like Yosemite and The Great Smoky Mountains, but its popularity among those who have actually visited is astounding.
In fact, this summer I was camped in the Smoky Mountains next to an older couple who travels the country in their RV.
Being from North Carolina they had spent a lot of time there as well as many of the parks in the West.
They saw my ¡Viva Terlingua! sticker and asked if I’d been. I told them that I’d spent about a week in Big Bend for the last 19 years and got out there any time I could.
They said they took the desolate drive along State Highway 90 through Sanderson on their way out. It was on the husband’s bucket list to visit and it was by far his favorite park now that he had.
The untouched, rugged, austere nature of that area is the feature that draws people in and leaves a lasting impression.
If you’re at a loss to understand why there’s such an uproar over construction of a road barrier through Big Bend Ranch State Park and BBNP, then it’s my belief that you’ve likely never been. Because if you had, you’d understand.
