It may be back to the future for local Commons Ford Ranch Park if Westlake music attorney Ed Fair gets his way.

The legal representative for bands including Los Lonely Boys and The Steps wants to restore the 40-acre prairie in the park back to it’s natural habitat by weeding out the aggressive takeover by such invasive species as King Ranch Bluestem, Bermuda and Johnson grasses and mesquite trees.

“These types of plants are wrong for the area and absolutely not conductive to the species the park supports,” Fair said. “They are too thick, providing no soil access. They crowd out native species that local wildlife has evolved to depend on.”

Fair is a big birder. He’s been going to Commons Ford for eight years. In fact, he found the park so alluring, he moved to the adjacent Lake Hills community seven years ago. In his frequent trips to the park, he has documented more than 200 different bird species – migrating raptors, warblers, breeding painted buntings, more than 15 species of sparrows and many more.

What Fair hasn’t seen are native species he would expect to find in the park such as the Bob White quail and the wild turkey.

“They should be in the prairie, running all over the place,” he said. “I’ve never seen a single one out here.”

Fair thinks restoring the native habitat will bring back the missing local birds and keep the ones still out there coming back. To this end, he has organized a group called the Commons Ford Prairie Restoration Organization, operating under the charitable umbrella of the Austin Parks Foundation. The group has received a small grant from a local conservation nonprofit organization to get started and is hoping to get a second larger grant that will let them hire the Native Prairies Association of Texas to draw up a plan for removal of invasive plants and the reintroduction of native species. The CFPRO has already conducted a prerestoration plant survey to document what currently covers the park prairie. A fundraiser, Big Day in the Park, is planned for Oct. 2 from 8 a.m. to sunset to help raise money for the restoration project. Volunteers will raise funds by getting donations for every species of bird they identify during a 24-hour period. The celebration will include two-hour bird walks; nature walks where people can learn about trees, shrubs, wildflowers and park wildlife; a children’s nature walk; and other children’s activities.

Project volunteers hope to remove invasive plants in the summer of 2011 through herbicide treatments and a prescribed park burn. The planting of native species should begin in the fall of 2011.

Fair said the restoration of the popular park will not only enhance its natural beauty and preserve wildlife, particularly grassland birds, but will also help control erosion and enhance rain capture and natural watering.

“We’ve had some great angels working with us on this project,” Fair said.. “We are hoping to attract more.”

Fair hopes to raise at least $5,000 during the October event, money that would cover nearly 10 percent of the total cost of the project. Most of the project costs come from the purchase of seed.

Membership in the Commons Prairie Restoration Organization is free.

To find out how to join or to make a donation, drop an e-mail to CommonsFordPro@gmail.com.

Photo by Dane Anderson

BELOW: Even dead trees, like the one Ed Fair scouted out Saturday, play an important part in attracting and bringing back birds, including the local woodpecker.