Zac Crain, a longtime Dallas writer who worked for publications such as the Dallas Observer and D magazine, died on July 16; he was 50.
Crain fell ill and was found at his residence after he did not respond to calls or texts from friends and family members.
Crain had been with D magazine since 2007, and previously worked for American Way magazine. He was also author of three books: Black Tooth Grin, A Pedestrian's Recent History of Dallas, and I See You, Big German.
Many of his writings were in first-person, a format that some are better at than others. One recent useful entry, "A Seeming End (For Now) to the Seemingly Unending Saga of One Open Records Request," documented an open records request he had filed with the city and Dallas Police Department on license plate-reading cameras.
Crain was a native of West, Texas, who graduated from the University of Texas at Austin.
He's survived by his mother Susan, brother Scott, sister Samantha, former wife Nikki Rosen, and son Isaac.
Making of a Million: Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas is free to watch online.
Thanks to a new three-part PBS docuseries, you don't need to go to all of Texas' protected lands and waters to appreciate their breadth. Making of a Million: Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas follows host of The Daytripper, Chet Garner, from West Texas to the coast, discussing conservation efforts by The Nature conservancy (TNC) along the way.
"Making of a Million" refers to the 1 million acres in Texas that fall under TNC's protection. The 1 million figure is a milestone TNC is celebrating with the series, but it's not the full extent of its work; actually, according to the 2025 annual report, its total impact is 1.6 million acres.
The Daytripping project has been rolled out slowly in 2026, from YouTube previews to an official release on PBS in April to events in Texas' biggest cities that formally introduced the works.
The 26-minute video shows off striking aerial images of mountains, close ups of plants and wildlife, and even a quick feature of an archeological find. Water, of course, is a big topic in the desert, and it's a large topic across the series. Fresh water even has its own dedicated episode.
Although conservation experts are consulted throughout the series, viewers can do more than passively watch other people solve environmental problems. One story, toward the end of the West Texas episode, highlights how a rancher directed researchers to a habitat for an endangered species of fish on his property, simply because he overheard a scientist at a café claim they were extinct.
Garner recently spoke on a panel after an Austin screening with TNC director of land protection Jeff Francell, spatial analyst Jacqueline Ferrato, and director of land protection/stewardship Dan Snodgrass. They discussed the series and the broader conservation topics it connects to.
“This new series really captures the spirit of our efforts and collaborations to protect Texas lands and water,” said Snodgrass in a recap for press. “Chet’s storytelling skills spotlight our partners and projects in a unique, engaging way — we’re excited for more Texans to see why conservation matters and learn how they can get involved.”
“Daytripping with The Nature Conservancy in Texas allowed us to visit some of the most amazing places in Texas and to meet people who are making a real difference for conservation,” said Garner. “Folks will love traveling with us across wildly diverse landscapes and learning the solutions shaping the future of our state’s biggest environmental challenges.”
While the series has already aired locally on KERA-TV, Dallas-Fort Worth viewers can check listings for encore presentations and watch the series for free on the Nature Conservancy's website or on YouTube.
