Preserving a National Treasure
Big Thicket National Preserve is a jewel of Texas conservation, a biological crossroads where swamp meets sandhill, forest meets plain, and savannah meets swampland. The skies above are one of the major North American flyways for migratory birds, and the Neches River and several creeks wind through the Preserve to create protected corridors for wildlife and recreationists alike. The Fund has helped protect more than 42,000 acres at Big Thicket, including a donation of 6,600 acres of bottomland hardwood forest and cypress swamp that make up the single largest donation in the preserve’s history.
With so much land at risk along the Neches River, the Fund developed some innovative projects to support this Texas treasure. We are partners in the Pineywoods Mitigation Bank, one of the largest in the nation, which restores the region’s forested wetlands while allowing economic growth in East Texas. The Texas Pineywoods Experience, one of the Fund’s sustainable tourism programs, encourages travelers to discover the region’s natural, historical and cultural destinations. Our work continues in the Big Thicket, where our 2009 land purchases provided much-needed floodplain protection for local communities, songbird havens and new places for family recreation in a neighboring state park.
“The Conservation Fund has the expertise and capability to bridge the gap between business and government,” says Bruce Drury, president of Big Thicket Association, “in a way that is highly beneficial to all.”
Download image as wallpaper: