Big Thicket National Preserve

Back to Where We Work: Texas

Trees crowd the cypress-tupelo swamp in Big Thicket National Preserve./Photo: Laurence Parent

Renowned as the "biological crossroads of North America," the Big Thicket is a remarkable mix of southeastern swamps, eastern deciduous forest, central plains, pine savannas and dry sandhills. It is home to a variety of animals including the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, swallow-tailed kite and Louisiana pine snake.

Established by Congress in 1974, Big Thicket was the first preserve in the National Park System. It is also listed as one of the United Nations International Biosphere Reserves.

We have helped preserve more than 41,600 acres at Big Thicket National Preserve. In March 2010, the National Park Service purchased more than 3,600 acres of former Hancock Timber land in Hardin and Polk counties from the Fund. This purchase establishes a continuous conservation corridor along Village Creek that provides habitat for migratory waterfowl and songbirds and serves as a floodplain that will benefit the communities along Village Creek and the Neches River. "The acquisition of this land brings us ever closer to completing the Big Thicket National Preserve Addition Act, which was authorized by Congress in order to connect existing preserve units, protect waterways and provide recreation opportunities for visitors,” said Todd Brindle, superintendent of Big Thicket National Preserve."

In April of 2009, with our partners, we donated 6,600 acres of bottomland hardwood forest and cypress-tupelo swamp to the National Park Service, the largest donation in Big Thicket National Preserve's history. In November of 2009, we helped Texas Parks and Wildlife add 1,500 acres to Village Creek State Park, which is located next to Big Thicket National Preserve's Village Creek and Neches River Corridor units.

In addition, we launched an ecotourism and economic development program for the region called the Pineywoods Experience and established Texas' largest wetlands mitigation bank, the Pineywoods Mitigation Bank.