New trail to bring back safe public access to Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary

We're excited to start construction of a new trail at Horseshoe Marsh Bird Sanctuary on the Bolivar Peninsula, bringing back safe access to the sanctuary. This project is one of the first to be developed specifically for the Bolivar Peninsula Nature Trail, a locally supported nature-based tourism initiative.

Horseshoe Marsh is Houston Audubon’s second largest sanctuary at 650 acres. This complex of salt marsh, coastal prairie, and a large tidal lagoon provides critical habitat for a range of bird species from the striking Roseate Spoonbill to the secretive Black Rail.

Historically, public access has been largely restricted to a short trail with street parking on the East end of the property, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008. Since then, visitors have been limited to views from the adjacent public roadways, posing dangers to pedestrians from passing vehicles. In 2017, after acquiring a 17-acre lot adjacent to the sanctuary, our staff began working on a new trail to allow public access to Horseshoe Marsh.

Houston Audubon partnered with Texas Conservation Corps of American Youthworks to apply for a Recreational Trails Grant managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and was awarded $63,000 for the construction of a non-motorized, one mile trail into the core of the sanctuary.

The new trail will include:
- on-site parking at the trailhead
- planting of a half-acre woodlot
- five acres of prairie restoration
- approximately 700 feet of boardwalk
- two overlooks
- interpretive signage
- a hard crushed rock surface on the first quarter mile for enhanced accessibility

We plan to start work on the trail in Fall 2020 with full completion by Spring 2023. Portions of the trail will likely open sooner as sections are completed.

About the Bolivar Peninsula Nature Trail
Several stakeholder groups including businesses, school districts, a chamber of commerce, and environmental groups worked with the National Park Services Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program to develop resilient nature-based economic activities that would benefit the local communities in a way that would preserve the important coastal wetlands and prairies. The Bolivar Peninsula Nature Trail will be a constellation of nature engagement opportunities. Learn more.

Please stay tuned for volunteer opportunities to help with trail construction and habitat restoration!

By Pete Deichmann, Coastal Sanctuaries Manager, Houston Audubon

Comments

How to DIY a Dripper for birds

Are you running out of home projects to keep busy during the quarantine? Here’s one my hubby made for me that you can try: a DYI Dripper. I’ve long wanted a bird dripper to complement my yard’s wildlife habitat, and with spring migrants on the way, I was keen to provide a drip that will attract new birds that don’t visit feeders. I had a problem though. There is no water line or power source near my feeders. The idea of stringing a hose or wire across the driveway just isn’t practical. Enter the engineer. My husband thought about the location and the limitations for a bit, and came up with the concept of sourcing water for a dripper off the sprinkler system. By using a toilet tank that fills every time the sprinklers run, water can be constantly available for the drip. I nixed the idea of a toilet tank sitting in my yard though, so he made some aesthetic modifications by installing a toilet tank float inside a 5 gallon bucket hidden inside a custom wooden box with a handsome copper p...

Beak of the Week - Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron ( Nyctanassa violacea ) Family: Ardeidae Our Beak of the Week is the official Bird of Houston , the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron! This seemingly hunch-backed bird can be a difficult one to spot. Both species of North American night-herons, yellow-crowned and black-crowned, forage mainly at night and spend most of the day hidden among branches near a body of water. These two birds can be differentiated easily by their plumage on and around their head. The most obvious difference is stated in their names: Yellow-crowned Night-Herons have a yellow crown and Black-crowned Night-Herons have a black crown. But that’s not the only difference! Yellow-crowned Night-Herons have a black head and face with a distinct thick white cheek stripe, whereas Black-crowned Night-Herons have a black head with gray on their face that extends down the whole front of the body. Yellow-crowned Night Herons also have a gray front and neck, but it contrasts greatly with their facial patter...

Beak of the Week - Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird ( Archilochus colubris ) Family: Trochilidae Did you know that Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are able to fly in all 6 directions with wing beats of 53 times per a second? Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are bright emerald or golden-green on the back and crown with gray-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent red throat while females and immatures have fine, dark throat streaking. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of red or orange tubular flowers as well as at hummingbird feeders and sometimes tree sap. Hummingbirds also catch insects in midair or pull them out of spider webs. In preparation for their migration, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds double their weight from 3 grams to over 6 grams prior to departing. In the fall, millions of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will pass through Texas on their migration to points south of the border with many crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single flight. They arrive from breeding grounds as far away as Nova Scotia...

Houston Audublog

Search This Blog