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Botswana Safari Top Five National Parks and Game Reserves
A Botswana safari is an excellent trip to undertake because the setting is as unique as you will find anywhere in Africa, the game viewing is exceptional and the accommodation is top notch. By using travel journals submitted at the African Safari...
Dude Ranch Tourism
Dude Ranches have since become a fixture in the U.S., as American as apple pie and baseball. Many tourists are drawn to Dude Ranches for the same reasons they were at the beginning of the 20th century: a sense of adventure, a desire to experience...
Looking for a vacation in Paradise? Try a Bahamas vacation.
Plan your next vacation where most people call paradise...the Bahamas Islands. Choose from the many islands such as Grand Bahama Island, Nassau, Paradise Island, Abaco and Eleuthera. The Bahamas is an archipelago of over 700 islands. Find a perfect...
Small Town - Big Fishing Problem
Port Renfrew is a small Canadian town with a major fishing
problem. The problem is the sport fishing is great and only
a few people know that.
We arrive in Port Renfrew in late afternoon. Port Captain
Quigley greets us at the entrance to Osprey...
What Do You Need To Know About Ireland Travel
Ireland is an exotic tourist spot. It is popularly known for the myths, magical incidents and legendary stories associated with it. Numerous tourists from all round the world are magnetized to view this bewitching place. The wonderful Ireland cities...
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Big Thicket National Preserve - Texas
Known as the "biological crossroads of North America", the Big Thicket National Preserve has a remarkably diverse wildlife. The National Preserve is a biological and botanical wonder located in the southeastern corner of Texas, near the Gulf of Mexico.
With nearly 100,000 acres, the park was established by Congress in 1974. In 1981, it was designated International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The American Bird Conservancy recognized the Preserve as a Globally Important Bird Area in 2001. Today, these designations attract bird watchers from around the world.
The National Preserve was established to protect the remnant of the region's complex biological diversity. The massive diversity is the result of a favorable climate, geology, and topography. Ice Age plant and animal migrations and more recent storm events, such as hurricanes, have contributed to its uniqueness. Of particular note, Big Thicket is full of 120-foot tall Longleaf Pine trees that have to be seen to be believed.
The terrain of Big Thicket is mind bogglingly complex. For example, bogs sit near arid sand hills and eastern bluebirds nest near roadrunners. There are more than 100 trees and shrubs species, which provide habitat to a diverse array of wildlife. Included in this wildlife are over 300 migratory and nesting bird species, over 1,000 flowering plants, and four of North America's five types of insect-eating plants. Fifty reptile species include a small, rarely seen population of alligators and snapping turtles can also be found in the park. It's as though the Galapagos Islands was duplicated in Texas.
Big Thicket Trivia
1. The
nearly 100,000 acres within Big Thicket National Preserve are not confined to one large tract. Rather the Preserve is composed of tracts scattered among seven counties of east Texas.
2. The Preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors.
3. Approximately 80 miles of the Neches River, the last major free flowing river in Texas, is contained within the Preserve.
4. The Preserve irregular boundary doubles that of Yellowstone.
5. Hunting and trapping are allowed in several units of the Preserve.
6. Every kind of poisonous snake found in the U.S. can be found here - copperhead, cottonmouth, rattlesnake and coral snake - but bites are extremely rare.
7. Four distinct ecologic systems converge in the Big Thicket - Central Plains, Eastern hardwood forest, arid Southwest, and coastal plains.
8. The last reported sighting of the ivory-billed woodpecker took place in Big Thicket in 1971. The bird is now considered extinct.
Big Thicket Attractions
1. Birding activities in the Big Thicket are optimum in the month of April.
2. Hiking is available year-round, though it is warm and humid during the summer months.
Wildflower viewing is best from March to October.
3. Boating, canoeing, and fishing can be enjoyed from April to October.
4. Hunting in specific areas is authorized by a Preserve-issued permit, accompanied by a valid State of Texas Hunting License, from October to mid-January.
About the Author
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of outdoor writing journals. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read more.
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