News Release
Scott Sharaga
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Contact: Megan Urban, 409-951-6700
KOUNTZE, Texas, November 27, 2023 – Big Thicket National Preserve is excited to announce the winter planting event schedule as part of its 50th Anniversary celebration. Volunteers can join park staff and partners to plant native grasses in December, January, and February in the Big Sandy Creek Unit.
“Part of the longevity of Big Thicket is the continued work on restoring longleaf pine savannah ecosystem, and the connection volunteers can get from seeing their work grow each year.” said Superintendent Wayne Prokopetz.
The first restoration event is scheduled for Saturday, December 9 and is geared towards youth organizations and the general public. Youth of all ages are invited to learn more about the preserve and stewardship with the National Park service while planting grasses to rejuvenate the understory of the ecosystem. The second event will take place on Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service on Monday, January 15, 2024, and the third and final event will take place on President’s Day on Monday, February 19, 2024.
During the events, the area surrounding the planting areas will be closed for hunting. Notices will be posted a week in advance in those locations.
Big Thicket is excited to host these events with the help of partner and friends’ groups including Big Thicket Association, Big Thicket Biosphere Reserve, Big Thicket Natural Heritage Trust, National Parks Conservation Association and Texas Conservation Alliance.
To sign-up for these events, volunteers are directed to visit volunteer.gov and search “Big Thicket” to sign up for these upcoming events. Once registered, information about the event, including location and paperwork, will be sent out to the volunteers one week before the event. For more information, volunteers can call the Big Thicket visitor center at 409-951-6700.
Big Thicket National Preserve is in Southeast Texas, near the city of Beaumont and 75 miles northeast of Houston. The preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 113,000 acres. The Big Thicket, often referred to as a “biological crossroads,” is a transition zone between four distinct vegetation types – the moist eastern hardwood forest, the southwestern desert, the southeastern swamp, and the central prairies. Species from all these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest.
-NPS-
Last updated: November 27, 2023