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Contact: Jason A. Ginder, 409-951-6700 Big Thicket National Preserve and the Big Thicket Association are pleased to announce this year’s annual Big Thicket Day event. Join us at the Big Thicket National Preserve Visitor Center on Saturday, October 1st, from 10 am to 3 pm for our anniversary celebration. This will be a fun family day with a variety of attractions, including kids’ activities, live music, Alabama-Coushatta tribal dancers, booths from local conservation groups, and several guest speakers, including Lamar University President Dr. Kenneth Evans. Participants can also meet local authors, observe a longleaf pine basket-making demonstration, view two PBS documentaries about the national parks, and explore the preserve on any of three ranger-led hikes.
In the afternoon of October 1st, three FREE ranger-led hikes will be offered. At 1:30 pm participants can explore the diverse ecosystems along the 1.7 mile Kirby Nature Trail. At 2 pm a short off-trail walk through the longleaf pine forest adjacent to the preserve visitor center will investigate fire ecology and the role it plays in longleaf pine forest restoration. And at 2:30 pm a third hike will explore the wetland pine savannah and pitcher plant communities along the 1 mile Sundew Trail. Space is limited, so call the visitor center at 409-951-6700 to reserve a spot on one of these hikes.
Each year in early October we gather to celebrate the efforts of local community members throughout the 1960’s and early 1970’s to preserve and protect the diverse Big Thicket region. Those efforts culminated in the establishment of Big Thicket National Preserve on October 11, 1974.
For general information about Big Thicket National Preserve, visit www.nps.gov/bith or call the preserve visitor center at 409-951-6700. Visit us on Facebook www.facebook.com/BigThicketNPS, Twitter www.twitter.com/BigThicketNPS, and Instagram www.instagram.com/BigThicketNPS.
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Last updated: September 20, 2016