Help Needed! Please join us in our cleanup efforts. Volunteer details are found in the descriptions below. Donations to Houston Audubon to help us restore our sanctuaries are very much appreciated. If you wish, you may designate your donation to the sanctuaries.
11/14 Bolivar Flats Post-Ike Photos
Photos from 9/24/08 Trip down the Bolivar Peninsula
Photos from 9/19/08 Trip to High Island
Photos of Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary and Sims Bayou Urban Nature Center
Coastal Sanctuaries
Help us restore habitat on the Bolivar Peninsula! Hurricane Ike decimated many Purple Martin houses and old buildings where Barn Owls nest. Houston Audubon is stepping up with an important recovery effort for these species on the Bolivar Peninsula. We are looking for donations of martin houses as well as owl boxes that will be set up throughout the peninsula in the upcoming months. More information on the nestbox program. We also hope to start a program to provide trees and shrubs for the Peninsula. Members are encouraged to dig up and pot hackberries, oaks, mulberries and other suitable plants. View entire list. Please contact
Flo Hannah for more information.
High Island: Once again, High Island's woods were impacted by a hurricane; trees are down, trails blocked, boardwalks damaged, and branches and leaves are everywhere. Several of our ponds were inundated with salt water and we are not sure what the long term impact of that will be. Most of the vegetation in those ponds is already dying. Hopefully we will soon have adequate rain to dilute the salt. Claybottom Pond where the Rookery is was not inundated with salt water but all of the trees on the island are gone. The cypresses on the east end of the pond did not appear to be damaged.
Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary: At Bolivar Flats the roadside and marsh are in good shape, although there are a lot of plastic bags on the fences. The beach looks very different. When you get to the end of Rettilon Rd., there is a large hole caused by water running out of the marsh. The beach has been moved back to the vehicular barrier that was parallel to the beach, and this barrier is pretty well destroyed. Much of the sand from the beach was pushed inland along with some debris, really not much compared to what is everywhere else. The vehicular barrier where everyone parks is still there but will need some work. The observation tower is gone, but we may have found it in Horseshoe Marsh. I don't think we can get it back to Bolivar Flats. There is a large empty Del Monte shipping container in the grass, and there appears to be another shipping container back in the marsh.
Horseshoe Marsh Sanctuary: The part of the sanctuary closest to the ferry landing is a mess. Debris from the houses in Port Bolivar washed into the sanctuary, and it will be a big job to clean it up. Fortunately most of the fences are still up.
Mundy Marsh Sanctuary: From a preliminary assessment, the sanctuary appears to be in good shape except that the sign and fences were down. From our vantage point we did not see a lot of house debris in the marsh.
Dos Vacas Muertas: The sanctuary experienced high water up to about 8 or 9 feet, and therefore there is a significant amount of debris laying about. It poses a danger for visitors so please be advised that Dos Vacas is closed until further notice. There is significant amount of vegetation loss to the sanctuary due to the surge of salt water. Many oaks and mulberries were affected by the salt but will hopefully make a recovery as more rain falls and salt leaches out of the soil.
Read more about conditions at the coastal sanctuaries in our Sanctuary Blog. We need lots of help with coastal cleanups. Work day dates have been scheduled through December. Please refer to the work day page for sign up directions.
- Winnie Burkett, Sanctuary Manager
Information about Other Upper Texas Coast Nature Sanctuaries
Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
October 9 Update: The cabin and administration building escaped major damage from Ike, but many trees were lost. Power was restored on Sept. 25. Finally, 28 days after Hurricane Ike, the sanctuary re-opened on October 9. The final push to open the gates to the public came on Wednesday of this week when Trees Unlimited climbed to the canopies of some very tall oaks and removed dangerous limbs dangling 75-100' feet above our trails. Thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers, board members, BP, scouts and staff that made the clean-up so quick and successful. We couldn't have done it without you. Please come by soon and see the great improvements, hurricane scars (if you can find them) and fall migrants! Photos.
- Andrew Beck, Sanctuary Steward
Sims Bayou Urban Nature Sanctuary
October 11 Update: After Ike, Sims Bayou Urban Nature Center was a mess, and the cleanup seemed to go on forever. Luckily the buildings were not damaged except for metal awnings that were eventually recycled at a scrap metal site in Houston. The hum of chainsaws and the pile of debris continued to grow for many weeks. While we worked, the hummingbirds returned to the Turk's cap in the gardens, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers hopped around the debris piles, and one lost Brown Pelican cruised up the 610 Loop heading west.
The weather cooperated and the gardens perked right back up. Even without power classes continued. Vicki forged ahead with Bayou Buddies and folks came to visit. The Bayou Buddies class immediately following the storm was "B is for Beaver". I felt like we had already built the largest beaver lodge in the front parking lot. We may have lost many trees on the property, but we sure did not lose our hope and vision for this little nature center. Many thanks to everyone who worked so hard to restore the grounds – Andrew Beck, Flavio and Linda Del Angel, Pam Smolen, Jim Winn, Guillermo, Jack, kids in the neighborhood, Peter Christie and Boy Scout Troop 1190. Vicki, Katerina, and I are most grateful to everyone who helped and continues to supports SBUNC. Read more in our Education Blog.
- Mary Anne Weber, Education Director
