Goldfinches return to my yard

I was happy to see goldfinches return to the feeders on this 50-degree day in late January. They are a welcome addition this time of year. I think the sweetgum tree draws them to our yard.

More competition for the squirrels.

Attacking a seed ball still hanging on.

Picking seeds out of the deck cracks.

I curse the spiky sweetgum balls when I step on them, but goldfinches like the seeds.

When a neighborhood sinks, a nature center rises

Class with seine net.

Something I wrote for TMN-Galveston Bay Area chapter's newsletter.
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The story of the rise of Baytown Nature Center also is the story of the fall of a popular waterfront neighborhood and the triumph of nature.

I have heard the BNC story several times. It’s part of the experience for ninth-graders participating in the Back to the Bay field trips.

When the students hear how about 300 homes once stood where they are tossing cast nets and doing water testing, they take another look at their surroundings.

On the drive into BNC, as Burnet Bay comes into view on the right, there is an inground swimming pool jutting up at the shore. Take the trail to Wooster Point and find a shelter built on a home’s foundation. The pink floor tiles of the bathroom are still visible

These landmarks are reminders of BNC’s history.

During the mid 1930s, a cattle rancher’s land was sold for development. Humble Oil thought the site would be a great place to build its executives’ homes.

During 1962, Baytown annexed Brownwood subdivision, which was in a beautiful setting with linked peninsulas surrounded by three bays, Crystal, Scott and Burnet.

However with the influx of industry and residents, there came problems. Groundwater was pumped out for use by nearby plants and other developed areas, which caused subsidence.

As the land sank, flooding during the high tide seasons became a problem. The switch to surface water stopped subsidence, but the land loss was irreversible. Tropical storms and hurricanes caused more damage.

Residents tried to hang onto their beloved homes, but ongoing flooding and evacuations became their reality from 1967 to 1981. Many decided to leave.

Then devastating Hurricane Alicia hit in 1983. The hurricane wiped out the neighborhood with storm tides up to 10 feet high. (video)

Longtime residents were heartbroken when the area was declared uninhabitable and utilities to the peninsula were cut off. Some homeowners filed lawsuits. During the next 10 years the homes, foundations and streets continued to crumble while legal issues were sorted out. It was wild area for squatters, dumping and nature.

Eventually the city of Baytown obtained the land with a plan to turn the area into a natural preserve.

In 1995 the Baytown Nature Center opened with 65 acres of tidal wetlands, freshwater pools and forested areas. Most of the initial funds were for a mitigation site as part of the French Limited Superfund cleanup project. Houses were bulldozed and the streets became part of the trail system.

During the next 10 years channels were dug and lined with smooth cordgrass. An observation hill was built and trails were added (and continue to develop).  BNC expanded to 450 acres.

Today school groups of all ages visit regularly. The smaller peninsula at the front of the park is open to fishing although there are warning signs about toxins that may be in the fish.

Petrochemical companies surround BNC and Ship Channel traffic glides by.  The San Jacinto River Waste Pits SuperfundSite is upstream.

Yet most agree that thanks to environmental regulations the water is much cleaner than it was in the 1970s and wildlife has made a comeback.

Fishing is prohibited in the channels cut into the larger peninsula to protect the wildlife.

Hikers and bicyclists share the trails. In addition to the wildlife and wildflowers, photographers can find a great view of the San Jacinto Monument. North America’s smallest butterfly, Western Pygmy Blue, likes the glasswort (Salicornia spp.) along Arkokisa Trail.

Birders find everything from Roseate Spoonbills to Eastern Screech Owls. The past couple of years a Grooved-bill Ani has stopped by. BNC is one of the few locations in Harris County that the Nelson’s Sparrow and Seaside Sparrow can be seen during the winter months.

BNC is still susceptible to flooding. In 2008 Hurricane Ike flooded BNC with 13 feet of water.  A lot of debris had to be cleared. The playground and other structures were rebuilt with the knowledge that nature continues to shape BNC’s future.

** BNC, 6213 Bayway Drive, is open daily, except Christmas and days of extreme weather. Admission is $4 for adults and $1 for seniors and children.

BNC's Brownwood Pavilion

First color of the new year

Find the bloomer.

See that patch of pink in the dark pot next to the pink pot?  Meadow Pink!

The mild weather may have this Meadow Pink a bit confused, but we welcome our first color of the new year in the forb inventory for Sheldon Lake State Park.

When these plants get a bigger, they will find new homes in the prairie as part of the native plant restoration project.

Pink Meadow pot.