Houston Wilderness - It's Our Nature!

TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT...
THE BIG THICKET

1) Millions of years ago, much of The Big Thicket was under water until the shores of the Gulf of Mexico receded to its current position.
2) According to some experts, The Big Thicket supports a variety of plants and wild life nearly as ecologically diverse as the Florida Everglades.
3) In the early 20th century, The Big Thicket was famous for bear hunts.
4) Four different species of carnivorous plants can be found in The Big Thicket, like the Texas trumpet pitcher plant (Sarracenia Alata).
5) The Big Thicket has a greater variety of soil types than any area of comparible size in the nation.
6) Due to this variation in soil, plants typical of regions as far away as Appalachia and the Ohio Valley can be found in The Big Thicket.
7) Though few Native Americans made it their home, numerous hunting camps and other temporary sites have been documented in the area.
8) 10,000 years ago, creatures such as giant sloths, mastodons, sabre-toothed tigers, and dire wolves called The Big Thicket home.
9) TheBig Thicket really is big, covering roughly 3 million acres of land!
10) Due to the fact that roughly 75% of the birds species in North America either live in or pass through this area seasonally, The Big Thicket was designated as a Globally Important Bird Area in 2001.

ABOUT THE BIG THICKET

The mossy branches of a massive basket oak extend across slow moving creeks. A roadrunner skitters down the road. Playful river otter rollick in the placid waters of Village Creek. Tall dropseed and Indian grass flow in a light breeze.

Life gets really interesting at nature's intersections! The Piney Woods is where southeastern swamp collides with eastern hardwood forest, midwestern prairie, and elements of the southwest desert landscape.

Thousands of years of geologic formation have created an area whose history includes glacial activity, coastal influence, the Mississippi delta and more. The change in soil composition, hydrology, elevation and other factors creates a biological diversity some consider comparable to the Florida Everglades.

As a result, an amazing variety of plants and animals wind their way through this North American biological crossroads known locally as the Piney Woods

To read more about Big Thicket, download our atlas!

KEY LOCATIONS

Big Thicket National Preserve

The Preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 97,000 acres. Big Thicket was the first Preserve in the National Park System established October 11, 1974, and protects an area of rich biological diversity. A convergence of ecosystems occurred here during the last Ice Age. It brought together, in one geographical location, the eastern hardwood forests, the Gulf coastal plains, and the midwest prairies. In 1981, the Preserve was designated an International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In 2001, the American Bird Conservancy recognized the Preserve as a Globally Important Bird Area joining thousands of others around the world.

Village Creek State Park

Village Creek is an extremely popular, flat water, canoe float stream in what remains as the heart and soul of the Old Texas Big Thicket. Rainfall is abundant and the banks of Village Creek flood severely every 3 or 4 years. Various tours, interpretive, and educational programs are offered throughout the year. These include guided nature trail hikes, a self-guided trail, night hikes, slide presentations, campfire talks, and educational programs. The park has 8 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and nature study. Field trips need to be scheduled by September 30th, small groups may be scheduled after that date depending on staff availability at the park.

HOUSTON, DID YOU KNOW?

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