As we approached the I-45 bridge that crosses Galveston Bay and leads to Galveston Island I turned to Nancy and said, “See the Brown Pelicans flying back and forth across the bridge?  It's like a “Pelican Highway” every day as they fly from morning to night”.

We got off I-45 at Sixty-first Street, drove to Jones/Stewart Road, turned right and then maneuvered several miles over a series of sweeping turns and short straights and drove west on Stewart Road.  It had been a long time since I had driven on this part of Galveston Island and I felt the sea air and breeze start to take me away as we past 8 Mile, 9 Mile, and 10 Mile Roads.  We got to Settegast Road, turned right, drove about one-half mile, and then turned into the parking corral that Artist Boat has for visitors.

The Houston Sierra Club was here to participate in a work day on the 548 acre Coastal Heritage Preserve that Artist Boat acquired a few years ago.  This former cattle ranch stretches almost to Starvation Cove and Mensell Bayou on West Galveston Bay and is being restored back to coastal prairie.  There are a lot of non-native plants and animals that must be removed so that the original native prairie grasses and wildflowers can return and resume their ancient and ageless evolution down Nature's own green highway.   

I parked the car and said “hello” to some University of Houston Clear Lake students (my Alma Mater) who were also here to lend a hand with the restoration work.  Nine Sierrans showed up, we filled out the Sierra Club and Artist Boat liability forms, and then trooped across the street to meet with Nathan Johnson, the Habitat and Stewardship Program Manager for Artist Boat.

But before I continue my story, “What is Artist Boat”?  This non-profit group, formed in 2003, has a mission to “promote awareness and preservation of coastal margins and the marine environment through the disciplines of the sciences and art”.  Artist Boat is best known for the kayak tours it organizes in Galveston and other local waters where it not only teaches appreciation for the coast but also has participants paint while on the water.  It is only recently that Artist Boat has become a steward of land when it acquired the Coastal Heritage Preserve via various public and private grants.  

Now we were going to put into practice some of that stewardship by deactivating fire ant mounds and replanting native prairie grasses in larger containers so when they were finally planted they would have the best chance to successfully grow. 

We broke-up into teams of two to four people and spent about an hour walking the prairie placing “bait” around the fire ant mounds.  Fire ants are voracious predators and attack and eat almost any insect, other invertebrate, ground nesting birds, and even small reptiles on the prairie.  They will bring the “bait” that we sprinkle around the mound inside the nest, feed the “bait” to the queen, who will then die, which sends the ant colony into a death spiral.  

We then broke for a free lunch, Subway sandwiches and cookies, courtesy of Artist Boat.  That certainly motivated us.  After lunch several people began the re-potting of Long-spike Tridens Grasses into larger containers.  The rest of us could not resist Nathan's offer to take us on a tour of the Coastal Heritage Preserve.

Nathan led us through native coastal prairie, mud flats, and various other wetlands populated with Spartina patens (Saltmeadow Cordgrass), Spartina spartinae (Gulf Cordgrass), Distichlis spicata (Saltgrass), glasswort, saltwort, and many other wetland plants.  Nathan reminded us that wetlands help filter our water so that it is cleaner, prevent erosion of shorelines, buffers flood flows to reduce their impacts, and serve as nursery areas for shrimp, crabs, and finfish.  Of course, “It's the wetlands, stupid!”

As we walked, we saw some of the abundant bird-life including Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Brown Pelicans, and a stealthy Osprey flying away with a fish suspended in its long talons.  But my favorite bird was the Rosette Spoonbill that flew overhead showing off its bright pink feathers, as if to say, “I'm here, don't you wish you were me!” 

By about 2:00 pm we were back at our starting point and our day was over.  The weather had been perfect; sunny, clear, with a light breeze blowing in our faces and keeping the mosquitoes at bay.

I fell in love at the Coastal Heritage Preserve.  The coast beckons me to its salty, sunny, breezy, cocoon.  Thanks Artist Boat for reminding me about the joy and beauty in Houston's backyard.  Can't wait to go back!

Brandt Mannchen

April 3, 2016