Big Thicket National Preserve was the first national biological preserve in the history of the National Park Service, established in October of 1974 by President Gerald R. Ford. Big Thicket is a unique park because, unlike many other national parks, it is defined by its ecological zones and is connected by the waterways that drain into the Niches River. This is how it got the nickname, a “string of pearls,” due to being comprised of smaller units. The units of the Big Thicket are Big Sandy Creek, Menard Creek Corridor, Loblolly, Hickory Creek Savannah, Turkey Creek, Beech Creek, Upper Neches River Corridor, Jack Gore Baygall, Neches Bottom, Lower Neches River, Lance Rosier, Little Pine Island Bayou, and Beaumont. Big Thicket National Preserve is a “string of pearls” that covers 84,550 acres.

There is also a wide range of ecosystems that can be found here in the Big Thicket, from slope forests and long-leaf pine to savannah wetland and tallgrass prairies. You will also find bogs, baygalls, sandy lands, flood plains, and bayous — a biological crossroads with a unique composition of wildlife.

I am excited to be a part of the team this summer!