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A simple idea with great money making potential!
Travel is one of the most popular words being searched on the internet, and that has been the case for a very long time. Even after the 9/11. It dropped off for a while, but only a short while, it's back near the top again. Knowing this, I...
Disney Dining In Florida
Copyright 2006 Chris Neilson
All Walt Disney World Resorts® are fabulous places to visit, but
they are also amazing places to dine. Whether it be a quick
snack or a full gourmet dinner, you will not be disappointed by
the choice and quality...
SEA IT TO BELIZE IT!
If you're looking for total sea adventure, then you've come
to the right place. Belize is it when it comes to water
adventure sports. With the largest barrier reef in the
Northern Hemisphere, offshore atolls, mangrove forests,
coastal...
Vacations - French Riviera
The southeast corner of France known as Provence - called the
French Riviera for its maritime area between Toulon and Nice -
is a romantic location with a little bit of everything to offer
the traveler.
Provence stretches from Cap Nègre on...
Yacht Charters Provide a Luxurious Escape
Ernest Hemingway, the Nobel laureate author of “Old Man And The Sea,” loved to go on fishing expeditions off the Cuban coast in a sailboat that was well stocked with rum. James Bond, the legendary British spy, loved to spend intimate moments with...
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Big Thicket National Preserve - Texas
Known as the "biological crossroads of North America", the Big Thicket National Preserve has a remarkably diverse wildlife. The National Preserve is a biological and botanical wonder located in the southeastern corner of Texas, near the Gulf of Mexico.
With nearly 100,000 acres, the park was established by Congress in 1974. In 1981, it was designated International Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The American Bird Conservancy recognized the Preserve as a Globally Important Bird Area in 2001. Today, these designations attract bird watchers from around the world.
The National Preserve was established to protect the remnant of the region's complex biological diversity. The massive diversity is the result of a favorable climate, geology, and topography. Ice Age plant and animal migrations and more recent storm events, such as hurricanes, have contributed to its uniqueness. Of particular note, Big Thicket is full of 120-foot tall Longleaf Pine trees that have to be seen to be believed.
The terrain of Big Thicket is mind bogglingly complex. For example, bogs sit near arid sand hills and eastern bluebirds nest near roadrunners. There are more than 100 trees and shrubs species, which provide habitat to a diverse array of wildlife. Included in this wildlife are over 300 migratory and nesting bird species, over 1,000 flowering plants, and four of North America's five types of insect-eating plants. Fifty reptile species include a small, rarely seen population of alligators and snapping turtles can also be found in the park. It's as though the Galapagos Islands was duplicated in Texas.
Big Thicket Trivia
1. The
Chinese Activist Takes A Sudden Journey To The West
Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng, whose escape from house arrest sparked a diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and China, is coming to America. With his wife and two children, he abruptly boarded a plane bound for Newark, N.J., early this morning.
3 Accused Of Planning Attack On Obama's Chicago HQ
Prosecutors also said the men, arrested in a raid Wednesday, planned to attack Mayor Rahm Emanuel's home and other targets during this weekend's NATO summit. The suspects were each being held on $1.5 million bond.
In Group Of Eight, A Lack Of Leadership?
This week's G-8 summit comes at a time when all of the member countries face tough economic and political problems. Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, questioned what the G-8 can accomplish in an article for ForeignPolicy.com. Host Scott Simon talks with Bremmer about whether the group still matters.
nearly 100,000 acres within Big Thicket National Preserve are not confined to one large tract. Rather the Preserve is composed of tracts scattered among seven counties of east Texas.
2. The Preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors.
3. Approximately 80 miles of the Neches River, the last major free flowing river in Texas, is contained within the Preserve.
4. The Preserve irregular boundary doubles that of Yellowstone.
5. Hunting and trapping are allowed in several units of the Preserve.
6. Every kind of poisonous snake found in the U.S. can be found here - copperhead, cottonmouth, rattlesnake and coral snake - but bites are extremely rare.
7. Four distinct ecologic systems converge in the Big Thicket - Central Plains, Eastern hardwood forest, arid Southwest, and coastal plains.
8. The last reported sighting of the ivory-billed woodpecker took place in Big Thicket in 1971. The bird is now considered extinct.
Big Thicket Attractions
1. Birding activities in the Big Thicket are optimum in the month of April.
2. Hiking is available year-round, though it is warm and humid during the summer months.
Wildflower viewing is best from March to October.
3. Boating, canoeing, and fishing can be enjoyed from April to October.
4. Hunting in specific areas is authorized by a Preserve-issued permit, accompanied by a valid State of Texas Hunting License, from October to mid-January.
About the Author
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of outdoor writing journals. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read more.
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