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The Smell of Marsh Mud: Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge
The Smell of Marsh Mud: Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuge
A barrier island along the coastal bend of texas that has no causeway,
highway or ferry for access, Matagorda island provides an unparalleled
opportunity both to protect natural resources and offer the hands-on environ
mental educational experience that such an isolated ecosystem can offer.
Hundreds are taking advantage each
year as Aransas National Wildlife
Refuge Complex uses the island as a
key component of its environmental
education program.
Many of the schools served by the
refuges education program are primar
ily Hispanic, and the students first
experience with the bay and the Gulf of
Mexico often occurs during a field trip.
It is important that our future leaders
understand the interdependence of
the estuarine system and the need to
protect it. It is through field trips and
interaction that a true appreciation
and understanding can develop, says
Aransas Refuge environmental educa
tion specialist Tonya Nix.
The Science and Spanish Club Network
a group of middle school clubs con
nected to school districts and youth
organizations brings teens to Aransas
Refuge, as does the Port Lavaca Water
Watchers Club, which reaches primarily
underserved urban Hispanic students.
estuary education
Aransas Refuge has the largest wetland
habitat in the northern part of the
Mission-Aransas National Estuarine
Research Reserve, a nationally desig
nated complex of wetland, terrestrial
and marine environments. One purpose
of these reserves is to promote environ
mental education about estuaries.
S p e c i A l R e p o R t: B R i N g i N g e N v i R o N M e N tA l e d U c At i o N t o d i v e R S e A U d i e N c e S
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Richard Gonzalez
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You see the light go off in kids eyes when they get it. they are not out there
trying to be cool. Marsh mud smells and they are getting wet and dirty while
learning. By the time they leave, they still have a little Matagorda island smell.
tonya
Nix
How might continual automobile traffic
affect ghost crabs populations?
rebuilt a trail beaten down by alligators, The Flash Flock Party Kit includes
Students observe a ghost crab with sci
observed whooping crane habitat,
life-size wood cuts of cranes, smallerentific precision the hard exoskeleton, and in six visits between 2009 and
than-life size blue crabs and ideas for
jointed legs, agile movements, special
2011 picked up more than 30 tons of
creating an event that raises awareness
hairs to absorb water from burrow
trash from the Gulf coast shoreline.
about the endangered status of North
walls, gills that do not need constant
Americas tallest bird, such as celebrat
immersion in water, pop-up eyes with
In 2010, SSCN organized a Whooping
ing the day the cranes begin arriving
near 360-degree visual field.
Crane Flash Flock Party to celebrate
or leaving, building on-site science
both the refuge birthday and Tom
displays, putting cranes on a parade
Ghost crabs feed mostly at night on
Stehn, the refuges recently retired
float or establishing a wildlife biologist
coquinas and smaller crabs. They are
whooping crane biologist. Half the cel
day. Gonzalez also believes The Whoop
preyed upon by birds, coyotes, badgers
ebrants wore red, white and black while should be just the first of many endan
and feral hogs. After measuring the
Stehn showed up in the whooping crane gered species theme songs and dances
temperature of the surface and interior
costume he used to work undercover
developed by students he says hes
of a burrow, students talk about the
with the cranes. SSCN teens created
looking forward to the Kemps Ridley
advantage of being inside or outside the their own flash mob dance, which they Sea Turtle Mambo, the Ocelot Trot or
burrow on a hot day.
now perform when Aransas Refuge has
the Bison Bounce.
an exhibit at local wildlife festivals.
Youre invited to a Flash Flock party
For information on Whooping Crane
Aransas Refuge frequently hosts
SSCN mentor and grant writer Richard Flash Flock Party Kits or ideas on
teens in the Science and Spanish Club
Gonzalez planned a Whoop Dance
adapting the party to other species
Network (SSCN), a multicultural envi
Competition at the Aransas Pass
contact Richard Gonzalez at Richard@
ronmental education project created by
Shrimporee in June 2012, when Aransas gulfmex.org.
the Gulf of Mexico Foundation.
Refuge celebrated its 75th anniversary.
He has also sent Flash Flock Party Kits
SSCN clubs first came to the mainland
to other national wildlife refuges with
units of the refuge. Encouraged by
whooping cranes (Quivira in Kansas,
Nix, they now come to Matagorda
Necedah in Wisconsin, Chassahowitza
Island as well. Although Nix does use
and St. Marks in Florida) as well as
a beach ecology curriculum with these
Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada,
youngsters, they are more likely to
where the Aransas flock spends the
learn about the estuarine ecosystem
summer. Both Quivira and St. Marks
by working in it, doing service projects
Refuges are making plans to have kids
like beach cleanup. SSCN teens have
do The Whoop when the first cranes
arrive at their refuges.
What would be the benefit of being
nocturnal?
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