For details and a trail map see the Website. 
 

3.  The Joan and Scott Holt Paradise Pond  a 2-acre habitat which was the creation of a group of birders who won the Great Texas Birding Classic who applied the prize money for the purchase of land.    Paradise Pond is a stop on the spring migratory route for smaller warblers and other songbirds, while many feathered friends call the pond home all year long. The wheelchair accessible boardwalk and 3 observation decks provide easy access to get "up close and personal" with the birds under a mantle of trees. Website. 

4.  Port Aransas' Wetland Park which was built by the Texas Highway Department and deeded to the city of Port Aransas.  It  has a raised wheelchair accessible boardwalk that leads to a gazebo overlooking the tidal flats, home to many water birds and cranes.  Website. 

5.  Coastal Bend Audubon Society  owns and operates the North Bay Sanctuary which is a 75-acre wildlife sanctuary located in San Patricio County. The sanctuary supports a wide array of south Texas wildlife. The combination of aquatic habitats, grasslands, and brushy areas makes the sanctuary a haven for a diversity of bird species year-round. Since the property was acquired it has been managed for the recovery of Tamaulipan thorn scrub brush and native grass communities.

There are several maintained trails, and an elevated viewing platform that gives an “above-the-brush” view of the property. A 12-foot viewing tower can accommodate 15 people, allowing viewers to check out the new prairie wetland project, and to look across the fence at the larger wetlands containing an occasional cattle egret or neotropic cormorant rookery.

The Society conducts meetings and field trips and information can be obtained on the North Bay Sanctuary and their activities at their website. 

6.  The Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program is a local non-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1999. The CBBEP project area encompasses the 12 counties of the Coastal Bend Council of Governments extending from the land-cut in the Laguna Madre, through the Corpus Christi Bay system, and north to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.

The mission of the CBBEP is the implementation of the Coastal Bend Bays Plan, which is to protect and restore the health and productivity of the bays and estuaries while supporting continued economic growth and public use of the bays. 

The Estuaries Program promotes kids programs for birding and shell collecting and identifying.  Website.  

7.  The Aransas National  Wildlife Refuge  is one of over 545 National Wildlife Refuges.  It was originally established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937 as a refuge and breeding ground for migratory birds and other wildlife. The Refuge Complex is comprised of over 115,000 acres including the Blackjack Peninsula (Aransas proper), Matagorda Island, Myrtle Foester Whitmire, Tatton, and Lamar units. These areas provide vital resting, feeding, wintering, and nesting grounds for migratory birds and native Texas wildlife.

The Refuge is world renowned for hosting the largest wild flock of endangered whooping cranes each winter. Other native species you can see on the Refuge include the American alligator, javelina, roseate spoonbill, white-tailed deer, armadillo, and spectacular wildflowers.

Refuge Calendar of Events

January
Weekend Van Tours - 10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. Call for reservations.
Wildlife Art Contest in local Schools
Aransas Lecture Series Program
Environmental Education Programs
Whooping Crane Boat Tours – Rockport

February
Weekend Van Tours - 10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. Call for reservations.
Last Weekend – Whooping Crane Festival, Pt. Aransas
Aransas Lecture Series Program
Environmental Education Programs
Whooping Crane Boat Tours – Rockport

March
1st Week – Refugio County Parade
14th – National Wildlife Refuge System Birthday
Weekend Van Tours - 10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. Call for reservations.
Wildlife Art Contest Judging, Winners & New Artwork on Billboards Announced
Spring Migration Begins
Aransas Lecture Series Program
Environmental Education Programs
Whooping Crane Boat Tours - Rockport

April
Weekend Van Tours - 10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. Call for reservations.
15th – Fishing Access to San Antonio Bay
22nd – Earth Day
Refuge Easter Basket Project
Spring Migration
Whooping Cranes Begin Northward Migration
Wildlife Art Contest Billboard Unveiling
Aransas Lecture Series Program
Environmental Education Program
Wildflowers Abundant
Texas Trash-Off Beach Clean-up
Whooping Crane Boat Tours End – Rockport

May
Fishing Clinic and Migration events for local students
2nd Saturday – International Migratory Bird Day
School / Tour Group Programs
School Group Environmental Ed. – Matagorda Is.
Spotted Fawns Seen with Does
27th - Conservationist Rachel Carson's Birthday

June
1st Week – National Fishing and Boating Week
Bay Days – Port Lavaca
School Group Environmental Ed. – Matagorda Is.
Application Period for Refuge Hunts

July
4th – Tivoli Independence Day Parade
Application Period for Refuge Hunts
Environmental Education Programs

August
Shorebird Migration
Application Period for Refuge Hunts

September
Application Period for Refuge Hunts
Hummingbird & Waterfowl Migrations
Hummer/Bird Celebration – Rockport
School Group Environmental Ed.

Website.