Cultural Three Report

Baytown Nature Center Report

            I decide to choose the Baytown Nature Center because is home to more than 300 species of birds and numerous species of butterflies, mammals and aquatic organisms. These 450-acres peninsula is an official site on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail and is designated a U.S. Important Bird Area by the American Bird Conservancy. In fact, several species of threatened and endangered birds rely on the area for migration, feeding or nesting. This makes the center a population destination for birdwatchers. Visitors can also enjoy activities like hiking, fishing and picnicking.

I remember growing up as a child and my family taking us to Brownwood subdivision to go fishing. We all knew that on Saturday’s it was a family trip to Brownwood. Brownwood was a subdivision that had areas and piers that people used to go fishing, crabbing, and even swimming. We never knew that it was dangerous to go swimming in the water because to us it was like a small little beach not realizing it was the Gulf of Mexico, what we were getting into just to swim and have a good time. After Hurricane Alicia hit the subdivision of Brownwood in Baytown, Texas it destroyed and all the houses were gone with the Hurricane. I still remember my parents driving through the streets in Brownwood subdivision and not see the streets because they were covered with water at least 2 to 3 feet high in some parts it will cover the tires. I remember being scared because sometimes I thought we were going to drive in to the water because we couldn’t see the streets but my parents knew where they were going it just looked like you were driving in the water. In 1991 they closed the subdivision Brownwood because it got pretty bad with all the rain. After years of rain the subdivision got sucked in that they decided to demolish the subdivision. A lot of people were not allowed to go back there anymore to go fishing or just go drive by and see the water. The City of Baytown gated the streets and didn’t allowed people get back there because they were scared they could drown because the water got 15 to 20 feet high and some places were deeper because of the unleveled areas. These the water was coming from the Gulf of Mexico the City of Baytown didn’t want the community to go fishing or crabbing anymore because they didn’t realize how many disease are in that water and animals.

After year’s people decided to do something with the Brownwood subdivision that the City of Baytown made it a Nature Center. The Nature Center becomes a people where the community can place where the community can go and see all the different species that the 450-acres have to show us. It’s a great place to take your kids and tell them our history of the Brownwood subdivision and show them what it became on a Nature Center. The area began to flood during seasonal high tides or storm surges brought on by tropical storms and hurricanes. Between 1967 and 1981, there were 26 entries in city records pertaining to flooding or evacuations. Withdrawal of ground-water by neighborhoods and industry was causing the area to subside.  Eventually, the area had sunk 10 to 15 feet causing some property to be submerged in the bay or subject to tidal flooding. In August 1983, Hurricane Alicia devastated the Brownwood area.  Storm tides over 10 feet sweep over the peninsula and the subdivision was virtually demolished.  Most of the area was declared uninhabitable.  The area lay in ruin for years as the political and legal processes took place. The city eventually bought most of the lots and others were abandoned.  Over time, the ruined homes were demolished and the debris cleared away.

Hurricane Alicia of August 1983 was the costliest tropical cyclone in the Atlantic since Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Alicia was the third depression, the first tropical storm, and the only major hurricane of the 1983 Atlantic hurricane season. It struck Galveston and Houston, Texas directly, causing $2.6 billion 1983in damage and killing 21 people; this made it the worst Texas hurricane since Hurricane Carla in 1961. In addition, Alicia was the first billion-dollar tropical cyclone in Texas history. Hurricane Alicia was the first hurricane to hit the United States mainland since Hurricane Allen in August 1980. The time between the two storms totaled three years and eight days (1,103 days). Hurricane Alicia became the last major hurricane (Category 3 or higher) to strike Texas until the stronger Hurricane Bret 1980 made landfall. Alicia was the first storm for which the National Hurricane Center issued landfall probabilities. Hurricane Alicia was notable for the delayed post storm evacuation of Galveston Island since the eye of the storm traveled the evacuation route up from Galveston to Houston. The hurricane was also notable for the shattering of many windows in downtown Houston by loose gravel from the roofs of new skyscrapers and by other debris, prompting changes to rooftop construction codes.

The Baytown Nature center, which is operated by the City of Baytown, was formerly the residential subdivision of Brownwood. Over the years, the land subsided due to the withdrawal of oil and groundwater, and the neighborhood suffered problems with flooding. In 1983, Hurricane Alicia struck the final blow, damaging many of the homes. During a community meeting in 1991, the idea arose to turn the area into a nature center. City officials seized the idea and began development of the Baytown Nature Center. Today, the site features picnic shelters, four fishing piers, two pavilions and two overlooks. It also includes a butterfly garden, a children’s nature discovery playground and the Myra C. Brown Bird Sanctuary.

A master plan was developed by a special planning committee to turn the area into a nature center.  In 1995, sixty-five acres of the Brownwood site was returned to a mix of tidal wetlands, fresh and brackish water pools, and forested islands and The Baytown Nature Center was opened. The initial nature center development was handled as a mitigation site for the French Limited Superfund clean-up project, a consortium of 200 companies.  Since then, additional habitat restoration projects have expanded the wetlands area and enhanced the upland areas. The smaller peninsula was developed into a recreational area with fishing piers, picnic tables, walking trails and observation platforms and a Children's Nature Discovery Area. The larger peninsula, which includes the initial wetlands project, was maintained as a Natural Area.  An additional 15 acres of wetlands restoration was completed in 2004. In 2005, and a new entrance was added on Bayway Drive. In 2008, the Baytown Nature Center was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike.  Many of the structures were damaged or destroyed by the 13 feet of flood water that inundated much of the center.  Since then, most structures have been rebuilt, restored or repaired. The Children’s Discovery Area, which was totally destroyed in the hurricane, has undergone a complete redesign, and is currently being rebuilt as a natural playscape.

In the process of creating the Baytown Nature Center, the city of Baytown also restored a valuable art of the environment. The wetlands found at the center help control flooding and erosion, and they improve water quality by filtering out trash and pollutants. In addition, wetlands provide feeding and breeding grounds for fish, shrimp, crab and variety of other aquatic organisms. In fact coastal wetlands are one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in existence. The City of Baytown is committed to protecting others about the importance of wetlands. In fact, thousands of students visit the Baytown nature Center every year as part of the wetlands Ecology Program sponsored by ExxonMobil. The program, conducted by staff at Baytown’s Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center, introduces students to a variety of hands-on environmental activities and concepts.  The programs and activities at the Baytown Nature Center are funded by the City of Baytown and through grants and donations. Volunteers also play a major role in making the nature center successful. Additional support comes from the Friends of the Baytown Nature Center, a nonprofit group that provides financial and hands-on support to the center. The hands-on projects include designing and building trails, bridges, blinds, signage and other amenities plus the preservation and improvement of habitat. Everyone from educators and outdoors enthusiasts to the office workers and carpenters can help support the Baytown Nature Center by volunteering or by joining the friends of Baytown Nature Center.