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Volunteers walk among sparsely populated forest growth in the Big Thicket National Preserve -
A volunteer works to plant trees at Big Thicket National Preserve
Big Thicket National Preserve is expanding the volunteer longleaf pine tree planting efforts to multiple events this coming winter. Volunteers can join park staff and partners to plant over 20,000 longleaf pine trees in January and February.
“In the past Big Thicket has only hosted one longleaf pine tree planting event, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, an event that has been taking place at Big Thicket for over 10 years,” said Superintendent Wayne Prokopetz. “We are looking to expand the number of trees planted and number of events for volunteers.”
The increased number of trees being planted will give Big Thicket a much-needed jump start on longleaf pine savannah restoration plans taking place in the preserve. The next longleaf pine tree planting event is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 17, 2022, followed by President’s Day on Feb. 21, 2022. Youth of all ages are invited to learn more about the preserve while planting longleaf pine trees. Both events are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Big Thicket is “excited” to host these events with the help of partner and friends’ groups including Big Thicket Association, Big Thicket Biosphere Reserve, Big Thicket Natural Heritage Trust, National Parks Conservation Association and Texas Conservation Alliance, reports the preserve.
“For more than a decade, we have been bringing communities together to grow and thrive at the Thicket,” said Erika Pelletier, Texas associate director for The National Parks Conservation Association. “With every new planting comes a new opportunity to build a better Big Thicket for visitors and wildlife alike. This is a national preserve, but it’s also part of our home.”
Big Thicket National Preserve spreads across seven counties in Southeast Texas. The visitor center is located at 6102 FM 420 in Kountze.
The preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 113,000 acres. The Big Thicket, often referred to as a “biological crossroads,” is a transition zone between four distinct vegetation types – the moist eastern hardwood forest, the southwestern desert, the southeastern swamp, and the central prairies. Species from all of these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest.
For more information, view nps.gov/bith or call (409) 951-6700.