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The Birds of the East End Lagoon - Galveston Unscripted Audio Tour Nov 16, 2021

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- James Audubon, in a letter to Reverend John Bachman, on visiting Galveston in April 1837

John James Audubon waded ashore on Galveston Island near the East End Lagoon in April 1837. In the ensuing years, Galveston has become a major port along the Gulf Coast, and a destination that attracts over 7 million tourists annually. Yet, the Lagoon still attracts the "Snipes innumerable," and early morning visitors can still hear the "delightful notes of the Mockingbird."

The birds of the East End Lagoon are stitched together by a common thread- water. The Lagoon's birds are those of open water, shore, and wet coastal Prairie. During storms and high tides, there is no land in or around the Lagoon that remains dry. Birds of the lagoon have adapted to these wetlands, and prosper in conditions that elude most land and forest birds.

Shore Birds
A number of bird species are limited to feeding along the shore or on the beach. These sore birds include sandpipers, plovers, herons, and egrets.

Water Birds
Birds of the open water are usually seen in the Lagoon itself, rather than feeding along its shore. Waterfowl (ducks and geese), grebes, loons, cormorants, and pelicans are examples of birds that are frequently seen out in the open water.

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Coastal Prairie and Salt Marsh at the East End Lagoon - Galveston Unscripted Audio Tour Nov 16, 2021

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Trees were scarce on Galveston Island at the time of settlement; in fact, only one stand of trees (Three Trees) Broke the monotony of the endless coastal prairie and the salt marshes. At first glance the Preserve might seem like a flat featureless landscape. However, at a closer look, you will find a richly diverse ecosystem.
The land that surrounds the Lagoon remains as salt marsh and coastal prairie and offers a fascinating contrast to the waters of the Lagoon. A number of species around the lagoon are grassland or marsh specialists. Some are tiny, and difficult to see even with binoculars. Others, such as hawks and owls, are often seen coasting over the prairie in search of prey. Mammals in our prairie are scarce, but coyotes and raccoons, along with a variety of rodents, do proliferate in these habitats.

Eastern Meadowlark
The flute-like song of the Eastern Meadowlark (sturnella Magna) is one of the characteristic sounds of the coastal prairie. The bird often sings from perches at the highest points on the prairie.

Citrine Forktail
The Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) is a thread of a damselfly that is difficult to see as it floats among the prairie and marsh grasses. This forktail is the smallest damselfly in North America, yet it prospers in the wind-swept, oft-flooded coastal prairies around the lagoon.

American Bittern
The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a wading bird in the heron family, usually found skulking through the wet prairie around the lagoon.

Seaside Sparrow
The Seaside Sparrow is one of the birds that is a salt marsh specialist. It thrives in the smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) that borders the Lagoon.

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Nature and Man at the East End Lagoon - Galveston Unscripted Audio Tour Nov 14, 2021

Show notes

Explore the East End Lagoon!
Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
Notable Resources for the Nature Trail!
Audubon Society : https://www.audubon.org/#
Donate to the East End Lagoon Nature Park and Preserve : http://www.eastendlagoon.org/support
Nature and Man at the East End Lagoon
"The oceans deserve our respect and care, but you have to know something before you can care about it" - Sylvia Earle
The East End Lagoon borders the Bolivar Roads, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Bolivar is protected by two jetties. The North Jetty connects to Bolivar Flats, while the South Jetty connects with East Beach. Here, nature and man coexist.
Bolivar Roads is the entrance to the Port of Galveston, Port of Texas City, and Port of Houston. The Port of Houston is one of the largest port complexes in the world and one of the busiest in the United States.
The jetties that protect Bolivar Roads also trap sand that flows southward along Galveston's coast. The Sediments captured by the North Jetty create Bolivar Flats, and sediment trapped by the South Jetty feeds into East Beach. As a result, the beaches and the flats in this area are expanding unlike much of the upper texas coast, which is eroding due to a sand deposit deficit.
As a result of accretion (growth), the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve is well protected from wave action by the extensive East End Beaches. Additionally, sand is continuously blowing into the preserve, adding sediments to the scattered pimple mounds. Even though the preserve abuts one of the busiest sea lanes in the U.S., nature continues to thrive at the East End Lagoon!
South (Galveston) Jetty
There are two jetties that protect the mouth of the Bolivar Roads; the North, or Bolivar Jetty, and the South, or Galveston Jetty. These jetties were completed in 1897. The South Jetty extends 2 miles into the Gulf, and helps protect the ship channel from being filled with sand and silt. These sediments are deposited at and around the base of the jetty, contributing a steady flow of sand to East Beach.
Galveston Seawall
You will reach the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve by driving, riding, skating, biking, or walking along the Galveston Seawall. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the Seawall after the 1900 storm, the deadliest hurricane in U.S. History. With the extensions, the Seawall is now over 10 miles long and it continues to protect the city from devastating storms.
Fun at the Lagoon
The Lagoon is ideal for a variety of recreations. Birders and photographers enjoy the opportunity to walk along the nature trail. Anglers fish around the mouth of the Lagoon, and kayakers can paddle the calm waters along the entire length. Whatever your interest, take advantage of one of Galveston's most easily accessed natural areas!

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The Preserve at the East End Lagoon - Galveston Unscripted Audio Tour Nov 14, 2021

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Galveston is a 27-mile long spit of land wedged between the Gulf of Mexico and the upper Texas coast. at its highest natural elevation, Galveston is 7 feet above sea level. The incorporated area of the City of Galveston is 80% water.

The East End Lagoon Nature Preserve, situated at the eastern end of the island, is a microcosm of the island as a whole. The 685-acre Preserve includes the East End Lagoon. The Lagoon is a slender finger of water that is bordered by several zones of land that are defined by elevation (measured by inches!), tides, and salinity. Although the Preserve is almost entirely wet, the slight variations of elevation can determine what can grow and, by extension, the wildlife that can inhabit each zone.

To see the greatest diversity of plants and animals at the Preserve, you will need to visit a cross-section of these zones and habitats. The East End Lagoon Nature Trail snakes through upland habitat, and offers easy access to the lower marshes that border the trail. You will need a canoe or kayak to access the Lagoon as a whole. There are several access points around the Lagoon where you can walk to the shore.

East End Lagoon
The waters of the Lagoon vary in salinity based on the rainwater runoff. Since the Lagoon is connected to the Gulf, saltwater regularly enters the lagoon with high tides. However, freshwater also drains into the lagoon, and therefore the salinity of the lagoon can vary day-to-day. These brackish waters are perfect for a diversity of sea life, especially juvenile fish, crabs, and oysters.

Pimple Mounds
Pimple Mounds dot the preserve but are easy to overlook. These mounds are often small(usually only a few feet in diameter) and slightly elevated (a foot or less). The large pimple mounds are covered by shrubs like wax myrtle (morella cerifera) and yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) . These trees and shrubs are used by a variety of birds such as herons and egrets for roosts.

Salt Marsh
Virtually all of the land within the preserve is salt marsh. There are several types of salt marsh around the Lagoon, including low salt marsh that is dominated by smooth cordgrass. Other habitats in this zone include high salt marsh, salt pannes, and algal flats. Many species such as the Seaside Sparrow (Ammodramus maritimus) are only found in salt marsh.

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East End Lagoon ADA Trailhead - Galveston Unscripted Audio Tour Nov 13, 2021

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The East End Lagoon Nature Preserve is dominated by the open waters of the lagoon and by the surrounding alt marsh. Salt marshes serve as the transition from the Gulf of Mexico to the land, an area where fresh and saltwater mix. The protected waters of the lagoon, fed by dead vegetation from the bordering salt marsh, create a perfect nursery and refuge for many types of marine life such as fish, crabs, and shrimp. Therefore, the lagoon teems with a diversity of sea life.

Fishermen often wade in the shallow waters at the mouth of the lagoon, and the calm waters are perfect for kayaking and canoeing. Birdwatchers and photographers discover spectacular birds such as the roseate spoonbill and the brown pelican, and there is never a day in the year when the surrounding flats, marsh, and prairie are not ablaze in wildflowers. Enjoy your walk along the trail and remember that nature changes every day. To get to know the Preserve you will need to visit again, and again!

Cabbage Palm
As you walk along the Trail, you will see palm trees. These are cabbage palms (Sabal Palmetto). Cabbage palms are shown to be native in Texas only in Cameron County, but they have become naturalized along the Galveston coast. These hardy pals thrive in Galveston's hot and humid summers, they are immune to salt spray, and they are freeze tolerant down to 10-15 degrees.

Queen Butterfly
The Queen Butterfly (Danaus Gilippus) is our local version of the well known Monarch. Monarch Butterflies do migrate through our area, and a smaller number even stay through the winter. The common milkweed butterfly in our area is the queen and they can often be seen along the Trail feeding on vine and milkweed (Cynanchum angustifolium).

Large Milkweed Bug
One of the vines that proliferates along the trail is the Vine Milkweed (Cynanchum angustifolium) The Milkweed vines attract butterflies and other insects that feed on the leaves. You may spot large milkweed bugs as you walk along the trail.

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Wildflowers of the East End Lagoon - Galveston Unscripted Audio Tour Nov 13, 2021

Show notes

Explore the East End Lagoon!
Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
Notable Resources for the Nature Trail!
Audubon Society : https://www.audubon.org/#
Donate to the East End Lagoon Nature Park and Preserve : http://www.eastendlagoon.org/support
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
https://www.wildflower.org
Wildflowers of the East End Lagoon
Few days in years pass when the Lagoon is not accented by the color of Wildflowers.

Wildflowers here are not oppressively seasonal; never is there a time when some plant or shrub isn't blooming. From the salt tolerant plants that flourish on the salt pannes, to the prairie plants that only grow in the uplands, the Lagoon is embellished by the blush of coastal wildflowers.

The key to learning coastal wildflowers is to first learn about their preferred haunts. A few inches can make the difference given the lack of elevation along the coast. Only a few plants can tolerate the salinity of the salt pannes and flats. Along the roads that circle the Lagoon, however, rainwater draining front the pavement creates a unique roadside habitat vegetated by the plants often found farther inland.

Many of the flowers along the East Lagoon Nature Trail are large and brightly colored. Others, though, are small and obscure. The key to finding a diversity of flowers along the trail and around the a=lagoon is to be patient and look closely. Also, remember that different flowers bloom at different times of the year. You will need to visit the Lagoon frequently to see them all!

Maritime Plants
Only a handful of plants can tolerate the high salinity of the Lagoon waters. The pannes and flats that surround the Lagoon are perfect for salt-tolerant grasses and plants such as smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and glasswort (Salicornia sp.)

Black Mangrove
Black mangroves (Avicennia germanians) are only found along the GUlf coast and the Florida Atlantic coast in the United States. IN, Texas, this mangrove only spread north to Galveston. In cool winters, black mangrove will freeze back to the roots, only to sprout with even greater vigor the following spring.

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Wildlife of the East End Lagoon - Galveston Unscripted Audio Tour Nov 13, 2021

Show notes

Explore the East End Lagoon!
Notable Resources for the Nature Trail!
Audubon Society : https://www.audubon.org/#
Donate to the East End Lagoon Nature Park and Preserve : http://www.eastendlagoon.org/support
Wildlife at the East End Lagoon
"Because there's nothing more beautiful than the way the ocean refuses to stop kissing the shoreline, no matter how many times it's sent away." - Sarah Kay
The wildlife of the lagoon is generally obscure and easy to overlook. Although Audubon found white-tailed deer to be common on the island, by the late 1800's deer were wiped out here. Now, except for the odd coyote or raccoon, the wildlife is generally composed of insects, reptiles, and amphibians.
If you look closely, the lagoon teems with butterflies, dragonflies, robber flies, and a breathtaking variety of brilliantly colored insects. Some of these are among the smallest of their kind in the world. Others have adapted to the salinity of the lagoon and its marshes and are found nowhere else except in these special places.
You will find many of these insects and other wildlife along the East End Lagoon Nature Trail. The flowers that bloom along the Trail attract clouds of butterflies as well as the dragonflies that prey on the butterflies. The key to uncovering the wildlife along the trail is to walk quietly and to look very, very closely at what is around you.
Eastern Pygmy-Blue
Some of the smallest butterflies are the toughest! The eastern pygmy-blue (Brephidium pseudofea) is one of the smallest butterflies in the world, yet it proliferates here in the salt marsh. This butterfly lays its eggs on Salicornia and Batis, plants that only live in the most saline soils.
Seaside Dragonlet
The Seaside Dragonlet (Erythrodiplax berenice) is the only dragonfly in the Western Hemisphere that can breed in seawater. The lagoon is a perfect place for this dragonlet, and it can be seen commonly in warmer months.

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The Carnes Home - AKA The Coppersmith Inn - 1914 Avenue M - Galveston, Texas Nov 10, 2021

Show notes

📍Visit our interactive map!
Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
📱Social and other ways to explore Texas History
Tour with Spotify:
👂Listen: The Great Fire of 1885
👂Listen: Lost Bayou Historic District
👂Listen: Texas Heroes Monument
👂Listen: Silk Stocking District
👂Listen: Port of Galveston
👂Listen: Kuhn's Wharf
👂Listen: The Hendley Building
Interested in information covered in this episode? Dive deeper into the links below! :
Coppersmith Inn: https://coppersmithinn.com/
Morgan Steamship Line: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/morgan-lines
Transcript:
The Carnes home, now known as the Coppersmith Inn, is located at 1914 Avenue M. This wonderful home completed construction in 1887. Howard and Minnie Carnes purchased the lot shortly after the great fire of 1885. The Carnes Home was one of the first homes constructed on this Street, on the edge of Hitchcock's Bayou.
Throughout 1885, Hitchcock's Bayou was eventually filled in with dredge mud in order to elevate and expand livable lots on the island. The historic district in which the Bayou was filled in is now known as the Lost Bayou District. The Carnes Family Home was designed by famed Galveston architect Alfred Muller and constructed at the cost of $5,000.
Howard Carnes earned a good salary as he worked for the Morgan Line, a steam packet shipping line that ran cargo between Galveston, New Orleans, and New York. The Morgan line eventually transferred Howard Carnes to Mexico, And in 1894, the home was sold to Paul and Bridget Shean.
Paul was an Irish immigrant and Coppersmith. The Sheans moved to Galveston from New Orleans in 1872 and quickly developed his coppersmith business into a multifaceted mill and plumbing manufacturing business. This business was one of the first to have a telephone in the state.
The home survived the 1900 storm with little lasting damage. Avenue M, within a few blocks of 19th Street, held up very well during the disaster. The material from the destroyed homes between the beach and Avenue M piled up to create a wall that protected the homes on Avenue M from being battered by the hurricane waves.
Paul Shean's Coppersmith business ran strong even after he died in 1915. The home was left to his wife, who lived in the home until 1935. The home changed hands a few times and was acquired by the current owners in 2019. The home now operates as a luxurious venue and bed and breakfast known as the Coppersmith Inn

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Old Galveston Custom House and Courthouse - 20th and Post Office - Galveston, Texas Nov 07, 2021

Show notes

📍Visit our interactive map!
Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
📱Social and other ways to explore Texas History
Tour with Spotify:
👂Listen: Texas Heroes Monument
👂Listen: Quick History of Galveston
👂Listen: Port of Galveston
👂Listen: The Great Fire of 1885
👂Listen: The Battle of Galveston
👂Listen: Kuhn's Wharf
👂Listen: The Hendley Building
Interested in information covered in this episode? Dive deeper into the links below! :
Custom house: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/galveston-custom-house
Battle of Galveston: https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/galveston-battle-of

Transcript:
The old Galveston Custom House, also known as the United States Custom House and Courthouse. This building was formerly a customs house, post office, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, and later for the Southern District of Texas. The first customs house in Galveston and Texas predates this one by three decades.
While Mexico still maintained control of Texas, a customs house was established in 1830, a few years after the port was officially founded. This customs house would've been small and more like an office. After Texas won its independence and the United States gained control of Texas, Galveston's population and significance developed through the 1840s and 50s and the port was recognized as one of the most important ports to the nation.
As the United States began to spread West towards California, the ease of access to a protected deep water port and proximity to the frontier transformed this small sandbar into a thriving city and a means of taxation by the federal government. By the late 1850s, the Galveston port and business community was focused on wholesale commerce.
Galveston was the main pass-through for all goods imported into Texas and dispersed into Indian territory, Louisiana, and New Mexico. The federal government collected tariffs on all goods that entered into Texas.
United States Congress approved the funds for the Customs house in 1855 and construction began in 1860. The building was built at an unprecedented pace and completed in 114 days. That's under four months, completed just in time for Texas's succession from the United States. During the Civil War, the Confederate Army utilized the building as their headquarters as it was one of the island's few brick and iron buildings at the time.
However, by 1863, Union and Confederate resources were strained. Neither side could truly claim Galveston for more than a few weeks. In 1862, the Union Navy arrived at the Po

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Hope - An interpretation of Pompeo Coppini's Lost Galveston Sculpture - Galveston, Texas Oct 16, 2021

Show notes

Supporters: The Galveston Arts Center: https://www.galvestonartscenter.org/

📍Visit our interactive map!
Enjoy this content? Buy me a book! 📚
📱Social and other ways to explore Texas History
Hope is located at 2517 Avenue H
Tour with Spotify:
👂Listen: Rosenberg Fountains
👂Listen: East End Historical District
👂Listen: Texas Heroes Monument
👂Listen: Quick History of Galveston
👂Listen: The Strand
👂Listen: Pier 21
👂Listen: Port of Galveston
Photos, to support, and learn more about Doug's project, visit Galvestonsculpture.com
My Conversation with Doug McClean - Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6tupzLU7z0UffunUThje7Z?si=XjuYw4caQrqBap24rXM4bg
Hope is an interpretation of Pompeo Coppini's "Victims of the Galveston Flood" sculpture that was originally was commissioned by Galveston City Leaders and later turned down and deemed too emotional. The Sculpture traveled to the St. Louis World's Fair and was sent back to Austin where it was locked away until 1918, put on display once more and then lost forever.
Doug McLean took on the challenge of recreating the sculpture and bring it to Galveston where it has been cast in Bronze and is now on display behind city hall.
Doug McLean has a degree in Fine Arts he was fortunate to attend the prestigious Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture in Maine.
His first creative challenge in Galveston was serving as the blacksmith during the restoration of the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa where he hand forged hundreds of the ships fittings and became an active crew member. To this day he feels his introduction to Galveston before the revitalization of The Strand Historic District put him in the right place at the right time.
Doug has been a long time resident of Galveston, Texas and has completed and erected a statue titled "Hope" inspired by famous artist Pompeo Coppini's infamously lost sculpture "Victim's of the Galveston Flood."
Doug discusses the calling he felt to undertake this daunting project, the process of working through difficult times during this pursuit and during a disaster, and why it is all worth it.
Keywords: Galveston, Texas, History, Island, Texas History

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