Volunteers Needed November 20-21, 2020 to Help Restore Aransas Pathways Gardens
Aransas Pathways and Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi Sea Grant Program invite you to help restore our natural gardens at Linda Castro Bird and Nature Venue at 4041 TX-35 Rockport, TX. We also invite you to Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary at 1401 S Church St. What better way to give back to your community while being outdoors and social distancing! Bring your gardening gloves, water, mask and favorite gardening tool. If you would like to volunteer at one of the Aransas Pathways contact Deanna Spruce pio@aransascounty.org or call 361-790-9496. The weather is great now, and we need help at these places:
Coastal Holiday Event, Sat. Nov. 14, 10 AM at the History Center
You’re invited to join the party at the History Center to unveil signage for our garden exhibit and view the coastal holiday display inside. The fun begins Sat. Nov. 14 at 10 AM with coffee & donuts and brief comments about the historic foundations on display in the garden. Events will be held outdoors, weather permitting. We are proud to announce the opening of our coastal holiday exhibit, “Holiday Fare … Brought to You by Land, Sea, and Air”. The holiday celebration will include thematic trees echoing our current exhibit, “Sails, Trails, Rails and Wings.” Of course, we will not forget Santa … a special room will be dedicated to a collection of Old World Santas. The signage in the garden will relate stories about historic foundations from around the county – Bunker house shellcrete wall from Lamar, ledge from Rocky Point, shellcrete from a Brundrett home on Allen, and geodetic marker from the corner of Concho and Church Streets. Items in the exhibit were donated by the McLallens, the Floyds, the Navigation District, Patty Dunn and Janet Taylor. Funding for the project came from the Castaways Thrift Shop. Friends of the History Center would also like to thank the 2020 business members for their support: Farmers Insurance Greg Yarbrough, Barbara Daniels CPA, TWFG (Melaine Head), Prosperity Bank, Frame of Mine (Harriet McCarty), and GSM Insurors. The History Center at 801 E. Cedar St. is open Mon. & Fri. 10 AM-2 PM and Sat. & Sun. 1-4 PM. Learn more about Aransas County history by exploring the website www.thehistorycenterforaransascounty.org or call 361 727-9214.
BIG SIT – a big success at Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary
The “Big Sit” is an event held every year and sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife to promote birding and to record bird species in locations across the state. It is celebrated as the Great Texas Birding Classic. The Friends of Connie Hagar sponsored a team to honor the late Connie Hagar – the 1st lady of Texas birders. The team was headed up by Rockport’s Susan Foster. Due to COVID restrictions the number of participants was very limited. The total number of participants was nine. Birders gathered from 6 am to 6pm at the Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary and they were required to sit within a 50 foot circle. From the circle at the Sanctuary site with binoculars, they could observe birds on the bay at Water St., in the prairie on the south and east part of the property and in the brush and oaks on the west side. A total of sixty species were observed including Sandhill Cranes, migrating Franklin Gulls and several species of Hawks. Team members reported sightings to Susan Foster who kept track of the species observed on the ebird app and then sent the results sent to Texas Parks and Wildlife. This is a way to continue the collection of data on migrating birds as Connie Hagar did in the 1930-60s. The Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary is partner with Aransas Pathways and is located at the corner of South Church St. and First Street (1491 S. Church St.) in south Rockport. The 6.25 acres was purchased in 1995 to protect the environment and to honor Connie Hagar. The gardens feature native plants that attract birds and butterflies. The plants are labeled so that visitors may see how native plants adapt to this environment. Workdays are held on the third Sat. of each month at 8:30 am. You may join Friends of Connie Hagar by sending $25 dues to Box 2465, Rockport TX 78381. Story submitted by Pam Stranahan on behalf of the Friends of Connie Hagar, PO Box 2465, Rockport, TX 78381
Volunteers Help Restore Aransas County Pathways Gardens
This September Aransas Pathways had local and out of town volunteer’s help restore our natural gardens after Hurricane Harvey. Due to COVID-19 we have not received any of our out of town volunteer groups. We recently had Morgan Ayers, a natural resource specialist from Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, Sea Grant Program along with two volunteers help us with Linda Castro Bird and Nature venue while maintaining social distancing. We would like to thank Morgen Ayers, Debbie Minns and Melissa Guthrie for helping us. If you would like to volunteer at one of the Aransas Pathways contact Deanna Spruce pio@aransascounty.org or call 361-790-9496. We have our next scheduled clean up at Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary October 17, 2020. We have scheduled clean ups at Linda Castro 8:30am-11:30am October 9 and 23 and November 6. We also thank our amazing volunteers that feed our hummers at our Pathways! Weather is great now we need help at these places: Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary-1401 S Church St; Ivy Lane– 499 Ivy Lane; Linda S. Castro Nature Sanctuary– 4140 Hwy 35 N; Rockport Demo Bird Garden Tule East– 2002 Tule Park Dr. and History Center– 801 E. Cedar @Church. Best day to volunteer at the History Center is 9am Fridays but call 361-727-9214 to let them know in advance.
Bird City Letter of Support
ARANSAS PATHWAYS PROJECT ARANSAS COUNTY2840 Hwy 35 N.Rockport, TX 78382 November 2020 Aransas County Pathways supports the application to receive the Bird City status from the Parks and Wildlife Department. Aransas County and the City of Rockport and Town of Fulton are rich in natural resources. Our wealth of historic sites, birding opportunities, water-based recreational opportunities and the dedication of the community to their preservation are self-evident in the many organizations that have been established. Linda S. Castro Nature Sanctuary is 4 1/2 acres which contains 3 distant habitats…a live oak motte, a remnant of a coastal prairie, and an ephemeral pond. A coastal Live Oak forest is special because of the native shrubs and plants that makeup the understory. This plant community, together with the Live Oaks, is called an oak motte. Oak mottes are valuable stopover habitats for migrating songbirds. The coast prairie consists of native grasses and wildflowers which provide food and shelter for many different varieties of wildlife. Other sites include Henderson Habitat, Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary and Tulle Marsh East and other venues. Also Aransas County Pathways has a Pavilion with interpreted signage at Tulle Park West with a footbridge to Shell Crete Nature Venue. The interpretive signage at the Pavilion explains each Aransas Pathways Venue. The Pavilion has a deck for relaxation and observing nature along Tule Creek. This facility functions as the trailhead for the Pathways ecotourism venues. We are proud of all our Aransas County Pathways Venues, our many partners, friends, volunteers, community and proud to share with visitors from all over the world. It would be an honor to receive the Bird City status from the Parks and Wildlife Department. Thank you for your consideration. Aransas County Pathways Co-Chair Aransas County Pathways Co-Chair Tom Callan De McLallen
Key Allegro: A Vision for Growth
Exhibit opens: August 10, 2019 The Friends of the History Center for Aransas County announce the opening of the exhibit “Key Allegro: A Vision for Growth” set for Saturday, August 10th, 7:00 p.m. at 801 E. Cedar Street in Rockport. From a Karankawa Indian settlement to the resort community it is today, Key Allegro’s history is colorful and storied. The exhibit will portray the early history of the coast to the present day, capturing all aspects of the growth of Key Allegro and how it impacts Aransas County and the surrounding areas. Artifacts, maps, photographs, and videos will further illustrate the long-term vision. Keynote speaker for the opening will be Carla Krueger, daughter of Carl Kreuger, Jr. who purchased Key Allegro in 1961. Carla and her friends will share stories of her father’s vision and often unique marketing events to increase public interest in developing the property. Light refreshments will be served. Admission is free. The exhibit will run from August 10 – November 17, 2019. Programs will be held on Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. The following topics will be presented: The History Center for Aransas County at 801 E. Cedar Street is open Mondays and Fridays 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Sunday 1:00 -4:00 p.m. You are invited to join the Friends or become a docent on a volunteer basis. For more information, visit our web site: www.thehistorycenterforaransascounty.org or call 361 727-9214.
Recent Excavations at San Felipe de Austin: S.F. Austin’s Original Colony in Texas
Jeff Durst, THC archeologist, will talk about “Recent Excavations at San Felipe de Austin: S.F. Austin’s Original Colony in Texas” at the History Center, 801 E. Cedar St. in Rockport at 2:00 PM on Sunday, November 4. San Felipe was founded in 1823 and grew to be a center of the colony on the Brazos River. As empresario Austin issued land grants from his office bringing many settlers to Texas. In 1836 a convention gathered and on March 2 approved a Declaration of Independence that was printed on a handbill and in published in the Telegraph and Texas Register. Sam Houston encamped near the town before his retreat east. When Mexican forces were reported approaching, the town was burned on March 29. Archeological investigations in 2000’s showed that much archeological evidence still existed and identified areas for additional investigation. After the park was transfered to THC in 2008, investigations have focused on town lot 566 because it was one of the most densely occupied sites. Jeff Durst has lead crews from the THC, the Texas Archeological Society, the Houston Archeological Society and the Texas Archeological Stewardship Network. Durst will show scenes and artifacts from the investigations.
kick-off for the 30th Annual HummerBird Celebration
Find your Pathway in Birding! Join us for a special Aransas Pathways Event ROCKPORT-FULTON, TX — Come join in as we take you on a tour of Aransas Pathways birding sites and win! The event will be the kick-off for the 30th Annual HummerBird Celebration. It will start on Thursday September 13 at 7:30 am with a coffee and snack welcome at the Aransas Pathway’s Center Pavilion, 2491 Hwy 35 North (Walmart entrance next to Tule Creek) in Rockport. Attendees will visit four Aransas pathways sites including Linda S. Castro Sanctuary, Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary and The History Center for Aransas County. This is a self-guided tour with specific times to visit each site. The event will include a Birding card game in which participants will collect special cards at each site. Cards will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. A playing card will be collected at each site. The participant who holds the winning hand at the end of the tour will be awarded a pair of Eagle Optics Kingbird 6.5×32 Binoculars. The Tour times are as follows: The tour and game are both open to the public. We encourage our visitors and locals alike to participate. For more information on the event 361-729-6445.
Rockport-Fulton Tour of Historic Homes, 2017
Rockport-Fulton Tour of Historic Homes, December 2-3 The 2017 Rockport-Fulton Tour of Historic Homes will take place on Saturday, December 2 & Sunday, December 3 from 1- 5 PM both days. The tour features 3 homes in Rockport, 1 in Fulton, and 3 institutions. All of the homes are at least 50 years old, and the docents in each house dress in vintage attire to match the era of the home! Tickets ($15 for one, $25 for two) are available in advance online www.aransashistorycenter.org, at the Chamber of Commerce or at any home during the Tour. On Saturday, December 2, docents dressed in vintage dress and hats will be in a fashion show as part of the Tropical Christmas event hosted by the City of Rockport. Homes on Tour include: Underwriters for the Tour include Stars: Richard & Joy Dias; Navy Army Community Credit Union; Bobbie & John L. Nau III; John & Debbie Jackson; Key Allegro Real Estate and Carolers: Dr. D. Jeremy Mills, DDS & Helene Mills; GSM Insurors; Johnson & Creekmore PLLC; Wm. Wise & Marilyn Johnson; Sigwald HVAC Sales & Repair; Alice York; Tom & Melba York; Anonymous; Karen Mella, Realtor/ReMax; H.E.B.; Benjamin Burns-Burns Insurance; New Beginnings; Prosperity Bank; C-Side Decorating Inc.; and Gulf Pointe Plaza Nursing & Rehab Center. Proceeds from the Tour will benefit the History Center which showcases the heritage of Aransas County with changing displays and monthly programs related to the exhibits. The Center also houses a Curation Center where artifacts from Aransas County may be deposited. For the latest information, visit www.aransashistorycenter.org or call 361 727-9214. The History Center is free and open Saturdays 10 AM – 4 PM and Sunday 1-4 PM at 801 E. Cedar St., Rockport.
Vintage Fishing Lures
Come to the History Center to learn the history of fishing lures such as Bingo, Pluggin Shorty, Humps and Heddon. Melissa Cosby-Pina and her father Charles “Popo” Cosby collected and sold lures for many years. Visitors loved visiting them and seeing their collection at PoPo’s Gallery in downtown Rockport, where Popo also sold his art. While you’re at the Center, you can see our current exhibit, “Foodways: The Culinary Traditions of Aransas County.” FREE ADMISSION, but donations always appreciated. View the full event information here.