New Exhibit “Weathering the Storms: 1919 & 2017” at the History Center
“Weathering the Storms – 1919 and 2017: Historic Places of Refuge” will open Thursday, August 25, at 7 PM, on the five-year anniversary of landfall for Hurricane Harvey. Historic documents relate the stories of the 1919 storm that ended the resort era for Rockport. Many of the places featured have Historical Markers that relate the full story of the people who lived through the storm. A dramatic portrayal of 1919 events based on diary entries will play on the flat screen. Interviews with current owners and photographs show how their historic venues fared during Hurricane Harvey. Places that are profiled include the Baylor-Norvell home, the Fulton-Bruhl home, home of Richard Wood, Sorenson-Stair mercantile, Baldwin-Brundrett home, Harper house, L.M. Bracht house, and the Bruhl-Paul-Johnson house. This exhibit is made possible in part by a grant from the Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Education Committee who worked on this exhibit include Dave Kroskie, Maureen Winkelman, Pam Stranahan, and Amy Parker. Exhibits will also open at other locations – “Our Journey,” at the Visitor Center of the Chamber of Commerce “It’s Still Standing…: A Hurricane History of the Fulton Mansion” at Fulton Mansion State Historic Site. Sunday afternoon programs will enhance the exhibits. The History Center at 801 E. Cedar St. in Rockport is open Fri. 10-2; Sat. 1 – 4; Sun. 1-4; and Mon. 10-2. A venue of Aransas Pathways. Semi-permanent exhibit “Voices from the Past: The Building of AransasCounty.” Learn more about activities and events – upcoming and past – online at www.theachistorycenter.com.361 727-9214.
HummerBird Celebration for 2022
HummerBird Celebration September 15-18, 2022!!! Current information and ticket purchases – https://www.rockport-fulton.org/HB About • Tickets • Shop • Event Brochure • Get Involved • Facebook We are excited to have Richard Crossley at the 2022 HummerBird Celebration. Richard will be the Keynote Speaker, late afternoon on Saturday . He is an internationally acclaimed birder, photographer and award winning author. Be sure to check out his of publications: ‘The Crossley ID Guide’ series, a “reality birding” approach to looking at connections between birds and habitats. Richard is frequently heard on radio, and is a sought-after public speaker known for his thought-provoking and entertaining style that helps awaken a bigger picture view of observation and ID.
April 22nd EARTH DAY – Thanks to Our Volunteers
“Happy Earth Day!!! Beautification day at Connie Hagar! Thank you to all the volunteers that came out today. We couldn’t do it without you!”
Aransas County Pathways Southern Trail Ribbon Cutting
Aransas County Pathways Southern Trail Ribbon Cutting Announcement and Ceremony Program Date: Monday November 8, 2021 Time: 11:30am Venue: Connie Hagar Cottage Pavilion 600 East First Street (First and Church) Ribbon cutting at start of Southern Trail
Keller Williams Coastal Bend Rockport Does It Again
Thank you Keller Williams Coastal Bend Rockport for sprucing up the Tule Marsh Demo Garden Tuesday afternoon. We planted native trees and added mulch to the front garden. If you would like to volunteer or have a group to participate at one of the Aransas Pathways, contact Deanna Spruce pio@aransascounty.org
Thanks to Andrea Hattman, Ward 4 for Sprucing Things Up
Thank you to the amazing volunteers and Andrea Hattman, Ward 4 for Sprucing Things Up over the weekend at Tule Creek Hike and Bike Trail. Thank you to Coastal Bend Waste for providing the removal of the trash. Collaboration between the City, County, Aransas Pathways and terrific volunteers enabled us to make our venue beautiful! Thank you City Parks and Recreation Director Rick Martinez and Parks Superintendent George Bennett for their work and support. We had a great turnout and lots of fun and the trails look great!
Thanks to Heritage Youth and Family Services
Thank you middle and high school students from Heritage Youth and Family Services of Texas for Sprucing Things Up at Linda S. Castro Nature Sanctuary on Thursday, June 10, 2021. Students removed dead plants from the recent Winter Storm and replaced with trees to attract the Birds, Bees and Butterflies. Students learned about our many Aransas Pathways venues, our abundance of birds and plants and the importance of preserving our unique and natural playground. Join us this weekend for our next clean up at Connie Hagar Cottage Sanctuary Saturday, June 19, 2021 from 8am to 10 am; and then Tule Creek Hike and Bike Trail Saturday, June 26, 2021 8am to 10am. We will meet at the Pavilion near Walmart and entrance to Tule Creek Hike and Bike Trail. If you would like to volunteer at one of the Aransas Pathways, contact Deanna Spruce pio@aransascounty.org
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