World United States Texas Village Creek State Park

Harrell's Happenings

Big Thicket National Preserve May 11, 2012

In my quest to tour all of the sights in the area, today I took in the Visitors' Center of the Big Thicket national Preserve. The area known as the Big Thicket is all throughout southeastern Texas. It acquired its name because of the the initial pioneers commented that it was the "thickest forest" he had ever encountered. The preserve of the Big Thicket winds in and out and around the Beaumont/Lumberton area. The Visitors' Center is located just outside of Kountze, Texas. The Visitors' Center had several interesting displays. Some of them reviewed the diversity of the plant-life in this area. One of the leading attractions of Village Creek State Park, the Big Thicket also had plant specimens of forest, savanna, wetlands and even desert, depending on the soil of the area. Glaciers of long ago brought in seeds and remnants of plants from abroad. One unique thing is that four of the five carnivorous plants in the U. S. are found in this area (all but the Venus Fly Trap). The most spectacular is the pitcher plant. They had a huge model display with a view inside to see the way the plant holds onto its prey after its sweet-smelling nectar lures them inside. One nearby trail leads to a field of pitcher plants, but, unfortunately, I have missed their bloom (earlier in April).

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