When you think of Galveston Island, you think of beaches, sand, and the sound of waves, not grasslands. Galveston Island is known as a Gulf coast prairie, as the rest of the Southern coast line is. I was not even aware that I lived in gulf coast prairie lands, and I have lived there since I was a child. When prairies come to mind, I think more of wide open spaces with howling winds and tall grasses swaying like lazy waves over the flat lands. Not only did I come to find out that I lived in a prairie, I discovered that there where a handful of small freshwater pools dotting the landscape. So close to the beach line, I thought all the pools contained only saltwater. The only reason I was able to learn this was because I went to the Galveston Island State Park. I volunteered with them during the 2011 Christmas break. The dunes, the colorful grasses, the hawks, and small mammals surprised me. I never expected to see such a diverse ecosystem. The Rangers explained to me that this small park used to be what all of Galveston Island looked like. They also talked about notorious pirate Lafitte that was fleeing from his pursuers. This pirate made Galveston his home and created a settlement under the Mexican flag.
My first day spent with the Rangers, I was simply amazed. To one that was unfamiliar with plants would simply see bushes littering the landscape. Not plants that have the ability to tell you how much saltwater was in the freshwater pools, such as pickleweed, or the flowering plants that hide in the tangled growth. The climate in a whole was chilly, with no trees protecting me from the wind. I was also down by the beach in the winter, never the best of ideas. I was excited to find out that the park offered different activities such as; kayaking, fishing, tours, camping in RVs and tents, and provided informational seminars for kids and adults. I was able to help set up their hosted event for December, it was a 5k mile run. It was a fundraiser for one of their volunteering organizations. The park relies heavily on volunteer services, since the state does not supply sufficient funds. There was one organization that replanted the dunes to help prevent erosion, since hurricane Ike destroyed the plant life. Replanting the dunes will also help prevent destruction in the future.
I also enjoyed the company of workers, building a bridge to help guest view the pools of water to bird watch. The people were friendly and kind. All of the workers loved their jobs; none did the work for the money. When I was with the Officer Ranger, he stopped the car just to take a picture of a feeding hawk. The boyish look on his face made me smile. Upon seeing a bird, he slowly walked up to the hawk, flashing his camera before it took flight. This was enough to make me want to continue my career interest of joining the Texas Park Services. I want to share that joy he had with others. I want to be able to love my job and what I do simply for what I can see and experience. Going to Galveston Island State Park was an enlightening experience for me. It gets you close to what the island use to look like and you get to experience people that are excited to share their world with you. The Rangers were more than willing to share their stories, experiences and were happy to help me with me endeavors. If you like the beach and would enjoy interaction with people, then I would recommend going to Galveston Island State Park. It is one of the parks in South Texas that should be on your “to visit” list. It would be worth the time to see and explore.
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