New State Park opens in Texas
Friday, 5 December 2008 12:00 AM
Airport passenger with luggage
Resaca de la Palma State Park, Brownsville is Texas' newest state park and is proud to announce its grand opening celebrations on December 6th 2008.
The 1,200 acre park is located near the southernmost tip of Texas, and will open its doors from 08:00 until 17.00 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, raptor show, guided walks and bike tours, a Buffalo Soldiers encampment, art contest and plenty of family activities including kite flying and archery.
Resaca de la Palma caters to bird watchers, butterfly enthusiasts and other nature lovers who seek an up-close view of wildlife in a natural setting that includes marshes, dense thorn-scrub and mature palm and ebony forests as well as a restored Resaca (an ancient coil of a river bed once filled by Rio Grande floodwaters).
Located along two American migratory flyways and closely situated to Mexico and Central America, the Resaca de la Palma stretches 120 miles along the wildlife-rich Rio Grand River down to South Padre Island, and attracts more than 250 species of birds due to its diverse habitats.
Visitors can expect to see a number of colourful species such as the summer tanager, American redstart, green jay, Altamira oriole, as well as the black-bellied whistling duck, groove-billed ani, olive sparrow and a host of migrating waterfowl.
Entrance on the opening day will be free, with entrance fees there after being $4.00 (£2.50) per adult and free admission for children aged 12 and under.
Visitors to the Resaca de la Palma must park at the visitors centre and walk, cycle or take the parks' tram into the park, were there will be a selection of binoculars, bicycles and tricycles available to hire at a daily fee.
In addition to the grand opening of the largest of the nine sites, the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Centre is currently under construction and is due to open in Spring 2009.
Chris O'Toole
