Temporary hunting closures in Big Sandy Creek Unit

KOUNTZE—Big Thicket National Preserve will temporarily close the hunting area north of Sunflower Road and east of Lily Road in the Big Sandy Creek Unit during tree planting events on Wednesday, Jan. 8, and Monday, Jan. 20. No other dates or areas are affected by this temporary closure. All other areas of the Big Sandy Creek Unit remain open (as indicated by the attached map).

Many youth and adult volunteers will participate in special tree planting events on these two days.

“Our primary responsibility is the safety of our visitors,” said Big Thicket National Preserve Superintendent Wayne Prokopetz. “The trees these volunteers plant will help return this area of the preserve to a more natural state for future generations to experience and enjoy.”

Big Thicket National Preserve offers many opportunities for recreation and volunteer work in a natural environment. Hiking, hunting, and trail adoption are just a few examples of what visitors can get involved in at Big Thicket.

Big Thicket National Preserve is located in Southeast Texas, near the city of Beaumont and 75 miles northeast of Houston. The preserve consists of nine land units and six water corridors encompassing more than 113,000 acres. The Big Thicket, often referred to as a “biological crossroads,” is a transition zone between four distinct vegetation types — the moist eastern hardwood forest, the southwestern desert, the southeastern swamp, and the central prairies. Species from all of these different vegetation types come together in the thicket, exhibiting a variety of vegetation and wildlife that has received global interest.

For general information about Big Thicket National Preserve, visit www.nps.gov/bith or call the preserve visitor center at 409-951-6700. Visit Facebook.com/BigThicketNPS, Twitter.com/BigThicketNPS, and Instagram.com/BigThicketNPS.