Foundation acquires 63 acres of wetlands
$1M conservation project aims to protect location
The Eastern Black Rail is a tiny bird with a distinctive call known as the “kickee-doo,” a sound Suzanne Simpson, land acquisition manager of the Galveston Bay Foundation, is certain she has heard at least once.
“They’re much easier to hear than see, and I know I’ve definitely heard one,” Simpson said.
That call is becoming increasingly rare, with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing the elusive bird as a “threatened” species under the Endangered Species Act.
The bird is one of many species of wildlife that make their home on the Texas Gulf Coast. According to Simpson, it’s also a calling card highlighting the significance of a $1 million private land conservation project on Galveston Island to protect 63 acres known as Redfish Cove from future development.
The private property located in the island’s western region was recently acquired and is now permanently protected by the Galveston Bay Foundation, a nonprofit that works to preserve Galveston Bay’s natural habitats and ecosystems.
Redfish Cove includes about 40 acres of estuarine and tidal wetlands that provide lifeline habitats to wildlife like the Eastern Black Rail, as well as shorebirds and migratory birds, and marshland and sea turtles. It is also home to the bay’s redfish, flounder, crab, and shrimp that help support the island’s economy.
By preserving this land, Simpson said, the foundation can secure its future environmental sustainability through the protection of marshland migration corridors and natural upland buffers. These habitats, which are necessary for dependent wildlife, are threatened by rising sea levels and development.
The project is being funded through a $1 million grant that was recently awarded by the National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program and administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
As the director of land conservation for the Galveston Bay Foundation, Matt Singer had been working with various landowners over the years to conserve the property and keep built-environment development at bay.
Redfish Cove had previously been permitted for the construction of a canal and a residential buildup and was purchased by the Galveston Bay Foundation from a subsequent landowner who wanted the 63 acres to be preserved, according to Singer.
Most of the land is in its natural state, but about 10 acres had been developed to be sold into lots for houses.
The project’s first phase was to acquire the property. The foundation plans to restore the land, which is still a private piece of property, according to Singer.
“This gives us an opportunity to restore those 10 acres and also protect the habitats of the remaining 50+ acres that are in natural state,” he said. “Not only did we buy and protect it, but we’re also going to make it better by planting trees, getting rid of invasive plant species, and building oyster reefs in the bay.”
The project also helps the local economy by protecting the habitat in which the island’s aquatic life thrives, Singer noted.
“The economy on Galveston Island is heavily driven by eco-tourism: you go to the beach, you go fishing, crabbing, you want to see natural areas — and this does help protect that moving forward,” he said. “It’s not only an environmental win, it’s also an economic benefit for the residents of the island and the area.”
Singer hasn’t had an encounter with the Eastern Black Rail bird — most people haven’t, he said, due to its underthe-radar movements throughout the wetlands and marshes of the Bay.
Singer and Simpson see the bird as an example of why conservation efforts like the Redfish Cove project matter to habitats and wildlife that isn’t always visible or identifiable to untrained eyes.
“They kind of became threatened under our noses because they’re not a colorful, charismatic bird,” Simpson said.
The black, speckled bird can fit into the palm of a hand, moves on the ground more like a small rodent than a bird, and mainly keeps its head to the ground and goes unnoticed, she described.
“The Eastern Black Rail is such a good species to highlight for marsh conservation,” Simpson added, “because its entire lifecycle occurs in these coastal wetlands. Land conservation is important for a lot of reasons, and it’s also important because of this bird right here — which solely depends on these coastal eco systems to survive.”