1.CCR is adjacent to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge spans 97,000 acres of beaches, wetlands and scrub forest on the Gulf Coast near Brownsville, Texas. Sometimes called the “last great habitat” in coastal south Texas, this region provides vital habitat for multitudes of species that depend on the rich diversity of habitats here near the Rio Grande. The refuge is a patchwork of protected areas divided by private lands and development. The salty lagoon of Atascosa itself and the surrounding scrublands form the largest section. The Bahía Grande unit represents one of the greatest wetland restoration successes in American history, and is an important breeding area for fish and shellfish. The refuge also includes a section of South Padre Island, a sandy barrier island where peregrine falcons rest and sea turtles lay their eggs. Acquisition of a fourth section, the Boswell-Jenkins tract, is underway, which will include prairie, freshwater wetlands, and rare, “hypersaline” salt marsh habitats. The Atascosa refuge is one of the most biologically diverse areas in North America, providing home to 45 types of mammals, 44 reptile species, 130 types of butterflies, 417 bird species and 450 plant species, according to the U.S. First established in 1946, the refuge’s original purpose was to conserve migrating waterfowl like redhead ducks. bird species nest in or pass through the refuge as they fly north up the Central Flyway. Atascosa is also home to several rare amphibians and reptiles, like Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles.
2. #23 on the Great Texas Birding Trail
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wildlife/wildlife-trails/coastal/lower/arroyo-colorado-loop
