Historical imagery of the Nature Trail property shows that this site was once Coastal Tallgrass Prairie prior to major disturbances. Coastal Tallgrass Prairie can be described as the grasslands that once dominated the Gulf Coast, inland approximately 100 miles, and stretched from Corpus Christi, TX along the coast to Lafayette, LA, an estimated 9 million acres. Today, it is estimated that less than 1% of the original acreage remains due to multiple factors, including conversion of land for agriculture practices, urban development, invasive species expansion, and lack of management. The Nature Trail site was converted to agriculture by the early 1940’s, as was much of the area.
Coastal Tallgrass Prairie is listed as habitat in need of greater conservation efforts by Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Conservation Action Plan. Much of the wildlife that rely on coastal prairies are also in need of more conservation efforts. Grassland bird populations have seen sharp declines over the past 50 years, several species as much as 80% decrease. This is directly related to habitat loss.
The Natural Resources Division of Pearland has developed and implemented a plan to restore approximately 10 acres of the Nature Trail to historical pre-settlement conditions (Coastal Tallgrass Prairie) as accurately as possible. By restoring and managing for pre-settlement conditions, the Nature Trail will serve as an historical snap shot in an ever changing landscape for park visitors, as well as provide valuable habitat to the wildlife that depends on it.
After extensive invasive species removal, native vegetation has been reintroduced through seeding and plantings. Invasive species management and native plant restoration efforts will continue as part of the ongoing habitat management. Now that native prairie vegetation is being restored, several prairie dependent wildlife species have already returned to the site.
