The Big Thicket is a patchwork of forest in east Texas that is run by the National Park Service. It is similar to Big Cypress National Preserve in that hunting and other recreational uses are allowed unlike many other national parks in the system. I had been here 9 years ago in a wetlands class in college but didn’t quite remember everything about it. We went to a few different trails, the Sundew Trail, the Pitcher Plant Trail and the Beech Woods Trail. The last ivory billed woodpecker verified in the United States was seen in the Big Thicket near the Neches River. Interesting stuff!

We found a black rat snake sitting on the trail but he quickly slithered away.

A cool tree stump, I’m thinking a tupelo.

We meandered around a dry slough for a bit, reminiscing about Little Slough.

Unfortunately there aren’t any epiphytes to look for other than resurrection fern, but I still look in hopes of discovering something.

Turkey Creek flowing through a unit near the Pitcher Plant Trail.

Lobelia cardinalis

Chris took this photo a few weeks ago at the Pitcher Plant Trail. Pretty cool, eh? The details of the shot are listed on Flickr if you click on the photo.

Hopefully we can come back to some of these areas in the spring when the ground orchids are blooming.