The 250-acre Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco is at the heart of the network of nine World Birding Centers in the Rio Grande Valley. It is a popular birding destination for not only local residents, but for birders from around the nation. They all come to the park to view and document more than 300 species of birds at Estero Llano. The park’s infrastructure and facilities recently received…
The Lower Rio Grande Valley is joining more than 150 cities around the world for the annual City Nature Challenge. From April 26-29, the region joins eight other Texas areas in the challenge to see which urban area has the most diverse landscape. Residents of cities and the surrounding areas can show the world just how much nature lives in Texas. Anyone can participate by joining an event or making observations using…
From the deck at Estero Llano Grande State Park in Mercedes, I watched approximately 2,000 black-bellied whistling ducks in Ibis Pond as they looked for food, perched on logs and bobbed in the chilly November water. The park’s 200 acres of woodlands, lakes and marshes shelter an amazing abundance of wildlife from seven alligators to diverse birds, butterflies and 24 mammal species as well as native plants. The mid-Valley park…