Welcome to Rio Bravo Nature Center

COOP Grant

The Rio Bravo Nature Center just completed the second of four camping/environmental learning trips in its "Mentoring Outdoor Education" program for the youth of Eagle Pass. The Rio Bravo Nature Center Foundation was off to the Rio Grande Valley this past week on another Community Outdoor Outreach Program camping trip. The excursions are designed to foster careers and recreation for Hispanic women in outdoor fields like ecology, wildlife sciences, and geology. Participants were Nikki and Eddie Garza, Taylor McBeath, Kimberly Morales, Selina Saucedo, William (Buddy) Ayers, and Kevin Laurence, our cook's assistant and canoe instructor.

Seven participants studied the ecology of the Lower Rio Grande Valley on the Nature Center's Second Community Outdoor Outreach Program "Mentoring Outdoor Education." Before crossing the causeway to South Padre Island, they toured the historic lighthouse at Port Isabel.

Early birds get the biscuits! The first day at camp began with a mist that cleared promptly providing a glorious day for further adventures.

After breakfast youths explored the wildlife in and about camp.

Discoveries around camp included mantids, spiders, Great kiskadees, and 3 bobcats.

Shore birds, dune plants, sea shells, tides, and fun in a remarkably warm Gulf.

South Padre Island beach.

Monday afternoon the group joined the crew of the Xcape to travel out into the Gulf to encounter a pod of about 8 bottlenosed dolphins.

The Xcape trolled the Brownville ship channel and drew in a net of bay creatures for closer study.

Tuesday morning after the cold front hit the group warmed up with canoe lessons.

A geology lesson and journal writing were part of the academics. Guest speaker David Blankenship of the National Fish & Wildlife department spoke on Monday about the Wildlife Corridor efforts to preserve native Rio Grande habitat. Janis Lentz spoke Tuesday night on Butterflies of the Lower Rio Grande.