Village Creek State Park (Texas)

Transcription

[music] Just north of Beaumont on the edge of the Big Thicket National Preserve awaits Villag Creek State Park. The thing that really makes the park special is it being part of the Big Thicket area of Texas. You won't find as many plants and animals in one little area anywhere in North America. From blooming dogwoods to prickly pear cactus to jack in the pulpit here there are plants from four different ecosystems for folks to see. My favorite part of the job is taking people out, especially kids because they're wide eyed and full of wonder and absorb things like a sponge. Anybody know what kind of plant that is? Yaupon. That' yaupon holly. The species name on it is Ilex vomitoria. Exactly because if you eat enough of those leaves or berries, that's what's gonna happen to you. The Gibsons from nearby Silsbee "What was that?" look and listen when they explore the park's numerous trails. What is it? Might be a leopard frog, some kind of toad. Look at his neck. I am a visual person but hearing is a big part with me and I like all the sounds. Wind, as I will always say, is one of my favorite things. We hear the frogs a lot out here. We hear all kinds of birds. Oh, this is pretty. Easy going Village Creek is definitely the main attraction. It is just like cruising. You make one stroke and you glide 10. It's one of the few free-flowing streams left in Texas. It's not dammed up anywhere. It's a flat water stream so it's easy to canoe or kayak down and it's a lot of fun. It's something people really love to do. It's a nice, quiet stream even though it's relatively close to the city. Easy access. Lots of birds and other wildlife to see. There's a pileated woodpecker in that tree. He's eating all the mulberries. They're beautiful birds. It's different every time I'm on it. It doesn't matter what day of the week it is or what the weather is. There's always something new. [music] It can be the creek, camping, or the quiet. Village Creek State Park is worth the visit.