Explore the East End Lagoon! 

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Notable Resources for the Nature Trail!
Audubon Society : https://www.audubon.org/#

Donate to the East End Lagoon Nature Park and Preserve : http://www.eastendlagoon.org/support

Coastal Prairie and Salt Marsh at the East End Lagoon
"As to scenery (giving my own thought and feeling), while I knew the standard claim is that Yosemite, Niagara Falls, the Upper Yellowstone and the like afford the greatest natural shows, I am not so sure but the prairies and plains, while less stunning at first sight, last longer, fill the esthetic sense fuller, precede all the rest, and make North America's characteristic landscape." - Walt Whitman, Specimen Days (1879)

Trees were scarce on Galveston Island at the time of settlement; in fact, only one stand of trees (Three Trees) Broke the monotony of the endless coastal prairie and the salt marshes. At first glance the Preserve might seem like a flat featureless landscape. However, at a closer look, you will find a richly diverse ecosystem.  
The land that surrounds the Lagoon remains as salt marsh and coastal prairie and offers a fascinating contrast to the waters of the Lagoon. A number of species around the lagoon are grassland or marsh specialists. Some are tiny, and difficult to see even with binoculars. Others, such as hawks and owls, are often seen coasting over the prairie in search of prey. Mammals in our prairie are scarce, but coyotes and raccoons, along with a variety of rodents, do proliferate in these habitats.

Eastern Meadowlark
The flute-like song of the Eastern Meadowlark (sturnella Magna) is one of the characteristic sounds of the coastal prairie. The bird often sings from perches at the highest points on the prairie. 

Citrine Forktail
The Citrine Forktail (Ischnura hastata) is a thread of a damselfly that is difficult to see as it floats among the prairie and marsh grasses. This forktail is the smallest damselfly in North America, yet it prospers in the wind-swept, oft-flooded coastal prairies around the lagoon. 

American Bittern
The American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) is a wading bird in the heron family, usually found skulking through the wet prairie around the lagoon. 

Seaside Sparrow
The Seaside Sparrow is one of the birds that is a salt marsh specialist. It thrives in the smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) that borders the Lagoon. 

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