< Previous40 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 FEATURE ‘MY LIFE CHANGED’ Birding enthusiast ensures she and people of all abilities can enjoy the outdoors story by BARBARA CANETTI F or many years, when birder Virginia Rose attended outdoor gatherings, she wondered where all the people with disabilities were. She never saw anyone else in a wheelchair at the events she attended, she said. It got her thinking: Maybe people in wheelchairs didn’t know they could enjoy birding adventures, too. And she set out to change things. Five years ago, Rose launched Birdability, a website that publicizes sites where birders of all abilities can comfortably observe and enjoy their hobby in accessible and welcoming locations. Rose has teamed up with organizers of birding festival FeatherFest this year to offer two birding tours in Galveston that will give disabled birders an opportunity to join in. FeatherFest, the largest birding festival on the upper Texas coast, is April 18-21 this year. “There are so many disabilities and not every place is accessible,” said Rose, who has been para- lyzed since a horseback riding accident when she was 14. “It can seem to be overwhelming to make every site accessible. But our goal is to visit and look at facilities and make recommendations. We can then make that information available to others and they can decide if they want to visit.” Rose and her team consider the surfaces of trails at the birding sites, as well as benches, gates, steps, slope, curb cuts, parking and restrooms when assessing accessibility. “We have three goals: introduce disabled people to birding, identify accessible birding sites and help improve access and help birding communities create welcoming and inclusive spaces,” she said. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 41 Virginia rose is the founder and presi- dent of Birdability, a group that works to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe and accessible for everybody. PHOTO: COU r TESY MIKE FE r NANDEZ/NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY42 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 FEATURE Birding reinvigorated her life, she said. Both her mother and grandmother enjoyed tracking and watching birds and 20 years ago she got interested, too, after attending a lecture in Austin. “My life changed,” she said. “It was so joyful to travel and be part of the birding community. But I saw no people with disabilities or wheelchairs all those years I was birding with walking people. And I thought, maybe they don’t know about birding.” She started noting accessible places near where she lived and eventually expanded the map to nearby towns, cities and states. Today there are 1,500 sites in 15 countries on the Birdability map and it’s growing. “I like to say that I didn’t find Bird- ability, it found me,” she said. “The world was waiting for it.” For FeatherFest, Rose will lead two group tours — one on the West End of Galveston and a second one on the island’s East End. The West End tour includes Campeche Cove marsh and ponds and Lafitte’s Cove Nature Preserve. The East End tour includes a stop in Kempner Park and Corps Woods near the Galveston-Port Boli- var ferry landing and the sprawling East End Lagoon Nature Preserve. There are dozens of varieties of birds at those locations, which have paths and other accessible amenities. “Overall, the greatest success in my mind is the tremendous support Birdability has received from organi- zations such as the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council,” Rose said. “They have recognized and embraced the need for all people, regardless of disability or other health concerns, including aging, to be outside and experience the healing and empower- ment of nature.” (From top) Pat Jakobi and Loralei Priessman walk the trail at the East End Lagoon Nature Park and Preserve in Galveston. The short ½-mile trail has three loops and is Americans with Disabilities Act accessible; Jakobi stops to take a picture along the nature trail. Birds, butterflies and native plants are in abun- dance along the trail. PHOTOS: CA r LOS r IOS COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 43 November 4, 2024 9 Days * See reservation info for details. BOOKING #177708 (Web Code) Premier World Discovery Attn: Galveston The Daily News 1650 So Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 202 Redondo Beach, CA 90277 877.953.8687 https://res.premierworlddiscovery.com Coast Travel Club presents featuring 7 nights aboard the MS Amalia Rodrigues CRUISE RATES Cat E - Main Deck Cat D - Main Deck Cat C - Middle Deck Cat B - Middle Deck Cat A - Upper Deck Jr. Suite - Middle Deck Suite - Upper Deck $5195 pp dbl* $4995 pp dbl with BD**+$1600 single $5495 pp dbl* $5295 pp dbl with BD**+$1600 single $5895 pp dbl* $5695 pp dbl with BD**+$2000 single $6195 pp dbl* $5995 pp dbl with BD**+$2400 single $6495 pp dbl* $6295 pp dbl with BD**+$2400 single $6795 pp dbl* $6595 pp dbl with BD**NA for single $7095 pp dbl* $6895 pp dbl with BD**NA for single Exclusive Charter www.SouthLandTitle.net www.SouthLandTitle.net TREASUREYOURCLOSINGEXPERIENCE! NOLUCKNEEDED! BESTTITLECOMPANY 2023|2022|2021|2020 BESTLAWFIRM 2023|2022|2021|2020 BESTATTORNEY 2023|2022 www.SouthLandTitle.net|409.744.0727 6710StewartRd.,Ste200 Galveston,TX7755144 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 FEATURE TO LOVE A MOCKINGBIRD This small, melodic official bird of Texas has a ‘near-sacred’ status story by LAURA PENNINO A northern mockingbird gathers nesting material in the Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary in Brazoria County. Mockingbirds can be extraordinarily territorial. They’ve been known to swoop and dive at pretty much anything, including people, that gets close to theirs nests. They’ll also regularly chase other birds away from their preferred food sources. PHOTO: COU r TESY STAN B r AVENEC COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 45 U .S. Sen. John Cornyn in January chose the Northern mockingbird as the focus of an article and a blog post on his website he shared with his constituents. Represent- ing the 21st congressional district, Cornyn reminded Texans of the symbolism of the mockingbird and its relevance to the people of this state. Texas became one of the first states to designate an official state bird. Native to North America, the Northern mockingbird has been the official state bird of Texas since Jan. 31, 1927. The Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs appealed to the 40th Texas Legislature to adopt the mockingbird as the state’s bird. After the legislature voted in favor of the club’s appeal, Gov. Dan Moody approved the measure. “To Texans, the mockingbird symbolizes more than meets the eye — it embodies the resilience, beauty and courage of the Lone Star State,” Cornyn wrote. “Given their near-sacred status, it’s no wonder why it is against Texas law to kill a mockingbird. The next time you hear its tune, take time to relish in the beautiful melodies, deep Texas heritage and sweet symphony of the mockingbird.” The small yet mighty and melodic mock- ingbirds build their nests and make their homes year-round on the upper Texas coast and all over the United States. Mockingbirds can sing their own songs as well as mimic other birds and animals — thus the origin of the name. Male mocking- birds can learn up to 200 tunes in their life- time, said Kristine Rivers, a lifelong birding enthusiast and founder of Birding for Fun. Mockingbirds prefer to nest about 5 to 6 feet above ground in trees and shrubs or in arbors. Male and female mockingbirds raise their young together, and they’re fierce in defending their territory and their offspring. When they aren’t threatened by predators such as hawks or cats, mockingbirds can have a lifespan ranging from eight to 14 years, Rivers said. Backyards and gardens tend to be the favored hangouts for mockingbirds. Ants, insects, berries and other fruits are their favorite foods. Humans who want to give these little ones a helping hand and supply food sources for all seasons should consider planting bright pollinators as well as holly, hackberry and blackberries. “Mockingbirds don’t typically go to feed- ers,” Rivers said. “Also, when the mocking- birds are fledglings and have not yet learned to fly, they look pitiful. If you see one on the ground, leave it alone. Mom and dad are typically nearby. Resist the urge to rescue it.” But anyone who happens to see an injured mockingbird or any type of wild bird should line a well-ventilated box with soft tissue — not a towel — place the bird in it and take it In declaring the Northern Mockingbird the state’s official bird, the 1927 Texas Legislature reasoned that the species is “a fighter for the protection of his home, falling, if need be, in its defense, like any true Texan.” to the nearest wildlife rehabilitation center as soon as possible for care and treatment, Riv- ers said. But don’t attempt to give the injured bird food or water, she said. A FEW QUICK FACTS President Thomas Jefferson had a pet mocking- bird named Dick. In the 1800s, the most talented singing mock- ingbirds were poached and sold to live as caged birds with the primary purpose of serenading their owners. The mockingbird is the state bird of five states – Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. Visit www.audubon.org or www.birdingforfun. com to learn more about mockingbirds. PHOTO: COU r TESY PAT JAKOBI46 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 GARDEN VARIETY GO WILD A natural landscape is good for the birds, bees, butterflies and your budget story by BARBARA CANETTI I magine a front yard that never needs watering or fertilizing and only requires one cut a year and is super friendly to the wallet. Such a yard can be created with wildflowers, which provide a habitat for birds, bees and butterflies. A planned natural landscape, filled with native and naturalized plants that require little or no maintenance, sounds like a perfect opportunity to assist Mother Nature and take some of the yard work responsibilities off gardeners. Gulf Coast gardens are tricky — they must survive heat, humidity, salty air, droughts, floods and freez- es. And there are many types of diseases that infect landscapes that could wipe out a garden at any time. So, many locals have turned to more native plants to populate their landscapes with color, pollinators and easy-to-grow flora. “There is an abundance of natural species and a way to have a sustainable garden,” said Sasha Francis, an activist who instigated Galveston’s updated wildflower ordinances approved by city council earlier this year. Francis and her husband, Sean Salinger, clashed with city marshals in 2023 over their front and side yards, which were filled with yellow blooming core- opsis plants. The yard was considered a violation of city ordinances and was labeled a nuisance. The new ordinance allows for vegetation taller than 9 inches in natural landscapes and will require residents to annually apply only in January and February for a free permit for their pollinator garden. It must be mowed at least once a year. Perhaps the city’s largest display of wildflowers in Galveston, the Broadway Historical Cemetery District — a 15-acre, seven-cemetery area brimming in the spring with eye-catching coreopsis — is maintained by the city, which will be responsible for the annual residential permit and mowing in March and June, said Marissa Barnett, public information officer with the city. Most wildflowers require at least six hours of sun- light a day and should be planted in well-drained soil. Existing vegetation, such as grass or weeds, should be COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 47 FILE PHOTO: JENNIFE r r EYNOLDS Sasha Francis stands in the sea of wildflowers in her front yard in Galveston.48 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 GARDEN VARIETY removed by their roots or smothered with cardboard or fabric designed to control weed growth. The best time to plant seeds for wildflowers is in the fall, but early spring or summer works with many varieties, said Nancy Greenfield, a Galveston County Master Gardener and member of committee that helped to write the new city ordinance. Sprinkle the seeds evenly over pre- pared soil, rake them lightly to cover and then water. Smaller seeds can be mixed with sand and distributed even- ly. Several wildflower varieties can be transplanted from pots. Put them in the ground in holes larger than the root ball and then backfill with soil. Some plants might need water, but usually just until the seeds estab- lish themselves. After that, it’s up to Mother Nature. “We have never watered my front yard or fertilized it or used any pes- ticides,” Francis said. “And we have a prairie in our own front yard.” One of the other benefits of native plants is their root structure. Turf grasses and most landscape plants have very short roots and they compete for the surface water and nutrients, Greenfield said. But because most wildflowers grow deep into the soil, they benefit it with nourishment and nitrogen. Fibrous roots hold the soil and absorb more runoff during a rainstorm, thus preventing erosion and channel rainwater into the soil and groundwater. After the spring blooming season, remove some spent flower stalks to encourage reblooming. But it’s also advised to leave some stubble over winter to provide habitat for benefi- cial insects. Francis is passionate about natural landscaping and after her court battle with the city, raised enough funds to pay her legal bills and purchase seeds and plants for others. She’s planning a “Bloom & Buzz” giveaway to share wildflower seeds and plants from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 24 at Gal- veston’s Own Farmers Market, 3304 Market St. on the island. In her research to select plants that would easily grow in her yard, Francis compiled a list of what she calls “The Superbloom Sweet 16,” or plants that will thrive on the Gulf Coast and present a habitat for birds, bees and butterflies that either live or migrate through the area. They include: Coreopsis, firewheel, pink evening primrose, fleabone, Indian paintbrush, winecup, black-eyed Susan, frogfruit (good ground cover), Texas vervain, beebalm, Arkansas lazy daisy, milk- weed, prairie clover, sage, peppercress and Texas bluebonnet, which is the state flower. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2024 49 (Clockwise from top left) Bluebonnets, black-eyed Susans, spotted beebalm and Texas Indian paintbrush all thrive on the Gulf Coast. They present a habitat for birds, bees and butterflies that either live or migrate through the area. (Opposite) A blanket of yellow coreopsis cover the grounds of the Broadway Cemetery in Galveston. FILE PHOTOS: JENNIFE r r EYNOLDS “There is an abundance of natural species and a way to have a sustainable garden.” SASHA FRANCISNext >