Border Wall & Recession Threaten Sabal Palm
Texas Audubon Works to Protect Endangered Plant & Animal Sanctuary
Apr 28, 2009
In order to focus on the restoration of critical wildlife habitat, the Sabal Palm Audubon Center, a popular stop on many bird watching trips in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, has been forced to reduce the number of days it is open to the public as the ongoing recession has reduced charitable income.
USA Mexico Border Wall will Isolate Texas Audubon Sanctuary
The proposed local section of USA Mexico border wall will likely result in the Texas sanctuary being cut off from the Brownsville community, the primary beneficiaries of the educational programs provided there. In addition, the Sabal Palm Audubon Center, one of the most biologically diverse habitats in Texas, would be cut off from other sections of wildlife corridor in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Sabal Palm Audubon Center Hosts Rare Southwest Plants and Animals
In addition to being a hotspot for birds normally found only in Mexico and Central America, the Sabal Palm Audubon Center is considered a vital link in a regional wildlife corridor. Bird watching tour groups regularly make this sanctuary a part of their Lower Rio Grande birding itinerary when visiting Texas.
The center, owned by the National Audubon Society, is in the process of restoring 150 acres of unused agricultural land to Sabal Palm habitat. This restoration will supplement what is already the largest surviving stand of native sabal palm (Sabal texana or Sabal mexicana)
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has classified it as a high priority for protection with 17 threatened or endangered species found in the area.
Declining Economy and US Mexico Border Wall Issues Reduce Donor Support
As with zoos and aquariums, both corporate and individual philanthropic charitable donations to the Sabal Palm Audubon Center are declining. Uncertainty over whether the Lower Rio Grande section of the USA Mexico border wall will be built and what the effects of that wall will be on the health of the Sabal Palm Center’s habitat add to the reluctance of recession wary donors to invest in the project.
How Sabal Palm Audubon Center is Adjusting to Reduced Income
With less money coming in, the Texas Audubon Center’s ability to provide staff for visitors to the Lower Rio Grande Valley site has to take a back seat to the ongoing restoration of critical sabal palm habitat for threatened and endangered local wildlife.
This has resulted in Sabal Palm Audubon Center cutting its visitor hours. Outreach and education programs may be affected as well. The Texas center is now closed to the public from May 15 to October 15, open weekends from October 15 to December 15 and open five days a week the rest of the year.
Group tours can still be scheduled, with the fees from the tours going to support the work of this Texas Audubon center. And of course, individual or corporate sponsorship of the Sabal Palm Sanctuary is always welcomed in these difficult economic times.
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