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Description:
The Aransas NWR occupies Blackjack Peninsula and nearby surrounding areas, and is located approximately 60 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas. Grasslands, live oak and redbay thickets cover most of the uplands creating an island of habitat surrounded by thousands of acres of agricultural lands to the North and West, and saltwater bays to the South and East. The peninsula is ringed by tidal marshes and uplands are broken by long, narrow swales that are often flooded. Management is divided into five areas; brush country, grasslands, coastal prarie, marsh and tidal flats, and a wildlife interpretive area. Matagorda Island N.W.R. and State Natural Area, a 32 mile-long Gulf coast barrier island, is also included within the Aransas Complex and is cooperatively managed by the State of Texas, the Texas General Land Office and the U.S.F.W.S. Fifteen threatened or endangered species occur on the two refuges including the critically endangered whooping crane. Most of the refuge resources are dedicated to the recovery of the whooping crane and the management of its habitat, and public education and interpretation. Approximately 80,000 people visit the refuge each year, most of whom arrive seeking the abundant bird species for which the refuge is so well known. Directions:
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