When people ask me about one of my most memorable university experiences, I always say taking the Texas Ecology course. It gave us an incredible opportunity to travel to Texas for a full week of hands on learning. From the moment we left Valley City, North Dakota, I was enjoyed the changing landscapes, diverse habitats, and the variety of bird and animal species we saw along the way. And of course, we had to stop for Whataburger multiple times, it’s a must when you’re in Texas!
Once we arrived at Matagorda Island and unloaded the boat, the humidity hit me immediately. Everything felt damp, but I got to work setting up my tent and helped others with theirs. As we waited for the next group of students to arrive, the sun went down fast, and it got really dark. I think I panicked more than anyone else as I was unsure if the rest of our group would even make it that night. Luckily, everyone eventually arrived, unpacked, and settled in. We went to bed early to get a good start on our first full day out in the Texas heat. The next morning, I went fishing and caught my first fish of the trip, a spotted sea trout. That was enough fishing for me as my goal was to catch at least one fish, so I joined Amber, Kelby, Tucker, Tyler, Miles, and Quentin on a 2.5 mile hike (which felt more like 20 miles) to the beach. Along the way, we saw some incredible plants, including yucca, and even came across a rattlesnake, an exciting and slightly nerve wracking moment. At the beach, which borders the Gulf of Mexico (or Gulf of America, I still get confused), we found all kinds of seashells, a few washed-up jellyfish, the occasional sand dollar, and, surprisingly, a lot of trash. Seeing the amount of garbage washed ashore really made me reflect on how we treat our environment. After beachcombing, we swam in the ocean to cool off from the Texas heat. While exploring more of the shoreline, I discovered what I first thought were strange rocks but turned out to be sea beans, who knew? Later, Amber heard another rattlesnake nearby, but we couldn’t see it (only hear it) which made it even more terrifying. I got out of there fast.
Once we made it back to camp, I did more fishing, explored new parts of the island to observe different plant species, and even learned how to clean and prepare blue crab which I turned out to be pretty good at! Our days were packed, and the nights were just as busy. We went herping found a cottonmouth, went seining in dark, found scorpions using UV light, and enjoyed amazing meals from a seafood boil to trying blue crab, redfish, and spotted sea trout for the first time.
After a few days on Matagorda Island, we headed to Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Mason County. The five-hour drive brought dramatic changes in scenery from coastal prairies and marshlands to brushy, rocky terrain and dry conditions. Each location offered a completely different ecological experience. We learned about a variety of species, including exotics like gemsbok and native ones like horned lizards. We explored the WMA and found numerous cactus species one being a horse cripplers (fun name right!), we saw adult and baby tagged horned lizards, we saw a newborn gemsbok and encountered more scorpions and rattlesnakes. We also learned about the history of the WMA and land management techniques such as prescribed burning (which is so cool to learn the difference from North Dakota to Texas). One unforgettable part of this stop was trying rattlesnake meat something I never imagined doing, but now I can say I have!
Our final stop was South Llano State Park, and although it was our last day, we made the most of it. After quickly unpacking and putting even more sunscreen on, Amber and I enjoyed tubing down the river (well more like swimming because the current of the river wasn’t doing us any favors). Although, it was a perfect way to end an amazing trip.
This entire experience was unforgettable. I loved every moment from spending time with classmates, meeting new people, learning in such dynamic environments, and packing in as many adventures as we could. It was another unforgettable Texas trip, the perfect way to wrap up my university experience before graduating in May.