Note from the Nature Center
The staff at Kleb Woods wishes you a happy Texas Independence Day! On March 1, 1836, as the siege of the Alamo continued into its second week, delegates held a convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos. The next day, they voted to declare independence from Mexico, form the Republic of Texas, and elect David G. Burnet as interim president. The Alamo fell to the Mexican army a few days later, and Sam Houston led his army east. As they passed through the settlement of New Kentucky on their way to Harrisburg and eventually the Battle of San Jacinto, Houston’s men may have walked on the land that is now Kleb Woods Nature Preserve. In the years since, these 134 acres have experienced a lot. From hurricanes to farming to planting pine trees, the land has many stories to tell. We invite you to visit the park to learn more about the history of the area, particularly the Kleb family who settled on the land.
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What famous tree is said to have helped Sam Houston decide to march to Harrisburg?
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Upcoming Events at Kleb Woods
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A Closer Look at History: Cowboys
Thursday, March 2, 10 – 11 a.m. or 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Designed for school-aged children. Registration required. Click here for more information.
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History Discussion Group: Uncovering Frost Town
Thursday, March 9, 9 – 11 a.m.
Suitable for adults and older students with a keen interest in history. Click here for more information. |
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Senior Birding Bus Trip: Pedernales Falls State Park
Friday, March 24,
5 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Free for those 50 and older. Registration required. Click here for more information.
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Wednesday Afternoon Bird Program: The Galapagos Islands –Unique Birds and Animals
Wednesday, March 29,
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
For adults and older students with a keen interest in birds. Check here for more information. |
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Emerging Insects
March is the perfect time to look for insects at Kleb Woods. Most of these six-legged critters are not active during the colder months, but warming temperatures rouse them from their overwintering hideouts. Insects have many strategies for surviving winter. Some, most famously monarch butterflies, migrate south to warmer climates. Others hide in leaf litter, underground burrows, or cavities. For many species, the adults die off, leaving only larvae or unhatched eggs to wait out the cold. Luna moth caterpillars cozy up in the warmth of a cocoon. Dragonflies spend the winter as nymphs underwater, emerging as winged adults in the spring. Dozens of insect species have been photographed at the preserve in March. The fresh leaves and budding blossoms of early spring make a beautiful backdrop for insect photos. We invite you to come enjoy these tiny wonders and share your observations on iNaturalist.
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Photos by Kendra Kocab (Top), Brady Reed (Bottom Left), and Sarah Kuzio (Bottom Right) |
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Discussion Preview: Uncovering Frost Town
About the same time the Allen Brothers were establishing Houston, early settlers Jonathan Frost and his brother Samuel Frost established a neighborhood along Buffalo Bayou known as Frost Town. Home to German and a few Irish immigrants in the 1830s and 40s, it would later become home to African American freedmen after the emancipation and to Mexican Americans after the 1910 Mexican Revolution. Largely destroyed in the 1950s, the settlement’s ruins came to light again in 2016. Archaeologists uncovered and studied house foundations, cisterns, brick sidewalks, and almost a quarter million artifacts, from German doll heads, ginger beer bottles, and inkwells, to broken pottery and glass shards. Join us on Thursday, March 9, from 9 – 11 a.m. as Sharon Menegaz leads a discussion on the archaeological finds from Houston’s first working-class community.
Photos by Houston Archeological Society
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Our volunteers recently completed a new woodpecker activity for the Young Naturalist Room. This interactive creation allows visitors to see how woodpeckers use their long tongues to forage for grubs inside trees. Thank you to the staff, woodworkers, and artists who collaborated on this project! To learn more about volunteer opportunities, email us at klebwoods@hcp4.net.
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Interactive Content Answer
What famous tree is said to have helped Sam Houston decide to march to Harrisburg?
Answer: b. Which Way Tree - Forgoing heading north toward safety, Houston instead marched to Harrisburg and the eventual battle at San Jacinto.
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