The Big Thicket Association

Join us for an informative presentation about endangered fresh water mussels in the Neches River basin.

The Big Thicket Association operates the "Ivory Bill", a covered excursion boat on the Neches River for school field trips, social events and Nature classes. The boat operates on the open river, and is capable of navigating the shallows of cypress-lined backwater channels. Charters available year round.

The Big Thicket Association began 60 years ago! ...Where is the "Big Thicket"? "the name originally applied to the area between the Old San Antonio Road and the coastal prairie of South Texas from the Sabine River on the east as far west as the Brazos River...  As settlement progressed, it became evident that the impenetrable thickets stopped far short of the Brazos, and the Trinity River came to be considered their western border.  To East Texas sportsmen of 1900 the Big Thicket meant northwestern Hardin and southeastern Polk counties.  It was, and by many continues to be, considered to extend eastward to include all of Tyler, Jasper and Newton counties; most of Sabine, San Augustine and Angelina counties; eastern Trinity and Montgomery and north Liberty counties.  "The area is almost coextensive with that which originally supported stands of long-leaf yellow pine..."

The Thicket of Diversity project is dedicated to biological field research in the Big Thicket National Preserve, coordinating activities of field biologists doing species inventory and research projects.