Bird Watching, Kayaking Among
TAMUG's Elderhostel Activities
Texas A&M University
at Galveston (TAMUG) will present seven varied and unusual
spring events, ranging from kayaking and bird watching to
historical tours, as part of its Elderhostel program
designed for adults age 55 and older.
TAMUG's Elderhostel Program, now in its 16th year, is aimed
at enriching the lives of senior adults who participate, in
addition to providing educational opportunities, say program
coordinators Lynn Smith and Judy Wern.
Participants in "Island Sampler: Birds, Biology, Bays,
Beaches and Buccaneers" will visit local attractions as well
as have unique Galveston Island experiences. Octogenarian
Col. Lee Weber will share his first-hand experiences while
leading a bus tour of the historical island. TAMUG professor
Stephen Curley plans intriguing tales of the pirate Jean
Lafitte and the singing of Sea Chanties, and TAMUG students
will lead a Galveston Bay field trip on the research vessel
Earl Milan. Marine life will be collected with trawling
nets, and bird watching will be held at East End Flats,
along with beachcombing and visiting Moody Gardens. The
program will be held Jan. 22-27; Feb. 12-17 and March 5-10.
"Galveston through the Ages" will give Elderhostelers the
opportunity to experience Galveston as one of Texas' most
celebrated cities. Galveston Island's rich history includes
tales of conquistadors and pirates as well as life in a
19th-century maritime capital, once referred to as the "Wall
Street of the South." The opulent times are reflected
through impressive Victorian architecture, including the
Bishop's Palace, listed by Texas Highways as the most
beautiful building in Texas, and residences of the Silk
Stocking East End District and the historic Strand. Field
trips include a visit to Moody Gardens to see the famous
rainforest and aquarium and to the Great Storm Museum for
viewing of a film on the historic 1900 hurricane. In
addition to visiting historic sites, Elderhostelers will
live in an island setting. Dates are Feb. 19-24 and April 2
-7.
Birders can chose from among three TAMUG Elderhostel
programs. Naturalist Karla Klay will lead the birding
program, "Whooping Cranes and Coastal Birds" in the
Rockport/Fulton area that provides diverse habitats for
large numbers of both resident and over-wintering species. A
highlight of the program will be a field trip by boat to
view endangered whooping cranes. Dates are Jan. 29-Feb. 3.
Another new bird event will be "Great Texas Birding Trail:
Big Thicket to Galveston." Elderhostelers will have the
opportunity to catalog more than 100 species of birds and
multiple bird habitats. Field trips begin on the upper Texas
coast in the Big Thicket National Preserves, which includes
lakes, creeks and woodland areas that provide outstanding
bird watching. Program dates are March 12-17 and April
23-28.
A third program, "Great Coastal Birding Trail: Galveston to
Lake Jackson," (March 19-24 and April 30-May 5) will feature
birding experts leading field trips to explore meadows,
fields, woodlots, coastal prairies, gulf and bay beaches,
mud flats, sand bars, fresh water marshes and ponds and salt
marshes.
"Kayaking: Explore Texas Gulf Coast Bays and Estuaries near
Galveston," will be held for kayakers in diverse habitats,
including Christmas Bay with its seagrass beds, Armand Bayou
in the midst of a bottomland forest and a cypress swamp on
Trinity River. Elderhostelers will have the opportunity to
create an illustrated nature journal of the flora and fauna.
Dates are March 24-29 and May 21-26.
Kids ages 8-12 and their grandparents will have the
opportunity to make lifelong memories during "Become a
Marine Adventurer." They will be able to drag a net to catch
crabs, shrimp and fish and, aboard a 42-foot research
vessel, they will trawl and bring their catch aboard to
identify and examine the marine life. At the National Marine
Fisheries, they will view endangered sea turtles, with other
field trips including kayaking and water coloring in calm
bay waters, strolling the historic downtown Strand and
visiting Moody Gardens. Dates are June 18-23 and July 9-14.
All programs begin on Sunday afternoon with a check-in and
registration followed by a mixer at a local restaurant. The
programs end by Friday noon. Participants reside in motels
or RV parks, and all meals and fees are provided. Costs
depend upon specific programs but range from $556 to $796
per person double occupancy; slightly more for singles. For
more information, call Wern or Smith at (409) 740-4934 or go
to the Elderhostel Web site at http://www.tamug.edu and
click on outreach programs.
