Enron Matagorda Island Environmental Education and Research Center

Home to the last wild flock of whooping cranes, Matagorda Island is 55,300 acres of gulf beaches, uplands, and tidal marshlands. These areas provide habitat for numerous wildlife species including more than 300 species of migratory and resident waterfowl, shorebirds, raptors and other birds which inhabit the island at various times throughout the year. Every spring and fall, the area serves as a critical "stop-over" site for numerous migrating birds.

Matagorda Island is also an important wintering home for many avian species, including the endangered whooping crane. In fact, the island provides a safe haven for more than 20 endangered species such as the brown pelican, piping plover, peregrine falcon, eskimo curlew and the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle.

The island is part of the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge which is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the General Land Office. The Nature Conservancy of Texas played a key role in the acquisition process which lead to the inclusion of Matagorda Island into the refuge.

The research center is designed to solicit, support and participate in activities which enhance efforts to better understand and manage the island's natural resources. For example, the site offers research opportunities for graduate students studying coastal ecology. The facility is fully equipped for conducting state of the art research concerning marine biology, wetlands, plant communities, and the long-term needs of the endangered whooping crane.

The center also provides an opportunity for teachers, students, high school science clubs, and other interested groups to learn about barrier island ecology, endangered species protection, and wildlife biodiversity.