Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge

Location:  On the Texas Coast, near Lake Jackson.
Dates:  Nov 2006
Duties:  Environmental Education, Visitor Center, Office, Maintenance
Hours Required:  24 hours each/week
RV PadWe should have known there would be a problem when on arrival, we were told that we’d been “traded” from San Bernard NWR, where we had applied, to Brazoria.  The second clue was that we were the only couple in the 10-site “volunteer village” except for a couple that were permanent residents.  Pulling in to park, we were swarmed by mosquitoes, which were a constant problem.  Not just a few, but clouds of them. 
Students ArrivingThe manager was newly appointed from the Law Enforcement branch and was more interested in catching poacher than managing the site.  We were required to attend 7:30 AM staff meetings on our days on, and Brenda had to drive 18 miles to the “complex” headquarters to do menial office work, while I worked with outdoors on maintenance.  The environmental education program was outstanding, run by another volunteer group and not considered important by our manager.  We left after one month after the manager, after going on vacation, scheduled Brenda and I to work different days.
AlligatorThere is nothing positive to say about the area.  Mosquitos, fire ants, rattlesnakes, feral pigs, and alligators are common, and the large number of chemical plants in the area pollute the air with a noticeable odor.  Lake Jackson is a fair sized town with adequate shopping, 

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