We are pleased to offer this accessible outing for birders with limited mobility, disabilities, or other health concerns, and for those interested in an easier-paced birding trip. We also welcome those interested in creating and understanding inclusive, accessible birding as a community and life list-building experience.
This outing will be led by Virginia Rose, Founder of Birdability, an organization committed to making the birding community and the outdoors accessible, safe, welcoming and inclusive for everybody and every body. Joining Virginia on this trip is FeatherFest guide Kat Ross. Kat has been involved with Birdability since 2023 and is excited to be co-leading with Virginia for FeatherFest. While she enjoys birding in her hometown of Austin, she says nothing rivals the magic of the Texas Coast during spring migration.
This meet-at-site field trip will be done caravan style, introducing birders to accessible locations on Galveston’s East End. Participants are encouraged to follow along at their own pace and visit as many of the locations as they like during the outing. Please note that there are no water fountains or accessible restrooms at Kempner Park or Corps Woods. There is an ADA portable restroom at the East End Lagoon Nature Park.
We will begin our field trip at beautiful Kempner Park, which features wide, flat, paved and hard-packed crushed granite trails among large historic oak trees reminiscent of those that once covered Galveston before Hurricane Ike destroyed them. The relatively quiet and well-maintained, shady habitat is very attractive to migrants in the spring, and we have the potential to see Black and White Warbler, Northern Parula, Indigo Bunting, and other songbirds. American Robin and Red-shouldered Hawk have also nested in the park.
Check out Kempner Park on the Birdability Map.
Other access features include disabled parking, curb cuts, ample shade, and benches. There are no steps, gates or obstacles.
Our next stop will be Corps Woods, a hidden gem tucked into the area near the ferry landing. This tiny park provides much-needed cover and resources to spring migrants, and is usually very productive and far less crowded than some of the better-known hotspots. We will spend some time birding on the flat and wide, hard-dirt trail interspersed with very short and patchy grass near the entrance gate. The gate is 36” wide and will remain open during the trip. We have the potential to see Orchard and Baltimore Oriole, Summer and Scarlet Tanager, Indigo and Painted Bunting, Black-and-White Warbler, Wood Thrush, and more. Participants have the option of joining us on the short dirt trail, which branches off to two short accessible boardwalks (with raised edges) across the slough and viewing platforms within the dense salt cedars. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, White Ibis, Louisiana and Northern Waterthrush, White-eyed Vireo, Magnolia Warbler, and other migrants are possible here. Participants who choose to remain at the entrance area will be rewarded with longer views of many species.
Check out Corps Woods Nature Sanctuary on the Birdability Map.
Other access features include space for disabled parking and available shade. There are no steps, gates or obstacles, HOWEVER, the path from the parking area to the gate is grassy and very uneven. Once inside the gate, the trail is maintained with hard packed crushed granite.
If time allows, we will visit the nearby East End Lagoon Nature Preserve for an opportunity to see species attracted to its coastal prairie and barrier island habitat. The short interpretive trail loops in a figure-8 pattern through sandy scrub, with many informational signs providing insight into the native plants and wildlife of the area. Western Kingbird, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Indigo and Painted Bunting, and other spring migrants are possible. We will see flyovers of a variety of gulls and terns, and watch for the antics of both white and dark morph Reddish Egrets foraging near the bridge as we enter and leave the park.
Check out the East End Lagoon Nature Park & Preserve on the Birdability Map.
Included in this field trip is access to the Birdability workshop on Friday at 2:30pm at no additional charge. You will receive an automatic email asking if you would like to attend the workshop.
Other access features include 2 disabled parking spaces, wide flat trails and benches, and an ADA portable restroom. There are no steps, obstacles or shade.
Note: We will encounter some sand and small rocks along the trail. This trip may be better for those who can manage those types of surfaces. Your guide Virginia manages the trail in a wheelchair by using the outer grassy edges of the trail. A person in a manual chair may need an occasional assist.
If you are a disabled person and have questions not addressed in the provided description, please email Julie Ann Brown at dir@gintc.org.
If you are a participant with a disability or other health concern and the cost of this trip makes it inaccessible to you, please reach out to Julie Ann Brown at dir@gintc.org to request a sliding-scale option.
