BASTROP, Texas -- The most destructive wildfire in Texas history tore through 32,000 acres in Bastrop County, according to Texas Parks and Wildlife. Info from the agency shows the fire started on September 4, 2011 before finally being extinguished more than a month later, right before Halloween. Two people died and an estimated 1,600 homes burned.
- Wildfire tore through Bastrop in 2011
- Wildlife efforts since have granted Bastrop "Bird City" designation
- Bastrop home to roughly 277 species of birds
Wildlife experts say it'll take an entire generation for the Lost Pines to recover from the catastrophe. Erosion is another major threat to the area which often sees swaths of the hillsides slide off after heavy rains. Despite all of the natural disasters, Bastrop's rich wildlife is resilient and the community there continues to ensure its great outdoors are preserved and protected.
Those efforts have been cited by Parks and Wildlife officials through a so-called "Bird City" certification. Civic leaders hope the designation will attract more birders into the community.
A Janice Goebel observes birds in Bastrop, Texas, in this image from March 2020. (Carlos Garcia/Spectrum News)
Experts say Bastrop is home to about 277 different species of birds thanks to the variety of ecosystems including the Lost Pines and the Colorado River. The city has tackled conservation of those ecosystems by addressing light pollution, which in turn attracts migratory birds. On top of that, the state recognized how officials at the city level provide "birding" education and events at the public library.
"The effort to restore has been so great. If you have been here from the fires and you're here now you see that beautiful re-growth, and so I think this is a celebration of a rebirth, of a comeback," said Visit Bastrop representative Ashton LaFuente.
For birders like Mike Goebel and wife Janice, birding is hobby that is peaceful and informative at the same time.
"Birds are so fascinating. They're beautiful, they're fun to watch. They're regal and comical at the same time," he said.
It allows them to see remarkable species of birds as they migrate through Texas.
"I saw my first cerulean warbler, which his like a piece of the blue sky just coming down and sitting on a branch right in front of ya, and that was it. Now you're buying field guides and putting apps on your phone," said Goebel.
Many species of birds, including the American Bald Eagle, live and move through the area.
"Bastrop has a variety of ecosystems represented. There's really a possibility of seeing a lot of different birds in Bastrop County and they're so accessible because there are so many parks," said Cedar Creek resident Louise Ridlon.
Birders like Ridlon and the Goebels say the Bird City designation is validation of the community's efforts to recover from natural disasters like the wildfires and floods and the community's work to preserve critical ecosystems.
"Nature is so resilient and seeing the regrowth is encouraging," said Ridlon.
A birding hike at the Colorado River Refuge is scheduled for Saturday, March 28. For more information, call the Pines and Prairies Land Trust at 512-308-1911.
The Bird City certification is valid through 2022.
Birders observe wildlife in Bastrop, Texas, in this image from March 2020. (Carlos Garcia/Spectrum News)