Big Thicket Explorations

Howdy! James here.

From time to time, we're brave enough to put a pause on endless to-do lists, and retreat into nature for awhile. At least, that was the experience that took us on a long awaited trip to Big Thicket National Preserve. Colloquially known as the “Piney Woods”, the area is formally recognized as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO! Wow! What a treasure to have within a few hours drive of Houston.

Into the Piney Woods

The journey out took us from southwest Houston and then beyond the northeast reaches of Harris county. Following highway 90, we were surprised to see new developments and numerous gas stations (all featuring 'Taco Corner' counter restaurants). The area is way more developed than Caddo Lake, which is also located in East Texas. Perhaps it's the influence of Beaumont and Houston, and their ever expanding commuter range. There's an echo of the region's past as an oil boom economy too, but we'll get into that later.

Exploring the Visitor Center

Our first stop was at the preserve's Visitor Center, which looked quite new and even featured a small lending library outside. Within, we had a chat with the friendly rangers, who gave us the lowdown on the pitcher plant trail, which was our primary attraction. Big Thicket is renowned for its large population of carnivorous plants, which thrives in the poor, sandy soils encountered there. The plants supplement their diet with the insects they catch. And, as mentioned by a display in the center, this creates beauty in adversity. I love it! The rangers also let us know that our visit was a lucky one -- previously, the pitcher plants were folded over due to the visitation of rather heavy moths. But due to the recent rains, new pitchers emerged and were in full, upright display. 

Before leaving, we took the time to tour the exhibits in the center. We saw a gigantic pitcher plant sculpture, alongside a few other displays that illustrated the different biomes of the preserve. I was entranced in particular by an installation inspired by the nighttime sounds of the park. This exhibit, located in the corner of the room, was shielded from the overhead lights in order to create a darkened alcove. On first look, it was a dark diorama located behind a mesh screen; most likely a solar screen like you would install on windows during the Texas summer. Beneath this was a small button with a label marked 'PLAY.' Once pressed, a short programmed show began. Spotlight! You're looking at two cicadas on a branch, while a narrator introduces you to their calls in the night. Darkness again and then SPOTLIGHT! You're looking at a rattlesnake on the forest floor. The entire thing was terrific, and the experience is now filed away as inspiration for a future project...

Daydream: The Museum of Jurassic Technology

While checking out the Visitors' Center, I can't help thinking about our visit to the Museum of Jurassic Technology in 2024. We asked people for recommendations of things to see while in Los Angeles for LA Zine Fest, and this one was at the top of a few lists. In fact, some people went so far as to say it would be crucial for our practice. Intrigued, we went to visit it and were delighted by what we saw! 

The question on everyone's lips was "...what is this place?" Dimly lit, with a sprawling collection of exhibits, the place is on one level "a museum about museums." Physically, it's a place that collects exhibits from across time periods, and presents them without editorializing on the past or present. It's a place where you'll see folk wisdom, vaccine development, and technological art in a wide ranging curation. I think for many, it's a message on the changes in science and knowledge over the years; it certainly feels like a mix between old museum, natural science center, and roadside attraction. The last comparison felt pretty apt with what I overheard from the high visitors that afternoon-- more than one person described it as a collection of 'wrong' science. But I think it's more accurate to call it antiquated science, because each exhibit was especially earnest in its presentation. For example, is it wrong to say that moldy bread soup is folk medicine, while penicillin is science? You'll find that question at the heart of many exhibits at the Museum of Jurassic Technology.

The first exhibit I saw there was titled The Garden of Eden on Wheels, and it featured several dioramas of mobile homes, their surroundings, and their owners' valuable collections. There was something completely human and sentimental in the presentation-- one in particular sticks out in my mind as a nighttime scene, with a lonely trailer parked in a field and small filaments providing the starlight. I highly recommend reading the introductory essay on the exhibit, linked above, to get a better context of the show. Ideas of home, nomadic life, and the biblical ark abounded in the exhibit, including the bible quote ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’ I am immediately reminded of the Holdouts universe created by Sarah, and how a convoy of RVs and mobile homes are by the migratory gulf coast 'holdouts'. And how does this relate to gig workers and the underemployed in high cost of living areas, who are more and more living out of personal vehicles?

Hitting the Trails

The Sundew Trail

First up, we ventured down the Sundew Trail in search of the smallest carnivorous plants. We were warned ahead of time that the wooden boardwalk could be slippery, and it was a good thing too because we were both sliding along on slick patches of wood! I should also mention that it was a bit of a trek to get out to the trailhead, because it's accessed via a dirt road. It's difficult to state how large of an ecosystem the Big Thicket is, and some surveys have placed it at over 3 million acres. But at the same time, it's hard to find a stretch that's not intersected by a road, homestead, or development. So as you travel the dirt roads, you'll invariably cross paths with country cottages, churches, and petrochemical facilities. 

Along the trail, we were treated to a series of 8 audio boxes describing the surrounding life, both flora and fauna. But I am sad to report that we were not able to locate a sundew during our trek. We knew that they would be hard to spot due to their small size, so it wasn't that much of a surprise. Still, this trail was a great introduction to the park. Perhaps we used up the majority of our luck on the drive in, when we spotted an Alligator Snapping Turtle on the move! And add to this the five lined skinks and reindeer moss (yes, it grows in the thicket!) we spotted along the boardwalk, and it was a very productive stroll. 

The Pitcher Plant Trail

The main event! The Pitcher Plant Trail was our main attraction to the park, ever since we included them in our Pitcher Plant Princess print. These particular pitcher plants are Pale Pitcher Plants, and they grow very tall and narrow in the sandy wet soils of the Piney Woods. It's hard for me to express just how alien this landscape felt. You enter via a paved trail, which proceeds past pine trees, beauty berries, and ferns. This then transitions to boardwalk, and suddenly you're in a clearing filled with wild flowers and pitcher plants! We paused for a moment, quietly taking in the view as swallowtail butterflies glided from bloom to bloom. Their flight felt somewhat haphazard, as they glided just above the carnivorous plants below.

By this point, the sun was high in the sky and it was heating up. We knew that we wouldn't be able to stay out much longer in the August heat, so we rushed ahead with some photographs of recent prints. I know it stands out a bit from what's popular with product photography currently, but I love seeing natural backgrounds and honest photographs of printed work. I don't think relying on digital mock-ups in frames is a great way to showcase your work, especially in an age of AI generated art. Make it real, make it textured, make it tactile! 

On the way out, we were blessed by another forest friend: an endangered Gulf Coast Toad! He was supremely unbothered by us, and consented to an extended photo shoot before retreating off the path. Truly, I think the preserve doesn't get a ton of foot traffic compared to parks in Houston, so there's a lot of animal action on the trails. 

There and Back Again

Sweaty and fulfilled, it was time to jump back on the road and return home. I would be glad to return to Big Thicket in the future, and give it my full throated recommendation! If you're ever near East Texas, consider stopping by and visiting the trails. Coming up this Fall, you may be able to join the Central Texas Mycological Society on their annual trip to the preserve to search for a great variety of mushrooms! 

As a closing thought, I'm constantly reminded of how special our parks and preserves are. Much like libraries and museums, they are an irreplaceable resource. And it's especially important to see and use them, because it's unfortunately hard to imagine building them from scratch in the current culture we live in. But Big Thicket is also a tale of survival-- the area was doubly ravaged, first by early timber barons and later by the oil boom. To this day, there's a requirement for the preserve to be open to oil, mineral, and timber extraction that aligns with a permitting process. But the long, squiggly lines of the preserve endure and are still a sight to enjoy and preserve for the future. And as of 2024, Big Thicket has finished up a series of oil and gas remediation projects, removing abandoned equipment that was left in the wild. Hope remains out in the Piney Woods.