River Feldman unloads snapper from the hold of the vessel Falcon at Katie’s Seafood Market in Galveston. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
Plenty of fish in the sea?
Making a comeback
A nesting female Kemp’s ridley sea turtle on East Beach in front of Galveston’s Beachtown in April 2012. The turtle climbed a 10-foot high dune that had been piled with sargassum from beach cleaning/raking and laid 116 eggs before sliding down the dune face to make her way to the Gulf of Mexico. Biologists captured the turtle after she reached the beach. They took measurements and biological samples, tagged her with a satellite tag, then re-released her at the same location. They collected the eggs and transported them to Padre Island National Seashore, where they were incubated in the turtle facility until hatching. Photo courtesy of Ron Wooten
Agencies work to protect endangered sea turtles
People likely don’t think of Texas when they think of sea turtles. But different species — Kemp’s ridley, loggerhead, hawksbill, green and leatherback — can be found along the state’s coast. [Read more…]
‘A healthy coast’
Michael Niebuhr, a program technician with the Galveston Bay Foundation, talks about the foundation’s conservation and restoration projects at the Sweetwater Preserve in Galveston. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
Foundation has worked for years to restore wetlands, protect bay
More than 450 acres on the West End of Galveston Island are home to sandhill cranes and other sea birds, oyster reefs and salt marshes, representing just one of many environmental projects along the coast aimed at restoring habitat and preventing erosion. [Read more…]
‘Western way of life’
The sun sets at the Galveston County Fair & Rodeo, which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
In 80 years, fair and rodeo has grown from small dairy show to big tradition
‘Phenomenal area’
A pathway enables visitors to walk across wetlands at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Stuart Villanueva
After a real estate crash, a birding refuge takes wing
On a recent late winter morning, great blue herons were taking flight over a series of canals on the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge as visitors stopped to take photos of marshland and ducks that were stopping over in their winter migration from Minnesota and Canada. [Read more…]
‘Whimsically mysterious’
Kent Sollenberger, a Sugar Land-based artist, found his inspiration for his latest exhibit “Color Coded Painting” from the large bar codes on Amazon shipping boxes. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
Artist’s work is inspired by fascination with physics
Kent Sollenberger’s idea for his latest art exhibit came from his wife’s enthusiasm for online shopping while she was bed-bound with a leg injury. [Read more…]
A penthouse’s past
An entertaining area in Frank and Blanche Ortiz’s condo features a small kitchen with a long bar and a room lined with cabinets. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
Historic homes tour offers look into famous tailor’s condo
The dark brick building beside a Goodwill store with sweeping Gulf of Mexico views is unassuming. But stepping inside the “Ortiz Penthouse” — as its new owners call it — is like stepping back in time. [Read more…]
Bottoms up
A flight of craft beer at the Texas Beer Refinery’s tap room in Dickinson. Thanks to changes made by the Texas Legislature in recent years, local breweries are popping up along the Texas Gulf Coast. Photo by Jennifer Reynolds
How the easing of state laws paved the way for new breweries and brewpubs cropping up along the Texas Coast
Beer starts out as something pretty simple: Grain, hops, yeast and water. But in the hands of skilled brewers, that simplicity can be fashioned into a world of flavors. [Read more…]
‘Captain Badass’
As a fourth-generation offshore party boat operator, Jillian Williams has saltwater running through her veins. She made her first offshore trip when she was 2 years old and now, at age 26, leads fishing trips for her family’s company, Williams Party Boats. Photo by Stuart Villanueva
Fourth-generation fishing guide commands boats and respect
Stereotypes and history may suggest that navigating deep waters is a man’s world. But at least one Galvestonian is proving women have a rightful place on the bridge. [Read more…]