It’s morning and the mist is filtering through the subtropical treed canopy that protects the birds of El Rocio. As we take our usual early morning walk through the cactus gardens, and trees of this lovely 18-acre preserve, we are greeted by the musical sounds of Great Kiskadees, Green Jays, and Chachalacas chattering overhead. After our walk we return to the unique bed and breakfast retreat located on the grounds. The two-bedroom home is a perfect setting for an artist’s retreat, or corporate meeting center. But for now it is all ours to enjoy. The dining room has been built around a resident tree that leads to the kitchen. There are no totally square walls here, just softly rounded rooms that provide a totally organic feel. Even the bathroom looks like an outdoor grotto, with its mosaic tiles, and spacious ceilings.

Located between the highly trafficked areas of McAllen and Mission Texas, El Rocio provides a quiet oasis in the midst of all the traffic and noise of the Rio Grande Valley "borderplex" --a metropolitan area of over a million residents that reside within the bustling cities of McAllen, Mission, Pharr, Weslaco, and Edinburg Texas. Yet, in order to see the "Texas Tropics," you have to drive the borderplex highways that lead to the 75 birding hot spots that make up the Tropical Texas Birding Trail. El Rocio is wedged in between the largest birding preserves in the National Wildlife Refuge System, Bentsen-Rio Grand Valley State Park to the west, and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge to the east.

The unique environment of the Rio Grande Valley harbors an amazing variety of rare and unusual plant and wildlife species found nowhere else in the United States. This has encouraged McAllen to tout itself as tropical paradise, and is living proof of what "edu-tainment" is all about. The tourism-coined word literally means a diverse cultural, educational, and environmentally friendly mix that can make entire families leave their digital cable box behind and drive hundreds of miles to be inspired, informed, motivated, and entertained by ecotourism. Within the borderplex are so many nature festivals, fairs, attractions, accommodations, contests and eco-tours, that you’d be hard-pressed to find nothing to do.

The spectacular setting and unusual juxtaposition of habitats has put McAllen on the map as a tourist attraction in itself, but McAllen may be in danger of being "too popular" for its own good. . Touted as "the second fastest growing community in the United States" (just behind Las Vegas), McAllen’s attraction lies in its geography, its great outdoors, its climate, its history, and its rich Hispanic flavor. It boasts an International Museum of Art and Science, and holds celebrations all year around that bring in thousands of visitors--and is the gateway to Progreso, Mexico, where thousands make the daily pilgrimage for low-cost pharmaceuticals, trinkets, jewelry, and clothing.

All the traffic is starting to have an impact. The industrialization of McAllen and other borderplex cities have brought so much new development that much of the birding habitat has disappeared. Less than five percent of the original preserve area remains for tourists to visit. It’s been bulldozed away to make room for housing tracts, strip malls, highways, warehouses, and commercial buildings. New manufacturers relocated here in large numbers to take advantage of the cheap labor from maquiladoras/manufacturing companies along the border between Texas and Mexico.

While all this development is good for business, it’s not so good for the birds. Concerned citizens such as Ron and Sharon Smith worry about the devastating environmental impact that it will have on McAllen’s future as an "eco-tourism" destination. The couple chairs the popular McAllen Texas Tropics Nature Festival, a March event that’s geared for birders of all skill levels and features speakers on a number of topics related to birds, butterflies, birding, and wildlife.

Says Sharon, "So much land has been cleared for development and agriculture, that we must work quickly to preserve what’s left. We are hoping the festival will bring a new appreciation for the valley and its wonderful creatures."

The Smiths are former teachers who came to the area in 1993 and have wintered here ever since. Ron is a professional artist who is widely known for his handmade woodcarvings of over 200 species of birds. He does only 10 carvings a year, all lifesize, numbered and cataloged. (Notables such as artist Andrew Wyeth, owns one of Ron’s pieces.)

Ron has also edited the popular Valley Land Fund books. The remarkable images of wildlife published in these books have moved people to tears, to joy--and to action in the form of Valley Land Fund competitions that have sparked an enormous interest in the area’s natural resources.

Every other year, the VLF organization pairs together local landowners and photographers from around the world to compete for thousands of dollars in cash prizes. The resulting images are then published in VLF books sold all over the globe. The VLF also gives business sponsors and private landowners positive exposure for their part in promoting stewardship and conservation of land. This has enabled the VLF to educate people about the fragile, endangered Texas Tropics Birding Trail, not as a place to see, but as something to save.

One of the biggest steps on the path to conserve and restore wildlife habitat in the Texas Parks and Wildlife System is the new World Birding Center. The main headquarters is located at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park in Mission, and two new park sites at Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco and Resaca de Las Palmas State Park in Brownsville. In addition six communities are part of the program with WBC sites at strategic places. New nature centers and programs for outdoor lovers and birders are in the works.

The WBC wants to provide the greatest birding experience possible and it’s taken $20 million to create a project that hopefully will help protect and restore over 600 acres of habitat.

After all, nature tourism is big business, bringing $100 million annually to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. And, with tourism the second largest industry in the world, it may be an oversight to overlook its impact over the long term.

Right now, though, visitors still have an opportunity to see some of the most beautiful and rarest birds, butterflies, and animals in the country--and the world. Here are just a few of the birding/butterfly "hot spots" from which to choose:

• Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park: 3 miles west of Mission on U.S. 83 and 3 miles south on FM 2062. There are 587 acres of river-bottom woodlands to roam here, with nature trails and hiking trails that allow a glimpse of the Altamira Oriole, Olive Sparrow, Hook-billed Kite and other birds. It’s also a great place to see butterflies such as Swallowtails, red-bordered Metalmarks, and Skippers. Call (965) 585-1107 for information.
• Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge: South of Alamo on U.S. Highway 281, it is the gem of the wildlife refuge system. Composed of over 2,000 acres of forest, bottomlands and wetlands. It’s home to over 390 species of birds including the Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Ringed Kingfisher, Great Kiskadee and others. There are plenty of walking trails for birding and hiking. Interpretive tram tours are given during winter. Call (956) 787-3079.
• Valley Nature Center: Located in Westlaco, this small habitat has an excellent butterfly garden, and offers a glimpse of Phaon and Pearl Crescents, Guava Skippers, and Red-bordered Pixies. The VNC also has a lot of birds for a habitat of such small size. In spring and fall, migrants can be seen combing the mesquite bush for food and make spotting birds here easier than in denser brush habitats. Call (956) 969-2475.

For More Information: McAllen Convention and Visitors Bureau; www.mcallencvb.com; (956) 682-2871; El Rocio Retreat Center, (956) 584-7432 or see the website at www.elrocioretreat.com

Ron Smith’s Bird Carvings: www.northbirding.com/carver

Shifra Stein - Writer, author, artist, and workshop presenter, Shifra Stein has written more than 30 books and hundreds of articles for magazines and newspapers, many of which focus on arts-related topics. As an artist, Ms. Stein’s unusual watercolor and mixed media techniques have been featured in many publications.Her artwork hangs in corporate and private collections. In addition, Ms. Stein offers creativity retreats, playshops, and artist and writer workshops around the country. A member of the Missouri Watercolor Society, Greater Kansas City Art Association, and Kansas City Artists Coalition, Ms. Stein is available for workshops, speaking engagements, color consultation, and artist representation. View her artist and workshop portfolio online at www.shifrastein.com, or call (816) 753-3208
To contact Shifra, click below

Bob Barrett - is a nationally known corporate, editorial and fine arts photographer. Bob’s photographs have appeared in art and architectural books such as American Art Deco (Abrams), and Time-Life Books, as well as magazines such as Historic Preservation, National Geographic, Chevron, Midwest Living, North Light Magazine, Star Magazine, Arts Magazine, The Crafts Report, Town & Country, Travel & Leisure, and others. Bob also offers his services to artists, shooting professional quality images of two and three dimensional work suitable for galleries, juried competitions, galleries and internet use. See his website at www.artkc.com/barrett.htm. Bob offers photography workshops for artists and writers through arts organizations, and educational venues.
To contact Bob directly, click below or phone (816)753-3208.

This article Copyright ©2004 - Shifra Stein. Reproduced with permission.