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Galveston nonprofit acquires 63 acres to protect some threatened island habitats

The acquisition will protect other important geographic features to Redfish Cove that serve its native wildlife like coastal wetlands, prairie and upland buffers, according to the foundation.

SARAH GRUNAU | POSTED ON JANUARY 10, 2024, 2:06 PM

In an effort to protect some of the coast’s most vulnerable habitats, Galveston Bay Foundation acquired 63 acres of land along Galveston Bay in an area commonly referred to as Redfish Cove, the organization announced last week.

The project – funded by a grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program – will protect Redfish Cove’s 40 acres of estuarine and tidal wetlands, which provide water-dependent habitats for wildlife like the Eastern Black Rail, a black and white spotted sparrow-sized marsh bird with beady red eyes that to this day faces a federal threat.

In an effort to protect some of the coast’s most vulnerable habitats, Galveston Bay Foundation acquired 63 acres of land along Galveston Bay in an area commonly referred to as Redfish Cove, the organization announced last week.

The project – funded by a grant from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program – will protect Redfish Cove’s 40 acres of estuarine and tidal wetlands, which provide water-dependent habitats for wildlife like the Eastern Black Rail, a black and white spotted sparrow-sized marsh bird with beady red eyes that to this day faces a federal threat.

In an effort to improve wildlife habitat within Redfish Cove, Galveston Bay Foundation will conduct habitat management including establishing marine forests, removing invasive species and creating new oyster reefs, according to the foundation.

Those activities will further go to protect migratory birds that stop in Galveston Bay and native marine life.