It was easy to fall in love with the natural resources of Texas while growing up near a ditch adjacent to woodlands in San Antonio. As a child, I spent many summers outside catching lizards, tadpoles, toads, cicadas, and fireflies in those nearby areas. When conditions were right, the neighborhood kids would get together and catch tadpoles, putting them in large jars of water to watch them swim around, see the different stages of metamorphosis, and look at the interesting curlicue shapes on their bellies. We also made jars of light with fireflies, and they seemed to be out by the millions, filling the skies with tiny flashing lights every summer along the wooded edges of the ditch. Luckily, our parents would safely release the captive creatures back into their habitats soon afterwards.
I remember the ditch being filled with wildflowers of all colors, shapes, and sizes that I would pick for my mother, even though she would tell me she was allergic to them to get me to stop picking them. I always wanted to include White Prickly Poppies because I thought they were so beautiful, but they are covered in sharp prickles, making it extremely tricky to pick them without wounding yourself in the process. Eventually I realized that they don’t really do well once picked, quickly wilting, and began to just admire them in place. White Prickly Poppies are still one of my favorite native Texas wildflowers, and I love to peek inside to find pollen-covered scarab beetles that frequent the blooms with various other pollinators.
I know now that “the ditch” I grew up in fascination with is a tributary to Salado Creek, one of the major tributaries of the San Antonio River. I also know now that many of the plants and animals and the natural spaces they require are not as prevalent as they were when I was a child. As an ecologist with the San Antonio River Authority, I get to try to help protect, conserve, enhance, and restore natural habitats for the benefit of the watershed, for nature and people. I am fortunate to have been involved in the design and construction phases as well as overseeing the initial years of management of the Mission Reach Ecosystem Restoration Project, one of the largest urban river ecosystem restoration projects in the world. I currently manage the Mission Reach Avian Study, which began in 2015 and helps document the diversity of birds actively using the restored river habitat. I’ve learned a lot about birds from Martin Reid, who serves as our avian expert and has shown me the importance of patience, and the high level of detail needed to ensure accurate bird identification in the field. We have documented a wide variety of birds benefiting from the mosaic of restored habitats in the project, including migrating, summer visitor, overwintering, and resident species.
Our shared need for healthy ecosystems is what drives me to understand local ecosystems better and to restore ecological processes wherever possible. I do this by installing native plants, utilizing sustainable maintenance practices, removing non-native invasive plants, educating others, and generally stewarding the land as best I know how. I learn new things about nature all the time by immersing myself in it, and the greatest knowledge I’ve received has come from slowing down, paying attention, and being observant.
Some of the most fascinating things I’ve learned about ecosystems and the connectedness of plants and animals have come from photo-documenting them and adding them as observations to iNaturalist as part of the global community science effort to document our natural world. Far too many times, I have almost ignored an organism because it wasn’t very flashy, only to find that once I zoomed in with my camera lens, a subtle yet incredible beauty in another life form. Any time I see something new, I try to get a photo and make an iNaturalist observation, and I continue to learn new species and new connections among them all the time. This exploration of nature is a never-ending and highly rewarding process.
Some of Lee’s Observations along the Mission Reach, from Left to Right: Filigree Skimmer, Indigo Bunting, and Hooded Warbler
I feel fortunate to be able to work so closely with nature as part of my job, and to work with River Authority staff and community partners to plan, design, implement, and maintain spaces that incorporate nature for the betterment of the community. I love to see people out along the Mission Reach, at Confluence Park, or in one of the many other River Authority parks, learning about and appreciating our natural ecosystems. Nature is fundamental to Earth’s health, human health, and our future. I highly recommend that everybody try to take a moment, no matter how brief, to slow down, pay attention, and observe the natural world. Find ways to become a part of the natural community that surrounds you, whether by taking a walk, riding a bike, paddling a stream, learning from others, or joining the River Warriors, and you will be rewarded in immeasurable ways.
Today’s blog was contributed by Lee Marlowe, Sustainable Landscape Ecologist for the San Antonio River Authority and restoration ecologist with over 25 years of professional experience working in the field of ecological restoration and natural resource management. Her expertise includes the use of native plants to provide wildlife habitat, water quality benefits, bank/site stabilization, and aesthetic beauty in landscapes of all sizes.
The “My River POV” series provides readers the opportunity to learn about the unique insights and experiences of the San Antonio River Authority (River Authority) staff and their connection to the San Antonio River in hopes of inspiring stewardship of area creeks and rivers.
