EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Since opening in 2003, the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and Birding Center has provided the community a sense of adventure.
Park Manager Marisa Oliva said the wetlands always have a lot to offer its visitors year-round.
“We’re just a wonderful place to visit our native habitat and look at all the wonderful birds we have here in South Texas,” Oliva said. “The water attracts a lot of different birds, so we have a lot of wetland species we also have three and a half acres of [a] native butterfly garden, two and a half miles of walking trails so it’s just a wonderful little area within the city to kind of just be surrounded by nature.”
The park also provides educational programs for schools and families. Oliva said teaching people about nature is always important, especially for the younger generation.
“Our parents, our grandparents, our great grandparents, they grew up outside, they didn’t have television they didn’t have all the devices they weren’t infused to the TV,” Oliva said. “They were out and exploring all this on their own, and we have been separated from that for a long time.”
With 40 acres of land to walk through, people who visit the park will always get the chance to run into many types of birds, bugs, and even lizards. But the staff says the best part about having visitors is allowing them to discover something new.
“To watch children especially come out and to just discover something and to just watch in amazement, that’s the best,” she said.
Park visitors like Oscar Moreno wanted to get away from the city. Moreno says he ran into many creatures during his long walk through the wetlands.
“I’ve seen a lot, I wouldn’t be able to tell you the species of birds, but I’ve seen all sorts of birds,” Moreno said.
And while the wetlands and birding center will be in Edinburg for many years to come, its main goal is to give the community a new appreciation for the outdoors.
“Whether it’s with the city and whether it’s in the Edinburg birding grounds our mission to help people bring nature home,” Oliva said.
If you would like to visit the Edinburg Scenic Wetlands and Birding Center, the grounds are open from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.