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Watson Pinelands Preserve - By G. "Michael" Pagoulatos / CPT and
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This site is owned and managed by Geraldine Watson, a local conservationist,
painter, violin player, and activist extrordinaire. Now in her seventies,
she purchased several acres on the NE side of Lake Hyatt over 20 years, acre
by acre, and is working to restore it to its original condition. The
preserve is named in memory of her husband, Earl Watson, who supported her
years of activism for the creation of the Big Thicket
National Preserve.
As plant ecologist-Ranger for the National Park Service, she delianated the vegetational
zones and compiled a plant check-list for the Big Thicket area. She has published "Introduction to
the ecology in the big Thicket" and contributed many articles on anvironmental ethics, fire ecology, and the
history and culture of the Big Thicket to many publications.
The purpose of the Preserve is 3-fold: "...to honor her husband's memory; to preserve a remnant of the
beautiful virgin forests of her childhood; and to restore the balance of nature as evidence of the creative genious of God".
With her own hands, Mrs. Watson built a partly-in-ground, environment-friendly house. She works on the Preserve, paints its wild-flowers, and plays
her violin.
The Watson Pinelands Preserve has many rare and endangered species of native plants,
seven species of orchids, five of carnivorous plants, and ten of ferns. "Pitcher plant Jack" Police
and I visited in April and saw hundreds of S. alata,
U. subulata, carpets of D. capillaris and D. brevifolia, growing in the longleaf pine uplands and savanna wetlands, and clumps
of U. gibba floating at the edge of Lake Hyatt (and many farm ponds in the area).
In June one can see a sea of yellow as
U. gibba and U. radiata "the floating cartwheel" flower by the thousands.
Desert plants are found on sandy knolls on the uplands while aquatics grow in the artesian-water-fed pools
at the base of the Mesic slope forest.
The preserve is burned every January to eliminate invasives and make room
for the new Spring growth. No cultivated species or those not indigenous
to the original habitat are introduced. The preserve is open to the
public at no charge, and tours are given by appointment. CPT
urges you to visit and support beautiful Watson Pinelands Preserve.
Ask to see Mrs. Watson's paintings.
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Contact information and Directions:
Watson Pinelands Preserve
Mrs. Geraldine Watson
RT. 2, Box 887,
Warren, TX 77664
(409) 385-7239 or (409) 547-3543
From US Hwy 69 turn east on CR4770 (Lake Hyatt Road), about 2.3 miles south of Warren. There is a "Lake Hyatt" sign at the intersection. After about .5 miles the road forks. Take the left fork, CR4777, which curves around the lake. Keep your eyes open for the sign of the Preserve, on the left-hand side of the road, less than a quarter-mile after the fork.
