Long time visitors to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge may notice that an area south of the moist soil units long known as "The Salt Cedars" no longer has any salt cedars! The area has been cleared of exotic invasive salt cedars and is being restored to native bluestem praririe.

The salt cedars (tamaraks) were planted at the end of the 19th century as a wind break for cattle. At some point the prairie was also converted to non native smutgrass.

In the fall of 2007 the trees were removed and the prairie disked and leveled. In the Spring of 2008 2,500 pounds of native prairie seed from Wharton County was planted.

It might not look like much at first, but a native prairie is growing back at this location. At first most of the growth will be out of sight underground as the new prairie builds up its root system. Over the next few years look for a bluestem prairie to materialize.

In time Dickcissels to nest in the prairie and Henslow's and Le Conte's Sparrows to spend the winter!