John Graves 1920-2013

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Texas author and naturalist John Graves died at the Glen Rose farm he called Hard Scrabble in the early morning of July 31.

Brazos_River_below_Possum_Kingdom_Lake,_Palo_Pinto_County,_TexasIn the 1950’s a series of dams was proposed along the Brazos River, which would have drastically changed the character of the countryside and the river. Graves had known the river well as a youth and he decided to visit it one more time. He put in his canoe at the Highway 16 bridge below Possum Kingdom, and with only a dachshund pup as a companion, spent three weeks on the river.

He interspersed a narrative of the journey with tales of the Indians and settlers who once lived there, and with musings on nature and the environment. The result was Goodbye to a River, a classic of Texas literature.

Graves followed up with many other articles and books which provided inspiration to those of us who want to preserve and protect the environment he wrote so eloquently about.

In the video below he talks about the land.

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**ARCHIVED POST AUTHOR: Bill Hopkins

About the Region

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This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason