Palo Alto Battlefield and Laguna Atascosa NWR Headquarters

Palo Alto Battlefield 

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters

July 16, 2015

Palo Alto Battlefield is the location of the first battle during the United States-Mexican War.  The fact that this is high ground is one of the reasons the United States was able   to win this battle.  

The U.S. had canons that were placed on the high ground and could reposition the canons as needed. The terrain also assisted in the U.S. being victorious in this battle.  The land in this area is very salty.  The Mexican soldiers did not take this into consideration.  Although they had smaller canons, they were not able to maneuver the canons through the "salitre".  As they moved the canons, they became stuck in the salty terrain.

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge has a great conservation program for the ocelot.  It is a place to see many different varieties of flora and fauna.    

                  

Blue Mist

Tornillo or Screwbean

Just like the Ebony reveals that the ground it is on is high ground, the other plants tell us the composition of the soil around them.  In this area, plants that are in the suaeda genus were present.  This indicates that the ground contains high levels of salt.  Above are pictures of two of these types of plants that tolerate a salty ground system.  

Batis Maritima

This plant is also thrives in salty environments.  It is cosmopolitan, appearing all over the world in salty areas.  Batis Maritima has no varieties, this is the only type of this plant.  It has thick leaves that help it dilute salt.

Texas Olive Tree

A luscious Texas Olive Tree greets visitors at the entrance to the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters.  It is native to the Rio Grande Valley. 

American Alligator

It was a treat to see an American Alligator in the wild.  It was interesting to see that it was very aware of our tapping on the floor of the wooden bridge with our feet causing vibrations in the water.