Palo Alto Battlefield has maintained and active natural resource management and research program. As part of this program, the park has worked with partners like the Gulf Coast Network—one of thirty-two Inventory and Monitoring networks nationwide.
Fortunately, cultural and natural resource activities at the park usually complement each other. Battlefield preservation projects usually support habitat preservation. This habit provides a home for plants and animals that have called Palo Alto their home since the time of the war. Similarly, projects to restore the landscape to its Mexican War era appearance generally encourage restoration of native habitat and species.
Visitors will ultimately benefit from the park's conservation efforts. History enthusiasts will have an opportunity to view terrain and vegetation that influenced the battle. Nature enthusiasts will have an opportunity to view plants and animals that drew the attention of soldiers more than so long ago.
The park hopes visitors will find Palo Alto a place of simple beauty and a living monument to the men who fought here so many years ago.
Sites:National Center for Preservation Technology and Training, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
I will talk today about our efforts to restore the cultural landscape and how it impacts our visitor experience. Palo Alto Battlefield is the only national park that is dedicated to preserving and interpreting sites associated.with the US Mexican War, 1846 to 1848. Right now we have a Palo Alto Battlefield and Resaca de la Palma Battlefield and there is legislation in Congress to expand our boundary to include the earthen ruins of Fort Brown.
Palo Alto Battlefield is located within the Rio Grande Delta. It is a landscape characterized by low ridges and shortened meanders of former channels of the Rio Grande. These meanders, called resacas, once functioned as part of a vast distributary network during times of flood.
Palo Alto Battlefield is working to reverse some of the 20th Century activities. These activities have altered the physical environment and continue to harm the historic character of the battlefield. However, the park has the opportunity to restore or lessen altered landscapes on the core battlefield. Developing a comprehensive and integrated vegetation management plan would allow the park to fulfill its legislative mandate of preserving the historic character of site.
Sites:Geologic Resources Division, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. Links to products from Baseline Geologic and Soil Resources Inventories provide access to maps and reports.
Sites:Gulf Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
Palo Alto Battlefield and the Gulf Coast Inventory & Monitoring Network began development of the tortoise monitoring project in 2008. The project is part of a service-wide program to keep a close eye on parks with significant natural resources. The goal of this inventory and monitoring program is to help identify significant environmental issues in National Parks and address them before they reach a severe stage.
Palo Alto Battlefield is known for its bird diversity. The park is home to several unique habitats providing birds a wealth of habitat types and food sources. Despite being a small park, Palo Alto Battlefield supports resident bird species and provides habitat for migratory species.
The Gulf Coast I&M Network's 2023 summary of Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) long-term monitoring using mark-recapture methods at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park
