Ashley Terry - Features

A local conservation group is “making waves” with a groundbreaking initiative that aims to restore the health of Baffin Bay — one current at a time. Founded officially in 2022, Bringing Baffin Back™ is a community-driven project dedicated to the health and revitalization of the “jewel” of the Texas Coast, Baffin Bay. 

Known specifically for its world-class fishing, Baffin Bay has served as a true playground for fishing enthusiasts everywhere — especially due to its reputation for having “trophy-sized” trout and redfish in its salty waters. But in the past few decades, many anglers and fishing guides have noticed an unusual decline in both the water quality and the health of the ecosystem. 

“In 2012, we started hearing concerns from community members and longtime anglers about the health of Baffin Bay,” said Michael Wetz, chair for Coastal Ecosystems Processes at Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies. “These are guys who have been fishing down there for 50 or 60 years, and they just saw a lot of changes happening over time.”

TAKING THE PLUNGE

With concerns ranging from persistent harmful algal blooms, fish kills and episodes of apparent starvation in a commercially important fish species called the black drum, Wetz and other community volunteers immediately jumped into action. 

"We had a team of about 17 volunteers who took us out every month to get the water samples we needed to document the changes and water quality conditions in the bay,” Wetz explained. “And from that data, it really helped us to identify what the main drivers of water quality degradation were in that system.”

According to harteresearch.org, the volunteers — or “citizen scientists” — found that Baffin Bay was being subjected to excessive nutrient pollution coming from its watershed. The nutrients that were identified, like nitrogen and phosphorus, played key roles in promoting algal blooms and the other symptoms of water quality degradation.

CASTING THE NET

"By about 2018, we had a good handle on what the issues were, so that's when we formed the Baffin Bay Stakeholder Group to try to figure out how we can address the pollution sources that were causing the water quality issues in Baffin Bay,” Wetz said. “(We were) also trying to get some additional studies done to figure out what specific sources were contributing to the problems." 

The Baffin Bay Stakeholder Group (BBSG) provides a platform for community involvement and input. Members include researchers, anglers, landowners, ranchers, business owners, local leaders, representatives from state and local agencies, and individual community members. Now just six years later, that small group that started with only a dozen concerned citizens and a handful of resource managers has grown exponentially — with more than 350 members in the BBSG currently. Adrien Hilmy, project manager and quality assurance officer for the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, shared that the involvement in the stakeholder group alone “truly shows how important Baffin Bay is to the community.”

“At the end of the day, this whole movement has been driven by those that depend on and recreate in Baffin Bay,” Hilmy said. 

UNITING FOR THE BAY

Today, Bringing Baffin Back™ is led by the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program, as well as supported by the BBSG. Wetz explained that the initiative encompasses different phases of the revitalization process, like research and monitoring, watershed restoration and stakeholder engagement to address water quality degradation and habitat loss in Baffin Bay.

"There's a third phase,” Wetz added. “Once we start to really get a handle on the water quality issues and start to improve them in the bay, then in the near future, we want to go and look at what habitat has been lost in the bay, like the sea grass beds and other good habitat for fish, and we want to start to restore that as well.”

Athena Frasca, watershed restoration coordinator for the Harte Research Institute, added that the many supporting organizations and project partners recognized the need for a “unified, collaborative approach to protect and restore,” Baffin Bay, which she described as an “iconic Texas estuary.” 

“Bringing Baffin Back™ serves as a platform to increase public awareness, foster interdisciplinary partnerships, secure funding for long-term projects, and coordinate ongoing restoration and outreach efforts,” she said. 

Frasca added that along with finding solutions to the water quality problems and restoring the bay habitat that has been lost, the initiative also aims to foster a “stewardship ethos,” among younger generations and spread awareness to the public on the relationship between watershed and bay health.

“The primary challenge for implementing Bringing Baffin Back™ is securing the funding required to implement impactful restoration projects across Baffin Bay’s 1.5-million-acre watershed,” Frasca revealed.

FISHING FOR FUNDING

Currently, the conservation group is working to secure funding for several key projects, including the construction of nature-based stormwater solutions to capture and treat runoff before it reaches the creeks and streams that flow into Baffin Bay. With nearly $300 million in funding requests, the group is also aiming to provide cost-sharing assistance to farmers and ranchers to implement agricultural best practices, such as sustainable grazing management and the use of cover crops. 

One of the funding projects, Frasca explained, also involves making investments in landowner septic system and municipal wastewater treatment plant repairs and replacements.

“A lot of the pollution reduction measures that we're trying to help bring resources to implement are things that benefit the community,” Wetz explained. “Like infrastructure-type funding that these smaller rural communities would otherwise struggle to get funding for. Bringing Baffin Back™ is something they can use to go get funding to help them address these issues.”

According to Wetz, the Nueces River Authority is currently working on getting funds to build a regional wastewater treatment facility around Robstown to support the sewage treatment needs of smaller communities.

"We’d be able to do it at a much higher level, so you get a lot cleaner water going back down to the bay,” he said. “We (also) have a program in place where we'll go in and inspect and replace septic tanks if they need it for free. That just started about a year ago, and there are about 40 replacements underway now. We've got like, 150 people signed up on the wait list, but we're just trying to get funding for all of these different things.”

TURNING THE TIDE

Though Bringing Baffin Back™ is still in its infancy, Fresca noted that the group has had a number of “exciting successes,” in its first two years — like removing more than 350 tons of household waste and more than 3,800 tires from illegal dumping sites through the Up2U program. 

Hilmy stated that while the initiative wasn’t officially formalized until 2022, the success is largely credited to HRI, CBBEP and various other partners that have dedicated their time and efforts to restore Baffin Bay.

“(We) have been working for more than a decade to reach the point where we understand the issues and have a framework in place which enables all of the partners to seek the funding needed to implement the management practices and improvements in the watershed to improve the health and productivity of Baffin Bay,” he shared.

As part of its ongoing restoration efforts, Wetz noted that one key initiative is already underway that would not only improve water quality but would support local wildlife as well.

“Our partners at the (Coastal Bend) Bays and Estuaries program have funding to build what are called rain gardens at local school districts,” Wetz added. “These rain gardens are like different vegetated habitats, so they're really nice habitats for pollinators and other critters, but at the same time, what they do is they capture water from runoff, and it kind of treats the water and cleans it up before it goes back down the stream.”

Frasca noted that a rain garden was recently constructed at Sarita Elementary School to provide “hands-on, outdoor learning opportunities,” for students. Applications are now being accepted for the program to implement between three to six more rain gardens at school districts in the Kingsville area. 

Other notable achievements for Bringing Baffin Back™ include: 

• Designing a 240-acre wetland called the Aguanita Project that will treat and cleanse water in Petronila Creek
• Initiating a one-day Baffin Bay-themed Texas Brigades camp that provides free, hands-on opportunities for youth to learn about Baffin Bay
• Implementing agricultural practices on more than 1,050 acres that will improve soil health while also improving water quality runoff from fields through the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board’s Water Quality Management Plan cost-share program 

SEA OF HOPE

Since launching Bringing Baffin Back™, Wetz said he has noticed several positives — not only in Baffin Bay itself, but also in spreading awareness about water quality issues.

"I've noticed changes in how the community understands their connection between, say, what they do on the land and how that affects the downstream bay,” he said. “In other words, what they put on their land will affect the streams and rivers that flow down to the bay. We definitely notice, with all the education work and outreach we've been trying to do, that people are really starting to understand that connection, so that's been very positive.”

He also reflected on the surprising discoveries made in the early days of the project — the first being that there was even a problem at all.

"A lot of the early work that was done in Baffin Bay in the 1990s kind of left the impression that some of these water quality issues were just sort of a natural phenomenon,” Wetz explained. “But what we found is that those earlier studies weren't measuring the right thing, so that was a big eye opener for a lot of folks is that there were actually some pretty significant water quality issues.”

At first, Wetz explained that many community members believed agriculture was the primary cause of the water quality issues. However, after conducting thorough research, it was revealed that the issue is actually far more complex.

"It's really an ‘all of the above’ problem,” he said. “There's some ag contribution, but it's also a lot of issues related to failing sewage treatment operations, storm water runoff, you name it; it's coming from a lot of different places.”

Wetz said he has enjoyed getting to work closely with several community members through the project, who all have the same goal of saving Baffin Bay so that other generations can make memories — just as they have.

“If you look back on this 10 years from now, what you're going to see is that this initiative has the potential to really transform that Kingsville, Riviera, Ricardo area and turn it into something that's like almost the nature coast of Texas,” he added. “I think there's some really neat opportunities for creating new habitat and kind of beautifying the area, but at the same time improving water quality in Baffin Bay.”

DIVING IN

To keep up with future updates on the Bringing Baffin Back™ initiative, follow the group on Facebook and Instagram @bringingbaffinback.

For more information or to join the Baffin Bay Stakeholder Group, email bringingbaffinback@tamucc.edu, or call 361-825-2129. 

In just a few weeks, everyone will be gobbling up a delicious Thanksgiving feast to celebrate a time of togetherness and family. But one local organization will soon be dishing out more than just gravy; they’ll be serving up a huge helping of community love and kindness. 

S.H.A.R.E. — which stands for Sharing Happily and Reaping Endlessly — is a local nonprofit that provides free Thanksgiving meals to those in need, while also fostering a sense of fellowship and camaraderie. 

Open to all Brush Country residents, this year’s ninth annual event is scheduled from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, at the First United Methodist Church’s Community Life Center, located at 123 N. 5th St.

According to media liaison Menda Eulenfeld, the organization was formed almost a decade ago by founder Jennifer Guyton, as she felt a calling through God during one of her prayers. 

“She just had a message that said, ‘Feed my people,’” Eulenfeld said. “So, she reached out to the community, and they just stepped up and started helping her do a shared Thanksgiving meal. It's for those who may not have a Thanksgiving meal and is just a way to give back to the community.”

She explained that Guyton was inspired by the Bible scripture Romans 12:13 which reads, “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality,” to guide her mission of providing assistance and creating a welcoming environment for the community.

“(Guyton) is just so involved and so committed to the Lord that she had this message from him,” Eulenfeld said. “And I was just really impressed by that.” 

Since its inception, the event has grown into a cherished annual tradition in Kingsville, with the number of attendees increasing each year — from approximately 1,000 in 2020, to about 1,500 in 2023. While previous events were organized as “drive-thru only” because of COVID-19, Eulenfeld mentioned that this year's event will be exclusively dine-in — noting that she’s also expecting around 1,500 guests.

As for the “fixins,” attendees can look forward to a delightful spread featuring turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn and warm rolls — all prepared by various local churches and community volunteers, like the Knights of Columbus and the Kingsville Ministerial Alliance.

Eulenfeld explained that her involvement with S.H.A.R.E. was inspired by a video she created in 2020, which showcased the immense gratitude from individuals who received a holiday meal.

"The number of people that were so grateful to have a meal ... I mean, we've had people that would come up on their bikes that are known homeless people in our community, and they got to have a free meal,” she explained. “It's doing what we should be doing, so it really just stuck out to me.” 

While the main purpose of the event is to offer meals to those in need, it also creates opportunities for attendees to connect socially.

“I feel like the whole community comes together at this one time just to help people,” Eulenfeld said. “And, you know, granted, there are probably some people who just want to socialize, and that's fine too. There’s this lady in my church who’s a widow, and she doesn't really have anybody for Thanksgiving, so she would actually come to the meals just to be able to be with other people.” 

With S.H.A.R.E.’s popularity continuing to grow, the organization relies heavily on the generosity and hard work of volunteers and donations from the community to ensure that each Thanksgiving meal is a success.

Eulenfeld explained that the event averages about 50 volunteers every year — but they’re always looking for additional support. 

“If you have a Boy Scout or a Girl Scout troop that wants to help, that’s fine. You are more than welcome to come out and help,” she said. 

Although canned food donations are appreciated, Eulenfeld explained that monetary donations are preferred, as it allows the organization to buy items in bulk, which ultimately reduces their expenses.

“The donations that we get, they're very helpful,” she said. “However, monetary donations are better.” 

As Eulenfeld gears up for another year of giving back, she encourages everyone to join together in celebrating the spirit of community and gratitude this November.

“It’s a free meal for the community,” Eulenfeld added. “We’re just here to help out and to fellowship during the Thanksgiving holiday.”

For more information on volunteering or to donate to the organization, contact board president John Miller at 361-522-9883.

 It’s the most wonderful time of “fear” — complete with scary movies, spooky decorations, and ghoulish costumes. But it wouldn’t be Halloween without the Kingsville Police Department’s annual Trunk or Treat event. Set from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Dick Kleberg Park, 501 Santiago Park Lane, ghosts and goblins alike can participate in family-friendly trick-or-treating in a fun and safe environment. 

The cleverly-named “Trunk” or Treat event allows children dressed in their spookiest — or cutest — costumes to walk from car to car at the park to collect candy and treats from decorated trunks.

According to KPD Communications Supervisor Monica Flores, the department’s Trunk or Treat event was initially started in October 2019 to allow for Kingsville businesses and organizations to come together every Halloween in one location. The goal was to ultimately provide a fun, yet safe, alternative to the traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating.

“We had seen and been invited to participate in many Trunk or Treat events throughout the city,” Flores said. “We found, being short-staffed, we were unfortunately unable to attend each event. Because KPD was being asked to participate in so many events, the idea was born to start the KPD Trunk or Treat event.” 

Since its inception five years ago, the event has grown significantly. Flores said during its first year, only about six employees were set up in the parking lot of the police department, and only 250 children attended the event. Last year’s event, however, showed an impressive turnout of 55 businesses and organizations participating in the event and approximately 3,000 children joining in the fun festivities. 

Due to its popularity, the event also had to move from the department's parking lot — where it was held the first two years — to Dick Kleberg Park, to account for the growing number of attendees and interest.

“Every year we get new businesses or organizations to participate,” Flores said. “We have other law enforcement agencies, banks, restaurants, school groups and various businesses from not only Kingsville but also from surrounding counties.”

Flores explained that having one location for a popular community event has fostered a strong sense of unity and support in Kingsville.

“We believe that having a place to gather and do something for the community is a great way to bring as many people as possible together and support the community that supports all of us," she said. “It provides a fun and safe environment for all involved.”

Over the past five years, Flores said the event has garnered positive feedback, with both participants and the community eagerly looking forward to the Trunk or Treat each year.

“We have received great feedback! Usually about late July or early August we have people reaching out asking if we will be hosting the event again,” Flores said.

While the community response has been overwhelmingly positive, Flores acknowledged there was some pushback from some residents during the event’s second year in 2020.

“The biggest complaint we received was our second year when we made the event a drive-thru Trunk or Treat because of COVID,” Flores explained. “Although COVID was present, we still wanted to be able to provide a fun, safe environment. A lot went into the event this particular year because of COVID and making sure everyone was safe in that aspect as well. Because this was made a drive-thru, there was a long line of vehicles backed up to enter the event. Some attendees had to wait an hour and a half before they got to where they could enter.”

Despite these challenges though, Flores added that several guests appreciated the effort to create a safe and enjoyable experience. She said many were even expressing willingness to participate again — especially due to how much their children loved the event. 

“We love seeing how it all comes together at the end and all the great responses from the community and the participants,” Flores said. “We love seeing all the kids coming through and all the different costumes.”

In fact, Flores shared one of her favorite parts of the night is getting to see the winners of the costume contest. From the scariest to funniest or just the overall best decorated, Flores said she loves witnessing the creativity and effort everyone puts into their costumes.

“The communication with the participants before, during and after the event is rewarding. This has allowed us to build some amazing relationships with the participants,” she said. “It is also rewarding when we get responses from the participants and community that they had a good time!” 

Although nothing new will be incorporated into this year’s event, Flores said her vision for 2025 is for the event to evolve into a Fall Festival that will incorporate Trunk or Treat as part of its celebration.

“Every year it has grown bigger and bigger,” she said. “We hope to continue to make it a huge event for our community!”

SPOOK-TACULAR SAFETY TIPS

While the Kingsville Police Department will be providing a fun and safe alternative to trick or treating by hosting its Trunk or Treat event, it’s still imperative for families to remain vigilant and follow key safety tips to ensure a worry-free Halloween experience.

Flores said although the department’s event will be taking place Oct. 25, KPD is aware that children will still be trick or treating on Halloween Night, Oct. 31 — which is why the department will be providing enhanced patrol in high-trafficked areas during this time. 

But while the police department will be doing everything in its power to ensure the community's safety, families and children should still adhere to essential safety tips to protect themselves and enhance their Halloween experience.

The following tips were provided by Flores and the Kingsville Police Department to ensure the safety of everyone involved during spooky season: 

• Stay in groups
• Costumes should be well-fitting 
• Remember to look both ways when crossing the street
• Examine all treats before eating
• Stay on sidewalks when possible
• Avoid dark houses and dark areas
• Have flashlights and glow sticks for visibility
• Enjoy with caution

As for candy, Flores and the KPD urge parents to inspect all items given to their children before allowing them to eat any treats.

By adhering to these tips, the Kingsville Police Department’s Trunk or Treat event is sure to be a “scream.”

Just don’t let the vampires bite.