Special Sanctuary Spots

By Aimee Friend, Laurel Ladwig and Sam Oke

While it’s the birds that bring visitors to our High Island sanctuaries, it’s passionate people that make the place truly special. Houston Audubon was established in 1969 by a group of dedicated volunteers who wanted to create an organization focused on protecting birds and habitat while introducing a structured approach to environmental education and advocacy. One such volunteer was Katrina Ladwig, who helped establish the Houston Audubon bylaws. After Katrina passed away in 2013, her daughter, Laurel, established Katrina’s Corner, a beloved area next to the pump house in Smith Oaks Sanctuary that features a bird drip and two benches. Since its dedication in 2015, many visitors proclaim Katrina’s Corner to be their favorite spot in High Island. 154 species have been documented from this location. Both Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos have visited, along with 27 warbler species.

Laurel comes each April to spend a weekend at High Island and plans a Big Sit. She says, “a few Albuquerque birding friends come with me and many Houston friends drive down for the day of the Big Sit, though some are most excited about the church barbeque. I get there at dawn and stay until dusk. For the first few years a Barn Owl flew out from the pump house each evening. Something special happens each year. During the pandemic, the awesome field crew members did a virtual Facebook Live Big Sit and one was able to get on a Cerulean Warbler moving above the drip while digiscoping. It was incredible and so fun to have a recognizable blue and white blur in a screenshot! Last year, the drip didn’t have many morning visitors. It had been a slow day overall and then someone spotted Cape May Warblers in the canopy above the drip! Soon dozens of people were crowded around the benches and everyone was focused on making sure others got to see the special visitors. My mom would have loved that.”

Katrina’s dear friend, Dee Oke, was the caretaker for Edith Moore’s log cabin shortly after she passed, and even helped care for Edith’s dog. Katrina and Dee met in the early days of Houston Audubon and volunteered together folding newsletters, which has been a long-standing tradition at Houston Audubon. Laurel remembers spending much of her childhood at Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary with her mom and Dee, “getting in the way” while they were building trails and renovating the cabin with other volunteers.

Dee’s passion for the outdoors and her love of birding was a gift she enthusiastically shared with all who knew her. “Birdie,” as she was affectionately called by her loving grandchildren, was an avid birdwatcher who found great joy in spending time outdoors. She traveled all over the world and throughout the U.S. for the simple joy of seeing a new bird, but she particularly enjoyed birdwatching in local nature sanctuaries such as High Island, Bolivar Flats, Edith L. Moore, and the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. After Dee’s passing in 2021, her sons and extended family sought to establish a memorial site bearing Dee’s name at Smith Oaks Sanctuary. Dee’s Den was officially dedicated in 2023 and serves as a gathering location for birdwatchers and nature lovers from all over the world.

Says Sam, “my mom would have been so thrilled to know her legacy was to help provide a space for all to experience the natural beauty of southeast Texas preserved for future generations. We are so happy to see the site come to fruition with the help of Aimee Friend, Laurel Ladwig, David Bradford, and Houston Audubon.”

Sam Oke recalls that growing up, exploring nature and birdwatching were ever-present activities for him and his brother. From camping in state parks to fishing in local ponds, from tending to native plants in the front yard to birdwatching in the backyard, experiencing and appreciating nature was cultivated early on. Laurel recalls that all her best memories of her mom involved birds and birding together. Her favorite times at Smith Oaks are sitting alone at dawn at Katrina’s Corner and feeling like she’s with her mom while waiting for the first visitor to the drip.

Dee and Katrina planted the seeds for a love of birding and an appreciation for the outdoors that will continue to thrive in all who knew her. Not only do Katrina and Dee’s legacies live on through Katrina’s Corner and Dee’s Den, but through all who visit as well.

This article was featured in The Warbler, Houston Audubon’s annual spring newsletter.