Editing Brownsville, Texas (section)

==Parks and recreation==
[[File:El Sal Del Rey.jpg|thumb|El Sal Del Rey inside the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge]]
Brownsville has 37 parks connected by a {{convert|1,200|acre|sqmi|abbr=on|adj=on}} system of parkland and {{convert|32|mi|km|abbr=on}} of bike lanes. The city also has three gymnasiums, two public pools, and 55 athletic fields.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parks & Recreation |url=https://www.cob.us/308/Parks-Recreation |website=www.cob.us |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105201033/https://www.cob.us/308/Parks-Recreation |url-status=live}}</ref>

Brownsville's proximity to the coast has allowed the city to register several locations under the list of [[protected areas of the United States]]. [[Resaca de la Palma State Park]] is one of six nature preserves (and three state parks) that are part of the [[World Birding Center]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Natures Adventures in Texas |url=http://www.theworldbirdingcenter.com/ |website=World Birding Center |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-date=January 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115200857/http://www.theworldbirdingcenter.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref> It is also the largest [[nature preserve]] of the park system, with approximately {{convert|1,200|acre|ha|abbr=on}} of native [[semitropical]] brushland.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/resaca-de-la-palma|title=Resaca de la Palma State Park — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department|website=tpwd.texas.gov|access-date=July 9, 2017|archive-date=July 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715160808/http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/resaca-de-la-palma|url-status=live}}</ref> The area was part of the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. The [[National Park Service]] lists the site of the [[Battle of Palo Alto]] as a [[Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park|National Historic Park]]. The agency purchased {{convert|300|acre|ha|abbr=on}} of the site's land, with two-thirds belonging to private landowners.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Janiskee |first1=Bob |title=Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park Uniquely Commemorates a Mexican War Battle |url=https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2009/11/palo-alto-battlefield-national-historical-park-uniquely-commemorates-mexican-war-battle4968 |access-date=January 5, 2019 |work=National Parks Traveller |date=November 24, 2009 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105200904/https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2009/11/palo-alto-battlefield-national-historical-park-uniquely-commemorates-mexican-war-battle4968 |url-status=live}}</ref> It is native to the ''[[Prosopis glandulosa]]'' (honey mesquite) bush, ''[[Opuntia engelmannii]]'' (prickly pear), and ''[[Yucca treculeana]]'' (yucca).<ref>{{cite web |title=Inventory and Monitoring at Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park |url=https://www.nps.gov/im/guln/paal.htm |website=National Park Service |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105235629/https://www.nps.gov/im/guln/paal.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

The city encompasses two national wildlife refuges. Located in northeast Cameron County, [[Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge]] protects several endangered species, including the [[ocelot|Texas ocelot]] (''Leopardus pardalis albescens''), a rare wild [[felidae|cat]], and the [[Aplomado falcon]] (''Falco femoralis'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Habitat - Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge |url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/laguna_atascosa/wildlife_and_habitat/habitat.html |website=United States Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105202649/https://www.fws.gov/refuge/laguna_atascosa/wildlife_and_habitat/habitat.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The refuge measures {{convert|65096|acre|km2|adj=on}}.<ref name="TPWD">{{cite web |url=http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/conservation/txgems/laguatas/index.phtml |title=Texas GEMS - Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge (LANWR) |work=Texas Gulf Ecological Management Sites |publisher=[[Texas Parks and Wildlife Department]] |date=May 7, 2003 |access-date=December 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125233729/http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/water/conservation/txgems/laguatas/index.phtml |archive-date=January 25, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge]] is located in northwest Cameron County and measures {{convert|90788|acre|ha|adj=on|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fws.gov/refuges/realty/archives/pdf/2010_Annual_Report_of_Lands.pdf |title= Annual Report of Lands Under Control of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |date= September 30, 2010 |work= www.fws.gov |publisher= U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date= December 14, 2011 |archive-date= October 30, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20111030100901/http://www.fws.gov/refuges/realty/archives/pdf/2010_Annual_Report_of_Lands.pdf |url-status= live}}</ref> The refuge contains trails that are connected to the [[Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Wildlife and Habitat |url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Lower_Rio_Grande_Valley/wildlife_habitat.html |website=United States Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105201206/https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Lower_Rio_Grande_Valley/wildlife_habitat.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Boca Chica State Park]] and [[Brazos Island State Park]] are state parks that were transferred by separate lease agreements to the Lower Rio Grande Valley refuge center in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rozeff |first1=Norman |title=Brazos Island, its unique legacy |url=https://www.valleymorningstar.com/2017/07/09/brazos-island-its-unique-legacy-4/ |access-date=July 4, 2020 |work=Valley Morning Star |date=July 9, 2017 |archive-date=July 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706132847/https://www.valleymorningstar.com/2017/07/09/brazos-island-its-unique-legacy-4/ |url-status=live}}</ref> They measure {{convert|10680|acre|km2|adj=on}} and {{convert|217|acre|km2|adj=on}}, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |title=Boca Chica Beach |url=https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Lower_Rio_Grande_Valley/visit/boca_chica_beach.html |website=United States Fish and Wildlife Service |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105201223/https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Lower_Rio_Grande_Valley/visit/boca_chica_beach.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Brazos Island State Scenic Park |url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/gkb10 |website=Texas State Historical Association |access-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-date=January 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105201106/https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/gkb10 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Laguna Madre]] is located on the eastern side of the county. It is a long, shallow, [[hypersaline]] [[lagoon]], and is one of the most protected lagoon ecosystems in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stxmaps.com/go/laguna-madre.html|title=Laguna Madre|year=2010|work=The South Texas Map|publisher=Texmaps and Carson Map Company, Inc|access-date=June 5, 2010|archive-date=July 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725053235/http://www.stxmaps.com/go/laguna-madre.html|url-status=live}}</ref>