Ecosystem Summit 2026

Join us r Ecosystem Summit 2026 June 19th at the Aransas County Community Center in Rockport, Texas for it’s second year to raise awareness of Rockport, Fulton and Aransas County’s heritage of environmental champions and organizations. Recent innovations in restoration and sustainability, such as oyster reef replenishment, are featured.

The Summit is sponsored by Aransas County, Aransas County Navigation District, HEB, The City of Rockport, The History Center for Aransas County, and The Town of Fulton.

The Summit begins at the Aransas County Community Center, located at 302 N. Live Oak in Rockport, at 11:00 am with lunch and ecosystem documentaries, featuring the vast ecosystems of Aransas County and the surrounding bays and estuaries.

REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE: : https://www.eventbrite.com/…/ecosystem-summit-2026…

Speaker:  Kathy Sweezey, The Nature Conservancy, will share how her organization preserves unique pieces of land including oyster restoration.

Special guests will discuss relevant ecosystem topics in a panel format:

Panel Discussion: Aransas County’s Heritage of Environmental Action

Dinah Bowman, Marine Biologist, Sporting Artist

Janae Evans, President, Aransas First Land Trust

Dr. Steve Ferguson, Aransas County Chair of Land Use Management

Panel Discussion: Balancing Economic Development & Sustainability

Amy Belaire, Owner, Big Tree Oyster Company

Jim Farnsworth, Aransas Pathways, Kayaking Chair

Dr. Rebekah Rylander, Aransas Pathways, Birding Chair

Panel Discussion: Developing Advocacy Champions

Pat Cruz, Marine Agent, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Della Meadows, Executive Director, Coastal Bend Bays Foundation

Chuck Naiser, President, Flatsworthy

Closing Speakers:

Ted Ballard, Freshwater Texas – Water Initiatives in Texas

Ashely Bennis, Clean Coast Texas, The Harte Institute  – The State of the Texas Coast

Networking/Expo during the Summit – Aransas First Land Trust; Aransas Pathways; Coastal Bend Alliance for Sustainable Stormwater; Harte Institute – Oyster Resource and Recovery Center; Keep Aransas County Beautiful; Restore Little Bay Foundation; Rockport Cultural Arts District; San Antonio Bay Partnership; Texas A&M Agri-Life Extension-Aransas County; Texas Master Naturalists; Texas Sea Grant

Partner organizations are Aransas First Land Trust, Aransas Pathways, Big Tree Oyster Company, Clean Coast Texas, Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries,  Coastal Conservation Association, Flatsworthy, Freshwater Texas, Keep Aransas County Beautiful,  The Nature Conservancy,  The Harte Institute – Oyster Resources and Recovery, San Antonio Bay Partnership, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Texas Master Naturalists, Texas Parks & Wildlife, Texas Sea Grant, and legendary sporting artist Dinah Bowman of Dinah Bowman Gallery.

——————————–

A PRE-EVENT BUS TOUR starts the day from 9am to 11am, with the Coastal Bend Alliance for Sustainable Stormwater (CBASS) presenting local Green Infrastructure Projects below.   This bus tour has been generously underwritten by The History Center for Aransas County.

REGISTER FOR THE PRE-EVENT TOUR HERE: https://forms.gle/rjSq7UKB8ipjJsZf9

9:00AM History Center for Aransas County: Speaker – Amy Parker

801 E Cedar St, Rockport, TX 78382

• Gardens Tour – Replica of Dr. Bruhl’s Medicinal Garden
• Historic Medicinal Garden: Features plants traditionally used for healing and everyday remedies along the Texas coast
• Paul Bruhl Apothecary Connection: Demonstrates how physicians historically used plant-based treatments and local resources
• Pollinator & Habitat Garden: Designed to support butterflies, bees, and coastal bird species (includes native plants that provide food, shelter, and seasonal blooms)

9:40 AM “Cultural Interface” Sculptures: Little Bay – Speaker – Charlie Belaire

Corner of E. Laurel St. & HWY 35 N

• Drought Tolerant Native Plantings that Flower Year Around
• Little Bay Retention Wall- shoreline stabilization. Grass roots efforts
• Oyster reefs – water quality & biodiversity
• Compound Flood Sensor- TAMUCC Project
• Drainage Retention Planting in Medians- TXDOT Project

10:20 AM The San Antonio & Aransas Pass Rockport Railroad Museum: Speakers – Ashley Bennis, Brian Koch / Adrien Hilmy

105 S Magnolia St, Rockport, TX 78382

• Water Cistern – how does it work and what are the benefits
• Rain Garden – a model of water filtration and biodiversity
• Rainfall simulator – show casing how different soil types infiltrate water.

Jennifer Day, RCAD Executive Director, noted, “We are
celebrating and honoring those organizations and individuals who
have made a difference in conservation. Networking and
partnering with each other to promote awareness is part of the
District’s mission that includes Art in Nature. With RCAD’s recent
documentary featuring the lifelong conservation accomplishments
of Charlie Belaire, and its water retention Cistern initiative at our
Rockport Railroad Museum, we recognized the importance of
showcasing the many organizations and individuals who make
this nature filled area the ecosystem epicenter of the Texas Gulf
Coast.

RCAD submitted a Proclamation to Aransas County, the City of Rockport,                                                   the Aransas County Navigation District, and the Town of Fulton to declare                                             June 20th as “Sustainable Ecosystem Day” and recognize our area as “The
Ecosystem Capital of the Texas Gulf Coast.” With events like
Arbor Day, Babes on the Bay, Hummerfest and Oysterfest and
Rockport’s designation as a ‘Tree City USA,’ in this area, we are
already positioned to recognize our community’s commitment to
wildlife and the environment. We have become an innovator for
matching economic development with sustainable stewardship.”

Signed books that have featured artists’ commitment to
conservation are being sold at the event, including “The Story of the
Rockport-Fulton Art Colony” from Texas A&M Press. Authors
Kay Betz and Vickie Merchant have also revised a Second Edition
of their “The ABCs of the Rockport-Fulton Art Colony” to benefit

RCAD. This version contains new material on conservation, the
ecosystem, and wildlife for young readers, along with artwork and
historic photographs. The book details the comeback of species
like egrets, pelicans and Ridley’s Sea Turtles, as well as the
wonders of natural events like bird migration. The Second
Edition of “The ABCs of the Rockport-Fulton Art Colony”  and the                                                          Ecosystem Summit Lunch has been
generously underwritten by HEB.

The Ecosystem and Ecotourism Expo showcases businesses
and organizations working in the conservation arenas.
The  Pre-Event Project Tour and the Ecosystem Summit are free to the public.

Visit Rockport-Fulton.com for lodging in Rockport, local events, and more.