What began as a personal love of the outdoors evolved into a wildlife habitat restoration project for landowners James and Georgiana Matz of Cameron County, Texas. Matz and his wife have always considered themselves stewards of the environment and their land located near Rio Hondo, Texas, along the Arroyo Colorado.

The Arroyo Colorado is an ancient inland channel of the Rio Grande River which flows thorough the Rio Grande Valley and empties into the Laguna Madre. It serves as Laguna Madre's largest source of freshwater. The Arroyo Colorado basin consists of about 500,000 acres of flat coastal plains and serves as the primary water source for more than 20 irrigation districts in the region. The Arroyo Colorado is the lifeblood of this highly cultivated area of Texas.

When the opportunity arose to enroll his land in CRP, Matz jumped at the chance. He wanted to establish a natural resource refuge. Initially, Matz considered establishing only a vegetative cover on his cropland in an effort to protect soil and water resources. Eventually, however, the Matzs' project broadened to fulfill a personal goal of establishing a wildlife habitat consisting solely of native species.

The lower Rio Grande Valley area of Texas, specifically Cameron County, is recognized for having the largest number of bird species in the region. According to the World Birding Center located in Harlingen, the Valley hosts almost 500 documented species of birds. No other area in the world can boast a greater diversity of bird species as Cameron County. Bird watchers from all over the world flock to Cameron County to witness this migratory phenomenon. Through his involvement in CRP, Matz is contributing to the preservation of the Valley's birding mecca.

Matz pursued his idea of a wildlife habitat, offering to enroll a small parcel - 9 acres - of cropland in CRP and to establish the practice Permanent Wildlife Habitat. When the land was accepted for CRP enrollment, Matz immediately began working to establish a wildlife refuge. Devoting over three months to the effort, Matz successfully planted permanent grasses and woody plants, specifically native species including Plains Bristlegrass, Switchgrass Blackwell, Sideoats grama, Illinois Bundleflower, Maximillian Sunflower, Mesquite, Huisache, and Sabal Palms.

In addition, using CRP cost-share assistance, Matz installed a wildlife pond. Currently, under the advisement of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TP&WD) and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Matz is working to maintain and preserve the native vegetation, making the area attractive to native and migratory animals and birds. It appears his efforts are paying dividends as TP&WD has documented Rio Grande turkey nesting in the vicinity of the Matz property – marking the first time in more than 20 years that this species has been sighted so far from the Gulf Coast along the Arroyo Colorado.

As a way to share his love of the outdoors and the fruits of his labor, Matz provides free tours of his CRP wildlife habitat to student groups, environmental clubs, and bird-watching organizations.

No area in the world has a greater diversity of bird species than Cameron County.

The CRP wildlife habitat includes several native plant species

Arroyo Colorado serves as the primary water source for over 20 irrigation districts.

Using CRP cost-share assistance, the Matzes constructed a shallow water for wildlife.