Houston Garden tagged interest

Located on the western edge of Memorial Park, one of the largest urban parks in the country, the Houston Arboretum andamp; Nature Center offers an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and the opportunity to experience the natural world. This 155-acre non-profit urban nature sanctuary provides education about the natural environment to people of all ages. It plays a vital role in protecting native plants and animals in the heart of the city where development threatens their survival. The Houston Arboretum is a private non-profit educational facility that operates city land.

Visitors are welcome to walk the five miles of trails free of charge. The Nature Center building includes the Discovery Room with interactive exhibits and activities and the Nature Shop filled with items for nature lovers of all ages. Over the last few years, the Houston Arboretum has added some welcome new ammenities including increased parking, new trails, updated boardwalks, six educational Field Stations along the trails, a brand new Administration Building and Conservation Center, additional prairie and savanna landscapes, two new ponds, and a completely remodeled Nature Center. A new state-of-the-art Nature Playscape will also be built and ready for visitors in 2020.

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From 1917 to 1923, the land was the site of Camp Logan, a World War I Army training camp. After the war, in 1924, the land was deeded to the City of Houston to be set aside as a park dedicated to the memory to the fallen soldiers of World War I.

The idea to create an arboretum began with local ecologist and educator Robert A. Vines who advocated carving out a piece of land from Memorial Park to serve as a nature sanctuary. In 1951, City Council agreed to his proposal and set aside 265 acres as an arboretum and botanical garden; since that time, roads and their rights-of-way have reduced the size of the arboretum to 155 acres. Vines’ intense botanical research sparked the interest and enthusiasm of Mrs. Susan M. McAshan, Jr., and in 1966, through a major contribution from the McAshan Educational and Charitable Trust, the Aline McAshan Botanical Hall for Children was funded.

On February 17, 1967, ground was broken for a nature center building. In the 1980s, the organization changed its name from the Houston Botanical Society to the Houston Arboretum andamp; Nature Center to better represent the wild and natural quality of the surrounding grounds.

In 1995, funds from a capital campaign provided for a building renovation and the installation of new, state-of-the-art Discovery Room exhibits. This expansion allowed for an increase in the variety of Nature Center program offerings and sparked a surge in attendance.

The Meadow Restoration Project began in 1999 with a gift from Marie and Anthony Kraft. Through cooperation of many state and local agencies, the Arboretum was able to perform a much-needed prescribed burn to renovate soil and improve vegetation in the meadow.

The Charlotte Couch Memorial Birding Walkway was dedicated in the fall of 2000. Designed and built to reduce impact to the forest habitat, this raised walkway allows visitor access to views of Buffalo Bayou and the forest canopy while protecting a fragile ecotone.

A Wildlife Garden, which demonstrates plantings appropriate to attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other wildlife to an urban backyard, and the Carol Tatkon Sensory Garden featuring native plants attractive to the senses are the latest additions to the Arboretum’s ever-changing landscape.

The mission of the Houston Arboretum andamp; Nature Center is to provide education about the natural environment to people of all ages and to protect and enhance the Arboretum as a haven and as a sanctuary for native plants and animals.

The Houston Arboretum andamp; Nature Center, one of the first nature education facilities for children in the state of Texas, provides services to over 400,000 visitors annually. The Arboretum also provides nature education for more than 10,000 children annually.

The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center is located at 4501 Woodway Drive Houston, TX 77024 and can be reached by phone at (713) 681-8433