JPMC and HPARD Blaze a New Trail!

The triangle adjoining Little White Oak Bayou between Wrightwood and White Oak streets - between “Woodland” and “Freed” Parks - has suffered longtime neglect, in part because no one was sure who it belonged to (hence its nickname, "no man's land").  But earlier this year, Houston Parks and Recreation (HPARD) clarified that that "no man's land" and Freed Park were now, in fact, part of Woodland Park. FWP sprung into action to clean it up and upgrade the existing "goat trail" running through it, connecting Freed Park and the main section of Woodland Park north of Wrightwood.  

More than four dozen energetic volunteers from JP Morgan Chase, HPARD, and local community volunteers came out on a warm September 28th Saturday morning to pick up trash, remove hurricane debris, clear vegetation, line a new trail between Woodland Park and Freed Park, then move and smooth over eight cubic yards of mulch. All in less than three hours! By lunchtime, “No Man's Land” was transformed, with a broad, smooth and welcoming path connecting the two parks.  Thank you JPMC!

None of this would have happened without a great deal of preplanning and skillful execution by the tireless Cindy and Serin from #BreakADifference, HPARD’s Oneika Peters, and FWP’s Pat Rutledge, Amanda Brown, and Taylor Chapman. The HPARD effort was part of the city-wide Park Recovery and Restoration project, and the city even worked throughout the week prior to insure that the park trails were cleared and safe for the workday to take place.

Maggie Holsten, Sr Manager at BreakADifference, said “It was such a pleasure working with each of you, and I'm thrilled to hear you are pleased with the results of the volunteers' efforts. It's a privilege to be able to partner with orgs like FWP that work year-round to support the communities you live in.”

Taylor Chapman, FWP Bayou Director, noted the very next day. “I drove past the trail this morning and saw someone walking his dog on the new trail that your volunteers built less than a week ago!  It's already attracting new foot traffic, which should make a positive impact in the neighborhood.”

So, check out the new trail! We are excited to have this new area and Freed Park officially recognized as extensions to Woodland Park.