Music Comes to Woodland Park as FWP Launches Community Center Concert Series

FWP is excited to announce the launch of the Woodland Park Community Center Concert Series on Thursday, March 9th! This FREE family-oriented event will open at 5:30 pm and feature FREE popcorn and lemonade, with the FREE concert starting at 6:00 pm. The event will finish by 7:30 pm.

The March 9th inaugural concert will feature local resident Loreta Kovacic - a master musician, former concert pianist, and current singer/songwriter/pianist - and her brother on his first trip to the US from Croatia, cellist and music producer Stanislav Kovacic. Per Culturemap, “Croatian-born Houstonian Loreta Kovacic moves between the classical and pop milieus as fluidly as her fingers dance around the ivories.” She holds a Doctorate Degree in music from Rice University and can be found performing anywhere from McGonigel’s Mucky Duck and Cafe Adel in Houston to Carnegie Hall in New York.

Siblings and musicians Stanislav and Loreta Kovacic.

Loreta has been an ardent supporter of the park, and she kindly offered her talents with her brother as a possible musical event. FWP leapt at the opportunity and realized that a series of concerts could work as a unifying event for the greater community, drawing more people to the park and into the community center itself. This opportunity seemed very much in alignment with the FWP mission of “preserving and improving Woodland Park's natural habitat along with its unique historical significance to the City of Houston, and to providing for the enjoyment and education of all who visit.” FWP worked with the staff at Houston Parks Department (HPARD) to sponsor and gain support for this new music appreciation effort in the community.

Firefly Field sculpture at Woodland Park, by artist Dylan Conner.

“Music is such a common language…and we hope that a variety of music and styles will be offered by other artists and supporters so that this will grow into a well-regarded and supported FWP and HPARD event,” said Pat Rutledge, FWP Treasurer and Civic Liaison. Kelli Fereday, FWP President added “Art and Nature are both respites for the soul. Woodland Park has and continues to add visual art for park users to contemplate and enjoy; it’s such a wonderful opportunity to bring music into the park as well, and especially into the community center which for many years has been under-utilized by the local area.”

Update and Call for Action on B-Cycle Stations in Heights

See this link for the most recent hot-off-the-press update from Houston B-cycle!

The “quick take” is that rapid decisions were made to close 50% of stations (which included all stations in the Greater Heights) in the face of rising operating costs/declining revenues and, on Jan 26th, METRO voted to step in temporarily. We have asked Houston B-cycle for usage data and for the immediate re-opening of our station until a forward plan is agreed. It looks like that any re-opening would not happen prior to March 2023.

Funding: The annual cost of running the stations is about $7500. FWP is pleased that one objective of the closer integration with METRO is to lower operating costs. Another important request is that METRO include contributions to bikeshare funding from the 1% of sales tax that METRO receives to operate in the city/county, thereby providing bikeshare a source of consistent funding.

Please contact Houston Bikeshare at info@houstonbikeshare, our District H Councilmember Karla Cisneros at districth@houstontx.gov, and the METRO board at boardoffice@ridemetro.org to advocate for retaining this amenity in our park and as a key “last-mile” transit solution across our area.

Letter from our Board Chair, Maya Ford (Updated January 27) — Houston BCycle

Woody the Turtle Update!

Woody the Turtle is under fabrication in the shop of artist Dylan Conner! He has been making the curved pipe sections, which are being matched up to a 12-foot full-scale drawing on the studio floor with turtle body parts carefully laid in a grid.

Dylan has shared an image of one of the bending processes in use. Next step: Manipulate the curved pipes to define the outermost edge of the giant turtle shell.

Current forecast is to finish and install Woody at the end of February. This piece is going to be a special one! :)

January Bird Survey is a Hoot!

Barred Owl

Mary Goldsby, FWP Birder-in-Chief, reported a good winter birding day this last weekend with 30 species and 5 birders, and a total of 176 birds! Their best bird was the Barred owl which cooperated by sitting still allowing clear and longer looks than usual. 

The next bird survey will be February 18th at 7:30am. All bird survey dates for 2023 have been loaded onto the FWP calendar online. Click on them to save to your own calendar via a Google or .ics file.

If you are birding on your own, we recommend the Merlin Bird ID app for sound and visual indentification and eBird for tracking and viewing sightings.

If you would like to be added to or removed from the 2023 survey email list, please contact Mary at sprocket211@gmail.com.

January’s BIRDS (all linked to our Bird Catalogue on the FWPO Website):

White-winged Dove  13
Mourning Dove  2
Neotropic Cormorant  4
Great Blue Heron  1
Great Egret  4
Snowy Egret  1
Black Vulture  1
Osprey  1
Cooper's Hawk  1
Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Barred Owl  1
Belted Kingfisher  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  3
Downy Woodpecker  4
Eastern Phoebe  1
Blue Jay  10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  3
House Wren  1
Carolina Wren  4
European Starling  8
Northern Mockingbird  1
American Robin  6
Cedar Waxwing  24
White-throated Sparrow  1
Great-tailed Grackle  64
Orange-crowned Warbler  1
Yellow-rumped Warbler  4
Northern Cardinal  8

 

Woodland Park B-Cycle Station Closed

Closed B-Cycle Station at Woodland Park.

Sadly, the well-used Woodland Park B-Cycle station has been closed as the City of Houston determines how to integrate the bike systems into its overall transportation strategy. FWP was instrumental in funding the bike station installation and we are working with our local TIRZ, the Northside Management District, the city and the county to reactivate the station ASAP. See the attached article for more details.

Woodland Park selected as a City of Houston Nature Preserve

A highlight of the FWP Annual General Meeting held October 20, 2022 was the announcement from guest speaker Natahalie Bue, HPARD Park Naturalist, that Woodland Park was one of 26 parks selected as a Nature Preserve under the newly passed City of Houston Nature Preserve Ordinance. In addition to Woodland Park, nearby Freed Art and Nature Park and White Oak Park have also been included. The Preserve designation is focused on the undeveloped natural areas of the parks (for Woodland Park, that’s the bayou area and surrounding riparian forest) and seeks to preserve and restore natural habitat and limits developments to those that support “passive recreation” activities such as hiking and birding. Removal of invasive species and other restoration activities will take place by 2030. See the video below to hear it straight from Nathalie! Thank you to Nathalie and all who were able to attend!

Pickleball Comes to Woodland Park!

FWP is excited to announce that the Woodland Park Community Center will now be hosting Indoor Pickleball every Saturday from 10am-12pm on a trial basis.  The markings on the court aren’t quite perfect but it looks promising for now, and we know that the court is in the queue for resurfacing. FWP has purchased 8 new paddles and balls to help the program get started. Experienced in pickleball and interested in helping out? Please contact Board President Kelli Fereday.

HPARD has a good website on City of Houston pickleball courts – once we have established that people are showing up, our community center manager, Robert Messa, will ask to add Woodland Park.  Interestingly, there are no other community centers offering indoor pickleball on Saturdays! The site nicely describes the location of outdoor courts (something FWP is considering as a project) and whether they are shared with tennis or basketball or stand-alone. 

And, did you catch the news about the recent National Pickleball Tournament at Memorial Park? A first for Houston and recognition of the growing popularity of the sport in Houston and the nation.

October Birding Update and November Reminders!

Mary Goldsby described the October Bird Walk as a very birdy survey, which means that the Fall migration is underway! We had 13 birders and 25 species. See below for a list and links to each bird species seen. Plus, check out this link from Mary to a terrific migration tool . There are additional tools under “Migration Tools” and in particular take a look at the “Migration Dashboard” and type in Harris County, Texas. Our next survey will be Saturday November 12th, 2022 at 7:30am.

Also, now is a great time to join or renew your FWP Membership - or, even better, join and set your membership to “Auto-Renew” or join as a Lifetime Member! Then come join us at our Member Appreciation Happy Hour on Monday, November 7th from 6:00pm-7:30om at the home of our FWP President, Kelli Fereday.

Stand out like an Indigo Bunting!

By joining FWP today!

The First Annual “Best Friend” of Woodland Park Award

At the October 20th Annual General Meeting, FWP Board President Kelli Fereday announced the establishment of a new annual recognition - the “Best Friend of Woodland Park” Award - and the Board were honored to recognize Mary Goldsby for her work in protecting natural areas and dedication to promoting birding in Woodland Park.

Many volunteers generously dedicate their time and labor to help protect, enhance and celebrate Woodland Park. Earlier this year, the FWP Board decided to create a special recognition for an individual or group to be given each year at our annual meeting, starting in 2022.  The Best Friend of Woodland Park Award is given to show deep appreciation for contributions that greatly advance our mission:

“. . .Preserving the park's natural habitat along with its unique historical significance to the City of Houston, and to providing for the enjoyment and education of all who visit.”

Board Member and Treasurer Pat Rutledge presented the award to a wonderful Woodland Heights neighbor, Mary Goldsby. Mary makes this park, this community, and this world a better place with her selfless care for the park and consistent and deeply knowledgeable leadership of the monthly Audubon bird surveys in the park. Mary does this out of her love of birding and has taught others to appreciate the beauty and diversity we have in Woodland Park.  This was even recognized by our guest speaker, Nathalie Bue, HPARD Park Naturalist, who noted that 168 different bird species have been found and recorded in Woodland Park! Mary is an unsung, long-time park steward, picking up trash in the park on a regular basis, especially in months where there is no organized cleanup.

In addition to being the first person to be added to a recognition plaque which will be hung in the Community Center, Mary was presented with an original art piece created by Nat Smith, longtime FWP supporter and husband of Founding President, Becky Houston. The piece consisted of 3 birds crafted from recycled aluminum cans - reflecting Mary’s passion and expertise and utilizing found materials from the park.

Mary Goldsby is truly one of the most dedicated caregivers of Woodland Park, and FWP and park user are so grateful.  THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS!



September 2022 Bird Survey Update

The September Bird Survey had 3 birders this morning and 17 species. Although our species count doesn't reflect it, we are in fall migration now. After the little cold front we had last week, the Houston area saw lots of migrants for several days. Now with an unfavorable wind direction, we are back to lower bird numbers. We should continue to see migrating birds in our area for the next 6 weeks or so.

Our next survey will be on Saturday October 15, 2022. Due to a schedule conflict, the November survey will be on Saturday November 12, 2022.

Huge thanks to Mary Goldsby, Woodland Heights resident, for leading these surveys.

You can see info on all of these birds on our website https://www.friendsofwoodlandpark.org/birds

White-winged Dove 3

Chimney Swift 4

Great Egret 1

Snowy Egret 2

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 1

Red-shouldered Hawk 1

Red-tailed Hawk 1

Red-bellied Woodpecker 3

Downy Woodpecker 2

Blue Jay 5

Red-vented Bulbul 1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2

Carolina Wren 2

European Starling 4

Northern Mockingbird 1

Scaly-breasted Munia 20

Northern Cardinal 5v

TxDOT Proposal Elevating Stretch of I-10

TxDOT is proposing to elevate a stretch of I-10 along White Oak Bayou. The FWP Board is against this for the reasons listed below from our friends at the Woodland Heights Civic Association.

Please submit the below pre-written comment via email to TxDOT. The DEADLINE is September 9 so please do not delay and share with your neighbors. Click or select the link below to open the pre-written email.

Sincerely, 

FWP Board

“THERE IS NO POWER FOR CHANGE GREATER THAN A COMMUNITY DISCOVERING WHAT IT CARES ABOUT.” – MARGARET J. WHEATLEY

  

Help stop the project by submitting this pre-written email to TxDOT and elected officials: click here.

  

ACT NOW: The deadline to submit comments is September 9th.

 

In recent weeks the WHCA has challenged TxDOT on their plan to elevate I-10 near our neighborhood between Heights Blvd. and I-45. Due to the lack of transparency, engagement, and overall dubiousness around the project, the WHCA cannot support this project. The project, in its current form, seems to be a waste of taxpayer money and jeopardizes the tranquility and worth of our community. Below is a high-level list of issues:

  • TxDOT has defined the need, designed, and funded this project to start in 2024 without first considering the impact to the surrounding communities and ecosystems or engaging the public.

  • TxDOT should halt this project until Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) completes its evaluation of a plan to build 8 massive tunnels that would divert and store water underground. A study should be done to determine whether the I-10 elevation would be needed if the tunnel system goes forward.

  • This finished project would not withstand a Hurricane Harvey level event and traffic would still need to be re-routed as it is now and would be through the construction period. Any tax-payer funded project that purports to address flooding should be built to take on a 500-year flood.

  • The elevation of I-10 would add significant noise pollution to already very loud highway noise. The increased noise will impact property values along White Oak and surrounding streets.

  • The construction will last a minimum of four years and will be a burden to our community. In that time we will have limited access in and out of the neighborhood which will cause congestion within the neighborhood. That could lead to homeowners leaving, depressed home values, and homes sitting on the market longer.

  • TxDOT should consult local organizations to define parameters of the environmental impacts to be studied for ecosystems along White Oak and Little White Oak bayous and into our neighborhoods which are nesting sites for important birds like the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, the official bird of Houston and formerly endangered Bald Eagles.

  • TxDOT should not take away any greenspace along White Oak Bayou.

  • TxDOT should not disturb the forested area slated to be a detention pond. This provides important sound mitigation, natural habitat and aesthetic beauty.

  • TxDOT should not break the Inner Katy project into smaller projects.

    • We are concerned that TxDOT’s decision to split the Inner Katy Corridor into segmented projects will mean that the full environmental impacts are not captured under National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

    • We support other communities like Cottage Grove who are fighting a separate I-10 project threatening their parks and further dividing their neighborhood.

    • Impact analysis should be combined with the current I-45 impact analysis as they will affect the same neighborhoods and bayous

Here’s how you can help stop TxDOT’s I-10 Plan: 

·        Submit a pre-written email to TxDOT and elected officials: click here.

·        Submit your own comment on the TxDOT.gov website and reference project number: CSJ 0271-07-326

  

“ALONE WE CAN DO SO LITTLE. TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH.” – HELEN KELLER