Woodland Community Center Youth and Adult Activities

There is so much on offer at the Woodland Park Community Center this fall/winter. Center Manager Rob Messa is running multiple programs for young and old in the building at 212 Parkview St. Note that programs may change without notice due to one-off events.

After-School Enrichment

10 Spots Remain as of Oct 1st! The After-School Enrichment Program (AEP) is a recreational and cultural enrichment program for youth ages 6 - 13. The program is FREE of charge for all participants, but registration is required. Youth participants are engaged in a wide variety of activities that include crafts, nutrition, fun fitness, nature exploration and instructional sports.

Volleyball

The indoor court is set up for volleyball from 6-8pm on Monday and Wednesdays. Monday nights tend to be all adults, and Wednesdays are a good mix of tweens, teens, and adults. Be sure to sign a waiver when you arrive, or complete one for your kiddo. One responsible adult must stay with minors.

Pickleball

Pickleball is now on from 10:15am to 1:45pm every Saturday. All ages and levels welcome!

Bring your equipment or use the equipment purchased by FWP for HPARD. You can even check out a set from the center to use outdoors once the basketball court refurbishment is complete.

Basketball

There is a long history of basketball in the Woodland Community Center. The courts are set up for “shooting hoops” on Tuesday and Thursday from 6-8pm.

Saturday Pickleball Play Times Expanded!

Following on from the very successful trial of Pickleball in the Woodland Community Center, center manager Rob Messa has now expanded Pickleball play from 10:15am to 1:45pm every Saturday at the Woodland Community Center, 212 Parkview.

Bring your equipment or use the equipment purchased by FWP for HPARD. Plus, you can check out a set from the center to use outdoors once the basketball court refurbishment is complete. All ages and levels welcome!

Time to Hold Court (Repairs, that is!)

We were crossing our fingers and waiting to let you know - but it’s already happening! The long-needed and awaited refurbishment of the outdoor tennis and basketball courts - the latter with the added bonus of pickleball AND basketball striping - is underway as of September 27th!

Show me the Money: The FWP Board approached the Houston Parks and Rec Dept (HPARD) in early 2023 with a proposal to split the cost of tennis court refurbishment. An expanded agreed scope was estimated at ~$15,000 - and the Board realized that this was far more than FWP could support without a dedicated funding campaign. FWP then approached the office of District H City Council Representative, Karla Cisneros, who were able to find room in the budget to share the cost equally between District H and HPARD.

Tennis and Basketball Court Repairs Began Sept 27th

Scope includes:

1 - Repair, resurface, and repaint the existing tennis court with modern two tone design.

2 - Pressure wash the basketball court. 

3-Completely restripe the basketball court including a pickleball stencil (in a contrasting color) overlaying the eastern half of the basketball court.

Backstory: In late 2022, the FWP Board noticed that the extremely popular tennis and basketball courts needed some TLC. And, after the successful trial of Pickleball (see related news!) in the Woodland Community Center, the Board wanted to find a way to provide more access for those players, while balancing that with existing basketball and tennis demands.

 Remember way back when? When FWP was established over 15 years ago, one of the initial goals was to resurface and upgrade the existing park tennis court.  That was one of the early successes thanks in large part to the office of the then District H City Council Representative, now Sheriff Ed Gonzales! 

So keep an eye out when you enter or pass the park in the coming weeks to observe the progress of these much needed improvements.  It shouldn’t be long until you can enjoy them.

1000 lbs of Trash Removed on World Cleanup Day

World Cleanup Day was September 16th and nearly 1000 pounds of trash were removed from the park!!! Amazing to have such a devoted coalition of schools - Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart, St. Thomas High School, Strake Jesuit College Preparatory and St. Pius X High School - come together to clean up Woodland Park. Combined with the work of the Baringa crew yesterday, nearly 1000 pounds of trash - including 9 tires and 2 shopping carts - were removed from the Woodland Park Nature Reserve including Little White Oak Bayou.

Checkout and like this short video of the day by the Duchesne Environmental Club!

Bird Survey Spies 19 Species!

We had an exciting morning on September 16th at Woodland Park during our monthly bird survey walk. This time, we were a cozy group of four dedicated birders who gathered bright and early at 7:30 am. It's always great to see familiar faces and welcome newcomers to our community of bird enthusiasts.

We spotted a total of 19 different bird species during our walk. The Fall Migration is underway - we now see our year-round residents and the exciting additions of migrating birds passing through our area.

Our next bird survey is scheduled for Saturday, October 21st, 2023, starting at 7:30 am near the community center. Whether you're a seasoned birder or a beginner eager to learn, everyone is welcome to join our friendly group, led by Mary Goldsby.

As always, remember to bring your binoculars, bird field guides, comfortable walking shoes, and your curiosity.

Birds spotted on Sept 16, 2023 in Woodland Park with a photo of a female Summer Tanager

Help Woodland Park Win $75,000

FWP is asking you, our most enthusiastic park supporters, to vote every day until September 18! But we are getting ahead of ourselves. First the fantastic news: Woodland Park has been chosen as one of 9 parks, nationwide, to be a finalist in a contest to win $75,000.

HPARD submitted Woodland Park to the Niagara Perk Your Park contest where 3 of 9 finalists will each be awarded $75,000. In Woodland Park that money will be earmarked for forest restoration, and for education regarding riparian forest ecosystems on the Gulf Coast.

Should Woodland Park win the grant, HPARD will plan and supervise the work.

To win the grant we must be one of the top 3 vote-getters in the contest sponsored by Niagra. Park supporters can vote every day until September 18. (And, for those with more than one email account and more than one platform from which to submit votes, voters can vote 2 or 3 times per day!). We recommend leaving a browser open with the website to facilitate casting your daily vote.

A short list of what we have to gain if we win this $75,000 grant:

  • In the summer months parts of the trails are impassable due to invasive grasses and weeds.

  • More native plants directly equates to more native insects, birds and other animals.

  • An opportunity to look back into our natural history with a view to what a Gulf Coastal bayou ecosystem looked like before our city was developed.

  • Opportunities for young urban park users to experience a pristine natural habitat, and to learn how that habitat works from the soil to the skies above (birds!).

Please help Friends of Woodland Park campaign for this grant. In a world of social media, it is all about getting the word out and keeping the fires lit for one month! FWP, with help from many of you, has raised much smaller amounts in the past, and it was hard work. This is such a rare opportunity for us, and the grant would make such a difference in our park, we cannot afford to let this chance slide by!

We thank all you for your support and help in this endeavor!