Monthly Bird Survey/Bird of the Month!

Four intrepid birders set out on February 15th for the monthly Audubon Bird Survey! Although it was overcast, they did manage to find some birds - 28 species in all! Check out the list below and join them on the next Survey, March 15, 2025 at 7:30am.

BIRD OF THE MONTH:

The newest member of the Bird-of-the-Month Club is…..the Belted Kingfisher! What a cutie!

Learn more here!

February 15, 2025 Bird Survey

White-winged Dove  3
Neotropic Cormorant  3
Double-crested/Neotropic Cormorant  1
Great Egret  2
Great Blue Heron  1
Turkey Vulture  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  2
Belted Kingfisher  1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  1
Red-bellied Woodpecker  1
Downy Woodpecker  2
Eastern Phoebe  1
Blue Jay  4
Carolina Chickadee  2
Tufted Titmouse  1
Red-vented Bulbul  3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  1
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  2
Northern House Wren  1
Carolina Wren  4
European Starling  6
Northern Mockingbird  2
American Robin  17
Cedar Waxwing  2
American Goldfinch  5
Great-tailed Grackle  12
Orange-crowned Warbler  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  3
Northern Cardinal  6

February Work Day Delivers LUV!

What a day of LUV for Woodland Park! Over 50 volunteers from all over Houston showed up on a rainy day to WORK! Together, they pulled out over 2500 pounds of trash, built a new trail spur connecting Woodland Park and Freed Park, and weeded the Butterfly Garden and Firefly Field. That’s A LOT OF LUV!!!!

Special shout out to Brownie Troop 122245 who brought 10 volunteers to the bayou! Also thanks to students and scouts from BSA Troop 55 and Troop 30, The Regis School, St Agnes High School, St John’s School, St Thomas High School, Duchesne Academy, KIPP, and the University of St Thomas!

Sign up now for our March Work Day: TRASH BASH! Yes, it looks like Moody Park on the website, but Woodland Park is a Satellite location of the Moody Park site this year! We will still have all the fun, food, and music that you expect from TRASH BASH! We are grateful to our sister organization, Friends of Moody Park, for organizing “Trash Bash 2025 - "Clean It Like You Mean It" with H-GAC!

DATE CHANGE: Hike to Moody Park now March 1st!

NOTE: DATE HAS CHANGED TO SATURDAY, MARCH 1st DUE TO WEATHER AND TRAIL CONDITON

Join Friends of Woodland Park for an incredible hike along Little White Oak Bayou to Moody Park and an (optional) return through Hollywood Cemetery. This annual hike attracted over 70 people last year and was the inspiration for the Hollywood Trail Project currently seeking a major grant for a master plan.

Join us in Woodland Park, 212 Parkview St, at 10am to kick off with coffee donated by Uncle Bean’s Coffee and fill your belly with Shipley’s donuts (this is a Shipleys-to-Shipleys hike (wink, wink - you’ll find out!)

This year, we have shortened up the hike a bit (but not the fun!) for a total of about 2.7 miles. We will have a quick walk through part of the Woodland Park trail system before detouring over to North Street and continuing along Little White Oak Bayou until we reach Moody Park - about 1.7 miles. The newly formed Friends of Moody Park will host refreshments and share the history and vision of Moody Park. This is also a great pick-up point whether by rideshare or friends/family for those not wanting to make the return trip by foot.

For those continuing, we will hike about another mile through Hollywood Cemetery, pointing out a few historic graves as we go on for about 1 mile back to Woodland Park.

Key Info:

  • All are welcome, but no strollers please, and dogs on leashes only. 

  • Hiking is done at your own risk - FWP bears no responsibility for your personal safety.

  • Note that this trail will be “cleared” by volunteers but is unimproved and some “scrambling” along banks may be required depending on conditions. 

  • Bring water and wear close-toe shoes and long pants.

  • Restrooms and parking available at Woodland Park (212 Parkview St) and Moody Park (3725 Fulton Street).

  • Round trip is approximately 2.7 miles, returning through Hollywood Cemetery. 

  • Break point, restrooms, and alternative “stop/pick-up point” at Moody Park, approximately 1.7 miles.

  • Contact president@friendsofwoodlandpark.org for more information.

Eagle Scout Project Removes Heavy Trash!

FWP is so grateful for our scouts! Frederick Rupert from BSA Troop 730 completed his Eagle project last month - Heavy Trash Removal from Little White Oak Bayou. Check out the video of his project here on Instagram, FWP Treasurer and Scout Co-chair Pat Rutledge said “Frederick Ruppert organized a hard working crew of scouts and adults with the goal of removing tires and other debris from the Woodland Park Nature Preserve waterway.  It is something he has envisioned accomplishing for several years ever since he first explored this unique habitat. And he arranged to have all removed tires recycled!  It took three trips to the east side recycler but all tires were kept from the landfills.

FWP is so grateful to HPARD for supporting Eagle Scout service  projects and allowing FWP to supervise the work.  This most recent one represents our third successful, and vastly different, Eagle project! Thank you Frederick! Interested in a scout project at Woodland Park? Check out our Volunteer Projects page for some ideas and reach out to us at scouts@friendsofwoodlandpark.org.

Read below for more from Frederick’s mother, Laura. This was truly a family effort!

“My son just completed his Eagle 🦅 Project. Since 2nd grade he has been apart of Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts. Lots of times he’s wanted to quit but his love for the outdoors kept him engaged. Getting his Eagle Scout is the last step in this journey.

We wanted him to do a simpler project, easier to accomplish- but he never does anything easy:) He has always loved Woodland Park in the Heights. We even have our favorite pet turtle 🐢 from this bayou! He was disgusted by how much trash was in the bayou and wanted to clean out the big stuff- like tires 🛞! He worked with the @fwphouston and @city.of.houstontx to put this project together. His goal was to clean out all the large tires and other items from the bayou then recycle the tires.

And that’s what he did! With the support and help from his Boy Scout troop he cleared out 32 tires, 2 recliners, car seats, car fenders, shopping carts, about a million plastic bags and bottles plus tons of trash from the Woodland Park Bayou. He could not have done it without the support of his fellow scouts and dads and we are so grateful 🙌 My son’s tenacity to start this project and see it through will surely help in life 🤞 And so proud he chose to invest in the Heights neighborhood we all love.”

Plastics Industry Association and Cyclyx International Team Up for Woodland Park Clean-Up 🌍🌱

In October 2024, while in Houston for the National Plastics Conference, members of the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) joined forces with Cyclyx International, Keep Houston Beautiful and Friends of Woodland Park, for a major clean-up event at Woodland Park. This initiative marked a meaningful start to the conference, demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship and giving back to the local community.

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, the cleanup event drew 47 dedicated volunteers who set out to clear trails, green spaces, and the banks of the bayou. Collecting 51 bags of litter—including significant amounts of plastic waste—volunteers wore t-shirts emblazoned with the message, "We love plastic. We hate plastic waste," a powerful statement reflecting the complex relationship between plastics, humanity, and sustainability.

Heather Neilan, Manager of Sustainability and Materials at PLASTICS, expressed her gratitude to the volunteers and partners, saying, “We received many great responses from all who participated, commenting on the efficiency of the day and appreciation to work with so many local community groups! It is always important to give back to the communities we visit, and cleaning up litter serves as a good reminder of what we are all working toward—a clean and sustainable environment.”

A significant portion of the collected waste was directed towards recycling through Cyclyx International, a US-based company pioneering innovations in plastic recycling. Cyclyx’s 10to90 initiative focuses on creating landfill diversion opportunities for plastic waste, aiming to increase plastic recycling rates from 10% to 90% by redesigning how materials are processed and repurposed.

The event was facilitated by Keep Houston Beautiful as part of the Fall Sweep, a city-wide clean-up initiative running from September 11th to November 23rd. Alan Steinberg, Board Member of Keep Houston Beautiful and Chair of the Houston Clean City Commission, praised the collaborative effort, saying, It’s wonderful to see PLASTICS leading a cleanup at Woodland Park as part of the Fall Sweep. Community cleanups like this foster pride in our environment and make our green spaces healthier and more enjoyable for all.

This clean-up event illustrates the power of collaboration between industry, community organizations, and environmental advocates.

Thank you to everyone involved for your hard work and commitment. This event may be one step, but it reflects the potential impact when industry and communities work together toward a cleaner, greener future. 🌿🌎

🌟 Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts: Transforming Woodland Park this Fall! 🌟

🌿 Emerald Oaks Girl Scouts Lead the Way: November 2nd Woodland Park Clean-Up! 🌟🧹

Woodland Park was buzzing with activity this month as both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts made major contributions to restore and enhance the park! Here’s a huge thank you to the Emerald Oaks Girl Scoutsand their families, who turned out in full force to clean up the bayou. Over 60 volunteers—including a brand new Travis Elementary Daisy Scout Kindergarten troop—brought their creativity and determination, hauling out some HUGE items with grit and teamwork. Their impressive efforts resulted in removing nearly 1,000 pounds of trash, making a tremendous difference in our shared green space!

Special Thanks to Pablo Holguin of Troop 30 for his Eagle Project 🌱

We also want to extend our gratitude to Pablo Holguin for completing his Scouts BSA Eagle Project on October 19th at Woodland Park’s Firefly Field.

In Scouts BSA, an Eagle Project is a significant undertaking where a Scout leads and executes a service project that benefits the community. Requiring months of planning, leadership, and often fundraising, an Eagle Project not only benefits a local community but also demonstrates the Scout’s commitment to service, leadership, and perseverance.

For his Eagle Project, Pablo led the replanting and irrigation installation at Firefly Field, a beautiful area near the park entrance that welcomes visitors with its unique sculptures. He worked diligently to prepare the site, using eco-friendly methods to clear weeds. Pablo also organized his Troop 30 crew and raised funds to complete the project, with in-kind support from Houston Parks (HPARD) and Friends of Woodland Park, who donated plants. His dedication is already transforming Firefly Field into a thriving green space, with new plants and irrigation that will help it flourish for years to come.

We’re beyond grateful to all the scouts, leaders, and families who contributed to these efforts. Thanks to you, Woodland Park is cleaner, more vibrant, and better prepared to welcome nature lovers and families alike. Let’s celebrate the amazing work of our Scouts!