The Woodlands Texas Parks

Parks nearby The Woodlands for Rainbow Trout Fishing

2011-01-14T17:40:00.000-08:00

Would you like to take your child fishing for fresh water Trout? Or maybe you would like to grab your fly fishing equipment and fish for them yourself. Unfortunately, The Woodlands does not have an agreement with the state to stock them, but two other nearby parks are stocked annually! This year, the schedule you might want to make note of.:

Burroughs Park near Tomball - January 14, 2011. That is today folks! On Huffsmith Road near FM 2978.
Carl Barton Jr. Park Pond in Conroe - January 11, 2011. Off Loop 336 east of I-45; on right east of 1314.

Both locations can be fished now! For adult fishing, these are community lakes and you must abide by state regulations requiring a fishing license and a trout stamp. Read the documentation fully in the link below.

Full list of stocked ponds for Rainbow Trout (and rules)

Cranebrook Park in The Woodlands Texas

2010-09-03T16:26:00.000-07:00

Deep in the west of The Woodlands lies a fairly new village park which is quite different and quite compact. This is closer to a traditional park, lacking the customary feel of a heavily wooded and natural park of The Woodlands. Nevertheless it is convenient, first class and very worth frequenting.

Sterling Ridge Village Swimming Pool

Tennis

Parking area

Children's play area

Soccer field

BMX Bicycle track

This is a nice bicycle track mainly for recreational cycling by our youth. It is a place where one could work to improve competitive skills right here in The Woodlands. Step up to one of the AMA tracks such as the nearby Armadillo BMX race at I45 and FM 1488.¹

Pavilion

^{The pavilion here can be rented by calling in advance of your function, like other parks in The Woodlands.}

Arbor

^{This unique spot in the park is great to sit down and relax. I saw some moms with their babies here on a weekday morning.}

^Map
^{On Cranebrook Dr. When traveling west on Woodlands Pkwy, take a left. It is located just south of The Woodlands Parkway.}

Town Green Park The Woodlands Texas

2010-09-03T14:57:00.000-07:00

Flags on lake Woodlands Dr in front

This is an important park visited by many people but mostly for events along the Woodlands Waterway. It is rather simple but a pretty grass park that connects Lake Robbins Drive frontage to the waterway. It is located adjacent to the Cynthia Ann Pavilion. Parking is simply anywhere you can find it. The Waterway can be crossed from the pavilion parking lots, so the Green or Orange parking lots are close by, as well as nearby street parking. The closest place to park near the entrance on Lake Robbins Dr is the library parking lot. Runners in Town Center frequent this park along with the waterway pathways.

Entrance sign

Children's hands at entrance

Bathrooms

Grass park with waterway taxis in back

Walking the pathway into the park, one finds the restrooms on the west or right side of the entrance. When inside the park, there will be plenty of grass.

Outdoor amphitheater

water fountain next to amphitheater

You can arrive and leave via the trolley which stops right behind the park on the waterway path.

Like all Woodlands parks, visitors may walk their dogs in the park but must follow the rules for pets. Two years ago, this park had special rules. Now those rules are in place at all Woodlands parks. Please! Honor the rule for no "park poop".

There is also a seating view overlooking the waterway, a children's garden and a sculpture garden.

Map

Woodlands Park Rules and Guidelines

2010-08-29T07:33:00.000-07:00

Every Woodlands Texas park has rules posted. Some are particular to a special type of park and others are generalized for the park system here. There is good reason to have these rules. Let's say for example, you want to take your dog to a dog park. There are alpha dogs and highly protective dogs - for their master and for their toys. No one wants to step in dog waste. So there are consistent rules for dogs in all the parks. If you use the park, you must clean up behind yourself. Some people say "this is just common sense". I would agree, but some people don't seem to have that sense or if they do, they lack respect for other people rights to enjoy the park as found by the disrespectful person.

A few key items to note
1. Dusk is not dark. It is before dark. If you have to use a flashlight to see, you should not be in the park period! People live adjacent to parks and ponds. Keep them in mind. They will likely be the ones reporting you to the authorities should you be in viewing distance of their home or making noise. Privacy of residents is important. Please respect that.
2. Trash in our ponds kill fish. Please do not leave plastic bags or other trash on the banks. They often get into the water and kill fish. Trash in our parks is also an an unsightly and health hazard nuisance. Our community does not appreciate your trash. In fact, often it is a resident that has to pick up after you, not a paid contractor. This community is rich in assets but not is spending power, so it does not spend a lot of money on maintenance. That is the responsibility of the visitors to our parks. Please pick up after yourself and carry out everything that you carried into the park. I admire those people who pick after others in addition to themselves. They don't particularly want to do it, but they have an appreciation of beauty and cleanliness. If your want to distribute your trash into our park, you are not welcome in the park.
3. Rowdiness to the point of aggravating other visitors in the park is also not appreciated. Just be courteous to others and understand they came to appreciate the outdoors and nature the park affords. Sounds of creatures such as birds and the tranquility of nature are reasons people are in the parks. Excessive noise is not appreciated.If you play music on some electronic device, play it for yourself, not the park.
4. People appreciate seeing children and families in the parks. They also appreciate pets as long as the owner takes responsibility for cleaning up behind the pet and the pet is not a threat to their family or pet. Leashes are required! Doggie bags are required. There are biodegradable bags that can be purchased from various sources. The Parks department here provides bags from Dogipot. Website
5. Dog parks have a different set of rules. Your dog should have its shots. There are serious diseases that can be passed from one dog to another. Protect your dog by keeping its shots up to date. Keep aggressive dogs on a leash until they get to know the other dogs. Sometimes a dog is not suited socially to mix with others and should never be released to mix with other dogs. Do not let your aggressive dog harm another person's dog. You are liable for what your dog does, not the park system. That dog is part of their family.
6. If you are a vendor, you must have a permit to sell your goods on public property in The Woodlands. This particularly applies to food and drink vendors.
7. Honor designated parking locations. Do not park on the grass! Do not park on prohibited locations on streets. Chances are that you will be reported by local residents. If you don't know where to park, ask anyone you may see or call the parks department.
8. Ponds have special rules. You can fish the ponds, but must return the fish back to the water to live. This is enforced. Fishing is defined as placing bait on a hook attached to a line for the exclusive purpose of hooking a fish and bringing it to shore. Net fishing is generally not allowed, although the park rangers allow nets for catching bait fish. Ponds are small and the community expects to not have to repopulate the ponds at a cost to the community. A Texas fishing license is required on all public ponds and lakes.¹ Please be aware that Texas Game Wardens are not generally enforcing this on The Woodlands bodies of water, so there are differing statements regarding this regulation, but the regulation is clear. I advise conforming to the regulation rather than depending on local and possibly temporal interpretation of law. State fines are fairly stiff. Fishing for keepers is allowed in Lake Woodlands and the reservoir; these rules are enforced by the Woodlands Park Rangers. Keeping fish is also allowed when extracting fish from private stocking for events such as the catfish stocking of Creekwood Park for children twice a year. Fishing from non-motorized boats in Lake Woodlands and the reservoir is allowed. Trolling motors are not considered a motor for this purpose. Keep the wake of your boat non-existent. Kayak fishing is encouraged on Lake Woodlands and the reservoir. Kayaks are rented by The Township for recreation that includes fishing. Refer to the related article. ² Also, it is a good idea to honor the little known state regulations on turtles and frogs. Taking turtles from the ponds is regulated by state hunting laws. A hunting license is required to take turtles or frogs from public waters, even on private property.¹
9. Alcoholic beverages are allowed in the major parks, but keep in mind that drunkenness on public property is not allowed and violators will likely be prosecuted. In little neighborhood parks, alcohol is not allowed.
10. Vegetation in public parks is the property of The Woodlands Township. Unless you have permission to do so, do not cut or change the vegetation for any reason. For those who want to help care for pathways or parks, you can contact the township for what you may or may not do.
11. Pavilions may be rented but you must make reservations in advance. Park facilities are also available for use by small businesses but you must have a permit or contract to do so.

Park Rules published by The Woodlands Township(click here)
Park Regulations and legal authority of The Woodlands Township(click here)
¹Texas Parks and Wildlife Website Summary of Fishing and Hunting Regulations
²Riva Row Boat House Commentary article

Marsh Experience in The Woodlands Texas

2010-08-28T16:00:00.000-07:00

There is one amenity in Cochran's Crossing that is very unique in The Woodlands. It is part of Shadowbend Park but is isolated from the rest of the park by Lake Woodlands Dr. This sits on a pond and was designed to retain the marsh that is prevalent in the Southeast Texas piney woods.

On this particular morning, there were mothers strolling with their babies, young parents out with a child, elderly people walking for exercise and others running or walking their dogs. After crossing the street, one finds this bridge at the nearest point from Shadowbend Park. Stop at the bridge to find turtles and an occasional snake. This is a bog of the marsh. Keep going and you will find the entrance to the Marsh Experience.

The boardwalk will take you over the marsh adjoining the pond. On a hot summer day, this was dry but after rains, this area typically contains a wetland. As you walk along the boardwalk, you will follow a self instructional tour of the marsh.

There is an attempt to have several plants of the same species behind each sign. I noticed this in several cases but it was not consistent.

It may be difficult to sort out some of the material since part of it is seasonally dependent.

I think you would agree that this is a tranquil and beautiful place. Sometimes I find fishermen out on the boardwalk but not on this day. In the Fall this can be spectacular.

There was one gentleman on the boardwalk with me, getting his morning exercise.

There were no creature except a turtle to behold on the warm day. It was too late in the morning, but the forest does yield small animals in the night and very early morning.

On one side of the boardwalk is the pond. You can find bass and blue gill perch in this water.

Then from the pond to the north, the marsh is sometimes wet and other times dry. Bogs remain all year long.

Unfortunately we have an unwanted species in some of our parks and as far as that goes, this tree exists in private yards as well. This highly invasive tree species is the biggest threat to out prairies and forests. It was introduced to the United States in the early 1900's and is quickly consuming our lands. The Chinese Tallow is banned from being sold at nurseries now, but the harm has already been done. One mature tree produces 500,000 seeds a year and also propagates by its roots. A root serves as a propagating "runner" just below the soil surface. It's seeds are not useful to birds' nutrition and in fact displace nutritious food, possibly making weaker seed-eating birds in the ecosystems of the western world. This tree needs to be eradicated from the ecological systems of our public forests and private lands.

Getting there:
Simply go to Shadowbend Park and park your automobile. It is also accessed from the pathway system. Then cross Lake Woodlands Dr and you are there.

Shadowbend Park in The Woodlands Texas

2010-08-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Shadowbend Park in Cochran's Crossing of The Woodlands Texas is one of the cornerstones of the park system in south Montgomery County. It has two major components - the park itself with normal Woodlands amenities and the Marsh Experience, across the street from the village amenity park. This is a major park of The Woodlands, characterized as a village park. You will notice the sign above on Lake Woodlands Dr that leads one to the parking areas. If you wish to use the tennis courts, parking would be closest where the sign points. Otherwise, there is considerably more parking spaces in the next parking lot which is general parking for the swimmin area and recreational areas of the park.

Two pairs of tennis courts are separated by a small pavilion for snacking and personal belongings. As other parks, this has one court for an individual to practice.

In the main section, the remainder of the amenities are located.

Swimming Pool at Shadowbend

Kiddie pool

Pavilion at Shadowbend Park

Children play area

This park is middle aged, and it has a great deal of vegetation, including nice tall trees of various species. The pool and the pavilion are equivalent to the other village parks. Personally, I do like the trees here, so it has a special place in my priorities.

Children play area

In 1991, funding from the Texas Parks and Wildlife helped create this park. This is is the primary reason that our parks are generally public parks. Note the tax entity involved in this project. Other parks were funded by state or federal grants as well.

This time capsule is an interesting point of history in The Woodlands.

Soccer

Basketball

Click any photo to see a full screen view.

Summertime flowers

We will walk across Lake Woodlands Dr in the next article to see the pond and the swamp vegetation.

Getting there:

Windvale Park

2010-08-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

A significant Alden Bridge village park found on the north side of SH 242 in The Woodlands Texas is Windvale Park. It is one step down from a Village Park due to its size, but it is a nice park! There are some interesting aspects of this park that makes it special.

Special picnic area

This spacious green area next to the park gives the visitor a sense of openness. It is a very good area for a jog along pathways integrated with the park itself.

There is water here with associated wildlife.

Pathway between park and green area

Pavilion

The pavilion here is large.

Swimming pool

Children's play area

More children equipment

Tennis courts - 2

Alden Bridge Park

2010-08-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

A major park in The Woodlands Texas, Alden Bridge deserves your visit. It is a beautiful park with an abundance of water. I've been told it is not the best fishing place around, but one can fish there. I saw teenagers net fishing. That can never be good for the fish population!The swimming amentity is placed next to the large pond that spans Alden Bridge Rd, the main artery in the Village of Alden Bridge.

The tranquil feel of the scenic views around the lake, even though the park is so very close to the main road, provides the visitor a calming early morning place to relax with a cup of java and/or a walk in the park. Notice the twin pavilions and their location. This is facing southwest from behind the swimming pools facility.

Twin pavilions

Abundant parking is available through three entries from the main road. Parking spaces are shared with a church next door.

Like almost all of The Woodlands parks, a creek passes through it. The parks are generally located on land that is unsuitable for commercial locations or residences due to flooding risk. This creek is dammed up to create the pond or really it is a lake.

This view of the creek is on the east side of the road passing from the lake onward.

Walking back from the east side of the road, you can see part of the park and the beauty of the bridge built from masonry bricks. One of the things I noticed about this park is an excellent integration of the pathways that blend in with the park. Notice the pathway bridge in this photo.

Similar to all major parks, this swimming facility is beautiful, clean and has a great pool house. On this hot Sunday afternoon in August, several families were getting their respite from the heat.

Volleyball court

Soccer field

On this day, the volleyball court was open for someone to play, as well as the soccer field.

Tennis courts - 4 of them

Bathrooms

Getting there:

GPS coords:
30.210163, -95.514708
Located on Alden Bridge Rd near Green Gables Cr. If coming from Research Forest Dr, turn left (west) into the park, not right.

Sundance Park in The Woodlands

2010-08-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

This medium sized park in the Village of Alden Bridge is one for a family who lives nearby. It is easily located and is frequently accessed by residents in the local neighborhoods.

The four table pavilion is useful for small group events.

Picnic tables are available and basketball courts provide the neighborhood youth a competitive energy outlet.

Getting there:

GPS coords: 30.210358, -95.552222 Alden Bridge at Sorrel Tree Pl

Terramont Park

2010-08-20T14:45:00.000-07:00

This beautiful place is one of my favorites. It has a rather large hill for these parts, covered in grass. This hill is the outstanding feature of this park, great for a picnic. Another special feature of the park is it's nine hole disc golf course. That course is listed with photos in DG Court Review. The small pavilion would be perfect for small group events such as a birthday party or a multi-family picnic. Like all Woodlands parks, to use the pavilion, it should be reserved in advance.

To me, this is a classic family park for an adhoc spontaneous visit on a nice Texas day (and they are all nice, right?).

I got to wondering about Disc Golf when I visited this park. For one, how do you play it? For another, why do we have such a sport here? I cannot answer the second question or really the first. For the life of me, I do not know if anyone uses this facility or not. I have never seen anyone there, but I have been there only three times, so what do I know? Basically, this is a form of Frisbee and golf but don't take that lightly. This is a professional sport and it is available in many communities. Click here for simple some advice on holding and throwing the disc . If you want, you can Google the sport and learn how it is played - fairly simple.

I saw some evidence of wildlife here and sure enough encountered a couple of deer on the perimeter of the park. With the soccer field, the bathrooms, the tennis courts, and the dog park, I rate this park high on my list for diversity and just a good place for the family. By the way, I saw a children American football team there on a Saturday morning with their parents for a practice on that hill. They rented the pavilion and consumed all the parking.

GPS coords: 30.201730, -95.556706
Branch Crossing at Terramont

Small town USA July 4th

2010-07-05T16:25:00.000-07:00

July 4th in a small neighborhood in Spring, Texas, was like thousands of small towns throughout the United States on this occasion. Starting with a bicycle parade ending at the local community park, a hundred or so residents gathered to have a picnic and watch fireworks.

Lovely people of all ages munched on something cold or something spicy in the heat of the Houston area. It is always hot on July 4th, and this year was no different.

Whoever wanted to get sweaty in the heat were welcome to join in a game of volleyball using a makeshift "net" but without the net. All that was important were the people and the ball. From there, we had a volleyball game! Amazingly, after such rains over the past week, there were no mosquitoes to bother people.

Some young people were driving a mule around just to enjoy the social aspect afforded by the event. They were dressed in red, white and blue. Even the mule four-wheeler was dressed out in national colors.

The fun goes beyond the people. You need to bring your pet to such an event. This boxer was seen to almost endlessly wag his tail as he greeted each person or dog that came along. People dressed the way they wanted for the event. Some came in colorful shirts, shorts, hats or whatever. This dog wore a red white and blue band bandanna.

For sure, July 4th provides many photo opportunities for families and friends. This pretty lady got in my lens when she was using her lens.

Over the loud speaker you could hear the announcement throughout the park: " we will have fireworks at dusk. This is a reminder that we are raising money to replace a Live Oak Tree that was destroyed by winds last year. Come get some lemonade or other item to help us raise the finds we need, as exhibited by the fund raising sign. Remember - to have fireworks, we need your contributions each year for the fireworks display. The association cannot pay for it because of the risk. The association dues are not for that purpose."

The voluntary fire department was of course there as a first responder for any problems associated with fireworks. The announcer made sure she got the point across why the community fireworks display is a good idea. It is to displace the personal use of fireworks. They are dangerous and create a risk to people and property. Little did she know that this night would underscore her words with an exhibit of what can happen. While families gathered in the evening, the fire department provided children with the opportunity to hear and see the sirens and lights and water spraying from the truck. That is always a hit and a very good tradition at about every small town fireworks display.

Friends found each other here and some out-of-towners had not seen each other or seen old time friends for a long time.

People caught up on one another, including the teens and even in this modern Facebook instant real time era where the exchange of life's events occur daily.

And then the guys prepared to shoot the fireworks.

As the sun began to set and move behind the horizon, the time was approaching to celebrate America's independence by tune and by fireworks. Now the music began.

Suddenly, here came the fireworks.

The skies were filled with explosions and color.

Spectators were fairly close to the source but far enough away where the remnants of the burning display would not fall on clothes or start a fire. The materials fell harmlessly on the grass reserved for that purpose. There was hardly any wind, helping to mitigate any fire risk.

Then everything seemed to go wrong! Oh no!!! Cried some spectators. What has happened? The entire source area turned into a burning inferno. One misfired cracker started a a chain reaction that was frightening! Suddenly a beautiful fireworks display turned sour. The crowd gasped in horror, holding their breath, praying that no one was hurt. Fortunately on this night, the technicians putting on the event were not hurt. They departed the area immediately when the first cracker went awry. These people were trained to react to the incident, and the fire department was trained to respond. Within 20 minutes, the technicians recovered the remaining explosives and announced that the display would go on, and it did. If a private untrained person had been conducting this display, it might not have had such a good ending. But this story ended with more fireworks, a resumed effort and determined crew wished to remember the event, not by the incident, but by the very much appreciated recovery from the incident.

Happy birthday America! : from Hometown America.

Lakeside Park in The Woodlands

2010-05-30T06:39:00.000-07:00

Lakeside Park is a large village recreation area in Alden Bridge Village next to the Bear Branch Reservoir and Bear Branch Creek.

Behind the sign above is a commemorative marker where the 1000th mile of Woodlands pathways was laid.

This swimming pool is standard for The Woodlands and very modern. It was sure inviting on this hot Memorial Day weekend!

Entrance to swimming area

There are two pairs of courts making a total of four courts. This village park has several "twin" amenities.

In the back of the park, there is a kayak and canoe launch for those interested in an outing on the reservoir. These two fishermen left the dock just as I positioned myself for taking some photographs of the reservoir.

A soccer field, baseball diamond, and lacrosse field are available here.

Normal playground equipment for children

Wheels friendly area for skateboarding

Down this pathway are two identical twin pavilions, named "A" and "B". They can be reserved separately.

Unit "A" with four tables

There are several areas for picnics, some have twin tables and all have a grill. These are special in that they overlook the reservoir.

The kayak launch. There is often large amounts of vegetation on this reservoir, making it difficult to fish near the launch. If you plan to fish, you should be aware that the reservoir is not managed by the township, but by the state and therefore, you must have a fishing license. Perch, bass and crappie are regularly caught by fishermen in this body of water. The Texas Game and Fish Commission does enforce their laws here. They occasionally check for licenses and safety of boats, so if you plan to fish, bring your license!

Getting there:
GPS coords: 30.204512, -95.542807
Near Alden Bridge at Benton Woods Dr

Social Life of our dogs - a Saturday at the Dog Park

2010-05-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

In The Woodlands, Texas, we have some awesome dog parks. They are spread out over the community for easy access on a Saturday morning, or after one gets home from work. It was hot today and the animals really appreciated the dog pool. I did too actually. Splashing me felt refreshing.

Yes, the dog needs his exercise, but what the dog looks for and appreciates the most is the social aspect. That includes its human family as well as meeting other dogs. It even includes meeting strange humans!

It is not unusual for there to be conflicts among individuals. Some are "puppy social", others are "alpha social". In this particular case, the white dog is an alpha female which just arrived at the park. She was accompanied by both human family caretakers. She had her toys and her caretakers were throwing her toys for her to chase and fetch. She did not want to share. When she arrived at her caretakers to give them the toy, the brown dog tried to take it. The brown dog wanted to play with her. She responded with a growl and jumped on the brown dog, biting her in the leg. The brown dog yelped as the white dog continued to attack. There were tooth gashes on the leg and in the skin on the brown dog that I saw after the dogs were separated. It happened again with a second dog, two of three large brown dogs that a young lady had brought to the park. The young lady left with one dog slightly injured, another one possibly injured and the third unscathed. It was my opinion that he owner of the white dog should have put a leash on the white dog but never did. The owners tried instead to calm the dog and later released her to run free again, only to repeat the attack. I have heard of similar situations from various other people over the past few months.

All remaining dogs had no problems whatsoever. Most of the animals I saw were very puppy-like. They wanted to romp and play with other dogs, and sometimes they wanted me to play with them. I had two or more of them jump into my arms wanting my full attention, even though I had the camera and equipment on me. That was OK. I am used to it, and I would not have belonged there if I was not willing to be their playful friend.

Many of the dogs simply loved this little swimming pool. Some would totally immerse their head and body under the water to cool off. This one kept his head out of it. The dogs would often bring their toy and place it where they could an eye on it.

Here I am about to be enthusiastically bathed and loved by a wet dog.

While the white and brown dogs remained together, there was an acrobatic attempt to catch a toy in mid-air. The white dog was a human-oriented dog, not really interested in the other dogs.

This dog was much prettier when she was dry. After getting soaked in the swimming pool, she was a bit more wiry looking.

Despite her behavior and the heat, this dog was a good subject to photograph. She chased her toys with lightening speed.

This smaller dog played in the small dog pen. There are two separate pens, one to protect the small breed dogs and puppies.

This Beagle was fairly docile. He played and socialized but not recklessly, like some of the others.

This is something us humans can't do, run at their speed and go nose to nose in a race.

To cool off in this scorching sun!

Then it is time to go home. Where's mama? Carry me back home!

Tamarac Dog Park

2010-05-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

The Woodlands, Texas newest dog park is in one of its oldest - Tamarac, in Grogan's Mill. On my first visit in the mid-morning of a hot Saturday on Memorial weekend, I was surprised to find it totally empty. There were no dogs or people there. I discovered later that everyone was at Bear Branch Dog Park. This is a nice park and I would certainly come here if my dogs were larger.

It was a hot summer day and the tree shade offered a welcome reprieve from the sun.

This dog park is not easy to find. It is nestled in the forest next to the wheels friendly area. From the parking lot, one must follow the sidewalk to the right in order to reach the dog park. It is a beautiful and roomy place with benches and water. Small and large dogs are not separated here.

There are poop bags and a garbage can where one disposes any and all litter.

The ground is covered with mulch to keep it from being muddy and makes a nice crunch under your feet. Dogs would not have as stable a footing as natural soil however. The pattern of shadows cast by the trees on the mulch makes for an interesting color feast for our eyes.

You might find your dog chasing a squirrel here. At this quiet time, there were several inside the dog park

The dog park entrance is protected as are other dog parks in The Woodlands by a double gate.

Tamarac Park is found off of Grogan's Mill Rd, on North Millbend.

Refer to the separate article on Tamarac Park.

Tupelo Park in the Village of Creekside Park

2010-05-23T17:08:00.000-07:00

Tupelo Park in the Village of Creekside Park of The Woodlands is open and available. One of the striking features of this park is the bathroom made of stone. This carries the feel of its big sister park's (Fleming Park) pavilion.

It's pavilion also has stone but only in the columns, since the style is completely open. As with other parks, the pavilion can be rented in advance by calling the parks department.

There is a great view of the fountain and cascade from Lake Paloma. There is actually a pond built on a second level tier above the lake. Water is pumped up into the pond from the lake and allowed to cascade back into the lake over this artificial waterfall below the bridge. One is looking at the pavilion to the left in this photo.

There are two locations for picnics, both nestled in the forest and both having clear views and within hearing of the water fountain in the pond. As with all parks of The Woodlands, the grill and tables are first come/first serve.

This is the view from inside the pavilion.

A nice amenity is this canoe/kayak launch below the pond on the lake. There are three tie-offs. One can paddle the entire lake from a launch here.

Playground equipment includes a variety of slides, climbs and swings.

Lighted tennis courts are ready for action.

Getting there: from Gosling - west at main entrance, pass the circle keeping to the right, go past the YMCA on the right and take a left at Lake Paloma Dr. Cross the bridge and take a right. You are at the park. From Kuykendahl - enter by turning on Creekside Forest Dr. Go east until reaching Lake Paloma Dr and turn right. Cross the bridge and the park is on your right. Map

Tupelo Park Grand Opening coming to Village of Creekside Park

2010-05-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

For some time now, one would notice a new large park being developed in the Village of Creekside Park in The Woodlands. On June 12th, there will be a grand opening ceremony at a time to be announced. This is a different park in that it is constructed on the lake as part of the vision for a long narrow park that cuts through the entire village. Therefore it is stretched along the bank where one will pass through it when walking the thin stretch of green space through the village. Put the 12th on your calendar if you want to experience the park on its grand opening day.

Pathways still on agenda of The Woodlands Township

2010-02-08T16:13:00.000-08:00

Two projects carried over incomplete into this year. The pathway from Indian Springs to Creekside Park did not begin as anticipated and remains under construction. A large section now has concrete but will not be opened until later. A small bridge will be required to pass over a leg of Spring Creek on the north side of the bridge. I am uncertain at this moment if there will be a traffic light put on Gosling, or we will depend on traffic stopping to let pedestrians pass from the east side of Gosling to the west side at the entrance to Creekside Park. The volume of traffic probably does not yet warrant a traffic light there. Our weather has slowed down the project tremendously! It will be another six weeks before the pathway will be completed even if the weather permits the work! Little chance of that, so I will stretch that out to about 10 weeks (maybe late April).

A contract work crew has been scheduled to begin construction of the final leg of the Flintridge pathway after the crew completes its work with the Gosling pathway to Creekside Park.

Financially, the funds for these two projects were moved from the associations to the Township before cessation of the associations' operation at the end of last year.

I am not complaining. How about you? We need rain. I hope this summer's dry spell will not be as bad as last year. The dry weather revealed itself in January last year. This year we received a decent amount, but it was still significantly below the normal rainfall for January.

Woodlands Community Association Capital Projects marking an end to an era

2009-11-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

Year-end capital projects will wind down the WCA's program to build new and renewed amenities during the last year of WCA operation. All of these projects are on track to be completed by year end.

1. Additional plots in the Community garden at Bear Branch Sports Park.
2. Added pathway to connect the western side of Flintridge to the eastern side, providing a continuous hike and bike pathway along Flintridge.
3. New pathway to connect Indian Springs Village to Creekside Park. The pathway will be constructed from the pathway at Flintridge and Gosling, proceeding south on the eastern side of Gosling, utilizing the existing walkway on the bridge over Spring Creek and then proceeding to a marked crossing over Gosling to the entrance of the Village of Creekside Park.
4. Dog park to be added to Sawmill Park in Grogan's Mill, providing residents on the eastern side of The Woodlands with play space for their pets.

The Village of Creekside Park will be connected for pedestrians and bike riders via this new pathway, helping to integrate all villages into amenities enjoyed by residents in both counties. This will also provide easier pedestrian access from Montgomery County villages to the new YMCA, which will be completed next year in Creekside Park.

Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge - Butterfly Count

2009-10-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

A nice day trip from The woodlands Texas for the nature lover is Trinity River Wildlife Refuge. It is one of fourteen priority-one bottom-land refuges identified for protection in the Texas Bottom-land Protection Plan.¹ This particular protected site has great diversity of birds, butterflies, vegetation and wildlife. This annual event is focused on counting butterflies, as part of the National Wildlife Refuge Week., October 11-17 2009. This year was a good one statistically. There were 44 species and 1368 bugs identified.

Butterfly enthusiasts from the general Houston area participate in the event. Only a few people volunteer each year to help. The Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas (BEST)⁴, local chapter of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), sponsors the event. Stuart Marcus, Refuge Manager ² organizes and leads it. Those who assisted him are at various skill levels. All were enthusiastic about participating. Stuart Marcus has been with the Fish and Wildlife Commission for 30 years. He has been assigned to 5 locations, with this being his longest stay - 15 years. This guy knows the refuge very well, including its neighbors. I was impressed with his butterfly expertise and awareness of the preserve's ecology.

From The Woodlands, it took a little less than an hour to reach the town of Dolen, traveling 242 to H59, taking 105 from Cleveland.

All 25000 acres are located in Liberty County, about equidistant between Houston and Beaumont. There are five public tracts available to the public³, but our little adventure was not a public one. We visited places in the preserve specifically suitable for identifying the diversity and quantity of butterfly species, serving as a comparable benchmark from year to year. These count expeditions also help to measure the relative health of the preserve itself from year to year.

The first stop was in a tall mostly yellow field, full of blooming Golden Rod plants with Ruellas acting as a host for the Buckeye. This field was only our start. I believe we identified some 8 species of butterflies here alone and several species in large abundance!

This blooming plant is I believe is called a Ruellia, the host for the Buckeye caterpillar, larval stage of the Buckeye butterfly shown below.

The Pearl Crescent was common to see. It added to the delight of spotting traditional well-known butterflies amidst varied other, less familiar species.

On this day, I never saw one single Monarch, and only two were spotted by the group. Maybe they had already migrated or had left to the coast in preparation for migration.

The Common Buckeye was everywhere in the field. We saw many of its caterpillars consuming the Ruellas. We sighted 232 individuals, the largest number of any one species. A better appreciation of the colors on the caterpillar can be derived from the next photo.

In this photo, one can see the beginnings of the colors of the Buckeye which will be evident when it morphs into a butterfly.

Next we went into the deep forest to a long clearing adjacent to the forest edge, where one butterfly species was first spotted in southeast Texas last year. This time we did not find that butterfly, but chances are, it is close by and hopefully thriving in and on the edge of the forest. maybe next year ...

One of my favorites is this gorgeous species, the Red-spotted Purple which we first observed a few yards into the forest at this location.

Everywhere we went the Gulf Fritillary appeared. This male was typical of the newly morphed butterflies in abundance there. The male is much more striking than the female, but both are readily identified in flight. We counted 201 unique sightings this day, second highest count for one species.

We also observed the caterpillar of this Fritillary on its native host, the Passion Flower.

You've seen the Golden Rod plant here in The Woodlands. It is just beginning to bloom on the pond behind my home. In the refuge, these plants are everywhere in open spaces - along the roads and in fields where trees are sparse or not present at all. The butterflies use it as a food source.

This unusual beauty was the only one I saw, but he was a showoff.

Of significance to this preserve, is its rare bat population.⁵ The Rafinesque’s Big-eared Bat is quite special, so the preserve has taken extraordinary measures to protect its small but now thriving population. These bats typically live in cavities within large tree trunks but took up residence in an old broken down house on the preserve. To protect them from harm, two bat houses were built as shown in this photograph. One is placed in the shade and the other in the sun to ensure success with this endeavor. Since these bats do not migrate, we were able to view them, because the houses are located near one of our count areas. The refuge is host to many other bats as well.

At the end of the day, we tallied our observations and parted our ways, to gather again year to repeat the counting process. Additional photographs of this adventure is placed on the this website for your viewing. Some species may not be identified since I have not had time to finish editing the photo captions. I have to do verifications since I am not nearly an expert in the field of butterflies. Nevertheless, I felt this article was a worthwhile presentation to share some remarkable work and care of our natural resources.

I recommend you visit the web page of the refuge (below) for a more detailed account of what is available there for a day trip from the Houston, Beaumont, Conroe, and surrounding areas. You will not be disappointed.

References and Links
¹. Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge
^2. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services
^3. Directions to the five public areas
⁴ BEST (Butterfly) Website
⁵Mammals of the Trinity River Wildlife Refuge

Sawmill Park in The Woodlands Texas

2009-09-18T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is a relatively small park nestled in tall trees and has some nice amenities including a swimming pool, volleyball sand court, basketball court, tennis court, soccer/softball field, large pavilion with eight tables plus a grill, childrens' play areas and very few picnic tables with grills. I particularly like the volleyball court.

Map

Hike through Mercer Botanical Gardens and Arboretum

2009-09-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is a terrific 300 acre park located within easy and quick reach of The Woodlands Texas. It is situated along the southern bank of Cypress Creek in Precinct 4 of Harris County. The Mercers first planted their 13.8 acre garden in the late 1940's. It was expanded in size by three purchases in the 1980's and 1990's and developed by Precinct 4. Click here for additional history. It took me less than 30 minutes to get there, going south on I-45 to Louetta, turning left on to Louetta, then right on Aldine Westfield Rd and traveling a few minutes to Cypress Creek bridge. After passing over the bridge you can turn left into the botanical gardens for parking or to the right for the picnic, playground and arboretum parking areas. Just follow the signs. There are plenty of trails on both sides of the road for hiking. Map.

My hike was very slow since I decided to do some photography in the gardens first. My first task was to photograph butterflies, then some flowers and finally some of the gardens. It was a gorgeous day with a little sun and a lot of moisture from the rain the night before as you will notice on many of the photographs. I will provide many additional photographs in a link below but for now will lead you on a short tour of the facility and explain what I saw.

On passing through the entrance, immediately to the right is the Mercer Center. To your left will be the Water Lilies pond and the main entrance garden. It is here you will sign the visitor's book and if appropriate, the professional photographer's book. Reference books are available to purchase if you need a field guide; bottled drinks can be also purchased, and a map of the premises is provided free (you may need one). Click here for their online brochure. It is a nice place to stop for a rest - air conditioning! In the immediate area, you will be able to observe water plants and various other plants where butterflies, bees and birds hang out.

Briskly walk the paths in the area and you will observe all sorts of creatures and plants. Most people stop along the way and take a close look. At this time of the year, the water lilies are in full bloom in the pond near the entrance to the Central Gardens. The Central Gardens is the large area in front of the center and gets lots of sunlight. It is kept planted with the varieties of the season, season by season.

I found bumble bees very interesting in the striking colors of the various flowers. With the great variety of blooming flowers, one also sees a variety of bees. And they are busy!!

Then the butterflies - Sulfurs, Swallowtails, Skippers and more are easily viewed among the assorted species of plants. A Ruby Throated Hummingbird expressed an interest in what I was doing as he hovered less than three feet from my eyes in one garden on one occasion.

Here is a familiar butterfly to everyone - the Monarch. It is easy to get the Monarch confused with a few others in the Arboretum, but at this time of the year, this is the dominant species among about three similar butterflies. A checklist of butterflies normally seen at Mercer is provided by Mercer Arboretum. Click here. Take the list and a butterfly field guide with you (or purchase one there) and you will be able identify many species.

The Sulfur Butterfly family is a special favorite of mine. If you have ever handled one of these, their outer covering comes off in your hands and looks like yellow sulfur, thus the name.

Or you might prefer to search out the Pipevine Swallowtail.

Or the male Pipevine Swallowtail may be your choice. You can feast your eyes on these beautiful creatures on beautiful plants until your eyes become tired of brilliance. For me, after a few more varieties, I was ready for the trail again.

The botanical gardens are great, so as I trekked out towards the east to find the Bamboo Gardens and its pond, stopping when finding some unusual flowers like this one, moist from the earlier rains and looking like wet paper.

And this plant. The "flower" of the various Ginger plant species has two types of blooms.

There is a Volunteer Center for those who help with various projects and maintenance of the grounds. Click here for more information.

As I continue to hike to the right side of the gardens, following the brick path, I come to a place where I can veer off onto a gravel road. This will lead me to the Bamboo Gardens. I pass by the Salvia and the Endangered Species Gardens, and through the Perennial and Rock Gardens - lots of butterflies and hummingbirds.

Finally we arrive at the Bamboo Gardens. This is truly a beautiful place with the Lily Pond, which was renovated after the storm, next to it. The Botanical Gardens is still recovering from the storm Ike, but hopefully the Japanese Tea room will be reconstructed soon to complete the renovation.

Now we proceed into the primitive loop. There are several routes to enjoy. On this day, there is only one person on the path, jogging. I see many animal tracks in the wet earth - deer and raccoon, as well as a White Tailed Rabbit. A weary person like myself can sit down on one of the many benches for a short breather all along these trails and walkways.

There are benches in several small gardens where one can sit and meditate or just read.

I pass by the pond again on the way back towards the center and on through the Lily Garden. This takes me through the Prehistoric Garden, passing by a bog and through the Shade Bog Garden and Boardwalk (photo right).

Now we leave the botanical gardens and go to the arboretum, picnic grounds and nature trails across the street on the west side of the main road. This area also follows Cypress Creek but towards the west. Here I realize how big this place really is! There is no way to cover it all in one day - not for me on this day. I am carrying a backpack and heavy camera with the temperature about 92 degrees.

I park in the arboretum parking lot and start the trek along the creek. The path takes me through the Jake Roberts Maple Collection. Since I love trees, this area strikes me as especially great! Maple trees lined both sides of the pathway!

Now we head into the trail loops to see a variety of bogs, a swamp and various natural forest areas. An impressive dried up swamp of Cypress trees are in the Bald Cypress Pond (right).

A large pavilion can be rented for Bar-B-Ques.This is located of course in the picnic area, near the children playground equipment. There is parking here also.

There are picnic tables close to the playground equipment with nearby grills. This family park is well equipped and well kept.

Additional Photos click here - I recommend viewing them as a slide show using the full screen option

Mercer Gardens website

Festering problem with Invasive trees and vines

2009-08-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

For decades, a creep of invasive plants has been drifting north from the coastal prairies. I have observed this occurring my entire lifetime. When I was young, there were not many invasive trees, notably the Chinese Tallow. Now, there are forests in marsh areas, once inhabited by marsh creatures. The coastal marshes are however not in scope of this article. They are only examples of what can and will happen when invasive plants go unchecked. The Woodlands parks and paths have these trees, some in abundance. I am blessed by living next to one such park which demonstrates what can happen. We have a beautiful invasive tree population in this park. People like to see them in the Fall. They produce a lot of color. As the trees are allowed to grow unabated, birds spread their millions of seeds throughout The Woodlands. New trees are also propagated through their long root systems. An example of this propagation is shown in the leading photograph of this article. The little trees are on the edge of the pond and on this peninsula where residents sometimes picnic and fish. The tree is also very difficult to kill, and it propagates even when stressed. Some residents see this tree as a friend and actually take measures to protect and encourage its growth. If unchecked, in five years, the trees will be "small adults", about 8-10 feet tall. In 10 years, they will be full sized, reproducing prolifically. I have lived here more than 10 years now and watched as the population of this tree has grown. If we let it, it will eventually displace our forest, and we will be just like the prairie.

We do have an irradiation program, but it was designed for very visible spots, like entries into neighborhoods. The program replaces those trees removed with native trees. Perhaps we should prioritize this program and place more funds on it to get the job done. The other issue being brought forward here is the vine growth. We have a program to mitigate this issue as well. Mitigating the destruction of our trees by vines that grow well in the sunlight has been difficult. We have a contractor working on the program. It appears that the program is simply under funded, or just lacking sufficient resources to get the job done.

In short there are certain critical issues that must be resolved. Status quo in government transition may not be acceptable. We need our leaders to question these programs and make sure we have sufficient budget and emphasis to protect the natural environment which serves to make out community an exceptional place to live - in the forest.

Other resources ¹Number 1 Enemy Chinese Tallow

Gardening on community property

2009-08-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

Do you know that The Woodlands Texas has a resident's gardening location and possibly will have a second one soon? Residents have gardened for years here. They wait in line for someone to relinquish a plot in the "garden" at the Bear Branch Sportsfields. The gardening plots are sectioned off and marked clearly to enable residents to have a vegetable or flower garden out in the sun. In the older parts of The Woodlands, some homes have practically no sun in their yards. Even now in August, some of the gardeners are working their little gardens. Some have trellises for vines; others have stakes, coverings and other tools to help them deal with the heat. Water delivered by hose is available close to all the plots. Sign-up is with the association, so you can access their pages there to see what the current process is to get a plot.

Bear Branch Sportsfields

2009-08-08T08:55:00.000-07:00

Here in The Woodlands Texas, we have an excellent, beautiful and popular sports complex nestled in the forest. It is across the road from Bear Branch Park, next to Bear Branch Creek, a thin reserve of forest which serves as a wildlife sanctuary. This park is used primarily for soccer matches. These tables are handy for many people who use the park for soccer or play (example: Frisbee throwing). Golf is prohibited in this complex. There are seven adult size soccer fields. During soccer season, one will find many smaller fields carved out of the large ones to accommodate the needs of sports clubs for children.

A concession stand with restrooms is new. The grass on the fields is lush and exceptional. Chick-Fil-A manages the concession stand which opens at 8am on weekend mornings. Unfortunately for the writer, on this particular morning, they did not serve coffee.

Park rules are clearly explained on this sign near the parking lots.
There is plenty if parking, some 236 spaces. Getting there: From I45 heading north, take exit 76 to Research Forest Drive. Follow this road until you pass the light at Shadowbend (Montgomery College is located on the right) and proceed over the bridge at Bear Branch Creek. Click here for a Google map locating the complex.

Bear Branch Park, The Woodlands Texas

2009-06-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

This large park is easily accessible from Research Forest Drive. Located adjacent to Bear Branch Creek, it features a rink for roller hockey, is wheel and dog friendly and has natural trails to the creek. This park also has a combined soccer/baseball field and a volleyball court. Entrance to the dog park. On entering the park from Research Forest Dr, turn right into the parking lot and the dog park will be to your right. This is its entrance. There are two fenced areas, the right for small dogs and the left for large dogs. The large dog area. Very spacious. Its beautiful swimming pool. Small childrens playgound. Large pavilion is ideal to rent for group events. Its skateboard facilities include two separate boarding rinks. Five tennis courts It's hockey rink provides an unique amenity for all ages. One can walk on the pathway system over Bear Branch Creek or maybe explore some natural paths in the park. The Longleaf Pine is propigating along the creek bed. Even in dry season, Bear Branch Creek normally has water flowing down it.

How to get there
It is located just west of the bridge over Bear Branch Creek, on Research Forest. The entrance is on the north side of Research Forest, between Shadowbend and The Woodlands High School, across the street from the Bear Branch sports complex.
Google Map

Harpers Landing Park

2009-06-12T17:23:00.000-07:00

There are some great trees and lots of dense forest in this park. I liked the swimming pool there and apparently there are many people who share that sentiment with me. It was busy for a Friday at noon. A visitor can enjoy the picnic benches. I saw at least two places where two families could share an area (two tables in close proximity). There is a toddlers park within this park, on the side opposite the pool. The park is bound by four streets and has walking paths on three sides. Two parking lots provide plenty of parking space. A soccer/baseball field is available, as well as tennis courts. This is a wheel friendly park. To see details in these photographs, make sure you click on the photographs themselves because every one is substantially larger than what you see here.

To get there, go east on highway 242 from I45. Take a left at the first street after Trade Center Parkway, Donwick. Go to Trade Center Parkway and take a left. The park will be obvious on your right at Harper's Landing Drive, where you will want to turn right in order to arrive at the parking lots.

Google Map

We have retention ponds in our Woodlands Parks

2009-06-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ponds are one of our greatest assets here in The Woodlands. They have such diversity in their waters and shores. Making them better is a goal of the superintendent of the parks system. I have taken this for granted lately. Sometimes it is good to reflect some and consider the purpose of an amenity. I once called one pond here a "retention pond" to someone I know, just out of normal conversation. I had a counter response "That is not a retention pond, it is a detention pond." I have to admit, that threw me a curve ball. For years, subdivisions have been building "retention" ponds to meet state requirements for water runoff management. That is the only term I ever heard for these ponds. So I researched this topic, not wanting to use the wrong word for one of these ponds, even in casual conservation. The difference is fairly subtle. Ours are all retention ponds, not detention ponds. But there are detention ponds in some Texas locations. A detention pond can be wet or dry, but its function is strictly to slow down the runoff of water. Because our ponds have vegetation and hold water permanently, ours are considered retention ponds, as they filter and break down the pollutants in the water by natural biological processes, and hold water as a habitat for living organisms. Retention ponds are designed to hold water, slow down water runoff and be a natural habitat for plants and other living organisms. Ours do serve both purposes - retention and detention but technically have the attributes of a "retention" pond. ¹ Each day we can appreciate more about this place and its master plan.

References
¹Retention vs Detention

Spinning Wheel Park The Woodlands Texas

2009-04-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

This little cozy park has some interesting unique features, an attribute characteristic of most of our parks. I like the little gazebo with a bench. The sidewalk is configured in a way to catch a newcomer's attention as well. You can observe from this photo that it has sort of a circular shape which forms an island of vegetation, which is the centerpiece of this neighborhood park.

Tamarac Park The Woodlands Texas

2009-04-10T14:47:00.001-07:00

I visited this park for the first time today and was pleasantly surprised at its "friendliness". The restrooms are located near the entrance, so you know where they are, from the start. Access to the normal amenities are at the front also, such as the tennis courts and the basketball courts. There are some interesting and very old trees such as those covered in vines. I noticed two pines "kissing", a phenomenon when two trees are planted or seeded too close together. The park is full of mature trees of various species. To me this place felt like an old established park, such as Herman in Houston. That is a compliment, not a criticism. Sitting on a bench and enjoying this place is quite the thing to do. In fact, if you are with your spouse or friend, there is a swing under a large old tree that you might want to visit. There is some rich history at this location as noted on this sign dated July 4th, 1984.It is in the heart of the old logging site. This sandy floor volleyball court is located up front as well. The pavilion is about in the middle, on a small pond. I counted three tables inside. There are actually two ponds located here. I like this location with two tables right on the "point" where a picnic can be assembled right in front of the fountains. One pond is rather large with tri-fountains having a high trajectory of water and producing plenty of white noise for visitors. Not all paths are concrete. This park has several dirt paths for the children to explore and even for adults to get to picnic tables. This one leads to the tri-fountains. In this pond, there are large Koi. The playground equipment here is clean and ready for the little ones. This is a skate friendly park. I saw about 10 youngsters practicing there on their skateboards while I was walking through the park.

This is also a dog friendly park. It is the newest park in The Woodlands to provide a dog social and play area. Click here for article on that part of the park.

Fishing in The Woodlands ponds and lakes

2009-04-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is almost synonymous with fishing in the Woodlands parks but not quite. There are many bodies of water in The Woodlands. Each one has its own fish population and water ecology. This article will not address their differences and not recommend any particular park or body of water for fishing. Our purpose here is to reveal how the ecology systems generally work, what to look for in fishing these bodies of water, and what behaviors are expected of every single person fishing on these bodies of water. We also explore the varieties of fish that are found here and what dangers one may find hidden in eating those fish.

A resident caught this 6 pound Largemouth Bass on a spinner bait in a local pond. The fish was returned and lived to be caught again and perhaps spawn. A few weeks passed and another person caught the same fish and did not follow the rules; the person took it home and took away the opportunity for others to experience the excitement of catching a large fish.

This Bluegill is typical of a Bluegill caught on our ponds.

First, we will focus on the ponds. Some of the ponds were here before the master plan was developed. They are purely natural. Others were man-made to provide a distribution of ponds in various neighborhoods and control flooding. Builders charged a premium for a home on a pond or lake. This has been the case for every development that I have seen in the Houston area. Each pond has evolved over the years to a state of equilibrium among its fish population and other inhabitants. Most of the ponds have minnows, frogs, Crawfish, snails and bugs at the bottom of the food chain, Sunfish (Bluegills) in the middle, and Largemouth Bass at the top. Some of the ponds have catfish. Typically, no pond needs to be restocked. Each variety of fish independently regenerates. Some species such as the bass only breed in the spring; some such as the Bluegill, several times a year, even monthly.

There are three varieties of perch (bream) found here. The Redear, the Red Belly and the Bluegill. The Redear prefers deeper water, so we are unlikely to see them in the ponds; the Bluegill and Red Belly like to spawn in shallow water and are often found together. The Bluegill will grow up as large as 4 pounds. The Redear will grow that large as well, but the Red Belly tends to remain much smaller. Please consider others when fishing in these ponds. Don;t leave a mess of fishing line in the water or allow your plastic bags to blow into the water. That kills fish! Also, actively fish. Don't put natural bait on a line and walk away from it. A fish will swallow the bait and incur severe injuries from a gut wound or leaving the hook in its gut. A large bass can and will survive being caught many times if the humans who catch it will take steps to keep it alive after the process. Remove the hook carefully and get the fish right back into the water. The fish's mouth will heal. Don't wait more than a couple of minutes to show it to someone; the fish will lose its capability of equilibrium and breathing. If you want a memory, take a photograph. Also consider your own health when contemplating on keeping a fish. These ponds receive runoff from homes and accumulate minerals and chemicals. The fish are not tested for human consumption and the water is not intended for humans. Ponds are for not for swimming. I would not advise children or adults playing in any of them.

All fish in our ponds are considered park property and are to be released immediately after being caught. Visitors can be charged and fined for breaking the "catch and release" rule.

An alternative to fishing on a pond is to fish on Lake Woodlands or on the reservoir. This small Crappie was caught on the reservoir and had to be returned to the water to grow up.

Fishing on the reservoir is controlled by state fishing regulations. The fish can be taken home. The two large bodies of water are generally considered safe, so the fish living in Lake Woodlands or the reservoir can be harvested according to state laws. One must have a fishing license and observe all rules of that license, such as length of fish for harvesting and the quantity of individual species taken.³

You can leave with a basket of pan fish like this, or a few sports fish, e.g. catfish and bass.

No power boats are permitted on any pond or lake in The Woodlands. Canoes and Kayaks are often used by fishermen to seek out the fish. Flat bottom boats with trolling motors are allowed. Typical artificial and natural baits will catch the fish in the ponds and the lakes. I have found that plastic worms, top water lures and jigs produce about the same successes in these ponds as they do in other East Texas lakes and ponds. Color, size, and action do matter and depending on the weather, time of the year, time of day, life cycle of the fish and just some sort of magical preference of the day, a fisherman will have different results. Natural baits work fine, such as mealy worms, earth worms, or shrimp.

Ponds in George Mitchell Preserve are managed by the counties but have the same basic regulations as those under the jurisdiction of The Woodlands. Lakes and reservoirs are managed by the San Jacinto Water Authority and are patrolled by the Texas Game and Wildlife Commission. The Woodlands Park Rangers patrol the parks, enforce the rules and oversee the health of the ponds.

A word to the wise (and not so wise as well) - The Woodlands residents take great pride in the amenities here. The pond banks are not meant for trash. There are plenty of trash cans provided in our parks. Please have respect for this and clean up behind you. Take the extra step and not only clean up your trash, but those who were not so considerate before you as well. In George Mitchell Preserve, please haul all trash out of the park. It wasn't there before you and others came and should not be there when you leave.

References
¹How to Measure and Release a Fish by Texas Parks and Wildlife
²Summary of Recreational Fishing Regulations by Texas Parks and Wildlife
³Quantity and length Regulations of fish - Texas Parks and Wildlife

Creekwood Park, The Woodlands Texas

2009-03-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

This park is genuinely a very beautiful park. Some days, I meander in the park to watch the ducks. This particular evening in the Spring of 2009, there were Mallards and Wood Ducks.

This park is widely known for its fishing (there is almost always someone fishing here like this gentleman) and its wheel friendly area.

It is located across from McCullough school. There is a place on the walk paths near the pool that has an interesting montage of leaves laid there by someone shortly after the concrete was laid. There is a variety of ducks on the pond. This pair caught my fancy. There are catfish and bass in this catch and release pond. Each year, the association provides a catfish fishing tournament here (keep what you catch) and a fishing training class for youngsters. It has the usual pool, a soccer field, basketball court, tennis court, tables, and a pavilion. Nice family park being enjoyed by father and daughter one warm, Spring day. Click on picture for larger view.

Other links: Woodlands Online

The Woodlands - Leaders in Parks Development and Receational Amenities

2009-03-07T06:46:00.001-08:00

It would be no surprise to many residents in The Woodlands to hear that we just received two awards from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society ¹. We have great parks here. Recent developments in Creekside Park and Town Center are jewels we wear proudly. In Creekside Park, the Community Associations of The Woodlands received the Recreation Facility Design Award for the Rob Fleming Aquatic Center which is recognized for its design quality and recreational usefulness. In Town Center, the Township received the Park Design Excellence Award for the Fountains at Waterway Square, also for its design quality and recreational usefulness.

These awards were presented by an organization dedicated to advancing the professional aspect of Texas park development and maintenance. Connecting to this organization ensures that our parks and recreation department alongside of the Woodlands Development Company engages in state-of-the-art processes and can contribute and be recognized for their contributions in this profession.

¹ Texas Recreation and Parks Society

Spring Creek Bike Trails added at Flintridge Trail Head to George Mitchell Preserve

2009-02-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

Happy trails again bike riders! Talon Trails was commissioned by the Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association (GHORBA) to design natural biking trails in George Mitchell Park, right off of Flintridge in Indian Springs. This is the second set of trails to be provided in the preserve. There are now three miles of biking trails available in addition to the hiking trail. With the water and mud we have in this area, I am a bit concerned about the potential damage bikers can cause by rutting the surface material. But the bikers might stay off of the walking trails now (I hope,) so that the two miles of loop trails remain fit for walking and running. I believe walking is also permitted on the bike trails but it can be dangerous for pedestrians and do not recommend it. Leave those trails for the bikers. I did it today when I took the photos. A note of safety - the bike trails have root stubs on the trail, overhanging branches of trees and very narrow paths, with trees on either side. The ground is purely natural and has a lot of sand and leaves on it. That makes the surface slippery. ALWAYS, I mean ALWAYS wear protection equipment when biking here. A head against a tree is very dangerous. Every person riding a bicycle on the trails must wear a helmet. Wear your helmet and ride cautiously! An overhanging limb can knock you right off the bike, or you can upend yourself with a tire slipping in the sand.

Theoretically, the organization's members do not ride on wet trails. GHORBA is asking now for comments on this new bike trail in their members' forum.

Map of the trails can be found on the commissioner's web page. Here is a link to the PDF file.

One can find an intersection to the bike trails by following the walking trail to the far left from the trail head. You will not need to go far to find it. There are several bike trail intersections with the hiking loop. The bike trail is well marked.

Rob Fleming Park - one of the best

2009-01-23T16:13:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite parks even though it is so young with mostly child and teen-bopper trees. I am going to take you on a virtual tour of this park. It isn't one you can photograph with just a few photos. We have to walk through it for various reasons, to understand it. First we park in the large parking lot. There are two options, but for the park itself, park from the Gosling end. The first thing you will notice is no doubt the pavilion. It is fashioned in typical Texas style with stone. I love this place! The photos are larger than presented within the blog, so you can click on any of them to see something larger. This pavilion, like the others in The Woodlands parks system, can be reserved electronically at the parks and recreation website - click here if you wish to reserve it: Reservations for Pavilions. When approaching the pavilion, on your left will be a number of small pines and other trees clustered together as a forest. The pines will grow into some sizable trees within the next ten years. Some of the others will lag behind. Behind those trees is the new elementary school currently under construction. As you walk further, you enter the kids play area. And discover along the way one of the most fascinating exhibits in The Woodlands. This is my kind of display!!!! It is the tree stump cross section (constructed of concrete) of a tree born in 1510. It is not real and fabricated with a theme of Texas history. Selected years are annotated on the tree's bark rings. As you know, one bark ring equates to one growth year. Of course I did not count these. That would be a good job for a young person to do - to verify to himself that this fabricated tree has that many rings! Now we walk towards the back of the pavilion to see the green grass field and continue to view the bluebonnet field behind it. Along the way on the sidewalk, we turn to look back at the pavilion with a tortoise in the scene.

Green field

Bluebonnet field. We will add another photo later when they bloom

We continue to follow the walking path towards the west into another planted tree area where we find picnic tables and charcoal grills. This one has two tables, convenient for a large family or two families picnicking together. As we continue west, we find the pond with a fountain. Like a number of other Woodlands parks, the pond has the tranquil sound of flowing water. Reedy vegetation planted along the pond in the future will provide a shoreline similar to Reedy Pond, and will produce a fish friendly ecology. The native rock is also appreciated here. One gets the same feel of Texas as in the pavilion. Note that the park is also dog friendly, that is, poop bags are provided on site. Please use them when you bring your dog! As we walk to the western end of the pond, we see the native stone, a pier and places to hang out. Walking on past the pond we enter a woody area of native trees, with gardening enhancements to enjoy. There are park benches to rest weary feet. This is another place to hand out. We look back and can see the water fountain on the pond. Passing out of the woods, we enter a parking area on the east side where the Aquatic Center is located. We will save this for a future article.

Playground at the Aquatic Center

Now we return to where we parked, on the street side of the park. Notice across the street is where the new YMCA will be built. The sign says early 2009 but no construction has started, so we will have to wait a little longer before we see this facility available. To our right, we come upon more tree plantings. I notice a variety of trees here, something dear to my heart. We also make note that directly across from the parking lot where we started, is the trail head for a long walk in the natural forest. This will be another future article. So our tour is complete. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did when I photographed it.
Getting there: From I45, take Woodlands Parkway exit and go west until you reach Gosling (about 4 miles), then take a left south on Gosling; cross the Spring Creek bridge and immediately afterward take a right turn.
From anywhere on Gosling, turn just south of the Spring Creek bridge onto Creekside Forest Dr. Take the first right of the round-about and you will see the park on your left. From Kuykendahl, turn east (if you are heading south, away from The Woodlands, that is a left) on Creekside Forest Drive. Follow it until you reach the park on the right. You cannot find the park on Google yet.
GPS coords: 30.14344, -95.51186
On Creekside Forest Dr

Arbor Day 2009 in The Woodlands is the time to plant a tree

2009-01-10T13:29:00.000-08:00

Arbor day is right around the corner, January 31st, from 10AM to 2PM. Here in The Woodlands, we will have the opportunity to acquire free seedlings and add to our forest, whether it be in our yard or in a green area. Yes, some people and some groups will plant along the paths or in parks where the seedlings are not likely to be mowed down. If you do that, I advise to put a bright ribbon on the seedling to show it is not a weed. This year we lost many trees to Hurricane Ike. If we plant many trees on Arbor Day, we can at least do our part to compensate somewhat for that damage. Seedlings will be available at Rob Flemming Park in the Village of Creekside Park near the Gosling entrance to the village. There is always an excellent variety of trees offered. Tree seedlings includes Bald Cypress, Drummond Maple, Eastern Redbud, Elm Cedar, Flowering Dogwood, Live Oak, Loblolly Pine, Nuttall Oak, River Birch, Sweetbay Magnolia, Southern Crabapple, and Southern Wax Myrtle. In addition to receiving free tree seedlings, guests may register at the event to win one of 35, seven-gallon native trees. Bald Cypress does well almost anywhere and loves the water. River Birch is one of my favorites! It has beautiful peeling bark, great color in the fall and is a lovely medium sized tree. The Dogwood is the princess of the forest with its white blossoms in the spring. Loblolly Pine is not the native pine tree of our forests. It is a faster growing impostor that the logging companies have used. Nevertheless, it makes into a pretty tree. If you are going to plant them, I suggest doing so densely in a sunny area. One day, I hope the native Long Leaf Pine will be distributed at these events. Everyone loves the brilliant red blooms of the Redbud. The Magnolia is a great tree for the south with it's white blossoms in the summer and it will spread out well for lots of shade many years into the future. The fast growing Wax Myrtle is used to provide year-long privacy between neighbors and is a good blocker of lights in the winter. It is a rather small tree that spreads out well. Given plenty of sun, the evergreen Live Oak can grow to be a huge tree that spreads out well. I know someone here who planted three of them in his front yard as seedlings, and today, his entire yard is shade. The Nuttall Oak is a good oak to have, producing acorns, having nice yellow leaves in the fall and will grow very large. Cedar Elm is a hardy good tree to plant. It produces many seeds which can be a pain on the driveway. It also sheds its leaves early in the fall.

All of these trees need water for the first two years. I would plant them in a mixture of soil and a water holding material down below the roots and with regular mulched dirt on the surface.

The 2009 Rainbow trout release in Burroughs Park is upon us

2009-01-10T12:32:00.000-08:00

Just like 2008, the next release of 2000 trout in Burroughs Park is approaching. This year it will be January 16th, 2009. Each year Texas residents are invited to fish for these rainbow trout with lures. You may keep five. Children under the age of 16 do not need a fishing license. Although those fishing off of the bank in a state park are also exempt from needing a license to harvest fish, a fishing license IS required for this adventure. Burroughs Park is not a state park, so folks, bring one if you are over 16. Most are rather small fish but can be fun to catch.

Related links and references:
Burroughs Park
Record trout caught at Burroughs

Reedy Pond Park

2008-12-31T06:56:00.000-08:00

Seen by all who pass south of Woodlands Parkway on Gosling, this simple but attractive park is mostly pond. It was built for flood control years ago. Since then, this retention pond has been improved various ways. It is named after the reeds that were planted along its banks. In recent years, additional landscape has been added in the form of native trees and bushes. Local residents have been adding tree seedlings along the bank for years hoping to add a little natural landscape around the pond. As a result, there are a number of young Cypress trees along its banks. Recently, a fountain was added at the request of residents who needed white noise to help abate the traffic noise. The park has some natural forest in it also. It is a place where residents fish and have family picnics on the abundant grass which the Parks department maintains quite nicely. One will find a few domestic ducks and wild water birds often on the pond. Occasionally, a deer or two will frequent the park. Although rarely seen, other visitors include Coyotes, Raccoons, Possum, Armadillo, and other small animals. The pond is noted for its Crows. You won't find any additional amenities here.

George Mitchell Preserve and nighttime activities in The Woodlands

2008-11-23T15:27:00.000-08:00

Some residents have been murmuring lately about undesired people and sounds coming from the deep forest of the George Mitchell Preserve. I decided to take my dogs for a walk out there right before dark this past week, to see what I could see. Not too far from the entrance, I came across some teenagers playing war, dressed in camouflage clothes. One was wearing some cloth over his face as to conceal his identity. I did not pose any threat to them. Their weapons mimicked assault weapons, automatic or semi-automatic weapons. These were simply paint ball guns which looked something like this. I can see how some residents would not like to see this and quite frankly, I was a bit startled at first. I guess parents these days permit their children to play war with this equipment and let them go anywhere with it. Personally, it does not seem like a reasonable thing to do in our public parks. "Nonpowder guns (ball-bearing [BB] guns, pellet guns, air rifles, paintball guns) continue to cause serious injuries to children and adolescents." ¹ The issue is not the paint ball material but the velocity of the projectile and the consequences to others.

Then I went deeper into this wonderful natural forest arriving at a place where there was significant standing water and decided I had better get back home. It was turning pretty dark. I had taken some photographs of Hurricane Ike's damage and felt that I had a pretty good handle on how the trees fared there. So on the way back, some other teenagers approached me, heading into the forest with sleeping bags and backpacks. Then I overheard a conversation. "We are going to have a campfire pretty soon. It is sure getting cold." I then asked them when they arrived where I was standing, "are you headed into the park?". They responded, "sure". I told them "the park is closing right now. You should be heading the other way". They said of course, "I did not know that". They continued to move into the forest, so I told them, "I will inform the parks department when I get home that you are here". I left them and then in a few minutes observed them following me back out of the park. I went on another path to see what I could see there and the group went on to the parking lot. In 10 minutes I returned to the parking lot and they were still there, sitting in their car. One of them was on a bicycle going back into the forest but when he saw me, he returned and all of them left. I did not report their activity to the parks department, trusting that the kids would not return. A few minutes earlier, I also saw three boys leaving the forest with a guitar case. I am unsure what was inside but since it was dark, I could not be assured that they were not the same three boys who were having the paint ball wars. I knew there were more than three boys engaged in that activity, because the boys were yelling to another group to come to them. My suspicion was that there were paint ball guns in the case.

This was a Saturday night and I expect to see teenagers there even though the park is closed and they should not be there. However, it is obvious that their activities are not exactly what we would like to see in a public park. Paint Ball wars are not good for the elderly nor for babies and the paint would not likely affect the environment, because of the natural ingredients. The boys probably were not intending to harm anything.

I became convinced that indeed there are nighttime unsupervised activities there which need to be contained. Where do boys go for a camp-out around here? We do not want fires in our forest for obvious reasons. There are no campsites that I know of and no rangers to supervise the children. Let's be reminded that our parks resemble areas where kids go camping in Boy Scouts. There is plenty of firewood, so the threat of having a major forest fire is definitely there. We need to take some action to quiet the parks at night and lower the risks of fire and other consequences of our teens playing unsupervised in the parks at night. There have been rumors of drug dealing. I am aware of pot smoking in the parks but not major drug deals. We need to see some police work in these areas, or at least some presence of rangers who will contact the parents and inform them about the issues of their children being in the parks after closing. Communicating about the safety hazards of paint ball wars and camping in our parks might be a good project for someone.

References
¹Injury Risk of Nonpowder Guns

This park is managed by Montgomery County.

Cattail Park

2008-11-15T13:19:00.001-08:00

Cattail Park is right on Cochran's Crossing. It is popular for its dog friendly area complete with poop bags. This very nice area park usually has plenty of parking. The park is adjacent to the creek. Some of the low lying areas right next to the park floods and leaves swampy areas nearby. The baseball diamond The dog park will often have quite a few pets running about. If you take your loved one here, make sure he has his vaccinations in order. He will be socializing with other dogs.
Woodlands Dog Park Club - rules and safety tips There is a small gazebo that can be rented from the Parks department. Tennis courts and childrens' area

Mystic Forest Park

2008-11-15T12:54:00.000-08:00

A unique park among parks of The Woodlands. It is an area park, full of large trees and plenty of tables and BBQ pits. Tots and children area. Unlit basketball court. Decorated walkway and picnic table areas. There are also picnic tables nested in a forested area. This is the only park in The Woodlands where the tennis courts are not lit. There is another nearby park with lighted tennis courts for residents just a few blocks away on Cochran's Crossing. This park is right off of Cochran's Parking at 10 E. Amberglow Cr.

Southshore (Dragon Park)

2008-10-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Southshore (also known as Dragon Park)is popular for some folks. Fishing is one attraction. One will often see people fishing on the rocks on near the pavilion there. This park is also popular for a night visit to view the lake and homes along the lake. It is a romantic spot and one will often see couples holding hands and walking the park in the evenings. It is a place for a picnic with usually plenty of green grass and a good view of the lake. Access is not necessarily easy. One needs to park on the west side off of the road on the parkway, or park away and walk to the park via the pathway(s) which go to nearby streets. There are plenty of ducks in the park. It is normal to see this bird on the head of the dragon. He typically spreads his wings out like this to flirt with the girls.

The pavilion and green grass makes this a good place to stop on a Sunday afternoon just to get outside with the family. It provides photo opportunities for the family.

As one travels west or east on Woodlands Parkway, it is very easy to miss what occurs under the bridge. The Egrets, ducks and various other water birds are feasting around the lake's dam. The scene next to Southshore Park (known by some as Dragon Park because of the green dragon in the water) is one to be seen by the visitors to the park. The birds are somewhat skittish and remove themselves from the water should a person approach, but stay close to their favorite feeding grounds, ready to return as soon as it gets quiet enough.

Golden Sage Park

2008-08-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

This neighborhood park is a little larger than most. It has a Gazebo with a couple of tables, some BBQ pits, sitting bench and a children playground.

These are full screen sized photos so you can click on any one you want to get detail. This park is found at Golden Sage Dr and Sylvan Forest Dr.

Rainprint Park

2008-08-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

This little neighborhood park is located in Panther Creek on E White Willow Cr. It has a children play area, a tot's play area and a grill.

LeHigh Springs Park

2008-08-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

This neighborhood park has amenities for toddlers and older children. With benches and a table, it can usually provide sufficient facilities for most local families. It is located on Lehigh Springs Dr.

Northshore Park

2008-07-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

Each photograph is a full sized page when you click on the photo. The entrance to this park is on Lake Woodlands Drive just west of the Lake Woodlands bridge, west of Town Center. Mapquest link

This is one of the most highly used parks in The Woodlands. It is located on Lake Woodlands. It is the place to take families and visitors alike. You find fisherman here, with family and neighborhood gatherings, or just an occasional duck admirer. This is a place to bring the children to watch baby ducks in the Spring or have a whole flock circle about you. BBQ or roast some wieners on the grills. In the summer, this is the location for Sunday evening free concerts. Also, the Rowing Club is active with boat storage on site and an annual regatta in the spring. You will find the annual YMCA Dragon Boat festivities here in September. Recently, the park's hours were extended to 11PM to accommodate those who need late park hours, especially giving fishermen a place to hang their hats (and park their cars) in the evening. Normally the parks in The Woodlands close at dusk. One can fish from the shores of the park for catfish, perch, Crappie and anything else in the water. The fish can be kept as this lake is not restricted to the catch and release limitations as are the ponds of The Woodlands. However, any small body of water is easily contaminated with chemicals or feces. I do not recommend eating fish out of such a location.

For boaters, this is a good place to go to launch a Kayak, sailboat, Jon boat or canoe. Motor boats are not allowed except for electric motors. There should be no boat wake on the water. This is the location of the summer concerts. Families will bring their chairs to sit out on the grass and a picnic to watch and enjoy the performing musicians. This large covered pavilion is ideal for group parties and can be reserved through the park department of The Woodlands. Families and groups enjoy outdoor grass games in the area in front of the children playground. A small Gazebo for group events. Along the shoreline of Lake Woodlands where the fisherman will typically be found. The swarm of ducks. Domestic and wild ducks live on this pond. Fewer are seen this day than normal. Notice the bridge. The boat ramp is visible, along with a fishing pier, close to that bridge. Children's playground. Rowing club practicing a race.

Related sources

Alcohol in The Woodlands Texas Park System

2008-07-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

This commentary is intended to be an adjunct of a proposal to outlaw alcohol beverages in the park system of The Woodlands.

Background
The Woodlands community has been concerned about an issue with violence in one particular park in Grogan's Mill. At the first July meeting, the WCA board discussed the issue. A proposal is being considered to eliminate alcohol from the park system to mitigate the risk of future violence and crime in our parks.

Commentary
Although I do not condone excessive alcohol consumption, I do have a position that we should not outlaw its consumption in our park system. Our community parks are for the general public. We have several levels of parks that should be considered however. The neighborhood parks for children should not have alcohol, but I am unaware of any related problems in this respect. In the village parks, many people enjoy having a beer, especially in the summertime. That alcohol is consumed with BBQ prepared on the grills and in general,in very normal family and friend gatherings. People fishing on the ponds enjoy a beer, just like they do elsewhere. Picnics will often be accompanied by alcoholic beverages, including wine. This is an amenity which many people can and do enjoy. I would like our parks to attract all of our residents and be comfortably used as they are intended.

A more palatable solution might be to focus on the human behaviors at the parks which is the real issue, not the consumption of beverages. Drunkenness should not be allowed, just like it is not allowed on the streets. Public intoxication is something that law enforcement deals with regularly. This might be a more acceptable solution to everyone. What is really needed is a way to enforce a set of behavioral rules on property belonging to The Woodlands.

Reedy Pond park, Woodlands, Texas: Ducks, Dragonflies, and Fish

2008-06-01T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is a walking tour of the pond on one early Sunday morning. A late season brood of ducks has highlighted the life on the pond during the past week. There were no ducks on it two weeks ago and suddenly one female arrived, built a nest and incubated her 10 little ducklings. Nine have survived the first week. These little fluffy creatures follow their mama's instructions. It is amazing to see the mama seemingly not do anything to tell the babies what to do, but the babies follow whatever she wants in unison. Look closely and you will recognize some of these behavioral patterns in the photos.

This day, the fish were waiting for a handout.

I tried to catch varying lighting situations as the morning sun shined through the brush and into the water; the results are apparent.
Suddenly I noticed quite a few Dragonflies. Their adult lives are very short, about 60 days.

And then there is also more than one species.
Click on any of these photographs and you will be directed to a folder containing these and related photographs from the same shoot in Flickr.com. By the way, the fish in these photos are probably no longer alive. A man brought his 6 or 7 children to the pond the same afternoon and put everything he caught in an ice chest. Of course when I asked him if he knew this was a catch and release pond, he said "no", even though there are two signs on the property, one just a few feet from where he was fishing. Then after he told me his lie,trying to justify has action, he added, "I know many people who come here who do the same thing." I am guessing that he drive 60 in a 45 MPH zone in The Woodlands, because he knows other people that do that also. The children were trashing the area, throwing cans, paper and cartons around while the dad continued to fish. I called for a park ranger who came and talked to them.

I explained to the man that I hoped he was going to clean up behind himself and that I wanted the fish back in the pond. I go to clean up behind such people everyday. They leave their ugly trash in this beautiful pond and around it. It is essentially up to residents to clean up behind them.

George Mitchell Preserve at Spring Creek The Woodlands Texas

2008-05-04T17:27:00.000-07:00

George Mitchell Preserve consists of approximately 1700 acres along Spring Creek in Southeast Texas. It is part of a much larger regional project. See the link below. In a flood zone, along either side of the creek, the preserve has weathered development and construction, but maintaining most of its natural integrity even to this day. Lately, a large initiative has been launched for the largest park in Texas, called Spring Creek Greenway. Now, George Mitchell Preserve is being developed, section at a time, into a series of natural paths and creek-side amenities for nature lovers. This area will be preserved with its savannas, large pine trees, Cypress and other native forest plants as a haven for deer, squirrels, Possum and other wildlife. It is intended to provide a means for humans to appreciate the forest.

In one spring walk, I took photos along the paths of this preserve and have made them available for readers. See some of the photos below.

One can easily find the trail head of the northern trails from Flintridge Rd. A sign along the road marks the trail head of George Mitchell Preserve. Please be careful to carry out what you take into the forest. It is a pristine area. Keep on the marked paths and do not wander off of them, so the plant life will not be harmed. Please leave it as you found it or cleaner.

Enjoy the solitude away from city noise. Sometimes you will have to put up with the noise of airplanes flying overhead and sometimes the hammers and machinery some distance away where construction continues nearby. But the birds will sing; the butterflies will flutter around you; the squirrels will break the silence and startle you in the nearby brush. A deer might even be alarmed and run out from the brush if late in the evening or early in the morning. A visitor walks on dirt here, not concrete. Walking is thereby easier on the joints and generally more quiet. Walk with a stealth gait and you might see a little more wildlife.

The photos below are randomly selected for your viewing by the software. There are a number of photographs in the folder. If you wish to see more, just click on one of them and all the photos will be made available for you to view and you can see larger pictures.

Links: Spring Creek Greenway

www.flickr.com

High Island Texas Bird Sanctuary Day Trip

2008-04-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

A great day trip for The Woodlands residents! High Island is on the Gulf, on Bolivar Island. One can take I10 towards Beaumont or go across the ferry in Galveston to Bolivar Island. The trip from Galveston to High Island is not all that far. The Audubon Society of Houston sponsors one really good bird sanctuary there. I went there with some friends on a leisurely day trip and this is about that trip.

First we stopped on Bolivar Island at the beach to enjoy large spaces without people on the beach. The spring flowers were blooming and the beach was in fair shape. We could have gone swimming but chose not to do so. It would have been sticky afterwards. As it was, we did not have enough time at the sanctuary anyway.

High Island is 32 feet above sea level right next to the beach. The soil is rich and therefore, the vegetation thrives there. Old gnarly Oaks can be found as well as Bald Cypress and even some iron-starved pines. Like everywhere these days, the unwanted Chinese Tallow have also flourished. I happily noted new plantings of several oaks along the trails.

This place is one of the primary stops along the migratory lanes; it attracts birders from all over the world. The day before we were there, birds such as the Painted Bunting and a dozen others had been spotted and posted, as they are each day on the bulletin board. It costs $5 for each person to enter all the birding locations in the area.

Our principal interest was to see the nesting locations of the Roseate Spoonbill and the Egret. The birds are in prime nesting season and will be off to their normal feeding grounds in about three weeks. Here along the gulf coast, are at the far northern hangout of this species. Their chicks were in the nests as exhibited by the photos below. There were several islands in the lake which we visited. Each island is perfect for nesting because the predators cannot access the nests there. A predator must swim past alligators to rob a nest.The birds sometimes make a sound of laughter. They are constantly chatting and fussing over territory. Family quarrels occur every few minutes. There are benches from which a spectator can watch and take photographs.

Don't take the birding on the paths too lightly. I saw a Baltimore Oriole and a black stripped warbler in the trees along the path walk. The path meandered around another lake. Out in the middle of that lake, I saw a very large gator swimming from one side of the lake to the other. I thought I had captured a photo of the warbler, but it darted behind some leaves just as the camera decided to open it's shutter. Under the old oak tree near the owl's nest, just sitting was very relaxing.
Links:
1. Houston Audubon Society
2. All About Birds

Ridgewood Park, The Woodlands Texas

2008-02-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

Woodlands Online Link
With the amenities of a Village Park and more. There are two tennis courts, a soccer field, several groups of tables, a pavilion, swimming pool. It is located near the west side of Panther Creek on Woodrush. Easy access is provided via the hike and bike that runs behind McCullough school that runs under The Woodlands Parkway and up along Woodrush towards Panther Creek Village.

Click photo for a larger view.

2008 Rainbow Trout release to Burroughs Park pond

2007-12-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

The next release of 2000 trout in Burroughs Park will be January 11th, 2008. Each year Texas residents are invited to fish for these rainbow trout with lures. You may keep five. Children under the age of 16 do not need a fishing license and those fishing off of the bank in a state park are also exempt from needing a license to harvest these fish. Otherwise, a fishing license IS required. Burroughs Park is not a state park.

Falcon Wing Park, The Woodlands Texas

2007-11-29T18:50:00.001-08:00

Woodlands Online information link

Another significant park in Indian Springs. Amenities include swimming, softball, basketball, tennis, picnics, BBQ, a pavilion. It is located at Falcon Wing and Flintridge. Great place to take a family for a picnic or have a group BBQ with friends. Don't forget to bring your softball equipment or a soccer ball! A popular place for swimming in the summer.

Chandler Creek Park, The Woodlands Texas

2007-11-29T16:55:00.000-08:00

Woodlands Online information link Chandler Creek Park The Christmas spirit is in this exceptional tree.
Click on picture to see more detail. Very nice native Pecan

This park is small with a few amenities located on Flintridge at the creek. It has a children's playground and a picnic table with a small pavilion. It has a unique signature due to its trees. It has several Pecan trees and a beautiful Holly tree. Since I am a fan of trees, I must point you to more information on this tree.
Link for more information

Forestgate Park, The Woodlands Texas

2007-11-29T16:23:00.000-08:00

Woodlands Online information link Forestgate is an exceptional major park in Indian Springs. It offers swimming, soccer, basketball, picnic tables, Bar-B-Que pits, Children playground equipment, and a pavilion. There are plenty of natural trees and brush retained. It provides a setting to enjoy the peace for reading a book outdoors or to have the neighborhood kids at an outdoor party.

Getting there: Access is from Woodlands Parkway or Flintridge Drive, west of HEB and Indian Springs Shopping Center (at Kuykendahl and Woodlands Parkway). Address is 7505 South Forestgate Drive The Woodlands, Tx 77382.
Google map

Introduction to the Parks blog of The Woodlands Texas

2007-11-18T07:03:00.001-08:00

I will be visiting many parks, taking photographs and commenting on their uniqueness. I hope this has value for residents and potential residents alike. You can see the pictures more clearly and in more detail if you click on the one you want to see in its entirety. For The Woodlands parks, you will notice that each is characterized by its designed role. Using this criteria as a filter, you can filter oout all posts except those pertaining to Village parks, for example, by clicking on "Village".