HOUSTON AWARDED BIRD CITY DESIGNATION
Woodland Heights White Oak Parkway’s Pilot “Bird-Friendly Park”
Houston has a significant community-wide effort underway in the support of native plants that support wildlife, including birds. One of the best examples of this activity happens in the Greater Heights area of White Oak Parkway.
As a result of this and other city-wide efforts, Houston is one of four Texas cities honored with the Bird City designation from Audubon Texas and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s inaugural Bird City Texas certification program. This new, community-focused certification program has been created to help people protect birds and their habitats. “This certification recognizes the significant bird conservation efforts by the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Houston Audubon, and many other organizations throughout the greater Houston area,” said Kelli Ondracek, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Natural Resources Manager. “We will continue to work collaboratively with our partners to advance habitat restoration and education efforts to benefit birds and other wildlife.”
The growing popularity of planting native plants, restoring the native prairies, bird-friendly education programs, and Houston Lights Out for Birds program for migrating birds were among the many efforts and programs that gained Houston the designation.
One of the many significant community-wide efforts underway in support of native plants that support wildlife, including birds is located in Woodland Heights’s White Oak Parkway area.The White Oak Parkway, is a pilot “Bird-Friendly Park,” where efforts are currently underway for invasive removal, native plantings, pop-up birding stations, bird surveys, volunteer days, and community science programs.
“The Bird City designation is a great affirmation of the heroic conservation work and a growing appreciation of birds in the Greater Houston Area. I commend the city for their vision and for recognizing the important role birds and nature play in our quality of life and economy,” said Helen Drummond, Houston Audubon’s executive director.
A Bird City Stakeholder Group has been established with approximately 50 organizations represented to work with the City of Houston and its partners. This group will receive various updates and communications regarding Bird City and the targeted actions the city of Houston will accomplish as a part of this certification.
About the Houston Audubon Society
Established in 1969 as an autonomous, self-supporting chapter of the National Audubon Society, Houston Audubon Society’s mission is to advance the conservation of birds and positively impact their supporting environments which it accomplishes through acquiring and maintaining critical habitat as bird sanctuaries, providing education programs and nature experiences for children and adults, and advocating policy and management actions in support of the mission. Houston Audubon owns and manages 17 nature sanctuaries encompassing 3,400 acres across the Greater Houston and Galveston regions and became an Accredited Land Trust in 2017. To learn more, visit www.houstonaudubon.org By email at Anna at avallery@houstonaudubon.org
About the Houston Parks and Recreation Department The Houston Parks and Recreation Department (H.P.A.R.D.) stewards and manages over 37,851 acres of parkland and green space for the City of Houston and develops and implements recreational programming for citizens of all abilities. For more information on the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, call (832) 395-7022 or visit www.houstonparks.org.
By email at Anna at avallery@houstonaudubon.org