Hello Everyone!  

Sarah here!  We had a successful meeting with the Friends of Lick Creek Park a few weeks back.  I want to thank the people that showed up for your ideas and time!

The FoLCP, RBAS, and TMN formed an Advisory Committee to communicate with the City.   The meetings will occur about once a month and maybe more frequently as we approach the construction dates.  The first committee meeting occurred on the 28^th of last month (March) and went well.  David Schmitz from the Parks Board is gladly welcoming the help with planning some of the details of the Nature Center.

Nature Center Overview

Indoor Teaching Building

WANT TO HELP OUT?

Parks Board/City Council Attendance

We’d like to have someone or several people attend the Parks Board and/or City Council meetings.  This would be to get noticed and stay ahead of any news concerning Lick Creek or voice our support (or other opinions) about the Nature Center.  The Park Board meets the second Tuesdays of every month.  If you are interested in helping out with this, let me know!

Committee within Master Naturalists

I’d like to form a committee within the Master Naturalists about projects we could take ownership of in the park.  For example, we can most likely get funding for native gardening projects and plantings around the Nature Center.  I think this is a good way to interact with the City, show our support of the overall project, and get the Chapter name out in the public.  If you feel very passionate about being involved with the nitty gritty details of the plans for the park, please let me know!

REQUESTS FROM THE CITY PARKS BOARD! 

At a recent meeting between the FoLCP and the City, David Schmitz made several requests from us. 

Website

We can help provide content for a website that the City will maintain.  The site will highlight the Nature Center but what’s needed is content about how great the park is.  We’re the ones using it for walks, birding, teaching classes, etc…  This actually ties into David’s second point…

Signage at the park

The City is planning signage around and in the Nature Center.  We were asked to help provide content for that.   We requested, through Duncan MacKenzie, that the City tells us how big the signs will be and how many.  Topics that we felt should be highlighted were the history of the park, what can be found here currently (birds, plants, animals that might be seen), and current issues in the park (watershed areas, drought, etc…).   The signs will not just be around the Nature Center but all throughout the park to highlight different eco-regions.  If you have a special place in the park that you feel needs to be showcased, let me know!

Staffing/Volunteers

David also wanted some information about staffing and operations.  Between the three groups we felt that volunteers could be found to provide service at the park.  For example, if we want hummingbird feeders around the Center they would need to be monitored and filled, or volunteers to lead nature walks, etc…  I think this shouldn’t be a problem since there are TMNers going regularly to the park and others that would be willing to earn volunteer hours.  Staffing isn’t something that will be left to volunteers.  The park is supposedly hiring someone either part or full time to be at the Center every day. 

Indoor Teaching Building

NOW FOR OUR REQUESTS!

Footprint of Construction/Critter Survey

We are requesting from the City that we can go out before any construction starts and do a survey of plants, insects, and other critters that are located in the building foot print.  We’d like to make sure that construction will not remove or destroy any critical microhabitat.  Mark McDermott noted that the site proposed for construction is currently home to several American Woodcocks and that grassy area is also a location noted for Henslow’s Sparrows (although they haven’t been seen recently).   We’ll need volunteers with plant and insect knowledge so I’ll keep you updated on when the survey will occur. 

Support for Current RBAS Butterfly Garden

The current RBAS butterfly garden and chimney swift tower are wonderful features of the park and will not be moved, changed, or destroyed according to the construction plans.  However, if water is being brought to the building, can we have some, too?  We’d like either drip irrigation for the current butterfly garden or at least a water spigot nearby and access to a really long hose (not joking).   For the volunteers who have been hauling water out to maintain the gardens during the long, hot summers, a nearby water source will be greatly appreciated! 

Restoration of (part of) the Native Prairie

We’d like to restore a portion of the native prairie along Iron Bridge Trial (as you head down the hill after Post Oak Trail but before Deer Run Trail).  This location was historically a prairie and was used as a staging area for heavy machinery when the water treatment facilities were built in the early days of the park.  Monique Reed was given permission to remove invasive species from this area and we are asking permission to remove native invasives.  FoLCPer and TMNer Dwight Bohlmeyer is organizing an invasive species removal in conjunction with the Big Event held on March 29^th (if you’d like to help supervise students, please contact me or Dwight!)  Restoration of the prairie along this section of Iron Bridge Trail will hopefully be enough to balance out the prairie that will be lost when construction of the Nature Center occurs. More restoration could be possible as well.

Construction of the Center is planned tentatively for Fall of 2014 and early 2015.  Final plans need to be given the ok by the City Council.

Outdoor Teaching Building

PROJECTS WE COULD HELP WITH!

Building a bird blind and drip with Rio Brazos Audubon

Native plant garden/plantings around the Nature Center… like a monarch garden?  Dry-lands garden?  Any other ideas?!?!?  

This is the time to get our voices heard with what we’d like to see happen in the park.  If we wait too long, things will be decided for us and we might not be happy with the results.  If you have ideas or experience with these types of projects, we’re counting on you to step up and volunteer!

Questions?  Comments?  Concerns?  Leave a comment below or send an email to bvtxmn@gmail.com