With 40 volunteers, including students from Harmony and KIPP Yes Prep schools, District H Council Member Mario Castillo, and Houston Clean City Commissioner Alan Steinberg, the broad Houston community came together to restore this vital City of Houston nature preserve and bird sanctuary. Liz Virgil led the way for SPLASh, and both Urvi Dani from Texan By Nature and WHCA’s very own Director of Beautification Ryan Taylor joined in.
During the clean-up, volunteers removed nearly 800 pounds of trash, including some unexpected large items like a futon, tires, a children’s play castle, and even a City of Houston Recycling Bin (way to go Royland!). The impressive amount of debris cleared underscores the ongoing challenges of maintaining Houston’s green spaces and the importance of community participation.
Woodland Park sustained significant damage from both the Derecho event and Hurricane Beryl. The park lost over 25% of its tree canopy, and floodwaters from Little White Oak Bayou (LWOB) rose more than 50 feet, inundating the banks with trash and making clean-up efforts a necessary recurrence for now. But our favorite bird, the yellow-crowned night heron, kept us company!
A huge thank you to everyone who volunteered—especially the HPARD team who helped clear the trails for access, the students from Harmony, KIPP Yes Prep and other schools, CM Castillo, Liz Virgil, and Alan Steinberg. Your dedication is making a lasting impact for Woodland Park and the wildlife that depend on it.
If you couldn’t join us on September 22, you can still make a difference by participating in the next clean-up event on Saturday, September 28. This will be another crucial effort to restore Woodland Park after the storms.
Together, we can help preserve this special nature preserve and bird sanctuary, ensuring it remains a vibrant space for both wildlife and the community.