Sunday’s Monarch March marks annual migration
By Hallie Hutchins, Parks & Recreation Marketing Assistant
As spring approaches, monarch butterflies are preparing to make their annual 2,500-mile journey back to their homeland in the north. Among their stops along the way will be the Brazos Valley.
To commemorate the iconic black and orange butterflies’ return to Aggieland, the College Station Parks & Recreation Department’s Monarch March event from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday at Lick Creek Park Nature Center offers a variety of interactive educational activities.
The festivities are a fitting tribute to the winged creatures that graze our landscape each spring. The program includes a walk through Lick Creek Park Nature Center’s Monarch Waystation, butterfly face painting, tips on how to create your own waystation or butterfly garden, and much more.
Community organizations such as Friends of Lick Creek, Texas Master Naturalists, and Butterflies of the Brazos will host a booth with activities that instill a greater appreciation for wildlife.
As part of our commemoration, you can pick up two free Butterfly Retreat seed packets at our Central Park office at 1000 Krenek Tap Rd. Each pack covers more than 20 square feet and contains a wildflower mix that’s perfect for creating a butterfly habitat.
The beauty created by the spring monarch butterfly migration can be mesmerizing. Monarch March celebrates this fascinating time while emphasizing the importance of creating healthy habitats to support these beautiful insects.
For more information, go to cstx.gov/monarchs or call 979.764.3486.
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About the Blogger
Hallie Hutchins is in her third year as marketing staff assistant in the Parks & Recreation Department after graduating from Texas A&M in 2014 with a degree in sports management. She has previously worked with the Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team and Texas Team Junior Golf. Originally from White Oak, Hallie also attended Kilgore College and was a member of the famed Kilgore Rangerettes dance team.
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Lick Creek Nature Center to be unveiled Saturday
By Hallie Kutch, Marketing Staff Assistant
Many people consider the 515-acre Lick Creek Park to be the crown jewel of College Station’s park system.
On Saturday, that precious jewel takes on an even shinier gleam with the grand opening of the long-awaited Lick Creek Nature Center. From 9 a.m.-noon, we cordially invite you to enjoy education stations, guest speakers, and guided tours through the 2,400-square-foot facility and the park’s many trails.
The free event begins with a welcome ceremony and ribbon cutting, followed by guided tours every half hour starting at 9:30 a.m. We’ll serve light refreshments, and dogs on leashes are welcome. Horses and bikes are not permitted.
Residents overwhelmingly approved the $2.1 million Lick Creek Park Nature Center as part of the 2008 bond election. The design was approved in 2014, but construction was delayed until an adequate water line could be installed for fire protection.
The nature center serves as the focal point of the picturesque park, which is located at 13600 Rock Prairie Rd. As the area’s premier nature preserve, the park displays a variety of native plant and animal species, including the endangered Navasota Ladies Tresses. It offers five miles of marked trails and provides ample opportunities for hiking, cycling, bird watching, equestrian activities, and nature study.
The facility features a meeting room, restrooms, indoor and outdoor classrooms, and an amphitheater available to rent for receptions, classes, meetings and more. Additional improvements and amenities have enhanced one of College Station’s favorite recreational areas and made it more accessible — and enjoyable — for young and old alike.
The nature center’s mission is to provide exceptional experiences while educating and inspiring visitors to explore, respect, and protect the natural world. The Parks and Recreation Department is teaming with community partners and organizations to host educational classes, programs, and events for all ages to enhance appreciation of the environment and encourage wildlife conservation and stewardship.
The nature center officially opens to the public on Nov. 1. Operating hours will be weekdays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sundays from 1-6 p.m.
Paid classes already are underway. A few of the offerings include:
- Outdoor education field trips.
- Weekly Saturday programs such as birdhouse building contests, campfire building demonstrations, storytelling, survival tips, etc.
- Saturday Showcase: once-a-month traveling education exhibits.
- Self-led nature walk/wildlife identification scavenger hunt.
- Birding 101 and guided nature walks.
- Sunrise and sunset yoga classes.
- Wild Wednesday: weekly hands-on programs to get you up close and personal with native critters and plants.
- Friday Family Hikes: bring a picnic and hike before dinner with your family.
- Little Ag Producers: youth learn how to identify, grow, harvest and prepare local vegetation.
- Sunday Safety Series: learn snake and insect identification and bite protocol and outdoor and trail bike safety.
For more information on classes, special events, and facility rentals, go to cstx.gov/parks.
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About the Blogger
Hallie Kutch is in her third year as marketing staff assistant in the Parks & Recreation Department after graduating from Texas A&M in 2014 with a degree in sports management and a minor in tourism research management. She has previously worked with the Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team and Texas Team Junior Golf. Originally from White Oak, Hallie also attended Kilgore College and was a member of the famed Kilgore Rangerettes dance team.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
Major changes underway at popular Lick Creek Park
By Hallie Kutch, Parks & Recreation Marketing Staff Assistant
For almost 30 years, if you wanted a quick escape from the busy sounds of our growing community, you probably headed for the peaceful solitude of Lick Creek Park, the area’s premier nature preserve. If you’ve been there in recent months, your search for serenity may have been interrupted by the sounds of hammers and bulldozers.
But don’t worry, it’s only temporary — and the results will be worth it.
The 515-acre park on East Rock Prairie Road is undergoing extensive improvements, including the construction of a long-awaited nature center.
Established in 1987 as part of land negotiations to create a city industrial area, Lick Creek Park displays a variety of native plant and animal species, including the endangered Navasota Ladies Tresses. The park offers five miles of marked trails and provides opportunities for hiking, cycling, bird watching, equestrian activities, and nature study.
It’s also the city’s largest off-leash dog park.
Lick Creek Nature Center
In the 2008 bond election, residents overwhelmingly approved the $2.1 million Lick Creek Park Nature Center. The design was approved in 2014, but construction was delayed until an adequate water line could be installed for fire protection. Torrential rains last spring and summer caused additional delays.
Thankfully, the nature center’s construction and other improvements in the park are underway and are expected to be finished by May.
The nature center will soon be the park’s focal point and will provide citizens and visitors an educational opportunity to learn about the animals and plants that call the park home. Features include a 2,400-square foot building with a meeting room, restrooms, indoor and outdoor classrooms, an amphitheater and native plant displays.
Other Improvements
As a part of the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge to help save the threatened butterfly population, the park will include a monarch-friendly demonstration garden and a butterfly trail with abundant milkweed — the butterfly’s host plant — and other nectar-producing plants. The site will be a prime spot to watch the monarchs’ annual migration and metamorphosis.
The rerouting of trails will improve the flow and create a major pathway that connects the nature center to the park’s west entrance at Pebble Creek Parkway, which is the trailhead for the Lick Creek Hike and Bike Trail that winds more than five miles across town to Creek View Park.
Trail surfaces also will be upgraded, and new signage and maps will guide visitors through the trail system.
Meanwhile, informational signage throughout the park will identify trees, plants, birds, insects, butterflies, and wildlife. Benches along trails and at each trail intersection will allow visitors to pause and enjoy the park’s beautiful scenery.
Bicycle racks will also be accessible at the four major entry ways.
Don’t wait to enjoy Lick Creek Park
Although the improvements won’t be finished until the spring, the park remains open. You can still enjoy the park’s natural design, but be cautious and obey signs noting construction and closed areas.
Portions of the park that are closed include the Rock Prairie Road entrance and parking lot, Yaupon Loop Trail, and part of Post Oak Trail. Parking is available in the equestrian lot off Rock Prairie Road northwest of the main entrance.
The improvements and amenities will enhance one of College Station’s favorite recreational areas and make it more accessible – and enjoyable — for young and old alike.
For more on College Station’s park system, go to cstx.gov/parks.
About the Author
Hallie Kutch is in her second year as marketing staff assistant in the Parks & Recreation Department after graduating from Texas A&M in 2014 with a degree in sports management and a minor in tourism research management. She has previously worked with the Dallas Sidekicks professional soccer team and Texas Team Junior Golf. Originally from White Oak, Hallie also attended Kilgore College and was a member of the famed Kilgore Rangerettes dance team.
If you found value in this blog post, please share it with your social network and friends!
Live Blog: Thursday’s city council meetings (Oct. 9)
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This is a live blog from the College Station City Council’s workshop and regular meetings on Thursday, Oct. 9. It’s not the official minutes.
Both meetings are being broadcast live on Suddenlink Channel 19 and can also be watched online. An archive of previous council meetings is available on the website.
5:48 p.m. (more…)
Five things to watch at Thursday’s city council meetings
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Here are five items to watch when the College Station City Council gathers Thursday at city hall for its workshop (6 p.m.) and regular (7 p.m.) meetings: (more…)
