New nature preserve in Euless

[JohnT]

A new nature preserve in Euless might offer some nice photo ops this spring and summer. I haven't been there yet but will check it out soon to see what's there.

Euless unveils $1 million nature preserve

By ELLENA F. MORRISON
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

EULESS — Design plans for Euless’ $1 million Preserve at McCormick Park hit Ray McDonald’s desk covered in engineering lingo, numbers and complex drawings.

Page after page detailed the placement of the outdoor classroom, the children’s playground, two ponds and a historic tree grove.

But the engineering plans don’t "even come close to doing it justice," said McDonald, Euless director of parks and community services, while standing near the almost-finished preserve’s entrance recently.

"I mean, look at this place," he said, sweeping his hand out to encompass a playground with faux-log slides, the beginning of a small forest — complete with saplings from local and national historically significant trees — and a quaint bridge leading to a glistening lake.

"It’s much better than I ever envisioned."

Funded by a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant covering 50 percent of the cost, the project took about a year longer than expected because of paperwork, officials said. Work began on the grant in 2003.

Beside a few minor touches, all that remains is to seed the ground with a native grass, Euless officials said.

The 27-acre preserve at 2005 Fuller-Wiser Road connects Bob Eden Park on the west to the Villages of Bear Creek Park on the east.

The nearly complete Preserve at McCormick Park already has joggers and dog walkers meandering along the wide hike-and-bike trails, fishermen on the floating pier and teachers eager to bring students to the outdoor learning center and amphitheater. The preserve also includes a bird habitat and examples of different ecosystems, such as wetlands and forest areas.

"The things we can do with two or three hours in the park, it would take you a month to go over in the classroom," said Gloria Chatelain, Hurst-Euless-Bedford science coordinator, who took teachers to the preserve late last year to discuss possible science lessons. "It really gets the kids to pay attention, and it brings science home."

Lakewood and North Euless elementary students, along with some from Euless Junior High, helped design the preserve, offering suggestions on everything from what type of benches to use to how far people should have to walk from the parking lot.

"They would say something and everybody would jump in, piggy-backing on each other’s ideas," said Lakewood Elementary student Alyssa Johnson, 12, who helped with the project by, among other things, suggesting the park stick to earth tones. "They used our ideas."

In keeping with the natural environment of the preserve, many of the features are eco-friendly.

For instance, large rocks dug up during another development project in Euless serve as signs and the benches are made from trees removed from the preserve.

[Hogleg 44]

Neat! I'll have to check it out!