Habitat Beautification Along Brays Oak Trail

By Sharon Young, Friends of Keegans Bayou Trail

As part of the Witness Series event, “Blooming into History: Beautiful, Fierce and Free,” held on April 26, 2025, Houston Audubon staff Jed Aplaca and Carolyn Klein led a walk that helped participants identify wildflowers, grasses, pollinators, and birds along Keegans Bayou Trail in southwest Houston. Among the 75 participants was an enthusiastic Girl Scout troop. A wildflower checklist was put together by Native Plant Society Houston members. A Texas Master Naturalist recorded 18 bird species out of the dozens that live along the Bayou. It was truly a complete ecology lesson packed into one hour.

Community sponsor spokesperson Gillian Alexander, RN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Memorial Hermann Southwest and Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospitals, shared her thoughts on the event: “The Hospital is making connections to improve the health and well-being of communities by incorporating exercise into healthcare and encouraging the use of parks, trails and outdoor activities.” Visitors saw firsthand the benefits of conserving and providing habitat for wildlife right in their own backyard. Hopefully, these connections will inspire some to become environmental stewards.

The Friends of Keegans Bayou Trail set a great example by advocating for wildflowers to be sown along the Brays Oaks Trail. The Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) seeded wildflowers in November 2021 on 1,500 feet of the banks of the trail. Beyond beautifying the landscapes, the wildflowers provide a sustainable landscape and wildlife habitat. To ensure maximum seed production, the first mowing cycle in May-June is skipped each year. This allows seeds to fully develop and disperse during the fall and winter mowing schedule. It’s a win-win for everyone, achieving our group’s goal of beautifying the environment and enriching the ecosystem, all while reducing mowing costs.