A new garden called the Heartwood Native Garden at Montgomery’s Memory Park is underway thanks to a community effort among volunteers of the local Heartwood Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist program and the Rotary Club of Lake Conroe Foundation in partnership with the City of Montgomery.
The Heartwood Native Garden at Montgomery Memory Park is located behind the Charles B. Stewart West Branch Library and adjacent to Fernland Historical Park. The plan for enhancing the park with native plants was approved by the city, this includes drainage improvements, planting native plants and installing signage.
Native plants benefit native pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, bats and birds. These native pollinators play a critical role in sustaining ecosystems and providing essential services to American agriculture (estimated at as much as $9 billion annually). Interest in conservation of native pollinators has grown rapidly over the last few years as several species have experienced dramatic population declines. The Heartwood Native Garden will bring awareness to and create positive change for pollinator conservation.
“The Heartwood Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist is celebrating our founding 20 years ago. We have 155 members volunteering across Montgomery and Walker counties,” said Lisa Houston, President of the Heartwood Chapter. “This group of local Texas Master Naturalist volunteers have served to initiate, plan, create and maintain the Heartwood Native Garden as a community service.” She credits long-time Montgomery resident, Shelley McCoy, for initiating and driving the volunteer effort to create the Heartwood Native Garden as a community project to celebrate the chapter’s 20th anniversary.
“Memory Park has been a community effort since its inception and initial beginnings in 2005,” said Charlie Parada, Treasurer of the Rotary Club of Lake Conroe Foundation. “Everyone is invited to participate and enjoy the park. The Texas Master Naturalist volunteers from the local Heartwood Chapter were instrumental in this enhancement of Memory Park.”
About the local Heartwood Chapter
The Texas Master Naturalist Program’s mission is to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities for the State of Texas. The statewide program website is https://txmn.tamu.edu/. The local Heartwood Chapter is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The chapter provides citizen volunteers for implementing youth education programs; for operating parks, nature centers, and natural areas; and for providing leadership in local natural resource conservation efforts throughout Montgomery and Walker counties.
About Memory Park and Rotary
The Rotary Club of Lake Conroe Foundation, an IRS 501(c)3 organization, was instrumental in the creation of the 5-acre Memory Park beginning in 2005 and dedication in 2008. The Rotary Club Memory Park Committee is comprised of Rotarians and non-Rotarian volunteers who have helped maintain the park along with the City of Montgomery. They hold a volunteer workday every third Saturday of each month. The address for the Memory Park is 202 Bessie Price Owen Dr. Montgomery, TX 77356. Donations to maintain and enhance the park are tax-deductible. Visit lakeconroerotary.org to learn more.
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