With summer behind us, it's time to prepare for fall festival season at Jones Park. To kick off the festivities, we'll host Native American Heritage Day in the Akokisa Village. Visit us during the festival to explore the village, sample Native American food, and view the authentically recreated structures. We're already planning to spruce up the Akokisa Village by adding fresh palmetto fronds to the structures this fall.

Tricks & Treats Among the Trees, Pioneer Day, and An Old-Fashioned Christmas are also fast approaching. If you are interested in helping the Jesse Jones Park Volunteers acquire donations for these events, please reach out to Brent Wilkins at bwilkins@hcp4.net or Gary Chapman at president@jjpv.org to join the donation committee. With your help, we can make these festivals bigger and better.

Summer Nature Camp was a huge success this year, and I want to congratulate Katrina Yordy, Alicia Mein-Johnson, and John Carey for coordinating the event with enthusiasm, efficiency, and creativity. With full rosters each session, we hosted more than 100 kids with the help of our dedicated volunteer counselors. Picnic in the Park was a new event this summer celebrating Juneteenth. The public certainly enjoyed the food, shopping, and entertainment offered by JJPV. We learned much from this event and are excited to begin planning for next year. 

I'm also excited to announce that four research surveys are underway here in the park. Researchers have already found two alligator snapping turtles along Spring Creek. These rare and elusive creatures were once thought extirpated from the area. We're pleased to see that they've made a comeback. The other surveys involve documenting lichen growth, tree mortalities after the freeze, and the invasive emerald ash borer beetle. I hope these survey results will contribute to scientific research and play a role in improving and protecting our region one day.  

We continue to upgrade and repair the park. Plans include resurfacing the west side trails in October and adding new security cameras near the park entrance by Nov. 1. Additionally, the Harris County Flood Control District plans to start work on the Kenswick neighborhood drainage outfall project soon. 

I also want to congratulate our former assistant director, Matt Abernathy, on his new position as director of operations for Artist Boat, a Galveston-based nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about marine life and the environment through art and science. Although we will miss him greatly, we are excited about his opportunity. Artist Boat is fortunate to have such a talented leader joining its ranks. We wish him the best! 

We are so blessed to live in a country, state, county, and community with places as beautiful as Jones Park. This beauty is why we always strive to protect the park. Our caretaker staff worked exceptionally hard to maintain and beautify it over the summer. I want them to know that they have done a fantastic job. If you've noticed how good the park looks lately, please be sure to show your appreciation as well.  

As we ring in fall, I'm looking forward to saying hello to cooler weather and goodbye to the humidity. Thank you for your time. Stay safe, and see you in the park! 

Jason Naivar

Park Superintendent and Director

– Chad Sugg

It's always easy to tell when fall has arrived in Harris County. Shop windows feature dazzling displays of pumpkins and cornucopias. Along roads and in parks, trees are ablaze with leaves of red, yellow, or gold. Festivals such as the Texas Renaissance Festival, Wings Over Houston, and the Bayou City Art Festival serve as a magnet for those looking for a good time.

And then there are the copperheads. No, not bright new shiny pennies but rather the snake of snakes – the eastern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix).

Want to make a difference at Jones Park? Join us this fall for a variety of exciting programs to restore and preserve the park’s natural areas.

During Invasives Beware, help us remove invasive plant species to create a healthier ecosystem in the park. By targeting invasive plants, both native and non-native, we can gradually increase plant and animal diversity.

If you’d like to do more, consider joining the Adopt A Trail program. The program is an opportunity for conservation-minded groups to sponsor a section of Jones Park’s extensive trail system for at least one year by controlling invasive plants and maintaining the trail.

During Plant Texas Natives, we’ll restore natural areas around Jones Park by planting native plants, trees, and seeds in designated areas. Long pants and closed-toe shoes are required. Bring a shovel or two and help us restore Jones Park on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon.

For more information, visit Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center online at www.hcp4.net/jjp/events.

Jason Naivar, the director of Jesse H. Jones Park &n Nature Center, leads a tour of the Akokisa Village at Jones Park.

I'm excited to see the activities in the park returning to normal. I especially enjoyed volunteering for Summer Nature Camp and Texas Bound this summer.

We completed some major renovation projects in the Redbud Hill Homestead, including rebuilding the cabin and renovating the smokehouse. Now we're turning our attention to fall programs and preparations for Tricks & Treats Among the Trees, Pioneer Day, and An Old-Fashioned Christmas.

This summer, we held our first Picnic in the Park event. It was an excellent opportunity for families to spend the day in the park and celebrate Juneteenth and Father's Day. Entertainment was provided on the greenspace stage by JJPV volunteers and musicians Bill Hunn and Eric White, Jawad and Joseph of Drum & Strum, and storyteller Jean Donato from Young Audiences of Houston. We delivered our first live stream on the JJPV Facebook page during the event, which reached more than 1,300 people and had more than 100 engagements!

We plan to return to our regular in-person monthly JJPV meetings in September and accommodate virtual participants through Zoom. Over the past year, we've discovered that the ability to include virtual participation is a tremendous asset. Not only can JJPV members attend the monthly meeting if they are out of town, but we can also bring in guest speakers from all over the country. In fact, our guest speaker at the June meeting joined us from Wisconsin.

I look forward to seeing you all in the park this fall.

Gary Chapman

JJPV President

By Brent Wilkins, Volunteer Coordinator

Most working teens and young adults spend summers mowing lawns or sacking groceries -- not directing campers or helping operate a park.

Alyssa Anderson and Andrew Lemerond are proud exceptions. The two spent the summer developing skills as interns at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center that will benefit them long into the future.

Alyssa, a junior at G.W. Carver High School and an aspiring biologist, helped coordinate Summer Nature Camp. When reflecting on her accomplishment, she said she's most proud of providing a memorable camp experience to more than 100 children.

Although she first began volunteering at Jones Park this spring, she has visited the park for years with her family and considers it a special place. As a volunteer, she enjoys dressing up in costume and participating in living history demonstrations in the Redbud Hill Homestead.

During his internship, Andrew helped with park operations. In reflecting on his experience, Andrew said he has gained a new perspective on how the park operates.

"Between the painstaking physical labor, the thoughtful planning, and the results that it all bears, the efforts to make this park what it is are nothing short of priceless," he said.

Andrew first began volunteering at Jones Park as a member of the Green Team with Quest Early College High School in fall 2018. He initially just wanted a shift from his indoor lifestyle. But after only a few weeks, he learned to love the outdoors.

"It was so refreshing to just be out in nature, and the work we did was nothing short of fulfilling," said Andrew.

 Andrew is now a sophomore at Lamar University, where he is studying mechanical engineering.

If you or someone you know is interested in an internship or summer job at Jones Park, please contact the park for more information. Recruiting for those positions begins in mid-April.

For more information, please email volunteer coordinator Brent Wilkins at bwilkins@hcp4.net.

Nature Art: Monday, Oct. 4, at 9 a.m. (Ages 5+)

Nature Tour: Tuesday, Oct. 5, at 9 a.m. (Ages 5+)

Conservation Connections: Wednesday, Oct. 6, at 9 a.m.

Homestead Tour: Thursday, Oct. 7, at 9 a.m. (Ages 5+)

What’s in the Water: Friday, Oct. 8, at 9 a.m. (Ages 10+)

Thank you, donors and volunteers, for the many ways you support Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center! Because of you, Jones Park remains one of Harris County’s top recreational facilities. This 312-acre park along Spring Creek continues to be a place where individuals and families can picnic, hike and bike along paved trails, paddle along the creek, fish, and participate in free programs and festivals. With your continued support and generosity, Jones Park will remain a favorite destination for discovering nature and wildlife.

Click here to see a list of donors.

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