Director's Report
Jones Park has plenty of fresh air, sunshine, and old-fashioned activities to sustain you through the COVID-19 closures. Patrons have expressed their appreciation that the park has mostly remained open, giving folks a place to walk, fish, take pictures, have picnics, or bicycle along the Spring Creek Greenway Trail. Kudos to our great visitors who continue to be mindful of social distancing and refrain from using contact points like park benches, picnic tables, and playgrounds.
Spring Break-Out attracted many visitors, and NatureFest 2020 in early March was a fantastic event, with 1,191 in attendance and 32 exhibitors, including a few first-timers. Thank you volunteers for your great assistance. A week later, the stay-home order went into effect. With the direction of Commissioner Cagle and the assistance of our Communications Department, we were excited to launch Jones Park’s first Facebook Live video of historical program coordinator Katrina Yordy presenting a natural dyes program. If you’ve not yet had a chance to view the video, it is still available on the Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center Facebook page. We will also add other educational videos to Facebook, so be sure to like and follow our page.
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Top Places to Beat the Heat at Jones Park
Jones Park is full of hidden nooks and crannies waiting to be discovered. Whether you’re looking for tree-lined trails, shady picnic areas, or swampy hideaways, this 312-acre park has it all. With summer fast approaching, we asked Jones Park staff members to give us the inside scoop on their favorite locations to stay cool.
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Wildlife Myth Buster No. 1: Opossums give you rabies.
Perhaps no other animal is more controversial than the opossum.
Some find them cute; others see them as vermin. However you view them, it’s important to know that they pose no risk to you or to your pets.
Besides being non-aggressive, opossums don’t transmit rabies because their blood temperature is too low for the virus to reproduce.
Opossums are also voracious insect eaters that help reduce roach and tick populations. In fact, ticks are one of their favorite snacks.
You can learn more about Houston-area wildlife like the opossum by visiting a staff naturalist at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center.
If you'd like to learn more about opossums, check out this
article.
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Wildlife Myth Buster No. 2: If you touch a baby bird, the mother will abandon it.
Unlike canines and felines, birds don’t identify their young by smell, so there’s no risk that a parent will reject a hatchling handled by a human.
Parent birds instead identify their young by appearance and sound, or the young imprint on the parent.
If you find a baby bird on the ground, the first step is to make sure the bird needs your help. Hatchlings that lack feathers, have closed eyes, and cannot walk can safely be returned to the nest.
Fledglings, on the other hand, should be left alone. Although usually still in the care of the parents, fledglings have left the nest to develop the ability to fly. These birds often appear scruffy and awkward and tend to stay close to the ground.
If you’d like to learn more about what to do if you find abandoned wildlife,
click here.
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Celebrating Women
In honor of Mother’s Day, check out this moving tribute to women by Katrina Yordy, the historical program coordinator at Jones Park.
Yordy highlights some of the fascinating pioneer women who overcame the odds to become successful leaders at a time when women were often relegated to the home. She also reflects on how women’s role in society has changed over the past 200 years and what that means for women today.
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Second Saturday Settlers: Chinking
Get your hands dirty at the Redbud Hill Homestead on
Saturday, June 13, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Join volunteers to mix clay, sand, and straw to create chink, the material pioneers used between logs to insulate their cabins.
This mixture has been used for thousands of years to make adobe homes. The sand and clay create a cement, and the straw binds the material. Children and adults can get creative and have fun while making this historically accurate home insulation material. Reservations are required by calling 281-446-8588.
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Wildlife Fact: Brood Parasites
Nature Fact: Parasites come in all shapes and sizes, but the most surprising variety may be the brood parasite, a bird that lays its eggs in another bird’s nest. Cuckoos are perhaps the most infamous of these types, but others in this group include indigobirds in Africa and the black-headed duck.
The most common brood parasite in Texas is the brown-headed cowbird.
These sly nuisances have been known to destroy the eggs of its host bird and have been linked to declining songbird populations. Read more about cowbirds
here.
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President's Message
Who would have thought three or four months ago that we’d find ourselves in the middle of a pandemic?
COVID-19 has severely impacted all our lives. Some of us are now working from home. Others have either lost their jobs or are working fewer hours. Those in essential jobs are now working around the clock in potentially high-risk environments to provide food in the stores, keep us healthy, and protect us.
We’re all feeling the stress and agony of isolation, separation from our friends and loved ones, and concern for the future.
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Summer Nature Camp Volunteers Needed
It’s that time of year again! The plants are blooming, critters are moving, and families are looking for ways to make the summer break fun. Help Jones Park make this a summer to remember by volunteering as a camp counselor for the 34th Annual Jones Park Summer Nature Camp.
This year’s theme is “Pines, Ponds, & Prairies.” Camp will run weekly June 1 through July 31. For more information, call the Nature Center at 281-446-8588, or email volunteer coordinator Brent Wilkins at bwilkins@hcp4.net.
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Raffle Winner
Ray Lopez won a Frio Vault Cooler after entering a raffle hosted by JJPV. Frio Ice Chests donated the cooler to assist volunteers in raising funds for park programs and operations.
Congratulations to Ray, and thank you for supporting JJPV!
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Longtime Jones Park Volunteer Wins Regional Volunteer of the Year Award
Congratulations to Nancy Ramirez! Ramirez was recently named Volunteer of the Year by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Southeast Texas, the nation’s largest volunteer network for those 55 and older. Your Jones Park family couldn’t be prouder.
Ramirez has been a volunteer at Jones Park since 2006. In her time at the park, she has contributed more than 2,100 hours helping with nature tours, living history demonstrations, special events, public outreach, and her favorite program, the Tadpoles Club.
Despite caring for her ill husband over the past several months, Ramirez still found time to volunteer at the park. After his passing, she was back at the park within days.
Ramirez’s dedication to Jones Park and to public service is unshakable.
Without the support of dedicated volunteers like Ramirez, we certainly couldn’t provide the number of high-quality programs that we strive to offer the community.
We encourage everyone to read more about Ramirez and her love of Jones Park in
Precinct4Update.
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Meet Jones Park Volunteer Coordinator Brent Wilkins
Brent Wilkins has loved nature and the outdoors for as long as he can remember. Wilkins grew up exploring the wilds of Oklahoma with his father and grandfather and began volunteering with exotic animals before graduating high school. As an adult, he’s worked as a zookeeper, environmental programs specialist, and now as the volunteer coordinator at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center.
A self-described people person, Wilkins believes his duties at Jones Park fit his personality perfectly. He’s grateful for the opportunity to interact with a variety of interesting people in a setting that he enjoys.
You can learn more about Wilkins and his work with wildlife and nature
here.
Click here to read answers to commonly asked questions about volunteering.
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Summer Nature Camp
Weekly, June 2 through July 31
Reservations required beginning Saturday, May 2
National Trails Day: Creek Bash
Saturday, June 6, from 9 a.m. to noon
Reservations required beginning Wednesday, May 27
Second Saturday Settlers
Chinking: Saturday, June 13, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Peel & Squeal: Saturday, July 11, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Homestead Fun: Saturday, August 8, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Second Sunday Pickers
Sundays, June 14, July 12, and August 9, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Invasives Beware!
Saturdays, June 20, July 18, and August 15, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Take Me Fishing
Saturday, June 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Reservations required at www.fishingsfuture.org
JJPV Monthly Program & Meeting
Monday, June 29, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Texas Bound!
Wednesday, July 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Reservations required beginning Wednesday, June 17
Junior Canoe Training
Thursday, July 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Reservations required beginning Wednesday, June 17
Reptile Open House
Saturday and Sunday, August 1 and 2, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Wildlife Photography
Saturday, August 22, at 10 a.m.
Reservations required beginning Wednesday, August 12
Hunter Education Certification
Saturday, August 29, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Reservations required online
at tpwd.texas.gov
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What did you enjoy most about this edition?
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Information about nature and wildlife
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Upcoming events and activities
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JJPV Thanks
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.
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Message From Commissioner R. Jack Cagle
Thank you for reading this edition of
Cypress Log
. As a county commissioner, I work to provide you with outdoor recreational opportunities throughout our parks system and along our nature trails. When people work together to protect our parks, everyone benefits through additional recreational opportunities, flood protection, and the preservation of wildlife and greenspace. I encourage everyone to get out and enjoy these beautiful and beneficial amenities!
Sincerely,
Commissioner R. Jack Cagle
Harris County Precinct 4
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Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center
20634 Kenswick Drive in Humble
Phone: 281-446-8588
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