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News & Blog

Nature inspired art classes

December 18, 2015

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2026 Alfresco Gala raises $500,000

Houston Arboretum’s 2026 Alfresco Gala, honoring Main Street Capital, raised $500,000 to fund conservation and education programs.

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Arboretum receives $50,000 grant from The John M. O’Quinn Foundation for free parking

The first Sunday of free parking is April 12, in honor of Earth Month. After that, free parking will be available on the second Sunday of every month through March 14, 2027.

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Houston Arboretum & Nature Center awarded Level 1 Accreditation by ArbNet Accreditation Program

The Houston Arboretum has been awarded a Level 1 Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum.

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Richard King Mellon Foundation Awards $90,000 Grant for Fall 2025 Conservation Project

The grant will fund the removal of invasive plant species and support hiring Student Conservation Association program participants, who will help restore the Arboretum’s woodland habitats.

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Reflecting on 20 Years at the Arboretum

20 years ago, I stepped into my role at the Arboretum with a deep love for nature and a desire to help more people experience its beauty.

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Houston Monarch Story arrives at the Arboretum

Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is excited to announce the opening of the Houston Monarch Story, an interactive art installation celebrating Monarch butterflies and their vital habitat.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Composting

If you’d like to do your part for the planet and begin composting, here are some simple steps to get you started. 

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Board Spotlight: Dr. Cullen Geiselman Muse

As her Board service draws to a close, it is with deep gratitude that we acknowledge the unparalleled leadership of Dr. Cullen Geiselman Muse.

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Inside a Prescribed Fire

Prescribed fire is vital for ecosystem health and community safety. Find out what is it like to be on the ground for one.

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The Great Owl Rescue

On a cool February morning, a visitor spotted three white puffballs. They were Great Horned Owl chicks, and they were in trouble!

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Experiencing Fall Migration

Happy Fall Migration! It may have just started to feel like autumn, but for birds, the subtle change in daylight hours at the end of August was enough to trigger their urge to travel.

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The Dog Days of Summer

We’re entering the Dog Days of Summer in a much more literal way this year – with multiple coyote and fox sightings!

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Get Social With Us!

#HoustonArboretum

Fall is well underway according to our migrating b Fall is well underway according to our migrating birds, especially the Blue-gray Gnatcatchers! These tiny songbirds – barely bigger than hummingbirds – arrive on the Texas Gulf Coast in fall. As their name implies, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers eat tiny insects, which they are able to find here during our relatively warm winters. They are very active when foraging, often flicking their long tails as they peck among the leaves at the very tips of small branches. While they aren’t particularly shy, they are so small that they are hard to see. It can be easier to listen for their nasal, complaining calls. Look for these tiny winter residents along the Inner Loop and Willow Oak trails. #BeakOfTheWeek #WildlifeWednesday 

📸 Rosemary Brooks
No, our mockingbirds aren’t mangy – they’re moltin No, our mockingbirds aren’t mangy – they’re molting! You might have noticed some very ratty-looking birds flying around this week, especially our Northern Mockingbirds. They are shedding their old, worn-out feathers and growing in fresh, new ones. Many birds go through a major molt right after the nesting season is over. They ran themselves ragged raising babies, and now they can relax and take a little time to refresh when the stakes aren’t so high. Keep an eye out for molting mockingbirds for the next couple of weeks around the Nature Center building and savanna. #BeakOfTheWeek #WildlifeWednesday 

📸 Kenneth Cole Schneider
The Nature Center building will be closed this Tue The Nature Center building will be closed this Tuesday, September 1 in anticipation of inclement weather. The outdoor restrooms, Nature Playscape, and trails will remain open.
Have you seen any House Finches this week? These u Have you seen any House Finches this week? These unassuming little birds are common across Houston, but we’d never seen them hanging around the Arboretum until this year. House Finches are originally from the southwestern United States but were introduced in New York in the 1930s and have spread across the continent ever since. They’ve spread so much and so quickly that it seems like they’ve always been in Houston, even though they only arrived in the 1980s. Just about the only thing they can’t adapt to is dense woodland, and so it’s possible that House Finches are only exploring the Arboretum now that we’ve restored the open savanna habitat. Keep an eye out for the blush-pink males and streaky brown females in the parking loops and flying over the savanna.

📸 USFWS, Rhododendrites
This fall, we're bringing back our free, family-fr This fall, we're bringing back our free, family-friendly Discover Nature Together Scavenger Hunts, and they start on Sunday, September 6! Each month features a self-guided scavenger hunt with a different theme where families can head out to the trails to sharpen their observation skills and learn something new about nature. From spiders to fall foliage, every adventure is different!

Find a date that works for you at https://houstonarboretum.org/series/discover-nature-together-scavenger-hunts/

📸 @rathbun_photography

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