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News & Blog

Older-owlets-by-Rosemary-Brooks

June 3, 2022

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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

The Arboretum’s Nature Center building will be clo The Arboretum’s Nature Center building will be closed Monday, September 21 due to a planned power outage as CenterPoint makes updates to local power lines. While the Nature Center building, outdoor restrooms, and Arboretum phone lines will be inaccessible, the trails and Nature Playscape will remain open, all programs will move forward as planned, and we will have ADA accessible port-a-potties available for guests. 
 
✅ Trails & Nature Playscape
✅ ADA Accessible Port-a-potties
✅ Programs
 
❎ Nature Center Building
❎ Outdoor Restrooms & Changing Tables
❎ Arboretum Phones

Thank you for your patience and understanding as CenterPoint makes these important improvements.
Fall migration is in full swing and we’re seeing r Fall migration is in full swing and we’re seeing red! Summer Tanagers pass through the Arboretum in spring and fall. They nest as far north as Ohio, then fly south to spend the winter in Central and South America. Tanagers have unusual, somewhat blunt-tipped beaks for crushing soft fruit and stinging insects…yes, they eat bees and wasps! They’ll grab a bee from the air and then bash it against a tree branch to soften it and remove the stinger. Keep an eye out for the red males, golden females, or red-gold-patchwork juvenile males along the Display Walk and Nature Playscape. #BeakOfTheWeek #WildlifeWednesday 

📸 Joe Liggio
Spend a mindful morning in nature at the Houston A Spend a mindful morning in nature at the Houston Arboretum during our first Yoga on the Lawn of the season! Roll out your mat this Sunday, September 20 at 9:00 am and enjoy a 60-minute Vinyasa Flow for all levels. 

Don't forget - Yoga on the Lawn is free for Arboretum Members!

Learn more at https://houstonarboretum.org/event/yoga-on-the-lawn/2026-09-20/
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

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This Monday, September 21st, due to a planned CenterPoint power outage for updates to local power lines, the Nature Center building, outdoor restrooms, and phone lines will be unavailable. All programs will proceed as scheduled, and ADA accessible port-a-potties will be available for guests. Trails and the Nature Playscape will remain open.
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