Arboretum Trail at Willow Waterhole recently completed

The Arboretum Trail at Willow Waterhole Greenway has been recently completed and it is time to welcome the community to view its entire 300 feet length. Over several years, nine Eagle Scout projects and one Gold Award project were completed on the Trail, along with conservation workdays held with several area organizations. Troop 242 from Wheeler Avenue Baptist, Troop 500 from Brentwood Baptist, Troop 740 from Willow Meadows Parents Club, and Troop 55 from St. John the Divine Episcopal all had Eagle Scout projects. Troop 1126, from St. Thomas More, had the Girl Scout Gold Award project. Faith organizations from Westbury United Methodist, Salem Evangelical Lutheran, and the Interfaith Environmental Coalition participated and volunteer support was also provided by Keep Houston Beautiful, Dow Chemical, and Constellation Energy.

Russell Schexnayder, a founding member of both WWGC and the Brays Bayou Association, was the visionary for the Trail and provided a large share of the funding required. A plaque has been placed at the trailhead honoring Russell for his contributions to the Westbury community. (Picture below shows Russell and Troop 242 scouts after completing the last section of Trail) The Arboretum contains over 100 understory plants, all native to Texas. The diversity of tree groves and nearby wetlands made the area attractive for botanical education purposes and it is close to where a farmhouse stood when rice fields ruled the day. It also possesses a great view of Triangle Lake and is adjacent to the Rafferty Memorial Oak and the new Chimney Swift Bird Habitat. This area is expected to become a key destination point for visitors to the Greenway. It is located at 11350 Ricecrest, 77035.