The Woodlands Edition | January 2024

The Woodlands' 50th Anniversary Community

BY VANESSA HOLT

Editor's note: This story is part of a monthly series that Community Impact will run through the 50th anniversary of The Woodlands in October 2024 highlighting the community.

George Mitchell Nature Preserve provides forested trails since 2007 Part of George Mitchell’s vision for The Wood- lands community involved preserving green space—a vision which has resulted in leaving 28% of the available land undeveloped, including areas like the 1,700-acre George Mitchell Nature Preserve. Since its opening in 2007, the George Mitchell Nature Preserve has been a part of realizing Mitchell’s vision of conservation while creating an area for the public to enjoy the natural environ- ment, said Kelly Dietrich, director of planning and development for Howard Hughes, which owns the preserve. “It was part of the vision when The Woodlands launched,” Dietrich said. “We still keep that vision alive today for sustainability and stewardship.” The context Work on the preserve began through a partner- ship between Montgomery County, The Wood- lands Land Development Company—now Howard Hughes—and The Woodlands Township in 2003, Dietrich said. The north side of the preserve was developed rst, with trails beginning at the Flintridge Road trailhead. Work continued as the Village of Creekside Park was launched in 2007, and the south side of the preserve was developed in part- nership with Harris County, the Greater Houston O Road Biking Association and the Bayou Land Conservancy, a land trust with conservation ease- ment agreements on the south side, Dietrich said. A pedestrian bridge connects both sides of the preserve, which is bisected by Spring Creek, an unimproved creek that is part of a watershed that drains a 284-square-mile region, Dietrich said. The creek has been left in its natural state, said Dan Kolkhorst, vice president of land development with Howard Hughes. “We have allowed nature to take its course,” Kolkhorst said.

Volunteers with Bayou Land Conservancy worked to build the boardwalks at George Mitchell Nature Preserve.

COURTESY BAYOU LAND CONSERVANCY

A trailhead entrance is located at Dr. Ann Snyder Drive on the western side of The Woodlands.

A pedestrian bridge is located near the Rob Fleming Recreation Center.

VANESSA HOLTCOMMUNITY IMPACT

In 2017, in partnership with the Bayou Land Conservancy, the 13-mile unpaved Spring Creek Nature Trail was developed, with the last piece connected to Burroughs Park in 2019, Dietrich said. What’s next In 2022, The Woodlands Township approved an interlocal agreement with Harris County provid- ing $5 million for additional future work on the paved Spring Creek Greenway to fund bridges and crossings as the path winds through the George Mitchell Nature Preserve. Within The Woodlands, the greenway will run from Creekside Park West to Gosling Road.

GEORGE MITCHELL NATURE PRESERVE

SPRING CREEK

2978

5171 Flintridge Drive, The Woodlands (trailhead) www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov

THE WOODLANDS EDITION