(wind blowing)
>> WHEN MOST FOLKS THINK
OF TEXAS,
THEY THINK OF WIDE OPEN SPACES,
BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE MOST
TEXANS LIVE.
(music)
>> YOU'VE GOT THE CHAOS
AND THE NOISE OF THE CITY.
>> YEAH, THE CONSTANT NOISE.
>> TRAFFIC.
>> THE TRAFFIC OF COURSE.
>> CONGESTION;
A HUMONGOUS MASS OF PEOPLE.
(car horns)
>> WITH ALL THE CONSTRUCTION
AND THE EVERYDAY NINE TO FIVE,
IT'S A NICE CHANGE OF PACE
TO COME HERE.
>> YOU CAN COME AND SEE
THE BEAUTY OF NATURE RIGHT
IN MIDDLE OF THE CITY.
(music)
>> ALMOST AS LONG AS PEOPLE
HAVE LIVED IN CITIES,
THEY'VE ENJOYED PARKLAND
AND OPEN SPACE.
PARKS ARE PLACES FOR
CITY-DWELLERS TO ESCAPE
THE CRUSH OF CITY LIFE--
PLACES TO MEET FOR A STROLL
IN THE SUNSHINE,
OR A PICNIC UNDER A TREE,
OR PLACES TO SIMPLY CATCH A
GLIMPSE OF THE NATURAL WORLD.
ABOUT HALF THE SIZE OF
NEW YORK'S CENTRAL PARK,
HOUSTON'S HERMANN PARK PROVIDES
A SIMILAR NATURAL OASIS INSIDE
THE URBAN CORE OF THE LARGEST
CITY IN TEXAS--
A PLACE TO ESCAPE
THE TRAFFIC AND NOISE
WITHOUT HAVING TO LEAVE TOWN.
HOME TO SOME OF THE CITY'S
FAVORITE ATTRACTIONS,
HERMANN PARK HAS BEEN POPULAR
SINCE ITS BEGINNING IN 1914.
BUT LIKE SO MANY OLDER
URBAN PARKS, BY THE 1980S,
HERMANN PARK WAS IN DECLINE.
IT WAS UNDER-FUNDED,
AND PARTS OF IT WERE
UNDERUTILIZED OR USED UP.
SECTIONS WERE BECOMING UNSAFE.
>> THE PARK HISTORICALLY FELL
ON HARD TIMES,
AND THE WHOLE URBAN FOREST AREA
HERE ON THIS SIDE OF THE PARK
WAS BASICALLY ABANDONED.
>> YET HERMANN PARK WAS AS
NECESSARY AS EVER,
AS A PLACE TO UNWIND,
A PLACE FOR OUTDOOR RECREATION,
AND AS A VITAL HUB FOR A
DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
>> LIVING IN A LARGE CITY CAN BE
A VERY ISOLATING EXPERIENCE,
AND RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT
GREEN SPACES,
URBAN GREEN SPACES ARE MORE
EFFECTIVE THAN ANY OTHER TYPE
OF SPACE FOR BRINGING
COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.
>> IN A WORLD OF GATED
COMMUNITIES AND INCREASINGLY
PRIVATE DEFINITIONS OF PUBLIC
SPACE, HERMANN PARK
HAS REMAINED COMMON GROUND,
FREELY ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.
IT WAS TOO IMPORTANT TO LOSE.
(phone rings)
>> FRIENDS OF HERMANN PARK.
>> ENTER THE NON-PROFIT
FRIENDS OF HERMANN PARK,
A GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS
WHO JOINED WITH THE CITY TO
RAISE MONEY TO RESTORE
THE PARK.
WITH HELP FROM CORPORATE
SPONSORS, FOUNDATIONS
AND INDIVIDUAL DONORS,
HERMANN PARK HAS UNDERGONE
A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR
RENOVATION.
TODAY IT IS MORE VIBRANT THAN
EVER, WELCOMING SOME
5.5 MILLION VISITORS PER YEAR.
(Train horn)
THE EXPANSION OF LAKE MCGOVERN
HAS CREATED A DEVELOPED AREA
FOR RECREATION AND NATURAL
FEATURES FOR WILDLIFE.
AND A ONCE-NEGLECTED AREA OF
THE PARK ALONG BRAYS BAYOU HAS
BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO AN
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM.
>> IS ANYBODY HERE BILINGUAL?
>> COMMUNITY OUTREACH IS AN
IMPORTANT PART OF STEWARDSHIP.
WE'VE HAD OVER 20,000 SCHOOL
CHILDREN COME THROUGH IN JUST
THE LAST FEW YEARS.
>> ON THIS SPRING DAY,
WITH THE HELP OF FRIENDS OF
HERMANN PARK VOLUNTEERS,
HUNDREDS OF URBAN HOUSTON
FAMILIES ENJOYED A DAY
EXPLORING THE WILDER SIDE
OF THEIR LOCAL PARK.
>> THE KIDS COME OUT
AND THEY SEARCH FOR INSECTS
AND THEY LOOK IN THE PONDS,
AND THEY HAVE A REALLY
GOOD TIME.
>> IT'S MOVING!
>> OH YEAH,
THERE'S A LITTLE FISH.
>> IT'S GOOD THAT IT'S CLOSE
AND ACCESSIBLE.
OUR KIDS ARE USUALLY FROM
APARTMENT COMMUNITIES,
THEY DON'T REALLY GET TO
GO OUTSIDE AND EXPERIENCE
TREES AND THINGS LIKE THAT,
SO HAVING A PARK CLOSE
TO AN UEBAN SETTING
IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT
FOR OUR KIDS.
>> WHAT KIND OF PLANT IS THIS?
>> A SUNFLOWER!
>> IT HAS LASTING EFFECTS,
DEFINITELY.
>> YOU WANT TO GO PUT HIM
IN THE GLASS?
>> YEAH! I THINK I HAD TWO
BUT ONE JUMPED AWAY.
IT WAS FUN!
>> THE MAGICAL THING ABOUT A
HEALTHY PARK IS THAT THERE TRULY
IS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY WHERE
YOU WILL SEE A GATHERING OF
EVERYBODY FROM THE COMMUNITY
RELAXING TOGETHER,
STROLLING TOGETHER,
AND ENJOYING THE PARK TOGETHER.
THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT IS THAT
WITHOUT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT,
YOU WILL NOT HAVE HEALTHY PARKS.
>> PERHAPS THE MOST ENCOURAGING
THING ABOUT THE RENEWED
COMMUNITY INTEREST IN HERMANN
PARK IS THAT IT IS NOT EXACTLY
UNIQUE.
>> ALL GOVERNMENTS ARE FACING
BUDGET CRISES RIGHT NOW,
AND UNFORTUNATELY PARKS ARE ONE
OF THE BUDGET ITEMS THAT OFTEN
GETS CUT THE FASTEST.
>> MANY PARK SYSTEMS, INCLUDING
THE STATE AND NATIONAL PARKS,
BUT ALSO LOCAL PARKS,
ARE VERY DEPENDENT ON VOLUNTEERS
AND FRIENDS GROUPS TO
KEEP THEM AFLOAT.
>> ALL OVER THE NATION,
WHERE URBAN PARKS HAVE BEEN
IN TROUBLE,
THEIR NEIGHBORS HAVE RALLIED
TO HELP THEM.
IN FACT JUST ACROSS HOUSTON,
ON THE CITY'S INDUSTRIAL
NORTHEASTERN EDGE,
AN ESPECIALLY URBAN STATE PARK
IS ALSO BEING RENEWED.
>> SHELDON LAKE HAS A MISSION
THAT'S A UNIQUE MISSION BECAUSE
IT'S IN A UNIQUE SETTING.
IT'S ONLY ABOUT 15 MILES
AS THE CROW FLIES
FROM DOWNTOWN HOUSTON,
AND BECAUSE IT'S A FAIRLY
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF HABITAT
IN AN URBAN SETTING,
IT HAS A LOT OF WILDLIFE HERE
AND A DIVERSE AMOUNT
OF WILDLIFE.
>> SHELDON LAKE STATE PARK AND
ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING CENTER
HAS EVOLVED FROM A SURPLUS
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA TO A
2,800 ACRE OUTDOOR EDUCATION
AND RECREATION FACILITY.
AND THAT EVOLUTION IS ONGOING.
>> LAST YEAR WE WERE OVER
5,000 CHILDREN, AND UH 2,000
OR MORE ADULTS, AND UH,
WE HOPE TO GRADUALLY INCREASE
THAT AS OUR FACILITIES ARE
EXPANDED AND HOPEFULLY EXPAND
OUR VOLUNTEER CORPS.
>> PLANS INCLUDE RENOVATION
AND NEW CONSTRUCTION TO
ENHANCE ACCESS TO HANDS-ON
EDUCATION, USING THE PONDS
AND WETLANDS AS A GIANT
NATURAL CLASSROOM.
>> WE HAVE A CAST NET
AND YOU HAVE DIP NETS.
>> ONCE EXPANDED, SHELDON WILL
PROVIDE SOME OF THE BEST
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE STATE
FOR URBAN AND SUBURBAN YOUTH
TO LEARN ABOUT NATURE
AND THE OUTDOORS.
>> THEY LEARN FROM HANDS-ON.
IT'S THE HANDS-ON
EXPERIENCE OUT IN NATURE.
YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN IT,
THEY HAVE TO SEE IT AND DO IT.
>> GOOD THROW!
>> THAT'S WHAT THEY REMEMBER
AND HOW THEY LEARN.
>> CATCH SOMETHING THIS TIME!
>> I'LL TRY!
>> WHILE THESE HIGH SCHOOL
AQUATIC SCIENCE STUDENTS
CAN USE THE PARK
AS A FIELD LABORATORY,
YOUNGER STUDENTS MAY JUST
BENEFIT FROM A POSITIVE OUTDOOR
EXPERIENCE.
>> ANOTHER GOOD CAST.
>> MOST OF THE KIDS HAVEN'T SEEN
WILD ANIMALS.
I HAD A CHILD THAT SAW A
CARDINAL THE OTHER DAY AND
THEY CALLED IT A RED MACAW.
TO THEM IT WAS A RED MACAW
BECAUSE THEY KNOW MORE ABOUT
RAIN FORESTS FROM SCHOOL THAN
THEY KNOW ABOUT THEIR OWN CITY
AND THE BIRDS AND ANIMALS
THAT LIVE HERE.
>> OOOH!
OOH, LOOK!
YEAH!
>> THERE'S NOTHING MORE PROFOUND
THAN PICKING UP A TADPOLE
OR AN ANIMAL AND SEEING IT,
AND IT HELPS THEM RELATE IT
TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING BACK
IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> YOU WANT TO TOUCH HIM?
LOOK, HE'S PRETTY.
>> I HAVE HAD STUDENTS THAT,
ONCE THEY WERE ON ONE OF
THE FIELD TRIPS,
ACTUALLY DECIDED ON A MAJOR
IN COLLEGE THAT RELATED TO THAT,
OR THEY DID START DOING
VOLUNTEER WORK AT ONE OF THE
PARKS THAT WE DID THE WORK AT.
(music)
>> FOR MANY, THE FUTURES
OF URBAN PARKS AND URBAN KIDS
SEEM INEXTRICABLY LINKED.
CERTAINLY, THE FUTURES OF BOTH
ARE BRIGHTER WHEN THEY HAVE
CARING NEIGHBORS LOOKING OUT
FOR THEM.
>> SAY GOODBYE.
>> BYE!
>> WHILE URBAN PARKS NEED
THE SUPPORT OF THEIR
COMMUNITIES TO STAY HEALTHY,
IN RETURN THEY OFFER
OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUTDOOR
LEARNING AND FUN,
AND SOME MEMORIES THAT JUST
MAY LAST A LIFETIME.
>> EEWWW!
>> ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!
>> IT IMPACTS SOME OF THEM
IMMEDIATELY.
OTHERS WILL COME BACK LATER,
BUT THEY EVENTUALLY DO STILL
COME BACK TO THAT FIELD TRIP,
THAT IS A BIG TURNING POINT
FOR THEM.
(kids laughing)
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
VISITING OR SUPPORTING
SHELDON LAKE STATE PARK
AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING
CENTER, CONTACT THE TEXAS
PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT.
OR TO SUPPORT THE FRIENDS
OF HERMANN PARK, VISIT THEIR
WEBSITE OR PAY THEM A VISIT
AT THE PARK.