Visit the Arboretum and enjoy the beauty and charm of Texas native trees.
About the Seabourne Arboretum Trail
The old proverb states that the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago….the second best time is now. Luckily our chapter has been ahead of the game by planting trees at Seabourne for over 12 years. These leaved beauties have greatly enhanced the conversion of Seabourne into a productive and verdant nature park. As part of this tree planting, we have created an Arboretum located along the trails in the woodlands at the north side of the park.
Starting in 2009 Texas Master Naturalists and other volunteers including Boy Scouts, LDS and other church and youth groups have planted hundreds of native trees in the park. These trees are located around the lake of Seabourne as well as along the trails of the north woodlands. The Arboretum now contains more than 50 species of trees. Wander along the trails of the north woodlands and you’ll see a wide variety of oaks, red maple, river birch, green ash, American and cedar elm, American and Mexican sycamore, bald cypress and Montezuma cypress, black willow, and black gum.
Our goal with the Arboretum is to provide an area where native trees and shrubs are grown for study and display and where visitors can relax in the shade and enjoy the park’s natural beauty. Currently we are making a concerted effort to grow and add even more improvements to the Arboretum.
First, we are creating 5-year plan for future growth. This will guide future tree planting and other aspects of the Arboretum. We’re looking at upgrading the tags and signage for each tree. Visitors find it more enjoyable when they know what they’re looking at. We can also add interpretive signage throughout the Arboretum that will inspire curiosity and build knowledge about plants and wooded landscapes. We are going to make new brochures about the trees (handouts and online) and the birds or insects that use these trees in their lifecycles.
We’re also planning on improving the health of the newly planted trees and those already established. A watering team will keep the newly planted trees watered several times a week. As an added bonus, they get to drive the fun eight-person nature cart! We’ll keep an eye on the trees’ general health to make sure they are thriving in top notch condition. We’ll also monitor the surrounding area for encroachment by invasives in the tree lines and forested area (Chinese tallow, Chinese privet, Japanese honeysuckle).
We’re also gearing up for the annual Apache grant which provides us with 100 trees in the early spring. We need to decide which trees to order and where to plant them in keeping with the 5-year plan.
We are also currently in the process of tagging and mapping the larger trees in the Arboretum Trail in the north woods.
As you can see, we need all the help we can get. Current members and new trainees of any experience level are invited to join this committee! Training will be provided in all aspects of this project, so don’t worry if you can’t tell a native tree from an invasive! Just help us out! Contact Terri Hurley at terri@coastalprairie.org if you are interested in joining in on this great opportunity to be a part of the continued success of SCNP.
Please click on this link to see a map of the treres planted around Seabourne Lake: Seabourne Lake Map. Click on this link to view a table that lists complete information about each tree planted around the Lake: Trees and Shrubs Planted Along Seabourne Lake