Conservation
Conservation & Maintenance
To protect Buffalo Bayou and its surrounding landscapes and wildlife, BBP works diligently to maintain the parks and trails along the waterway.
Whether it’s the wildflower meadows, shady woodlands, or colorful perennial gardens, Buffalo Bayou Park’s natural beauty is something to behold.
Our organization is responsible for the care of Buffalo Bayou Park along with downtown trails and new spaces in Buffalo Bayou East, with funding provided by the Downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #3. On any given day, you will see our dedicated staff pruning plants, removing trash, planting trees, and ensuring welcoming and accessible public spaces for all.
Conservation Projects
BBP’s maintenance and conservation teams play a critical role in the ongoing restoration and enhancement of the ten miles of Buffalo Bayou the organization stewards. Our primary conservation goals are to limit erosion along the bayou’s banks, promote native plant species, and enhance habitat for wildlife.
Collecting Data & Tracking Progress
The team utilizes an interactive GIS map to survey our management areas and annotate it based on present issues and treatments. Additionally, we are designing long-term data collection projects. Our permanent data collection plots in the park are 100 square meters, and we assess the vegetation of each plot multiple times per year to measure the success of our management based on changes in vegetation and habitat quality.
Stabilizing Streambanks
In collaboration with Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD), BBP completed a major vegetation project in Buffalo Bayou Park. Live willow stakes and a mix of hardwood trees and grasses were planted along 11 acres of the bayou’s edge. As the plants and trees grow, the vegetated cover will reduce erosion, build streambank stability, and contribute to valuable habitat for wildlife. In addition, biodegradable coir logs were installed at the top of the bank to slow surface water runoff and provide erosion protection.
Growing Greener
In 2024 and 2025, the maintenance and conservation teams completed multiple phases of a tree planting plan along Allen Parkway. The project so far has added over 400 new trees along the south bank trails from Shepherd Drive to Sabine Street. From Live Oaks and Loblolly Pines to Eastern Redbuds and Mexican Sycamores, the variety of species will ensure stable soils and a diverse ecology. Future phases of the planting plan are ongoing.
Urban Wildlife
From river otters and rabbits to coyotes and songbirds, the Buffalo Bayou landscape provides essential urban habitat for countless species of wildlife to live, grow, and thrive. Next time you visit the parks and trails along our historic waterway, take a closer look and see what new, wild discoveries you might find!
While exploring our spaces, know they are shared not just with other humans but with bayou critters as well. Always observe from a distance and do not disturb so that our wildlife remains wild.
A Guide to the Birds & Plants of Buffalo Bayou Park
Meet the Locals: Native Plants of Buffalo Bayou
Bridge for Bats
Austin isn’t the only city in Texas with a bat colony – Houston has multiple! The Waugh Bridge Bat Colony in Buffalo Bayou Park is home to an estimated 300,000 Mexican Free-Tailed Bats in the peak summer season. After staying tucked up into the crevices beneath the bridge, this colony emerges around sunset in a whirlwind-like formation as they seek insects to eat.
Feral Friends
Some wildlife may seem wilder than others. Coyotes, opossums, alligators, and water snakes may look a little unusual and frightening in the middle of a city, but they all have a home in our urban environment because of places like Buffalo Bayou.
If you encounter a creature that makes you nervous, know that it’s more scared of you than you are of it! Give it plenty of space and it will give you yours.
Wildlife Safety Tips:
- Keep pets on a leash at all times, unless in designated dog parks
- Maintain a respectful distance
- Do not feed wildlife
Wet and Wild
As a riparian ecology – an ecosystem that sits along wetlands, streams, or rivers – Buffalo Bayou is home to critters on the land AND in the water. Graceful herons and egrets glide over the surface, turtles, catfish, and alligator gar swim in the slow-moving current beneath, and river otters and beavers live between.
