Fundraising effort is underway to increase access to waterway
A fundraising campaign is underway at Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center and volunteers are leading the effort to make it easier to explore Spring Creek by boat.
The Jesse Jones Park Volunteers are raising funds for a new storage facility to house the park’s pontoon boat and provide additional space for special event supplies, the nonprofit group’s president Tom Whitesides explained.
“We were given a pontoon boat four years ago to take people on tours of Spring Creek,” he said. “But we haven’t had a facility to keep the boat in the park. To get the boat takes two hours, and it takes another two hours to bring it back.”
The volunteers thought that having a storage space on the park grounds made more sense and kicked off their fundraising efforts with a barbecue in mid July. They received $700 toward the $48,000 goal.
“We’re just getting started,” Whitesides said.
The goal is to raise enough money to begin construction later this year, he added.
“It’s something that’s been needed for years, and we’ve decided to bite the bullet and take care of this project,” Whitesides said.
“And the sooner we get the funds, the sooner we can get started.”
Before any work begins on the site, however, there are improvements that must be made on the trail to accommodate the boat trailer like adding culverts to the pathway.
Jones Park director Darlene Conley Hostetler said that other scheduled improvement projects include updating the boat ramp and increasing electrical capacity to the homestead area.
Hostetler said that the storage facility will be a boon for the park.
The 2,400-square-foot shed will be located south of the Redbud Hill Homestead and Akokisa Indian Village off the Jones-Bender Trail.
It will feature concrete flooring and double bay doors.
“This will give more storage for all the tools and supplies we use,” she said.
“It will be a bigger and better place that’s easier to access. We have a great need for storage space.”
Having the pontoon boat onsite will make it possible to host more tours, she added.
“Having the boat stored on our property will really save a lot of man-hours and time,” Hostetler said. Other projects
There are a few other improvement projects in the planning stages at Jones Park, including attic storage renovation at the Nature Center.
“We’re going to be adding usable space,” Hostetler said. “It will be floored in, dry-walled, painted and air conditioned. There will be more storage for files and project supplies, and it will be easier to access.”
Plans are also in the works to add an aquatic teaching lab at the turtle pond.
“It will be another space where we can teach kids about water quality and life in our ponds,” Hostetler said.
Hostetler has worked at the park for the past 28 years. The green space opened shortly before in 1984.
“I’ve had the privilege of working here and seeing it grow,” Hostetler said. “My favorite thing is seeing children learn about nature and history, seeing them gain an interest in the outside world.”
She said that over the years, the park has doubled in acreage and connected to the Spring Creek Greenway Trail. There have also been a number of programs added to the park’s calendar. Jones Park hosts free nature and history programs every weekend, as well as annual major festivals including Tricks and Treats, Pioneer Day, An Old-Fashioned Christmas, Homestead Heritage Day and NatureFest.
“Something is going on all the time,” Hostetler said.
The park brings thousands of visitors each year to hike, enjoy a picnic and go birding.
Scouts and schoolchildren come to the park to learn about natural habitats, ecosystems and Texas history. Hostetler said keeping the park in top shape for 30 years requires constant attention.
“There are projects going on all the time,” she said.
Adding to the storage will be an ideal next step, she added.
Whitesides asks people to consider donating and volunteering at the park.
“You give your time and you get back because you see happy faces,” he said.
And he said making the pontoon more accessible in the park is an important cause.
“You can see things on the creek that you can’t see anywhere else,” he said.