On Oct. 13, the Bayou Land Conservancy and Lone Star College-Tomball held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its outdoor classroom, located at Arrowwood Preserve, a 117-acre forest in Montgomery County across Spring Creek from LSC-Tomball.

“We’re really excited to start really getting students out here and using this preserve as a living laboratory,” BLC Executive Director Jill Boullion said in remarks before the ribbon-cutting.

Arrowwood Preserve, which is open by invitation only, will be used by students and community groups, Boullion said in an interview following the ribbon-cutting.

“We feel like there’s probably a lot we can do here for different students that are studying different things,” Boullion said.

Zooming out

Bayou Land Conservancy acquired the 117-acre Arrowwood Preserve in 2020, Community Impact previously reported. The conservancy formed its partnership with Lone Star College-Tomball in 2022 and began the process of creating an outdoor classroom.

The preserve is part of the Bayou Land Conservancy’s 14,000-plus protected acres it oversees as part of its work to protecting land along streams for flood control, clean water and wildlife, according to its website.

What else?

An archeological study is planned to take place next year at Arrowwood Preserve, Boullion said. Planning is underway to see what kinds of public components will be part of that study.

“Maybe some of the students can participate in that in some way,” Boullion said.

Boullion also said there are plans for a pollinator garden at Arrowwood Preserve and that the conservancy will be working with the Texas Forest Service on a reforestation plan.

“We’re just really excited because this is the kind of place that we can really show people what we do and why we do it,” Boullion said.

Learn more

Visit Bayou Land Conservancy's website at www.bayoulandconservancy.org.