After about two months of being closed to the public due to COVID-19 concerns, the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary (home of Houston Audubon's headquarters) has been open since May. In an effort to better gauge visitation levels and encourage social distancing, we've limited our hours to 7 AM. to 7 PM. In June and July, in order to accommodate programs, the sanctuary has a delayed opening at 12:30 PM. The only entrance is at the Memorial Drive United Methodist Church parking lot. The restroom and water fountain are closed, so visitors should plan accordingly.
Now that we are open once again, we're able to resume work on small improvements at the sanctuary. Some of the cedar shakes on the log cabin roof are being replaced due to rotting. You most likely won't notice a difference, but the cabin will be better prepared to weather spring storms.
Because of an increase in "social trails," we are installing new signs to keep visitors on the main path. When visitors cut new footpaths, important habitat for ground-dwelling animals (swamp rabbits, box turtles, green anoles, and armadillos, to name a few) is lost. Hopefully visitors will respect the new signs and allow forest floor plants to grow back.
Those who've been birding from home may have already noticed our upgraded bird cam. After a big storm in May took out our old camera, we needed to quickly replace it for those watching the action at our feeders. Thanks to improved technology, our new bird cam has sharper images, a larger viewing screen, and perhaps best of all, sound! Observers are now treated to not only the fun images of birds flitting around at the feeders but they can also delight in their songs.
These are just a few of the things happening at Edith L. Moore. Keep an eye on our website or follow us on Facebook for the most up-to-date information, including when we return to normal hours, when the main gate opens back up, and our response to COVID-19.
