Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary

Last updated
Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary
Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary- sign1.jpg
Location Mckinney, Collin County, Texas, United States
Coordinates 33°09′30″N96°36′55″W / 33.1584°N 96.6153°W / 33.1584; -96.6153
Area289 acres (117 ha)
Established1967
Website www.heardmuseum.org

A private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1967, the Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary is located in McKinney, Texas, United States. With a 289-acre wildlife sanctuary, five miles of hiking trails, about fifty acres of wetlands, a two-acre native plant garden, a butterfly house, live animals, indoor and outdoor exhibits, the Heard welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually. [1] The Heard is the most popular tourist attraction in the city of McKinney. [2] Volunteers from McKinney, Plano, Allen, Westminster, Richardson, and Dallas help keep the museum running, [3] along with organizations like the Audubon Society, [2] and students from the University of North Texas in Denton. [4]

Contents

History

Bessie Heard and McKinney Mayor Tom Perkins (left), March 26, 1966 Ms.BessHeard.jpg
Bessie Heard and McKinney Mayor Tom Perkins (left), March 26, 1966

Miss Bessie Heard (May 26, 1886 [5] –1988) was a native of McKinney, whose parents had moved to the area shortly after the American Civil War. [6] Heard, who had a lifelong interest in the natural world, attended a local college prep school, graduated from Mary Baldwin College, and later studied at Parsons in New York. [7] [5] She was known for her unconventional behavior, as she was "the first woman to straddle a horse in McKinney, as well as the first female to ride a bicycle in town." [8] She also led a drive to plant hackberry trees throughout downtown McKinney. [8] Heard was 80 years old when she saw the need to preserve a place where future generations could visit to experience nature. The museum opened October 1, 1967 and now serves more than 100,000 visitors annually. [9] One of the original missions of the museum was hosting Heard's collection of "large and unusual collection of bird and flower prints." [10] She had previously exhibited her prints and collections of shells, minerals and butterflies at an informal "sun-porch museum" at her home. [11]

The original museum building was designed by Pat Y. Spillman. [12] The first director was Howard E. Laughlin. [12] The museum was expanded by 8,000 square feet in 1991. [5] The museum hosted a raptor center until 2004, which provided rehabilitation services to approximately 100 sick or injured wild raptors annually. [13] [5] [14] [15]

Red-spotted admiral butterfly, native to North America, photographed at the Heard Red-spotted Admiral imported from iNaturalist photo 272971495 on 1 August 2024.jpg
Red-spotted admiral butterfly, native to North America, photographed at the Heard

The sanctuary was originally established on 207.4 acres south of the McKinney Country Club. [10] A local landfill abuts another boundary of the sanctuary. [16] Wilson Creek, which feeds nearby Lake Lavon, [2] forms the northern boundary. [17] Beginning in 2005, the museum collaborated with the country club to change their landscaping so it was more diverse and richer in Texas native species. [18] As of 1992 the sanctuary supported 240 animal species and 200 plant species living in riparian and prairie habitats. [6] The geofenced iNaturalist project for the Heard Museum has indexed over 2,000 species of wildlife as of 2024. [19]

A wetland was created adjacent to Wilson Creek in 1991. [2] The Heard preserves a native prairie subtype known as Texas blackland prairie. [11] The Texas Blackland Prairie Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist program holds training programs at the Heard for residents of Collin, Hunt, and Rockwall counties. [20]

The Heard's purpose is threefold: education, conservation, and preservation. [21]

Main attractions

Prairie at the Heard HeardPrairie1.jpg
Prairie at the Heard

Within the 289-acre wildlife sanctuary, visitors can explore trails, sit in on educational programs, and get their hands dirty with conservation projects. The Heard sanctuary has five habitats including Blackland prairie, wetlands, bottomland forest, upland forest and white rock escarpment. The habitat at the Heard protects native North American grasses that have become increasingly rare due to development and agriculture. Ken Steigman, director of Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area in Denton County, first learned about habitat restoration while working at the Heard: "That seven-foot tall groundcover was big bluestem. Its roots went down 15 feet. We still find remnants of it here and there. A lot of this area was what ecologists call Blackland Prairie, a native Texas ecosystem." [22]

The Heard has been awarded The Audubon Society's designation as an important birding area. Texas has preeminence as a bird-watching area due to its placement on major migratory paths. However, The Heard offers special opportunities for bird-watching by providing a unique resource in a large metropolitan area. [23] The Prairie and Timbers Audubon Society meets at the Heard. [24]

Prairie ringneck snake found at Heard during "nature walk and iNaturalist demonstration" Prairie Ringneck Snake imported from iNaturalist photo 42030595 on 1 August 2024.jpg
Prairie ringneck snake found at Heard during "nature walk and iNaturalist demonstration"

There is a demonstration garden showcasing Texas wildflowers, and the North Texas chapter of the Texas Native Plant Society holds its monthly meetings at the museum. [25] The Heard has hosted a popular spring native plant sale since 1989. [26]

Also, the Heard's Pioneer Village features eight buildings in miniature scale that emulate structures that would have been typical in prairie settlements in the late 1800s. [27]

Outdoor exhibits

  • Animal Encounter Trail
  • Native Plant Garden
  • Butterfly Garden
  • Native Texas Butterfly House (active in summer)
  • Dinosaurs Live! Life-Size Animatronic Dinosaurs (September- February; visit website for complete dates)
  • Pioneer Village [28]

Indoor exhibits

Indoor Exhibits INdoorExhibit1.jpg
Indoor Exhibits
  • Native Texas Snakes
  • Mosasaur Exhibit
  • Living Lab (some dioramas of the major ecosystems found at the Heard, a working observation bee hive, native fish, etc.)
  • Marine Shell Room
  • Project Passenger Pigeon

Programs and activities

Heard Bird Banding Station HeardBirdBanding1.jpg
Heard Bird Banding Station
  • Hiking on six nature trails; more than 5 miles
  • EcoAdventures; Canoeing at the Heard Wetlands
  • Scouting Workshops
  • Second Saturday Bird Walk
  • Night Hikes
  • Bird Banding Station; established in 1978 and is the oldest bird-banding station in the state of Texas [8]
  • Education programs
  • Field trips
  • Summer Camps
  • Programs for Kids
  • Volunteer programs

Important events and festivals

Holidays at the Heard
Halloween with Dinosaurs HeardHalloween1.jpg
Halloween with Dinosaurs

The annual Holidays at the Heard event, in December, is one of the holiday lighting displays in North Texas. [29]

Halloween at the Heard

The annual Halloween at the Heard is a family-friendly Halloween event. [30]

Date Night at the Heard
An event at the Heard HeardTexasHeritage.jpg
An event at the Heard

Date Night at the Heard is an outdoor fundraising event featuring live music, dancing, a cash bar and food trucks. [31] The event is for guests ages 21+. [32]

Annual Heard Nature Photography Contest

The Heard Nature Photographers Club was established in 1981. The Heard Nature Photographers Club meets the 2nd Saturday of each month at the Heard Natural Science Museum. [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKinney, Texas</span> City in the United States

McKinney is a city in and the county seat of Collin County, Texas, United States. It is Collin County's third-largest city, after Plano and Frisco. A suburb of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, McKinney is about 32 miles (51 km) north of Dallas.

The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world. There are completely independent Audubon Societies in the United States, which were founded several years earlier such as the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Indiana Audubon Society, and Connecticut Audubon Society. The societies are named for 19th century naturalist John James Audubon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Blackland Prairies</span> Temperate grassland region of Texas, US

The Texas Blackland Prairies are a temperate grassland ecoregion located in Texas that runs roughly 300 miles (480 km) from the Red River in North Texas to San Antonio in the south. The prairie was named after its rich, dark soil. Less than 1% of the original Blackland prairie vegetation remains, scattered across Texas in parcels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail</span> Birdwatching trail system along the length of the Texas Gulf Coast

The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail is a state-designated system of trails, bird sanctuaries, and nature preserves along the entire length of the Texas Gulf Coast in the United States. As the state of Texas hosts more bird species than any other state in the U.S. the trail system offers some of the most unusual opportunities for bird-watching in the world. The "trail" is actually 43 separate hiking and driving trails that include 308 birding sites. The sites themselves feature a variety of viewing opportunities with boardwalks, observation decks, and other amenities. The trails boast more than 450 bird species. The trail system is managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as part of the Great Texas Wildlife Trails which also include the Heart of Texas Wildlife Trail, the Panhandle Plains Wildlife Trail, and the Prairies and Pineywoods Wildlife Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity River Audubon Center</span> Nature Center in Dallas, Texas

The Trinity River Audubon Center is a nature center in the Great Trinity Forest, a large urban open space park in Southeast Dallas, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedar Hill, Texas</span> City in Texas, United States

Cedar Hill is a city in Dallas and Ellis counties in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located approximately 16 miles (26 km) southwest of downtown Dallas and is situated along the eastern shore of Joe Pool Lake and Cedar Hill State Park. Per the 2020 United States census, the population was 49,148. Cedar Hill is a suburb of the city of Dallas and is part of the Best Southwest area, which includes the nearby cities of DeSoto, Duncanville, and Lancaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connecticut Audubon Society</span> American non-profit organization

The Connecticut Audubon Society, founded in 1898 and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "conserving Connecticut’s environment through science-based education and advocacy focused on the state’s bird populations and habitats." Connecticut Audubon Society is independent of the National Audubon Society (NAS), just as in the neighboring state of Massachusetts, where Massachusetts Audubon Society is independent of the NAS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Johnsgard</span> American ornithologist (1931–2021)

Paul Austin Johnsgard was an ornithologist, artist and emeritus professor at the University of Nebraska. His works include nearly fifty books including several monographs, principally about the waterfowl and cranes.

Silverwood Wildlife Sanctuary is a nature preserve owned and operated by the San Diego Audubon Society (SDAS). Silverwood was set up in 1965 to preserve coastal chaparral and riparian woodland habitats. It is also a nature education facility for San Diego area schoolchildren and adults, and functions as part of a wildlife migration corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary</span>

The Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary is a 17.5-acre (7.1 ha) nature sanctuary along Rummel Creek, located in Houston, Texas, in the United States. Named after Edith Lotz Moore, who lived on the land with her husband for 43 years, the sanctuary includes a restored log cabin for hosting educational programs and houses administrative offices for the Houston Audubon Society. Since 1975, Houston Audubon has preserved Edith Moore's log cabin in addition to developing trails, creating education programs, constructing an office, and performing outreach from the site. The sanctuary also operates a plant nursery that provides wildflowers and grasses for coastal prairie restoration projects or offered for sale to support the Audubon programs. It specializes in local native prairie grasses and wildflowers with a small selection of understory plants. Moore donated land to the Houston Audubon Society in 1975, to be used as a nature preserve for birds. According to the Houston Audubon Society, the sanctuary's mission is to "provide an urban wildlife sanctuary for native plants and animals and to provide education about the natural environment to Houstonians of all ages." Birding programs and day camps held at the sanctuary serve more than ten thousand children and adults every year. This trail is accessible from 7am-7pm Monday- Friday, 9am-5pm Sunday.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Village Creek (Texas)</span> River

Village Creek is a blackwater tributary of the Neches River in Texas, United States. It arises in northwestern Hardin County outside the community of Village Mills. Due to the waterway's isolation and absence of impoundments, it is known to be pristine supporting cypress swamps and hardwood forests, as well as many rare and endangered species. It is 63 miles (101 km) long and average streamflow at the mouth is approximately 1,000 cubic feet per second (28 m3/s). It passes through three conservation areas on the way south, being: the Big Thicket National Preserve - Village Creek Corridor Unit, Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, and Village Creek State Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharon Audubon Center</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Sharon, Connecticut

The Sharon Audubon Center is a wildlife sanctuary of the National Audubon Society in Sharon, Connecticut. The 1,147 acres (464 ha) of the Sharon Audubon Center property is primarily forest land with two ponds with 11 miles (18 km) of trails for visitors to use. Its facilities include a raptor aviary, a herb garden, a garden to attract birds and butterflies, a sugar house, a memorial room to Hal Borland, a small museum and store. Sharon Audubon Center is located at 325 Cornwall Bridge Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audubon Naturalist Society</span>

Nature Forward is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation and education. The organization holds two properties in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area as wildlife sanctuaries, one in Virginia along with its headquarters in Maryland. Until 1959, the organization was known as the Audubon Society of the District of Columbia. In October 2022. the membership voted to change the name of the organization from Audubon Naturalist Society of the Central Atlantic States, choosing the new name Nature Forward.

<i>Verbena bipinnatifida</i> Species of flowering plant

Verbena bipinnatifida, commonly called Dakota mock vervain, prairie verbena, and Moradilla, among others, is a species of flowering plant in the verbena family Verbenaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northaven Trail</span>

The Northaven Trail is a 8.2 mile hike/bike commuter and recreational trail that runs through the northern neighborhoods in Dallas, Texas. Currently, the trail connects the neighborhoods from Central Expressway (US75) to Denton Drive and the Dallas DART station. It provides a recreational resource for the area as well as providing east / west transportation alternatives. The trail is part of the greater Dallas Parks Department and part of the Texas Department of Transportation’s and Dallas City Council's plan to increase alternative means of transportation throughout the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge</span> Nature center in Texas

The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge is a nature center located between Lakeside and Lake Worth, Texas within Fort Worth, Texas, United States city limits. It consists of prairies, forests, and wetlands. The nature center offers a glimpse of what the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex looked like before settlement. The center covers 3,621 acres (1,465 ha) and includes over 20 miles (32 km) of hiking trails. It is one of the largest city-owned nature centers in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Connie Hagar</span> American birdwatcher and naturalist

Martha Conger Neblett Hagar, known as Connie Hagar, was an American birdwatcher and naturalist whose observations were valued by professional ornithologists, particularly her early observations of hummingbirds on the Texas coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKinney Roughs Nature Park</span> Protected area in Texas, United States

McKinney Roughs Nature Park is a 1,140-acre (460 ha) nature park and archaeological site in Cedar Creek, Texas, United States. Located about 13 mi (21 km) east of Austin and next to the Colorado River, the park features 17.6 mi (28.3 km) of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The park is owned and managed by the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). During the late Archaic Period, around 2,100 years ago, McKinney Roughs served as a camping ground for prehistoric hunter-gatherers. In the 1850s, the land was owned by a ranching family that were early settlers of Texas. Over the years, it passed through various owners until it was acquired by the LCRA, which then transformed it into a nature park in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary</span> Nature preserve in Chicago, USA.

Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary is a 15-acre bird sanctuary and nature preserve in Lincoln Park within Uptown, Chicago. The preserve includes Prairie, Savanna, Woodland, as well as an ADA Path, Birding Area, and Nature Trail. With 349 recorded species, it is Illinois's hottest spot on EBird.

References

  1. ↑ "Dallas Fort Worth and beyond website". Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Duggan, Sofia (April 2, 2021). "Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary". In & Around Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  3. ↑ "Museum—". Plano Daily Star-Courier. 1970-10-01. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  4. ↑ "The Heard Museum | ORCA" . Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Birds of prey find haven". The Courier-Gazette. 1992-05-31. p. 17. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  6. 1 2 "Heard". The Courier-Gazette. 1992-11-05. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  7. ↑ "Citizen of the Month: Modest Miss Heard Dedicated Naturalist". The Courier-Gazette. 1966-04-03. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  8. 1 2 3 "Founder's "Undignified" Lifestyle Precedent for Environmental Advocacy". The Courier-Gazette. 2012-10-18. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  9. ↑ "History". Heard Natural Science Museum. Heard. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  10. 1 2 "Wildlife Sanctuary to be Built". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 1965-08-05. p. 22. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  11. 1 2 "Heard Museum Planning Anniversary Open House". Plano Daily Star-Courier. 1970-10-01. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  12. 1 2 "Miss Heard Appoints Museum Director". The Courier-Gazette. 1965-10-18. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  13. ↑ "Heard opens new exhibit, retail store". The Courier-Gazette. 2005-03-11. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  14. ↑ "Have you heard about Heard's raptor rehabilitation programs?". The Facts. 1998-03-01. p. 23. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  15. ↑ "Heard showcases rare bird". The Courier-Gazette. 2003-08-26. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  16. ↑ "A fine balance". The Courier-Gazette. 2012-10-18. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  17. ↑ "Heard schedules tour dates". The Courier-Gazette. 1981-03-29. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  18. ↑ "Heard announces Country Club plans". The Courier-Gazette. 2005-05-29. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  19. ↑ "Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary". iNaturalist. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  20. ↑ "Master Naturalist applications open". The Courier-Gazette. 2019-01-20. p. 2. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  21. ↑ "History". Heard Natural Science Museum. Heard. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  22. ↑ CTG Staff (2016-09-17). "Building wilderness in our backyard". Cross Timbers Gazette. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  23. ↑ "Birding". Birding- Heard Museum. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  24. ↑ "Native Plant Entrance Garden at the Heard Science Museum and Sanctuary". Audubon Foundation of Texas. 2015. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  25. ↑ "Mother Earth Giddy This Time of Year". The Paris News. 1997-03-21. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  26. ↑ "Spring Native Plant Sale at the Heard". University of Texoma. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  27. ↑ Eden, Stiffman (21 April 2014). "Heard museum celebrates Heritage Day, new Pioneer Village". The Dalls Morning News. The Dalls Morning News. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  28. ↑ "Programs". Heard Natural Science Museum. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  29. ↑ Mia, Edwards (3 November 2014). "Holiday Trail of Lights". NBC. NBC DFW. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  30. ↑ "Halloween at the Heard". Heard Museum. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  31. ↑ "Date Night at the Heard". Observer. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  32. ↑ "Date Night at the Heard Museum". planoprofile. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  33. ↑ "Heard Nature Photographers". Heard Nature Photographers. Archived from the original on 30 June 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.