Trinity River Audubon Center …Connecting, Birds, Nature, Environment and People
The Trinity River Audubon Center, a program part of a major $2 billion city of Dallas public works project, is open now. On Friday the 17th of October, a ribbon cutting event was held, it included, City of Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, National Audubon Society’s President John Flicker, Texas Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and many other Dallas leaders.
As stated by his speech The National Audubon Society’s President John Flicker “This event is a powerful symbol how to heal the wounds we inflicted on our planet. But it worked we did it, we took the worst and made it the best”
His is talking about the 1.5 tons of landfill of illegally debris that has accumulated through 15 years, now it has become this “The Trinity River Audubon Center”.
The building was designed by Antoine Predock, he is an American Institute of Architects Gold medal award-winner, his design of the center’s building is shaped like a flying bird, from above you will see it wings.
The building was built with wood, stone and steel to express the ecosystems of the location. Use of regional material, minimized emissions of harmful substances, by using local building materials, and recycled-content material, bamboo, wool, cotton, straw, wheat and cork.
It is the first Dallas and Recreation building to achieve a LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) with 21,000 Sq. Ft., it features two science laboratories and three classrooms, an exhibit hall, Children’s Discovery Garden, a Café, a nature gift-shop, a
conference and meeting room, administration office and a volunteer center.
Antoine Predock kept an architectural and environmental approach in his design, the windows sloped at 12º and 20º degrees angle, to avoid reflection of the sky, this will deter the birds from flying into the glass window.
The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservancy. Incorporated in 1905, it is one of the oldest of such organizations in the world. It is named in honor of John James Audubon (1785–1851) a Franco-American ornithologist and a U.S. naturalist and artist. His most notable work is The Birds of America (1827–38), in which he portrayed even the largest birds life-size and painted them in action.
Founded in 1979 in Maitland, FL, there are over 50 Audubon centers in the U.S., Texas has five centers across the state.
Mayor Tom Leppert said “The completion of the Trinity River Audubon Center is a major milestone for Dallas and the Trinity Corridor Project, it uses reclaimed land that was once an illegal dumping ground, it conserves a 120-acre area of nature in the city, and it provides a living laboratory in nature—an outdoor classroom—for students to have field experiences that will inspire and boost their interest in biology, nature and science.”
Tourism is the third largest industry in Texas, after oil and gas production and agriculture. Bird watching draws many people to Texas, it generates more than $350 million per year, about 25% which travel from outside.
City of Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert posing for a photo with some 4th and 5th graders on ribbon cutting day.
The Trinity River, is the largest fresh water inflow into Galveston Bay. More than 600 migratory species come into Texas, the most of any state in the country.
The center cost was $34 million of which $20 million for cleaning up and litigation and planting hundreds of hardwood trees.
Located just about 8 minutes from downtown Dallas, the Trinity River Audubon Center is the flagship for Audubon’s science and education and conversation initiatives in Texas.
On Grand-opening weekend the center drew 5,000 people each day.
Location: Trinity River Audubon Center
65000 S. Loop 12
Dallas, TX 75217
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Third Thursday 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
of each month
Closed: Mondays and major holidays
Contact: Information 214-370-9967
Complete up-to-date schedule online
www.trinityriveraudubon.org
Admission: $6 adults (ages 13-59)
$3 children (ages 3-12
$4 seniors (ages 60+)
Free on the third Thursday, each month
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- ...City of Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert posing for a photo with some 4th and 5th graders on ribbon cutting day.
