An Oasis in the City: Keystone Heritage Park

One of the most surprising places in El Paso is Keystone Heritage Park, a quiet place to enjoy nature, right in the midst of the city.  From their website:

"Keystone Heritage Park is an archeological site, an archaic wetlands and a botanical garden.

The Archeological Site was first discovered in the late 1970s by the Corps of Engineers during the construction of flood control dams. Runoff from a thunderstorm washed away the bank of a shallow arroyo revealing a cut-away of an ancient pitch house. Preliminary research revealed the hut was part of a larger village. Carbon dating indicated the site was 4000+ years old. According to National Geographic Magazine, it may be one of the largest and oldest villages of its kind in the United States.

Keystone Wetlands is home to many species of birds and is a stop on a migratory route for even more. Over 193 species of birds have been spotted there, including 22 species considered rare by the Audubon Society. These archaic wetlands, protected by Federal Law, depict the wetlands that once lined the Rio Grande.

The Botanical Garden at Keystone is a project adopted by the Junior League of El Paso in the year 2000. In 2003, the Rotary Club of El Paso committed to building Phase Two of the garden. The Garden encompasses features such as a Xeric demonstration garden, a children’s garden, an amphitheater, a moonlight garden, an ethno-botanical garden and more."

Scenes from our Far West Texas Wildlife Trail Map launch parties!



Getting ready for the ribbon cutting behind Indian Lodge at Fort Davis' Davis Mountains State Park, June 2



Friends gather around information tables at Indian Lodge, June 2



El Paso's Channel 7 comes to the June 4 launch party at Keystone Heritage Park

Getting ready for the ribbon cutting at El Paso's Keystone Heritage Park!

We want to thank everyone who came out this week to celebrate the launch of our Far West Texas Wildlife Trail map in Fort Davis and El Paso! 

A special thanks to everyone who worked hard to bring this project to fruition--the members of our map committee (volunteers from all over the region); site nominees, managers and landowners; map sponsors and donors, friends who came to the events and hosted information tables (Friends of Big Bend National Park, McDonald Observatory, Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center, Tierra Grande Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists, The Nature Conservancy).  Also HUGE thanks to those who worked on the events themselves--Carol Edwards, the Tierra Grande Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists and Friends of Davis Mountains State Park, Linda Hedges, David Bischofhausen, Bernie Sargent, Rebecca Diaz, Hyatt Place El Paso Airport, Keystone Heritage Park, Scott Jordan and our friends of the Texas Pecos Trail, Mercer Black, Rob McCorkle, and especially Shelly Plante and the folks at TPWD.  Y'all are great!!  Thank you!

You can view the map online here. 

Because of state budget cuts, we need to revise our distribution of the map to the public.  Please check our main website early next month for a list of regional vendors who will be offering the map for sale! 

El Paso Desert Botanical Garden/Keystone Heritage Park

One of the most unlikely places to view wildlife is in the center of a large city.  El Paso is abound with surprises, not the least of which is Keystone Heritage Park and the El Paso Botanical Gardens.  Located at 4220 Doniphan on the west side of the city, is a unique place to view desert plants and gardens, birds and even an archaeological site (the site by appointment only).  For more information on the park, click here and here!  An upcoming event is below!