Allen Parks and Recreation temporarily closed the wooded area at Celebration Park in order to protect a flock of Egrets using the area as a seasonal nesting ground. Because both Egrets and Herons are included on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s List of Migratory Birds, they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. For this reason, the area has been designated as a protected zone in which the flock is permitted to nest undisturbed until the newborn birds leave their nests.
Upon the migration of this flock, Parks and Recreation staff will work with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) on ways to mitigate future issues that impact pedestrian use of the trail in this wooded area. As a condition of an initial park development grant from TPWD, the wooded acreage at Celebration Park must be left in a natural state.