Renewal 2024 Plan

Armand Bayou Nature Center was established in 1974 and many of our structures are showing their age. With ABNC’s 50th year coming up in 2024 we are focused on implementing a comprehensive Renewal 2024 plan to revitalize our center to better serve and inspire our growing number of visitors.

Environmental Learning Center

ABNC’s transformation of the existing Interpretive Center into the new Environmental Learning Center (ELC) is the first phase of this campaign.

Plans call for reimagining the existing space to showcase ABNC’s ecosystems in more visually appealing and educational ways. The newly designed space will retain the original footprint of the building, while bringing the facility up to date and improving the visitor experience.

The refreshed ELC will highlight how the endangered Texas gulf coast habitats of Armand Bayou and our relationships with them offer a glimpse into the past and a vision for the future. It will serve as an extension of the outdoor experience and will provide an up-close and interactive display gallery for visitors of all ages, as well as office space, a keeper lab and a multi-purpose room.

Welcome Center

The ABNC Welcome Center will be the first stop of the visitor experience. Located in the Hana Ginzbarg building, the Welcome Center will provide an overview of ABNC and exploration opportunities. After browsing through the Welcome Center, visitors will be better informed about all there is to see and do during their visit.

Exhibits will help visitors understand the following:

• The intersection of wetland forest, tallgrass prairie, and bayou marshes on the Texas gulf coast created an environment where an astounding number of species once thrived.

• The human influence on our local habitats impacted the landscape in lasting and irreversible ways.

• The benefits provided by the habitats at ABNC show how interconnected we are with nature and why preservation matters.

• Learning from our past successes that preservation has real world impacts allows us to plan for a sustainable future.

Renewed Entrance

ABNC has been a “hidden gem” for too long. A refurbished entrance on Bay Area Boulevard will draw attention to the Center and will help to attract new visitors. It will also establish the aesthetic for the refreshed ABNC beyond the entrance gates.

Trailhead Circle

The trailhead circle, located just outside the Environmental Learning Center, will be the starting point for ABNC’s recreational activities, including hiking, kayaking and pontoon cruises . Outdoor interpretive panels will build upon the information introduced in the Welcome Center, with more detailed information about each of the Center’s ecosystems and maps of the property. It will also be the place where visitors can wait in the shade for electric shuttles to transport them to the boathouse.

Signage

Updating and modernizing existing signage will be key to improving the visitor experience. While visitors come to ABNC for a variety of reasons, they are all seeking connection with nature. People want to know: Why is this location so special? Who came here before me? What flower is that? What kind of spider is that?

Since the majority of ABNC visitors embark upon self-guided tours, interpretive signage and wayfinding signs are ABNC’s primary method for guiding their experiences as they learn about its ecosystems, history and wildlife.

For questions regarding donations to the Renewal 2024 plan, please contact Tim Pylate, Executive Director, at 281-474-2551 or by email at tim@abnc.org