Enchanted Woods Nature Play Campaign
Over the past several years, the Nature Discovery Center has engaged hundreds of community members and Houston’s leading play architects to help define our vision for a new nature play space: an inviting area where children know they are meant to run, climb, swing and slide, a place where plants are meant to be picked and puddles are meant to be splashed, a place that inspires lifelong love of running creeks, colorful wildflowers, and perfect climbing trees.
We are now launching a $2 million capital campaign to redevelop the southeast corner of our park into the Enchanted Woods, where logs and gardens, tunnels and towers help children discover the magic of nature. More than a neighborhood asset, more than a regional landmark – the Enchanted Woods will be a place that ignites lifelong curiosity, understanding, and respect for nature.
A nature-based adventure playground, with the R. L. Cook Family Treehouse Classroom as its focal point, will replace conventional plastic slides and swings with natural play elements such as hills, tunnels, water, sand, and loose parts stimulating creative, challenging play, and encouraging an emotional bond with nature.
We hope you will join us in supporting a wondrous new place to discover the natural world.
To arrange an Enchanted Woods Nature Play Campaign site visit, please send us an email.
Note: The existence of specific structures and features is subject to the final project design. A donation or pledge within a category (e.g. Red Oaks) will be entitled to donor recognition on a structure of donor’s choosing subject to availability. Following final project design, rights to dedication of specific structures will be assigned based on a) contribution amount and b) date of contribution or pledge. All donor recognition is subject to NDC terms and policies.
Our Generous Donors
as of 6/24/25.
Red Oak
Robert L Cook Charitable Fund
The Brown Foundation
The Cullen Foundation
The Elkins Foundation
The Fondren Foundation
Loblolly Pine
Debra & Christopher Patton
Sugar Maple
The West Endowment
The Wortham Foundation, Inc.
Patrons for Bellaire Parks
CenterPoint Energy
Caddo Pecan
Albert & Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation
Samuels Family Foundation
Norma Barnes
Shelley Starr
Meghan & Kenneth Lutschg
Kristen Buck
Sherri Chilivetis
Chetan Bachireddy
Betsy & David Black
Jennifer & Benjamin Cowan
Sarah Fernsler & William LeBoeuf
Sarah Flournoy
Patricia & Robert Lunn
Maria Martinez
John & Laura Moffitt
Jayne & Garrett Johnston
Bald Cypress
Henning & Christie Buchholz
Elizabeth Cosgrove & Cameron Smith
Susan & Kevin Golden
Randall & Kathleen Lake
Carol Beittenmiller
Chevron Corporate Match – Karl Poirot
Hanna Zaghloul
Rachel Cruz & Todd Auwarter
Polly & Stephen Fohn
John & Bridgette Goss
Gary Gray & Mary Ann Beauchemin
Aaron Hafer
Kim Jones
Sean & Joelene Monestier McKenzie
Deborah Neubek
Melissa Newton
Emily & Henry Owen
Karl & Marla Poirot
Lauren Snitzer
Daniel Sutton
Jaclyn & John Vivrett
Gigi and Brad White
Chase Findley
Yaupon Holly
Win & Johnnie Frazier
Linda & David Knowles
Whitney & Marc Lawson
Marilyn Wolfe-Kirk
James Robertson
Tania & Matt Campbell
David Murphy
Cookie & Ben Portnoy
Kristin & Kevin Berry
Candi Clement
Richard Ethun
Doreen & Michael Gallevo
Cynthia Kahle
Nancy & Jim Lomax
Sheryl Mills
Judy & William Murphy
DeAndra & John Ramsey
Meredith Symonds
Paula Auerbach
Mitra Economou
Milicent Goldschmidt
Wren Ripoll
Rosemary Confer
James L Rice III
