The Nature Discovery Center includes the historic Henshaw House which houses our Discovery Rooms, nature library, classrooms, and offices, and the surrounding four-acre nature park, Russ Pitman Park. We offer nature-based programs year-round to educate and entertain people of all ages. The Park's mix of prairie grasses, tall pecans, native understory and wide lawns is home to a variety of animals, from butterflies and beetles to squirrels and birds. During spring and fall migration seasons, over 80 species of warblers, vireos, orioles and more stop in for food, rest and water - giving us a great opportunity to see and photograph them. In addition to the resident wild animals in Russ Pitman Park, there is an outdoor area called the Dean Neubek Critter Classroom with enclosures for rabbits, a Virginia Opossum, and native box turtles adjacent to the Henshaw House, and there is an aviary with pigeons near the fountain in the park. The Nature Discovery Center is an independent non-profit organization and is not funded by the City of Bellaire. We depend on memberships, program fees, donations, grants, and fundraisers to raise the critical funds needed to support our mission to ignite lifelong curiosity, understanding, and respect for nature through education. Come on over, enjoy the park, and see what we have to offer you and your family or community group! naturediscoverycenter.org
