A part of Katy will now be greener, cooler and more beautiful, thanks to the efforts of Trees for Katy, One Creek West Inc., the Fry Road MUD and a group of volunteers from Mayde Creek High School.

On November 15, the groups came together to plant 416 trees at the 20001-20009 block of Park Row in Katy, around the detention pond behind Best Buy. Volunteers planted the trees in groves, in pre-dug holes filled with transplant materials. The trees – 200 five-gallon, 120 15-gallon and 96 30-gallon sizes – included elm, oak and pine. The trees are drought-resistant but also able to withstand flood conditions, organizers said. Trees also aid in detention efforts by tempering the effects of rainfall and by absorbing water from the soil, they said.

“Rather than planting trees on medians, we have worked with a municipal utility district (MUD) in our community to bring the benefits of trees to our community,” Judith McGlaughlin of One Creek West, Inc. told the Katy Area Economic Development Council in a special presentation last month. “Over roughly 50 years of urbanization, many of the trees have been removed – especially along Interstate 10. The loss of tree canopy has had a significant impact on surface temperatures experienced by residents in adjacent neighborhoods. MUDs not only offer undeveloped land to plant trees, but this activity falls firmly within their charter as defined by the Texas Water Code.”

One Creek West is a non-profit community organization whose goals are to protect the quality of life of area residents, according to a presentation that the group gave to the Katy Area Economic Development Council. Trees for Katy is an initiative within One Creek West focused specifically on planting trees to achieve those goals.

“Alecia Pacheco is the driving force behind Trees for Katy and One Creek West is the non-profit organization that allows us to seek grants and use our existing relationships to identify opportunities for projects,” McLaughlin said in an interview with the Katy Times. ”David Buxkamper is a volunteer for One Creek West who, as a director of Fry Road MUD, had led efforts to plant trees for his district in the past. There was a natural marriage [among] the three of us. We especially want to recognize Fry Road MUD, who installed irrigation and contributed the landscaping design to the project. Trees for Houston contributed the 416 trees, and Alecia and I planned and executed the ‘day of’ planting.”

Volunteers were mostly from Mayde Creek High School -- both the Environmental Alliance and the National Honor Society. The Environmental Alliance is a club of approximately 35 students

whose mission is to provide students with an opportunity not only to learn about the environment but also to make a difference in their community, making residents more environmentally aware and inspiring them to be greener in the future. There were also volunteers from the One Creek West coalition, along with neighborhood volunteers.

“One Creek West is also on the Steering Committee for Harris County Precinct 4's ‘Katy East Community Plan,’” said McGlaughlin. “This project aligns with one of the objectives recommended in the Plan's 2025-2026 Action Plan, to ‘plant trees to expand tree canopy within neighborhoods.’ We plan to find additional opportunities with MUDs and work with Precinct 4 on sidewalks and esplanades.”

The organization is also working on another objective of the plan, McGlaughlin said, to partner with local community organizations to identify and establish a list or guide of significant cultural or heritage locations, landmarks, and hubs within the study area. McGlaughlin is working on the history of Greater Katy and is seeking historical information about the Barker and Addicks Reservoirs. “It is a fascinating story,” McGlaughlin said. “In our minds, the tree-planting project and the history of Greater Katy are combined.”

“The kids recognized and were excited by the fact that they planted something that will live on after they become adults and have their own kids,” McLaughlin said. “Learning about what the farmers and ranchers who came before them helps reinforce that message.”