When Bessie Heard founded Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary in 1967, the (then) 270 acre property was surrounded by countryside. But she saw how other cities had moved into their natural spaces, leaving little for posterity. Miss Bessie (as children called her) knew this could one day be a possibility for her community and wanted to make sure that future generations could connect with nature in a nature preserve and that wildlife would have a sanctuary.

Today, as you drive out to the Heard, you will see that her foresight was keen and never before more relevant for the future. The rapid development of the DFW Metroplex further demonstrates the value of this resource which will allow future generations to connect with nature.

Protecting this natural resource becomes increasingly more difficult as more of the land is developed upstream. Because portions of the Heard are located on a major flood plain, it is also subject to anything that washes downstream from runoff.

As you may have observed, trash often washes downstream. Less easy to observe are the fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and more that also find their way down waterways. At even a molecular level, these changes can impact an array of flora and fauna. Additionally, seeds and pieces of invasive plant species wash downstream and take root in the wildlife sanctuary. As more of the native plant life, which provides some natural filtration and keeps soil in place, is destroyed upstream, we will continue to see an amplification of these chemical changes and an increase in deposited sediment.

With your help on North Texas Giving Day, we are working to secure funding to help us continue to protect and restore our wetlands, which bear the brunt of many of these negative impacts. We will also work to increase the Heard wetlands’ already significant viability as a habitat and nesting area for many native bird species. The manpower to accomplish these tasks will be considerable and we will continue to need to keep our supplies and tools in working order. We will also need to acquire new tools and supplies. With these resources, the Heard staff and volunteers will be able to remove invasive plants. We will also be able to put in place natural erosion control methods as well as repair damage from previous floods. Much of this project will also include planting new native plant life to restore what has been damaged by both natural and manmade causes.

Last year, during North Texas Giving Day, the Heard raised over $10,000 in one day. If we meet or exceed that amount this year, we will be able to accomplish many of our planned wetland restoration and preservation projects. Thank you for your support and consideration of our project! With your help we will sustain the Heard’s mission to bring nature and people together to discover, enjoy, experience, restore and preserve our priceless environment. Click here to learn more.

About Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary

Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary, a private 501(c)3 organization, was founded in 1967 by Bessie Heard.  Miss Heard was 80 years old when she saw the need to preserve a place where future generations could experience nature. Today, the Heard’s mission of bringing nature and people together is carried out through education, particularly of young people, which emphasizes an appreciation of nature and its conservation. 

A Week Remains in the Design-a-Dino Coloring Contest

Have you ever seen a dinosaur with rainbow stripes, purple polka dots, or neon toenails? We have, and we can’t wait to see more! It seems that we can never get enough of dinosaurs—we’ve been fascinated by them for years. The only thing that has changed is our perception of what these dinosaurs might have really looked like. Did they really look the way they showed us in our school textbooks? Or are the kids participating in the Design-a-Dino Coloring Contest at Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary onto something with their imaginations running wild?

Get out those crayons and markers, because your child just might be the designer of the next dinosaur in our Design-a-Dino Coloring Contest. Simply download and print the official coloring page and entry form from the Heard Museum's website, then color away! Official rules and instructions are available there as well. Children, ages 12 and under, that submit a design may get the chance to have their artwork replicated by a custom paint job on the stegosaurus in our annual Dinosaurs Live! exhibit.

Don’t forget: the deadline is August 5, 2016 (just over a week away). So, be sure to submit your entries in soon. So far, the entries the Heard has received has left us in awe of the creativity of our contestants. The revealing of the winning design will be on September 17, 2016, when the Dinosaurs Live! exhibit reopens—don’t miss it!

The Texas Heritage Festival at Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary has been rescheduled for June 11^th, from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. due to the possibility of inclement weather for the original date. 

Presented by Clif KiD and sponsored by McKinney Community Development Corporation and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – McKinney, the Texas Heritage Festival will feature toe-tappin’, knee-slappin’ Western music, local artisans, historical demonstrations, and interactive children’s activities. Guests can rustle up some tasty Texas grub, say “Howdy” to our resident wildlife ambassadors, and explore the Native Texas Butterfly Garden.

Children will love exploring the Heard’s Pioneer Village, comprised of eight pint-sized buildings typical of prairie settlements in the late 1800s—such as a school house, general store, and settlers' cabins!

Event tickets also include general admission to Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary for the day of the event and free parking. Tickets are just $9 for adults, $6 for seniors 60+ and children ages 3 through 12. Admission is free for Heard Museum Members, children ages 2 and under, and McKinney* Residents.

*McKinney Resident Free Admission is available for up to 4 persons per McKinney address. Residency must be shown through a water bill listing a McKinney address and a valid photo ID or driver's license with matching name.

About Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary

Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary was founded in 1967 by Bessie Heard. Miss Heard was 80 years old when she saw the need to preserve a place where future generations could experience nature. Today, this private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is dedicated to bringing nature and people together. This mission is carried out through education, particularly of young people, which emphasizes an appreciation of nature and its conservation.  For more information, visit heardmuseum.org. 

Do you ever go for nature walks to clear your head? If so, you’ve probably experienced firsthand how time in nature can benefit your overall well-being. For example, after your walk, you may have noticed your stress melt away and you may have enjoyed renewed energy.

In this context, consider the fact that the average child today spends about half as much time outdoors as children did 20 years ago. When asked, many of today’s children may say they prefer to stay indoors in front of a screen. Often this happens because that is what they have become familiar with. Nonetheless, getting out in nature is important and beneficial to a child’s wellbeing. More and more studies seem to indicate that children who play outside exhibit improvements in mood, health and cognitive function as compared to children who spend more time indoors.

Register today for a summer camp at Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary and give your child the gift of a connection to nature. Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary’s mission is to inspire children to discover, enjoy, experience, and restore our priceless environment. Heard Summer Nature Camps are geared toward children ages 5 through 12 and feature opportunities to investigate the wonders of nature on our 289-acre sanctuary, encounter animal ambassadors and more. In Nature Art Camp, young artists (ages 6 through 10) will follow in the footsteps of great artists such as Audubon and Monet with unique opportunities to create their own art inspired by nature and live animals. Each day, a different type of medium will be explored. All art supplies are included. Keeper Camps will offer children ages 10 through 15 an opportunity to experience a behind-the-scenes, hands-on adventure with our Animal Ambassadors. They will also learn about the Heard Animal Ambassadors and what it takes to properly care for them.

For the complete information on camp topics, camp schedules and more details, visit www.heardmuseum.org/camps. Many of the Heard’s summer camps fill early and preregistration is required. Those campers who register by March 22 will also receive a $25 Heard Nature Store gift certificate (limit one per family/household).

About Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary

Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary is a private, nonprofit organization and was founded in 1967 by Bessie Heard.  Miss Heard was 80 years old when she saw the need to preserve a place where future generations could experience nature. Today, the Heard’s mission of bringing nature and people together is carried out through education, particularly of young people, which emphasizes an appreciation of nature and its conservation.

Looking for something fun to do as a family during the winter break? You don't have to wait till the summer to enjoy some of the fun of Heard camps! Join us for one of our four upcoming family fun Winter Mini Camps during the winter break.

Designed for kids and adults to attend together, each of the four mini camps explores a different topic and includes indoor and outdoor activities as well as a take home project.  Spaces are limited and preregistration is required, so be sure to sign up today.

Mini Camp Offerings:

• December 22 - Weathering Winter
  Ever wonder where the butterflies go when the temperatures turn frosty? How do animals like snakes and turtles make it through the winter? Join us as we explore some of the fascinating ways that animal survive the cold. You’ll also get to take home your own wintery “snowman” ornament made from wood collected on the sanctuary to decorate on your own.
• December 23 - Tweets for the Birds
  Do you know which birds spend the winter in our area? Would you like to learn how to better identify birds? Come with us on a family-friendly hike to see what birds are out and about on the sanctuary. You will also make a simple birdfeeder to take home to help attract birds to your backyard.
• December 29 - Paleo Party: T-Rex and Friends
  Heat up your winter with some dino fun and “bone up” on prehistoric creatures that lived during the time of the dinosaurs. Meet T.Rex and the other animatronic dinosaurs on the Dinosaurs Live! trail and even get to take home a fossil of your own!
• December 30 - Who Hooted?
  Know which owl calls “who cooks for you” or whinnies? Learn to identify the calls of different owls in our area and practice making them yourself. We’ll also dissect real owl pellets to see what owls eat and visit our own resident exhibit screech owls, Pudge and Poe.

Each camp will run from 9:30 a.m. to noon on the day scheduled.  These camps are for children ages 5 or older and adults. Children must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older. Each adult may be accompanied by up to four children. The tuition is $23 per person per camp for non-members and $20 per person per camp for Heard Museum members. Participants should also wear clothing appropriate for spending time outside walking on uneven terrain. Mini camp participants will also receive free general admission for the afternoon of the day of the mini camp they attend.

About Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary

The Heard is a private 501(c)3 nonprofit and was founded in 1967 by Bessie Heard. Miss Heard was 80 years old when she saw the need to preserve a place where future generations could experience nature. Today, the Heard's mission of bringing nature and people together is carried out through education, particularly of young people, which emphasizes an appreciation of nature and its conservation.  For more information, visit heardmuseum.org.