The Houston Audubon organization has acquired the 128-acre Peach Creek Woods Nature Sanctuary in eastern Montgomery County.
Work will take place over the next year to prepare for public access to the nature area, according to a Facebook post by Houston Audobon, which works to preserve habitats for birds and other wildlife. The sanctuary is expected to open in early 2027.
“Protecting habitat for birds and providing nature experiences for people is more important than ever,” said Houston Audubon’s Land Conservation Director, Pete Deichmann, in an news release by Houston Audubon. “Peach Creek Woods serves as a testament to the impact one individual can have on the future of our ecosystem.”
The sanctuary is about 10 miles southwest of Cleveland, in an area that has experienced significant population growth in recent years. Peach Creek flows from east of New Waverly into Lake Houston.
Houston Audubon, established in 1969, manages 17 nature areas and more than 4,300 acres in the Texas Gulf Coast region in more than 10 counties.
Their newest preserve was made possible through a land bequest from the late Texas conservationist and educator Thomas Lee Maddux.
Maddux, 81, died in February 2025. He was a member of the Sierra Club, the National Audubon Society and the Texas Land Conservancy and often lobbied for preservation efforts with state officials, according to his obituary.