Hikers and outdoorsmen may notice a difference in the prairie sitting atop Oakmont Park.
Parks and recreation staffers, the Native Plant Society of Texas, the Native Prairies Association of Texas and Constellation Energy teamed up this spring to clear overgrowth at the southwest Fort Worth park’s prairie in an effort to allow native plants to thrive.
The restoration marks an effort from local environment groups to preserve plants indigenous to North Texas. Oakmont Park features a parcel of the remaining Fort Worth prairieland west of Interstate 35.
The park also houses gathering spaces and paved trails connected to the Trinity Trails, said Michelle Villafranca, parks operations and natural resource planner.
The patch of Fort Worth prairie that sits atop the park tends to get “wooded in,” Villafranca said, blocking much needed sunlight for the native plants to grow.
When the involved groups approached city officials about which of Fort Worth’s natural areas could use some maintenance, they were pointed to Oakmont Park.
Constellation Energy sponsored a project involving the Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department and the Native Plant Society of Texas. (Courtesy | City of Fort Worth)
On May 2 and June 13, volunteers joined the city and those groups to thin trees and remove invasive species from the prairie, which overlooks the Clear Fork of the Trinity River.
They also cleared the area of overgrowth and “daylighted” the patch, the process of clearing out brush to open up plants to more sunlight, Villafranca explained.
This kind of care creates a healthier environment for plants that can only be found in North Central Texas, Villafranca said, including limestone prairie plants such as pale leaf yucca, Engelmann’s sage and white rosinweed.
Volunteers contributed a total of 33 hours into restoring the park’s prairie, Villafranca said. Another volunteer-led restoration will be scheduled between October and November to clear more overgrowth and mulch trees.
The restoration comes as parks staffers ramp up treatments for the city’s natural areas. From late 2025 to earlier this year, city officials burned 1,000 acres through prescribed fire treatments — more than any other burn season in Fort Worth’s history. Prescribed fires are designed to restore natural land, encourage biodiversity and clear invasive species.
More recently, Fort Worth has introduced goats to graze and clear natural areas of overgrowth and combat invasive species.
People don’t have to look far to enjoy remnants of Fort Worth’s prairie, Villafranca said.
Chisholm Trail Park in south Fort Worth holds undeveloped prairieland and features a hiking trail through a landscape of native North Central Texas plants. The area features the gentle topography that sets Fort Worth prairie apart from other ecological regions.
The Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge consists of 3,621 acres of prairieland, where bison, alligators and prairie dogs can be found.
The Tandy Hills Natural Area is also a community-beloved prairie. Fifty acres of prairieland at the natural area known as Broadcast Hill was acquired by Fort Worth and designated as open space in 2020.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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