Dear Friends:

In collaboration with the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Friends of The Lorraine Cherry Nature Preserve is pleased to announce that the first ever Bird Drip the City of Houston has installed is being installed at our Nature Preserve! What an exciting opportunity for Timbergrove Manor!

You might not have heard of a Bird Drip and wonder what it is. A Bird Drip provides an attractive source of continual, fresh water for birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife. The constant motion provides visual and auditory interest and keeps mosquitoes from laying eggs as they prefer still water. It is usually found on the ground because this is the location that animals typically find pools of water in nature.

James Montalbano, President of the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce, first approached Laura Bradham, President of the Board of the Friends of The Lorraine Cherry Nature Preserve, last March wanting to collaborate on a project. After some initial meetings, a plan for a Bird Drip was developed by Laura Bradham and submitted to Houston Parks and Recreation Department for approval. Once approval was granted, the city plumbed the water source by tapping into our existing water lines at the water fountain in July. Finally, in mid-September, a group of volunteers from both the Friends group and the Chamber of Commerce will put the rest in place.

A Quiet Zone will be created around the Bird Drip which will include signage. Visitors to our main trail inside the forest will be able to stand behind the wooden stanchions and look for bird and wildlife activity near the drip. Some birds like to access the drip from the top, some from the bottom or side, and some will endeavor to take a bath if there is enough water in the basin.

One last thing remains for the Bird Drip - a Celebration and Ribbon Cutting! Please regularly check the Friends of The Lorraine Cherry Nature Preserve, the Greater Heights Area Chamber of Commerce, and Timbergrove Manor Civic Club Facebook pages to find out when we will have a Ribbon Cutting and Dedication.

Sincerely, Friends of the LCNP.