On April 23, 2008 John Flicker, President of the National Audubon Society, attended the ground breaking ceremonies for the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center in Cedar Hill. The new Center is part of Flicker’s vision for connecting people with nature, even in urban centers such as Dallas, Los Angeles and New York.
"To be able to conserve 270 acres of important wildlife habitat in a major metropolitan area is incredible," said Flicker. "Dogwood Canyon will unveil a world many people in the area have never seen, an unrivaled classroom where people of all ages and backgrounds can come to experience, understand, and care for the natural world."
The $7.4 million project is a result of a partnership with the City of Cedar Hill and Audubon Dallas, the local chapter. The Center building, to be located on FM1382, will be named the C.E. Doolin Education & Visitors Center. Audubon Dallas, in cooperation with Audubon Texas and National Audubon Society, is developing this sanctuary. http://www.tx.audubon.org/Dogwood.html
The groundbreaking ceremony included the planting of a dogwood tree by local schoolchildren to celebrate the conservation of the canyon, and the science education programs that will serve 5,000 schoolchildren at the Center each year.
The Center is expected to open in 2010 and will serve up to 40,000 visitors annually.
The site includes the conservation of 270 acres of critical wildlife habitat just 15 miles southwest of downtown Dallas, and will feature a 6,000 square-foot education and visitor’s center designed by Cunningham Architects. Plans also include interpretive hiking trails designed by MESA.
Dogwood Canyon lies along the Cedar Hill Escarpement, 12 miles southwest of downtown Dallas, and can be accessed from FM 1382. The Audubon Center at Dogwood Canyon will be within a 50-minute drive of four million people; a 20-minute drive from downtown Dallas and 15 minutes from 24 schools. Dogwood Canyon sustains the Metroplex's greatest variety of rare and endangered species. It is the last known nesting habitat in Dallas County for two endangered songbirds: the Golden-cheeked Warbler (prior to its discovery here its last known Dallas County nesting was 45 years ago) and the Black-capped Vireo. Species from East, West, and Central Texas converge here, making the Canyon the only place in the North America where one can find the Black-chinned Hummingbird of West Texas nesting in the Flowering Dogwood of East Texas. Dogwood Canyon also provides outstanding habitat for migrating and nesting birds. Orioles, tanagers, warblers, hummingbirds and others feed on the rich nourishment provided by its lush vegetation. White-eyed, Red-eyed and Warbling Vireos, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Chuck-will's Widows and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, sing their songs seemingly from every tree.
Dogwood Canyon is named for the flowering dogwoods that are found in the canyon. The flowering dogwood is common to the piney woods and post oak belts of Texas, but is generally absent from shallow clay soils of the limestone regions. Plants and animals from East, West and Central Texas converge here at the outer limits of their ranges, making Dogwood Canyon home to a unique combination of flora and fauna. Most importantly, the Canyon supports mature Ashe Juniper trees, the primary nesting habitat needed for the federally-endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler.
