was that many people are unaware of the fact that carnivorous plants are so diverse or that they can even be found in Texas. So by bringing a native CP exhibit to Jones Park, it educates the general public about them AND the need for conservation of what few bog seeps remain in Texas.
The layout of the pond was such that it lent itself very easily to the development of a native carnivorous plant exhibit. The pond was already divided into an upper and lower section by a small wooden bridge, and the bottom end of the lower
section overflows into a shallow ditch when Houston’s frequent heavy rains saturate the ground. The constant water exchange in the pond is similar to that of the bog seeps favored by carnivorous plants, so all that was necessary to begin was to dig out the lower section and establish an area with the proper soil and amount of sun.
During the summer of 2001, the staff of Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center discussed the idea of reworking our existing bog pond. The pond had originally been dug in 1985 to retain some of the water in an area that was prone to holding water anyway. Through the many floods that the park had sustained since the bog pond was dug, it had become silted over and was inundated with Cattail, Typhus ssp., and other invasive aquatic plants. The majority of the bog pond was 12 inches deep at most, and although this was a suitable habitat for various fish, amphibians, reptiles and the like, it was agreed that the pond was not being utilized to its full potential. Thus the carnivorous plant bog project was visualized.
