LLELA Nature Preserve – Lewisville, Texas
Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area, or LLELA, is a 2,600-acre park in Lewisville, Texas. It features Blackland Prairie and Eastern Cross Timbers ecosystems, as well as wetlands and hardwood forests. The Elm Fork branch of the Trinity River runs through the park, and it is adjacent to Lake Lewisville, although there is no lake access from the park.
LLELA Nature Preserve offers a myriad of family activities such as hiking, birding, kayaking, and more. It also offers a variety of educational workshops for students and teachers, parents, scout leaders, and others. Most importantly, it is involved in several restoration projects so that residents of Lewisville and surrounding areas can enjoy the beauty of mother nature. It offers volunteer opportunities in research, restoration, education, and preservation.
History
In the early 1990s, the potential of this set-aside area was recognized by a group of collaborators from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the University of North Texas, the City of Lewisville, Lewisville ISD, the University of Texas in Arlington, and Texas A & M AgriLife Extension. They saw a place where people could interact with the wildlife and natural ecosystems that were already present, preserving it for the future in the midst of the explosive growth in the DFW area. Even more, LLELA could serve as a place where humans acted to repair historic damage to the land and conduct scientific research. These agencies worked together in a partnership to carry out the LLELA mission.
In 2014, the City of Lewisville, the University of North Texas, and the Lewisville Independent School District began the process of developing a new organizational structure to carry LLELA into the future. LLELA is now operating under a strategic plan developed by all three partners (with approval from and in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Our mission remains the same, and our work continues to improve the habitat quality of this precious land, day by day making it richer, in hopes of giving all North Texans a place where they can connect with what once was, and still is, our natural heritage.
Amenities and Recreation
LLELA features a visitor’s center, over 7 miles of hiking trails, nine primitive campsites, a butterfly garden, and various spots for picknicking, fishing, kayaking, and canoeing. The park offers various guided activities, such as naturalist-led hikes, bird walks, and kayak tours.
LLELA Nature Preserve has a walking trail that is 1.4 km long and has a number of activity options that are accessible year-round. Dogs are very much welcome but must be kept on a leash. Hiking is also a popular activity in LLELA Nature Preserve. It has 4 different trails. You can also camp and fish along the Trinity River. LLELA Nature Preserve is located at Lewisville Texas which is also the home of Southern Comfort Mechanical.
Plant and Animal Life
Due to the variety of different ecosystems that are present in LLELA, there is a diverse array of wildlife in the park, including over 360 vertebrate species. These include mammals such as deer, river otters, and armadillos, and many bird species, including a nesting pair of bald eagles.
A diverse ecological habitat that is home to a variety of wildlife. LLELA Nature Preserve has creatures such as the bobcat, river otter, deer, and mink. Along with birds and dozens of waterfowl species. LLELA Nature Preserve’s main goal is to develop this area for the restoration and preservation of native habitats and biodiversity for environmental research and education.