Nueces County Sunrise Pond Nature & Storytime® Walking Trail

March 25, 2024

ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act)  Project: A County partnership with Inland Parks, Nueces County Library, and Precinct 3 Commissioner to extend an outdoor learning space where nature, learning, health and play collide.

This engaging new outdoor space was generously supported by 1PointFive a carbon capture, utilization and sequestration company and the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. Beginning as a County partnership with Inland Parks, Nueces County Library, Commissioner John Marez and Commissioners Court to extend an outdoor learning space where nature, learning, health and play collide. A walking trail for patrons to use around the pond on the East side of the library outside the veranda. Outside the library grounds, patrons can explore, learn and witness the beauty of the outdoors with a literacy focus.

StoryWalk® was created in 2007 by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT, in collaboration with former staff member Rachel Senechal, and is a registered service mark of the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Many StoryWalk® books have a theme: kindness, anyone can make a difference in someone’s life, a love for nature, accepting differences, and more. Bringing the library out to the community with the goal of increasing visibility of the library.

Upcoming completion

Rain Garden:

October 25, 2023

In collaborative project with Nueces County, Coastal Parks, Inland Parks, Keach Family Library, Commissioner Marez and Public Works with Texas State through its Meadows Center and Clean Coast Texas Collaborative to establish a cooperative objective to identify best practices for floodplain and water pollution management.

Completed: 9/19/2025

Keach Family Library Rain Garden video by The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment:

Outdoor Learning Space

Our mission is to create an outdoor learning space where nature, learning and play collide.

In the library grounds the space is where children can witness the wonders and beauty of the outdoors in a safe and welcoming environment.

Our goal is with this learning classroom/garden is to provide a space for parents and children to disconnect from their digital worlds and reconnect with family as they explore the outdoors. The outdoor area will be for the community, the Library offers a unique way to connect literacy, learning and appreciation of nature as a regular part of the library visit.

More information coming soon..