Stephen F. Austin State University will receive a 2025 Recreational Trail Program grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department following an environmental review and grant agreement.
Dr. David Creech, SFA Gardens director, and Dr. David Kulhavy, professor in the College of Forestry and Agriculture, serve as principal investigator and co-investigator, respectively, for the project titled “Building a Path to the Future at the SFA Gardens.”
“This award proves that SFA and Nacogdoches can work hand in hand to develop a regionally recognized resource,” Creech said. “With 138 acres of gardens and natural areas, wonderful plant collections, miles of trails, and boardwalks and bridges at every turn, this garden is now recognized as a regional resource.”
Once completed, the project will rehabilitate nearly seven miles of asphalt trails, 0.5 miles of dirt trails and 370 linear feet of boardwalks and bridges in the Mast Arboretum, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Gayla Mize Garden and Pineywoods Native Plant Center. New features will include 1,250 feet of new trails and 12 trailhead signs throughout SFA Gardens.
The total project cost is $356,944, of which the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will contribute $285,004 and SFA will contribute $71,940.
Originally built with support from federal and state funds over the last 20 years, the trails, which are open to the public daily from dawn to dusk, are maintained by SFA Gardens staff members and volunteers.
For more information about SFA Gardens, visit sfasu.edu/gardens.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 40 academic facilities, 11 residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering over 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
By University Marketing Communications
