East Texas Arboretum announces Carl D. Frentress Hickory Loop trail renaming, guide




ATHENS, TX — The East Texas Arboretum is proud to announce the renaming of the Hickory Loop trail to the Carl D. Frentress Hickory Loop trail. The loop is a rugged one-mile hiking trail located on arboretum grounds.

The trail was named for former Texas Parks and Wildlife wetland and waterfowl biologist and longtime Athens resident Carl Frentress, who was instrumental in developing the arboretum’s natural areas. To commemorate his contributions, a specially chosen slab of naturally hardened sandstone from the Texas-Arkansas-Oklahoma region adorned with a bronze plaque has been placed at the trailhead.

“He was dedicated to conservation — that’s pretty much what he did,” said his son, Corey Frentress, who was present for the placement of the stone.

Carl Frentress planned and cleared the original Hickory Loop trail in the late 1990s. He also helped to improve the arboretum’s lowlands areas by removing brush and transplanting bog-adapted plants, effectively establishing an open wetland ecosystem.

Frentress passed away in 2019 after serving with TPWD for 32 years.

In an interview with the Conservation History Association of Texas in late 2000, Frentress told David Todd, “...My philosophy of things is that society tends to forget what a natural resource base means to our well being … I say that stewardship of natural resources is a component of citizenship.”

The 100+ acre East Texas Arboretum indeed continues to be a source of well being for people from all over Texas during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the arboretum has managed to remain open throughout while following all city and state guidelines and order.

The arboretum has also released a companion online trail interpretation guide featuring more than 30 educational stations along the route. Stations include information about native tree, plant and fungi species, as well as general information about East Texas ecosystems and geology.

The new guide is the result of collaboration between naturalist Sonnia Hill and biologists Lucy Dueck and Jim Neal.

“Our intent is to further develop the signage along the trail which corresponds with the guide, moving from the small markers there now to larger interactive signs over time, but just having this guide is an amazing and long-needed education tool for the arboretum,” said Board President and Trail Committee chairperson Laura Smith.

The East Texas Arboretum is located at 1601 Patterson Rd. in Athens, TX. For more information about the trail, call (903) 675-5630 or visit our website at http://www.easttexasarboretum.org.




Tell us what you think!

Beacon Hill at Cedar Creek Lake

Cedar Creek Lake Email Updates


 

Visit our Cedar Creek Lake Sponsors!

Cedar Creek Lake on Social Media

 
       

Cedar Creek Lake Current Weather Alerts

There are no active watches, warnings or advisories.

 

Cedar Creek Lake Weather Forecast

Tuesday

Slight Chance Thunderstorms

Hi: 93

Tuesday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 77

Wednesday

Partly Sunny

Hi: 95

Wednesday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 77

Thursday

Mostly Cloudy

Hi: 93

Thursday Night

Mostly Cloudy

Lo: 77

Independence Day

Partly Sunny

Hi: 93

Friday Night

Partly Cloudy

Lo: 77


Cedar Creek Lake Water Level (last 30 days)


Water Level on 7/1: 321.93 (-0.07)



Cedar Creek Lake

Fishing Report from TPWD (Jun. 25)

GOOD. Water slightly stained; 83 degrees; 0.00 feet above pool. Big numbers of white bass and several trophy-class hybrid stripers have hit the deck. We are consistently finding the best action in 15–22 feet of water. Good go-to setups include a variety of slabs, sometimes paired with 2–3 jigs above, and the always-reliable yellow bladed jig using the proven saw tooth retrieve technique. Trolling spoons at 3 mph in 13–17 feet of water absolutely crushed the white bass. Water temperatures are currently holding around 83 degrees and will continue to rise as summer heats up over the next couple of weeks. Report by Brent Herbeck, Herbeck’s Lonestar Fishing Guide Service. Catfish remain consistent targeting humps in 10-20 feet of water, but there are a lot of small fish. Bigger fish can be caught drifting cut shad, carp, drum or bream. Report by Jason Barber, Kings Creek Adventures.

More Fishing Reports