What is now Memorial Park in Houston was once Camp Logan, a temporary training facility for the US Army during World War I. Driven by Houstonians seeking to “remember the boys,” the park was created to memorialize the 70,000 young men who trained at Camp Logan. Recently, Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW) and the Memorial Park Conservancy (MPC) unveiled plans to revitalize 100 acres of the property into Memorial Groves, a living tribute to the site’s untold World War I history.  “The Memorial Groves project fulfills the vision of the park’s founders, who, a century ago, preserved 1,200 acres of Camp Logan as a living memorial to the soldiers who trained there,” said Thomas Woltz, principal and owner of NBW in a press release. The cypress trees symbolize soldiers standing in formation, evoking the vast scale of Camp Logan and the overall war effort. (Courtesy NBW) An intense drought in the early 2010s destroyed over 60 percent of the tree canopy at Memorial Park. In light of this, a key component of Memorial Groves is a forest of more than 2,000 bald cypress trees, which will be planted around existing, mature trees. This effort is both functional and representative, with the cypress clusters symbolizing soldiers standing in formation.  Primarily located between the Union Pacific rail line and West Memorial Loop Drive, within a narrow north-south oriented tract of land, the 100-acre site encompasses the highest concentration of Camp Logan archeological artifacts in Memorial Park, making it an ideal location for Memorial Groves. The restored landscape will support additional recreational activities, such as hiking and running trails. (Courtesy NBW) As visitors walk among the unearthed foundations of camp buildings, they can learn more about the soldiers at Camp Logan through interpretive signage, exhibits, and other features integrated throughout the landscape. Additionally, the original layout of the camp’s streets will be visualized by a series of linear, open lawns. This allows for both passive and active engagement with the site’s history. A new visitor center designed by Moody Nolan will welcome visitors to the site. The development of historical elements coincides with ecological and recreational advancements to the site. Two key native habitats, a preserved prairie and a 20-acre expanse of savanna, will also be restored as part of the project. The rehabilitated landscape will house walking and cycling trails, a children’s playground, and open areas for group activities. Renders showcase an expansive immersion into nature, allowing opportunity for reflection and engagement with the surrounding environment.  The former Camp Logan streets will be demarcated by open paths. (Courtesy NBW) The $42 million project is part of a 10-year master plan for Memorial Park being led by NBW and produced in partnership with the MPC, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and Uptown Development Authority. Primary goals of the plan include restoring damaged ecologies, upgrading of deteriorating landscapes and facilities, and supporting long-term conservation efforts. Completed projects include the Land Bridge and Prairie initiative, a Running Complex, and the 100-acre Clay Family Eastern Glades. Later this month, preliminary site work including ecological restoration will commence. Construction at Memorial Groves is slated to begin in 2026, with a target completion date of 2027.