By Janay Boyd | Reporter
As the sun dips below the horizon, a different world awakens at the Lake Waco Wetlands. Every Friday in April, from 7-8 p.m., Cameron Park Zoo staff will guide visitors through the wetlands for an after-dark adventure where nocturnal plants and animals take center stage.
According to the City of Waco’s Facebook, guests are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and bring water, a flashlight and a camera or binoculars to fully immerse themselves in the experience. No registration is required, and the hikes are open to everyone.
The night hikes, which began around ten years ago, started as a simple suggestion from coworkers and friends, said Lake Waco Wetlands Coordinator Nora Schell. She soon reached out to Cameron Park Zoo to explore the idea, asking if they could assist in case groups encountered wildlife like snakes or frogs.
“The first few times we did it, we were lucky to get 10 to 15 people, at the most,” Schell said. “During COVID, I continued to do it, and we were getting 100 people.”
Schell said the night hikes give families an opportunity to experience firsthand what their children learn during daytime field trips to the Lake Waco Wetlands.
“A lot of people don’t know what wetlands are anyway, so it was just an invitation for them to come and explore and see what their kids were experiencing during the day,” Schell said.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, wetlands are areas where water covers the soil or is present near the surface throughout the year or during specific periods, including the growing season.
The Lake Waco Wetlands, created in 2000 to mitigate habitat loss after Lake Waco’s water levels rose by seven feet, now offers 3.5 miles of nature trails ideal for hiking, bird watching and photography.
“I remember going on a night hike a number of years ago — I was working in Waco at the time,” San Antonio resident Jose “Lionel” Cantu said. “It was my first time ever going to the wetlands, so seeing it at night was an experience. I need to go back to the lake again one day to see it in the light.”
At night, the wetlands offer an environment where visitors can encounter different sights and sounds with each visit.
“This isn’t a zoo,” Schell said. “We always say, ‘We may see something, we may not,’ but to get out and see the sunset and just experience the night sounds — just different things like that that [people] don’t get to experience in the city.”
Beyond showcasing the beauty and tranquility of the wetlands, Schell uses the hikes as an opportunity to educate visitors on the vital role wetlands play in the environment.
“What I like to start with is water — ‘Where does your water come from?’” Schell said.
Waco’s water journey begins with the Bosque River, a 115-mile-long river in Central Texas that flows into the Brazos River before being dammed to form Lake Waco. Although the wetlands appear pristine, Schell emphasizes that by the time the water reaches households, it has already been used multiple times.
“Wetlands are nature’s kidneys,” Schell said. “If you’re going to come out here, I’m going to make it worth your while to teach you about what a wetland is.”
