The mission of Eastwood Riparian is to improve our neighborhood’s quality of life by fostering a healthy natural environment in our park and greenbelt. To bring the benefits of nature to all our neighbors, we:

• repair erosion
• maintain trails
• improve wildlife habitat
• establish native vegetation
• hinder invasive and harmful plants
• seed wildflowers and native grasses

Eastwood Riparian gathers on the 4th Sunday of the month at 9 am, sometimes later in cold weather. Workdays are generally canceled due to heat from June to September (unless a cold spell comes), and in December due to holidays. Look for our announcements on Eastwood Nextdoor, Facebook, newsletter, or website blog.

We volunteer in the Dixon Branch Greenbelt along Creekmere between Easton and Peavy and sometimes in the Dixon Branch Greenbelt Park on Lippitt. Our team includes nature and dog enthusiasts, landscape contractors, landscape architects, North Texas Master Naturalists, and others ranging from 20s to 70s.

Join us by contacting the coordinator, Amy Martin, and get on the Eastwood Riparian email list. Work with the group is accepted for VH by North Texas Master Naturalists.

One of the standing committees of Eastwood Neighborhood Association, the coordinator serves on the Board of Directors. Our work is made possible by financial contributions of ENA members and supporters. Donate here.

Riparian History

ENA formed in 1997-1998 to get help with flooding caused by Dixon Branch and its Deep Tributary. The City of Dallas pressed channelize the creeks, as was done to the small tributary that ran along Vinemont, but residents did not want to lose the natural beauty that drew them to the neighborhood. Later engineering studies showed that channelizations would not have alleviated flooding, which is caused by floodwater backing up from the lake.

To help alleviate the riparian erosion that threatened our many mature trees, street paving, and even underground utility lines, Eastwood Riparian successfully appealed to the park department to allow grasses in the greenbelt to grow tall and absorb and slow the floodwaters. Native grasses and wildflowers are slowly being added to the meadows, and reforestation is widening the riparian corridor to additionally slow and absorb waters.

Eastwood Riparian continues to explore ways to stop and repair erosion while protecting our greenbelt.

Eastwood Riparian began in 2002. Ginger Travis served as volunteer coordinator until 2016 when she retired. Warren Travis, Frances Atwood, and Francis Shaner were essential in that effort. Then Michael Parkey took the lead until retiring in 2024. The current coordinator is Amy Martin.

Riparian Supporters

Eastwood Riparian members succeeded in obtaining training and advice from experts in the field, and about $40,000 in grants and financial support, including from those below.

• City of Dallas, MOWmentum Program
• City of Dallas, Parks and Recreation Department
• City of Dallas, Loving My Community Grant Program
• City of Dallas, Reforestation Fund and Office of the City Forester
• North Texas Master Naturalists
• North Central Texas Council of Governments, The Stream Team
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Five Star Grant Program
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program

Thanks to all of these organizations, and to ENA volunteers for many hundreds of hours of work.