Missouri City residents can help protect local waterways Saturday, Oct. 10, by volunteering to install storm drain markers at Freedom Tree Park.
Missouri City Green, the city's Keep Texas Beautiful affiliate, is hosting the free event from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the park, 4219 Freedom Tree Drive. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m.
Volunteers will place markers on storm drains that remind residents and yard crews the drains flow directly into local streams and, eventually, Galveston Bay. Grass clippings, litter and other debris that enter storm drains can pollute those waterways, according to the city's event listing.
A decade-long effort
The storm drain marker program has been running for more than a decade. A 2017 Missouri City Green post on X called that year's event the "3rd Annual," placing the first around 2015.
The 2025 event drew 37 volunteers to Colony Lakes on Oct. 11. That group installed 181 markers across five neighborhoods: Parkside at Riverstone, The Reserve at Riverstone, The Terrace at Riverstone, Waters Edge at Colony Lakes and Colony Lakes, according to Missouri City Green's year-in-review. Vincent Silva, the city's Capital Improvement Projects manager, provided supplies and maps for the 2025 effort.
The number of drains targeted for the Oct. 10 event has not been announced.
New park, new venue
The Oct. 10 event will be one of the first volunteer gatherings at Freedom Tree Park, which opened with a ribbon-cutting on July 25. The $3.5 million, nearly 5-acre park is anchored by a 200-year-old historic tree, Parks and Recreation Director Donnie Hayes told Community Impact. The park includes trails connecting to Community and Troxell parks.
Missouri City Green, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has held Keep Texas Beautiful Gold Star status for 10 consecutive years, from 2015 through 2025.
A volunteer sign-up form is available on the organization's website at missouricitygreen.org.
Coming up
- Saturday, Nov. 7: Missouri City Green Community Tree Planting, 9 a.m.–11 a.m. (check-in at 8:30 a.m.) at Freedom Tree Park and Kitty Hollow Park, 9555 Highway 6 South.
