WILD SAN ANTONIO
This design concept is dedicated to ecological restoration, education, and exploring nature. The former golf course fairways are converted into a diverse network of restored landscapes representing vegetative communities from the eco-regions that converge at San Antonio, providing demonstration landscapes for restoration methods, species identification, and understanding plant associations and climate adaptation. The Arboretum is home to native plant groups and researchers for South Texas and a place for visitors to experience ‘wild’ nature. Camping facilities make it easier for residents to have immediate access to nature and for visitors to linger and ‘live’ for a period immersed in this iconic mosaic landscape.
Nature & Visitor Center
Wild San Antonio is dedicated to ecological restoration, education, and exploring nature.
The overall arboretum is defined by a mosaic of forest, prairie, wetlands, and scrub ecosystems. This design concept has the key defined programmatic areas as comparably limited, with the natural spaces taking the lead in visitor experience. The primary parking and visitor center and educational and research facilities are located at the south end of the site, accessible from Emory Oaks. The visitor center is the core hub for Wild San Antonio and serves as both an educational, research, and trailhead facility, including indoor and outdoor classrooms and research greenhouses.
Retail & Native Plant Nursery
Food Production Landscape
South Texas Restoration Forest
Wild San Antonio transforms former golf course fairways into a varied network of restored landscapes, where key program areas are defined with natural spaces to enrich the visitor experience. This design limits vehicular access and defines circulation with pedestrian, bicycle, and maintenance paths. Water on the site aims to maximize ecological performance from the ponds and overall flood capacity on site. The plant collections are organized by Texas and Northern Mexico eco-regions, with specific focus on restoring assemblages.
Restaurant & Eco-Hotel
Event Center
Salado Creek Canopy Walk
Boardwalk & Wetland Demonstration
Restoration Demo Fields
Wild San Antonio focuses on protecting the incredible character of the site today, and enhancing that character, to provide a robust collection of ecosystems and trees representative of South Texas, with the visitor experience focused on being in and exploring nature through hiking, camping, observation, educational programs, research, and nature-based play.
Retreat Center
