The Brookhaven campus of Dallas College has the potential to be one of the greatest examples of relatively low-maintenance and ecologically beneficial landscapes in the DFW metroplex.
After spending over a decade in this space regularly and envisioning what could be – well, it could be absolutely stunning. And with a walking/jogging trail that weaves around the campus, the area has a foundation in place for people to enjoy this great potential to the fullest.
Currently it exists as most landscapes in North Dallas do: a tightly mowed combination of plants in open and wooded areas alike with riparian zones that are poorly managed and full of invasive species. But pay close attention and there are also many great species that are continuously making an attempt to come-back. And unfortunately, the many not-so-beneficial species are trying to do the same. This is the story of so many landscapes across North Dallas.
Take a look at this photo. The jogging trail weaves its way through both open and wooded areas. Both areas are tightly mowed. The out-of-frame area to the right is a vast expanse of landscape managed exactly the same as the areas adjacent to the trail, and is on the verge of drastic change. A few weeks after this photo was taken, it was sprayed primarily to kill off the Bermudagrass and other invasive weeds in preparation for restoring the area as native tall-grass prairie habitat. A few weeks after that, it was seeded with both native grasses and forbes and then allowed to grow tall as the first steps in restoration.
Today, in 2026, it looks very different. But some invasive species to the area such as KR Bluestem are prominent, and the area could benefit from further human intervention. If I could do this full time for a reasonable amount of money – restore and manage land in an ecologically beneficial manner for all – I'd do so in a heartbeat.
