Just 19-miles east, as the crow flies, from Houston's City Hall is Sheldon Lake SP. Like most of us, the park is surrounded by industry and development. If you want to get close as you can to nature in the urban sprawl SLSP is your natural oasis. It's likely to be one of the few places to catch the sight of a Roseate spoonbill perching on a power line.

Those who know SLSP come here to enjoy. Some picnic. Some fish. Some bird. Some take pictures. Some hike. Some canoe.Some stroll through the many alternate energy and "Green" building displays. Some point a solar panel at the sun or see how much electricity a windmill can crank out. Some do nothing but enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of nature.

Some come to learn. Over 7,000 Houston area school kids visit each year to catch their first fish or a view of tiny pond critters in a microscope. Some folks volunteer with the school kids. Some volunteers restore a prairie.

Some join the Friends Of Sheldon Lake SP (FOSL) and become an important part of Houston's Neighborhood State Park."

Our purpose is to assist the Sheldon Lake State Park (SLSP) and Environmental Learning Center (ELC) staff achieve their missions of serving as Houston's top Environmental Learning Center and a great family recreation destination.

FOSL is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization incorporated in the State of Texas. We are TPWD's  chartered "Friends"organization for SLSP. Your membership and contributions may be tax deductible as allowed by law.

  • Become a Member. You, your family, your organization and your business can all be members of FOSL.
  • Become a Volunteer. Spend some time helping school kids learn from your enthusiasm of nature, help with the rookery census or guide boy scouts on a nature walk.
  • Become FOSL FUEL. To make SLSP & ELC the best urban environmental learning experience in Texas requires resources beyond the budgets of school districts and TPWD. We need FOSL FUEL! FOSL's Funds for Unlimited Environmental Learning (FUEL)  provides the extra umph to the learning experience!
Copyright Friends of Sheldon Lake SP 2004-2009. All rights reserved. Spoonbill photo courtesy of and copyright 2009 Stephanie Prosser, all right reserved.