San Antonio’s quietest nature preserve is looking to chirp a little louder. The Mitchell Lake Audubon Center (MLAC), at 10750 Pleasanton Rd. on the South Side, will soon begin construction on an education and events pavilion that officials say will draw more locals to one of Bexar County’s top spots for birding.
The site, a sewage reservoir through much of the 20th century, officially became the Audubon Center in 2004. The 1,200-acre preserve draws in more than 300 bird species to its lake, wetlands, and upland brush, but remains relatively unknown among many San Antonians.
“Outside this community, this place has been a well-kept secret,” said D3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran during the October 10 groundbreaking. “We haven't bragged a lot about it, but I think now is the time to do that because we’re going to need more funding as we build and things get more expensive. It won't be easy, but it’s important.”
A San Antonio city bond will fund construction of the building and other improvements around the center. Rendering courtesy of Architexas for the National Audubon Society
The new pavilion will provide MLAC staff and volunteers more air-conditioned space to show off the remarkable biodiversity to local grade-school students through hands-on learning programs. Removable walls will add flexibility for meetings and special events.
“We'll be able to serve much larger groups, and have more accessible space that is air-conditioned,” center director Anna Macnak explained. “Outdoor learning is still a primary element of what we do, but we'll also have a good space that will just help the transition, plus it’s family-friendly and multi-purpose.”
Construction is slated to last a little more than a year, paid for by $6 million in city bond money. The funds will support other improvements planned around the MLAC grounds, including upgrades to the main parking spaces, interconnecting roads and trails, new restroom facilities, additional parking, and space for covered picnic tables. Planners are aiming for a soft opening in January 2028.
A wood stork, egret, and a tricolored heron enjoying one of the multiple basins at the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center. Photo courtesy of Darrell Rude and Mitchell Lake Audubon Center
According to community leaders and MLAC officials, the education and events pavilion will go a long way toward helping the public better understand Mitchell Lake’s ecology and how conservation benefits the area’s wildlife.
Much of Texas lies within the Central Flyway, a major bird migration route some species follow all the way from Patagonia to the Canadian Arctic. The wetlands and grasslands around Mitchell Lake serve as a crucial stopover.
Macnak said the new pavilion is part of a bigger campaign, Feathering the Nest, aimed at making the center more welcoming to birders and nature lovers.
“The bond-funded improvements we’re celebrating today will provide the foundation. We'll provide the spaces for learning or gathering or celebrating and connecting, but like any space, what transforms a structure into something truly welcoming are the things that make it come alive.”
Viagran said increasing hike and bike trails across the South Side will connect MLAC with other area recreational amenities such as Medina River Greenway, the historic Spanish missions, improved city and county parks, and Arboretum San Antonio, a planned public tree sanctuary and green space.
“With birders and other people just wanting to head back to nature, now the center is going to have a classroom setting to bring more students from across the city, so that they can see the value that’s present on the South Side,” Viagran said.
