West of Inwood Road, the meadows beside Northaven Trail are low and brown this month. A few weeks ago that ground was tall with a season's growth. Now it looks scalped, with hoof prints pressed into the dirt between the stubble. The herd that did this left on October 10, and from the trail it can look like damage. It is actually the step that decides what will bloom along the trail next spring.
Between October 2 and October 10, the Friends of Northaven Trail brought back Northaven TAILS, its grazing program, for a second season. The Advocate's Preston Hollow edition reported that the animals worked through 55 designated pollinator areas covering 15 acres between U.S. 75 and Webb Chapel Road. Every patch of cropped ground you pass on the trail was a planned stop.
Why the Ground Had to Be Stripped
These meadows run as no-mow zones. They grow all season and get cleared in the fall, then reseeded with native wildflowers. How that fall clearing happens matters a great deal. Will Dawson, fundraiser chair on the Friends' board, explained the reasoning to The Advocate:
"Grazing cuts our reliance on gas-powered mowing, and the animals' manure puts nutrients back into the soil as it breaks down naturally. Mowing unfortunately spreads weeds; by contrast, the animals will eat many of the weeds down to the roots."
Dawson also told The Advocate that mowing leaves a thick layer of thatch, the dead plant material that blocks sunlight and keeps seeds from reaching soil. A goat eats the vegetation instead of cutting it and leaving it on the ground. That is why the meadows look bare instead of mown. A mower would have left a mat of clippings on top of the soil. The herd took the growth off entirely.
The mixed herd was deliberate too. Goats go after dense and woody growth, and sheep graze the grasses, so between them the herd works on both kinds of growth. This year the herd was about 450 goats from Oklahoma and 200 sheep from West Texas, with professional herders watching the animals and their fencing around the clock.
The Seed Went Down While the Herd Was Still There
The change that matters most for spring happened during the graze. In 2026, Friends of Northaven Trail spread native wildflower seed in the no-mow zones while the animals were still grazing. Dawson said their hooves would press the seed into the soil and improve germination. The hoof-pocked dirt along the trail is seeded ground.
The seed is matched to the region's native prairie. The Friends' wildflower page says the group buys Blackland Prairie Mix and Bee Happy Mix from Native American Seed in Junction, Texas, both made up of species native to the Blackland Prairie and Texas, with a blend of grasses and flowering plants that includes annuals and perennials. That links the meadows to the trail's planted gardens. The Friends' spring 2026 newsletter described more than 2,000 plants going into the garden at the Pensive Drive trailhead, nearly all of them native to the Blackland Prairie ecosystem. West of Webb Chapel, the group's Monarch Way restoration plan names milkweeds, coneflowers, blazing star, fall aster and little bluestem among the planned natives.
Here is the sequence a meadow along the trail is meant to follow:
- Spring through summer: the area is left unmowed and grows out.
- Early October: goats and sheep clear the growth and thatch while native seed is scattered.
- Late fall and winter: hooves have pressed the seed into the soil, and the ground looks bare.
- Spring 2027: the Friends hope the grazed ground and new seed will lead to better germination and more native wildflowers along the trail.
That last step is stated as a hope. Grazing is one part of a wider effort that also takes volunteers, crews, some mowing, planting and ongoing upkeep.
How the Second Season Grew
The first TAILS season, in fall 2025, was a smaller trial. The Friends' notice that October said the herd would start on October 15 and graze 30 of 50 pollinator areas across three stretches: U.S. 75 to St. Jude, Inwood to the YMCA, and Royal to Webb Chapel. This year the program covered more ground and took on more logistics.
| 2025 season | 2026 season | |
|---|---|---|
| Acres grazed | 9 | 15 |
| Pollinator areas | 30 of 50 planned | 55, all sponsored |
| Road crossings | Herd loaded onto a trailer at each crossing | Dallas Police walked the herd across Hillcrest, Preston, Inwood, Midway, Marsh and Royal |
| Tracking | No dedicated site | A dedicated website with a live herd map and estimated grazing schedule |
Dawson called last year's trailer method "logistically challenging and expensive," according to The Advocate. Letting the herd walk across six major roads with an escort is part of what made 15 acres possible in the same nine-day window.
Who Paid for the Patch You Walk Past
Each grazed area had a sponsor, and many are names from around the neighborhood. The TAILS sponsor page says all 55 areas were sponsored. Its list includes Bike Mart, Asian Mint, Sun & Ski Sports, BERNBAUM/MAGADINI Architects, Northaven Co-operative Preschool, Claire's Day School, Concierge PT, Kid Art / Pigment School of the Arts, John Michael Stewart Oral Surgery, Dallas Masonic Lodge No. 760, Olvera Hall & Sillers, PLLC, Kershaw Anderson King, PLLC, and Hockaday School first-grade classes. Neighborhood groups from Royal Hills, Park Forest, Whitehall Drive and Jubilee Trail also sponsored areas.
According to The Advocate, the program's first season raised $34,915 through the "Give to the Graze" campaign. For 2026, the Friends are trying to raise $60,000 to cover the cost of organizing TAILS. Funding comes from individual donations of any size and from seasonal area sponsorships that start at $500, plus a grant from the Communities Foundation of Texas. The community side grew this year as well: 35 Girl Scouts earned a "Northaven TAILS Trail Stewards" badge, and the animals visited four schools.
Where to See the Work Up Close
Three access points put you right beside the meadows and gardens this program supports.
Inwood Road. The parking lot at 11373 Inwood Road sits next to the native wildflower meadows just west of Inwood. Nearby is the Bachman Creek Bridge mural, painted by a local high-school student, and Grace Bible Church waters the butterfly-friendly plants along this part of the trail.
Royal Park. The park has a playground, four tennis courts, a basketball court, a covered pavilion, drinking fountains, a pool, and a managed garden on its north side. Volunteers tidy, weed, plant and water that garden at monthly workdays.
Semones YMCA. Parking for this access point is at Northaven Road and College Park. The nearby Welch Road Respite has drinking fountains, picnic tables, live oaks and another managed garden.
The Fall Work Isn't Finished
The herd is gone, but the Friends' calendar still has hands-on work before winter, and the first date is the Inwood meadow the goats just cleared.
- Meadow Work Day at Inwood Road: Saturday, October 31, 8 to 11 a.m. Volunteers will remove invasive weeds, plant new flowers and tidy the meadows west of Inwood. Park at 11373 Inwood Road and walk west. The listing asks for long pants, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and plenty of water, plus an online sign-up and waiver.
- Royal Park Garden Work Day: Saturday, November 7, 8 to 10 a.m., at 3433 Townsend Drive. Bring gloves, a shovel, clippers or a hand trowel if you have them. Extra tools will be on hand, and you can arrive any time during the two hours.
- Walk with a Doc at Semones YMCA: Saturday, November 7, 8:30 to 10 a.m., at 4332 Northaven Road. This outside event pairs a short health talk and a plant-based recipe tasting with a walk on Northaven Trail.
The Northaven Trail events page has sign-up links for each one. The TAILS site has the program's background and sponsor list for anyone who wants to follow the meadows into spring.
The Northaven Trail is one of those everyday places that shape what it feels like to live in Preston Hollow, and it is the kind of detail we pay attention to when we talk with clients about this part of Dallas. If you'd like a neighbor's view of the trail, its access points or the streets around it, the team at Elliott & Elliott Real Estate Group is glad to talk it through. Start Working Together.
