who we are
Set amid a former working cattle ranch and an expansive wetland on the East Fork of the Trinity River, the John Bunker Sands Wetland Center is a nature center, an educational destination for teachers, a birder’s paradise and photographer’s dream, and a serene escape to nature like no other in North Texas.
Our primary mission is educating the public about water, wetlands and wildlife and the need to conserve these essential resources. Our environmental education programs use the East Fork Water Reuse Project, a 2,000-acre wetland that supplies drinking water, to give students a memorable field research experience designed to inspire conservation literacy. We also offer nature seminars, bird walks, boardwalk tours, venue rental and a host of special events focused on the natural world, with an emphasis on activities for families.
Our boardwalk into the wetland and miles of trails allow visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in diverse habitats that host some 300 species of birds, including bald eagles, and scores of native mammals, insects, amphibians and reptiles just 30 miles from downtown Dallas.
john bunker sands wetland center
Our Mission and Vision
Conservation Literacy of Water, Wetlands and Wildlife:
Our mission is to educate the public and provide research opportunities in the areas of water reuse, quality and supply, wildlife conservation and wetland systems.
Our vision is to be the premier education and destination nature center serving the North Texas region and beyond.
Our Board of Directors
Storm Sands, President
The Rosewood Corporation
Terry Sam Anderson, Treasurer
North Texas Municipal Water District, Retired
Lauren Rose Sands, Secretary
The Rosewood Corporation
Samantha Bradbury
Region 10 Education Service Center
Jenna Covington
North Texas Municipal Water District
Jack May, Vice President
North Texas Municipal Water District
Haven Heinrichs
The Rosewood Corporation
Our Staff
Kayleigh Bucur, Executive Director
Originally from Massachusetts, Kayleigh Bucur brings a lifelong passion for connecting people with nature. She has more than a decade of experience in environmental education and nonprofit leadership.
As executive director, a role she began in October 2025, Kayleigh looks forward to establishing the Center as a premier destination for environmental education, birding in Northeast Texas and conservation experiences that help visitors connect with nature. She is eager to deepen partnerships, expand educational opportunities, create new and exciting public programming, and build relationships with local communities.
Throughout her career, Kayleigh has dedicated herself to inspiring the next generation of environmental stewards. She has worked with organizations such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, Narragansett Bay National Estuary Research Reserve, Trinity River Audubon Center, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas’ STEM Center of Excellence and, most recently, the Aaron Family Jewish Community Center.
A graduate of UMASS Amherst with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation, Kayleigh is also a certified Wilderness First Responder, Texas Master Naturalist and Northeast Texas Master Birder.
When she’s not at work, you’ll find her reading, camping, hiking with her husband and two dogs, gardening, baking or working on stained glass projects.
We Are Hiring!
Jade Reynolds, Operations Associate
A Crandall ISD Alumna and JBSWC Steward turned Employee, Jade brings a background as a private preschool/public K-12 educator. Her duties include managing and leading bird and herp tours, as well as rental/corporate boardwalk tours, overseeing the rental of the Center’s facilities, and hands-on maintenance of the buildings and grounds. She also oversees much of the Center’s technology, software, and website, including both of the 2025 and 2026 Eagle Tower camera replacement projects.
An inveterate learner, Jade has taken many conservation and environmental education programs. She’s a Texas Master Naturalist and has completed the Native Plant Society of Texas’ Native Landscape Certification Program, Birding for Fun, TPWD’s Project WILD Suite (which she now facilitates), Project Learning Tree, and many Cornell Lab of Ornithology courses. As of 2026, she will have completed both of the acclaimed and world-renowned Southeastern Master Herpetologist and Master Herpetologist Programs through the Amphibian Foundation with an aspiration of bringing the Master Birder program back to North Texas!
She also holds a Bachelor of Science in music education with a minor in child psychology from the Honors College at Texas A&M University – Commerce (now East Texas A&M University).
A citizen of the US, UK, and Ireland, Jade enjoys riding her motorcycle and has Anatolian-Pyrenees rescue dogs. She also protects and manages wildlife habitat for bald eagles and scores of other species at her home in Kaufman-Crandall. One of her favorite plants is our endemic Yucca pallida (pictured left).
Karina Cocks, Senior Educator and Public Programs Coordinator
Thomas Strimpel, Education Coordinator
In his role as a JBS education coordinator, Thomas brings a talent for applying his academic background in anthropology to engage students in natural history and science.
Thomas last served as an outdoor educator with the Dallas Arboretum and is a graduate of the Texas Master Naturalist program. He also holds a Certificate of Interpretative Guiding from the National Association for Interpretation.
Natural history illustration is among his favorite hobbies, a talent he frequently applies in the classroom. His piece depicting native North Texas wildflowers and pollinator insects is on public display at the University of North Texas Community Garden. Another piece — an extinct giant marsupial — is displayed at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart, Australia.
Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas in integrative studies, with a focus on anthropology.
In addition to his deep passion for the visual arts, Thomas enjoys bird-watching, hunting fossils and hiking across Texas and beyond.
Susey Woodruff, Education Coordinator
Susey is passionate about nature and the arts. In addition to teaching a full educational curriculum for public and private schools, she oversees JBS’s social media platforms and presents a wide variety of programs and tours for visitors.
She also applies her training as a Texas Master Naturalist as she inspires the next generation to connect with nature and encourages them to become stewards of the natural world.
Before coming to JBS, Susey was an outdoor educator at the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum.
A professional opera singer, Susey maintains an active performance schedule in DFW and beyond. Her debut album, Turning Into Song, was released in 2023. She attended the University of North Texas and Florida State University for vocal performance.
Susey can often be found hiking, camping, admiring flowers and trees, and looking for critters and cool rocks. She also loves road trips, thrifting, photography and going to museums and concerts.