“There will be further efficiencies with this new site,” said Ward, “which will allow us to enter more neighborhoods. Neighborhoods that may have more difficulty reaching us due to transportation or access. Our plan for the future is simple: If you want the trees, no matter what part of town you are in, we’ll bring them to you.

Trees for Houston has been a crucial force in Houston’s efforts to quench a thirst for development with green spaces that counter the effects of a sprawling metropolis.

“I’ve been watching our work since 1983,” Ward said, “and we were planting hundreds of trees a year. Now it is measured in tens of thousands. The numbers are still not enough for a city growing as fast as this one. But we are trying to improve access to resources. It’s part of our solution to help balance the city’s growth. “

Go out

The new trees at the Houston Kinder campus will occupy what is now a debris-cluttered lot, where a rental storage facility once stood. A building – gutted and covered in graffiti – was recently leveled and construction is set to begin on an interconnected set of new spaces: the Kyle and John Kirksey Sr. office building, the Bauer Education Center and a nursery named Chevron . The campus was created through a series of donations from the Taking Root, Trees for Houston fundraising campaign, chaired by Sheila Condon and Larry Nettles. The Kinder Foundation – led by Kinder co-founder Morgan Rich Kinder and his wife Nancy – led the effort with a $ 3 million donation. The Kirkseys contributed $ 1 million, as well as $ 750,000 from Chevron and $ 500,000 from the Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation and the CT Bauer Foundation.

Nancy Kinder – President and CEO of the Kinder Foundation since its founding in 1997 – said the foundation’s contribution was a natural continuation of their long-standing commitment to green spaces in Houston, which includes the creation of Discovery Green, Bayou Greenways 2020 and Memorial Park Conservancy as well as the revitalization of Buffalo Bayou Park.

“We try to go outside to a park every weekend,” she says. “Over the past 20 years, we’ve embraced the idea of ​​green spaces in Houston. When we started this foundation 20 years ago, we looked at what foundations were doing around town. And there was a void with a green space.

Trees for Houston has transformed the city’s outdoor spaces, Kinder said – “not to mention how trees capture and store carbon and reduce flooding.”

“We’re not in Colorado,” Kinder said. “We don’t have mountains, we don’t really have lakes. We don’t have many of those things that city dwellers flock to. So why flock to Houston? We have great people, great restaurants, and great parks. And we think parks are a big part of Houston’s attraction for young people. “

Plant today

The new Trees for Houston campus sits between Oak Forest and Ella, a stretch being revitalized with new restaurants where buildings were once vacant. Although located on the northwest corner of Loop 610, it is still fairly central for a sprawling city.

Although Ward has insisted that “there is always a good reason to plant trees and there is no reason not to,” he sees the new space as a hub for doing what. the organization does best: education and distribution, and do both with foresight and care.

“The number of trees, they don’t grow as fast as the city,” he says. “It’s just the reality of the world. And another reality is that some neighborhoods do not have access to the same resources. We hope this space will give us greater reach. We hope this will be a solution to this problem as well. “

Ward is hoping to “speed up the reforestation process,” he said as part of the long Trees for Houston game. “Things look bushy,” he says. “And for your kids and grandchildren, it looks awesome.”

It operates with an awareness of the need for urban development for the growth of the city. “We know it is ridiculous to have every inch of space covered with trees,” Ward said. “But grasses and green spaces, trees and plants all increase soil porosity.”

Trees for Houston works with schools and other organizations to help children appreciate the value of trees in urban settings.

Its offices are also essential for recruiting and training volunteers: more than 1,000 volunteers have worked with the organization to plant trees around Houston. And Ward hopes to attract more people willing to devote their time and energy.

The organization also tries to educate those who take care of the trees it distributes. Ward says the 2011 drought was a tough time. “It was a testament to why you plant small trees in the beginning and let them root properly. It’s a healthier process, ”he said. “Are you planting a 5 gallon tree or a 65 gallon tree?” The 5 gallon tree is more likely to take root, and in five years it will be the same size as the 65 gallon tree.

Look ahead

Trees and parks obviously won’t stop the Houston flooding. “You can’t tone Harvey down with trees,” Ward said. “Development is inevitable and healthy, we just want thoughtful development with a sense of belonging. And that involves not only thinking about today, but 10, 50, 100 years to come. And good development reflects planting trees: it’s not thinking about tomorrow, it’s thinking about your child’s life.

But green spaces provide space for excess water, unlike the pavement. “Trees are an inexpensive way to help with excessive rains,” Ward said.

Flood reduction and carbon storage are two of the byproducts Trees for Houston hopes to nurture with its programs. The organization has ambitious goals: It seeks to place 100,000 trees in Houston soil over the next five years in parks and along streets where trees can thrive.

Ward is hoping the new campus will be able to meet that goal and increase demand, sending trees so far into the city that he can’t keep up with them.

“Most of the trees we plant or donate, I’ll never see them again,” he says. “It’s the best thing about this job for me. I’ll be gone before he really gives his value. And it’s okay. There is something satisfying about doing something that benefits others more than you. This is the goal of Trees for Houston. “

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