HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – Trees For Houston has broken ground on its new campus expands the nonprofit organization’s capacity to distribute trees and to provide educational programming.
Once a rental storage site, the new Trees for Houston Kinder Campus is being constructed on a 1.5-acre site at 2001 W. 34th Street in Houston’s Oak Forest neighborhood.
Trees For Houston is a national model for innovative and economically effective urban forestry organizations, with more than 600,000 trees planted since 1983.
Houston’s Goal – Plant 4.6 Million Trees By 2030
Trees for Houston is a major player in the City of Houston’s Resilient Houston strategy and Houston Climate Action Plan, which has a goal of planting 4.6 million trees over 10 years. The trees provided by Trees For Houston will help restore, protect and enhance the ability to capture and store carbon and help reduce flooding.
“Trees are so much more than simple aesthetics – they provide shade, increase air quality, and lead to higher property values. Trees for Houston is a terrific partner in our quest to plant 4.6 million trees across the city by 2030, two trees for every resident,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “The generosity of Chevron, the Kirkseys, the Bauer Family, and the Kinders is a testament to their dedication to our community and seeing a sustainable future achieved according to the Resilient Houston and Climate Action Plans.”
The new Trees for Houston campus, designed by Kirksey Architecture and Lauren Griffith Associates, with Forney Construction as the contractor, will have several notable “green” features, including a cistern to catch rainwater for irrigation and permeable surface areas replacing concrete. Additionally, the onsite tree nursery will “green up” the urban setting.
To fund the new, permanent campus and administrative office building, Trees For Houston initiated the $9 million Taking Root capital campaign. The campus is named after Nancy and Rich Kinder, founders of the Kinder Foundation, who provided the lead gift of $3 million. The three other major gifts included $1 million from Kyle and John Kirksey, Sr. for the building itself; $750,000 from Chevron for the onsite tree nursery; and $500,000 from the Ruth and Ted Bauer Family Foundation and the C.T. Bauer Foundation for the indoor/outdoor education center.
Major Plantings of 2021 Include:
Notable plantings by Trees For Houston in 2021 included 11,971 trees with community partners, such as City of Houston, Memorial Park Conservancy, Spark Park, Houston Arboretum, and the Houston Zoo, in addition to 14,029 trees at volunteer plantings in parks, schools, along streets, esplanades, bayous and trails and in tribute groves.
At the recent groundbreaking ceremony, presented against a backdrop of trees signifying the future tree nursery, included remarks by Trees For Houston Executive Director Barry Ward, Kinder Foundation Chairman Rich Kinder, Taking Root co-chairs Sheila Condon and Larry Nettles, City of Houston Planning Director Margaret Wallace Brown, TFH Board President Kristopher Stuart and TFH Chairman Laura Mayer.
“We are proud to be part of this transformational moment for Trees For Houston as they break ground on a permanent campus. Over the last 40 years, Trees For Houston has built an amazing, highly effective organization. We look forward to watching as this new home further supports their mission of promoting and protecting trees in Houston for years to come,” says Nancy Kinder, President and CEO of the Kinder Foundation.
The move allows Trees For Houston to consolidate operations into two main tree farms, boosting annual tree distribution by 20 percent in one year. The Chevron Tree Nursery on the Kinder Campus will provide efficient, convenient access to free and low-cost tree distribution for community members and community partners during the week and on weekends, instead of past limited pick-up times and minimal access to private tree farms.
“Our new Kinder Campus will be a game changer in so many ways,” says Ward. “It will allow Trees For Houston to significantly expand our mission to distribute and plant one million trees over the next 10 years in support of the Resilient Houston Plan, which recognizes the critical role trees play in making our city a healthier and more beautiful place for all residents. We will also be able to provide outstanding educational programming onsite and better engage our many volunteers.”
April 21, 2022 Realty News Report Copyright 2022
Images. Trees for Houston rendering by Kirksey Architecture and Lauren Griffith Associates
File: Trees For Houston Groundbreaking
File: Kinder. Trees For Houston Groundbreaking. 2001 W. 34th Street.