MISSION STATEMENT

Houston Wilderness is a broad-based alliance of business, environmental and government interests that act in concert to protect, preserve and promote the unique biodiversity of the region’s precious remaining ecological capital – from bottomland hardwoods and prairie grasslands to pine forests and wetlands - while recognizing the importance of the region’s natural assets to its cultural history, economic vitality and future well-being.

VISION

At Houston Wilderness, we envision a metropolitan area whose residents understand the value of conserving and enhancing our cultural and natural heritage. We envision a region with an educational system that promotes a conservation ethic by teaching children about the outdoors in the outdoors. We envision a community that frequently enjoys the many national forests, national wildlife refuges, state parks and other ecological destinations of the region. We envision a partnership between urban and wild areas that leads to greater economic prosperity through increased nature tourism. Finally, we envision an area that is recognized as an international destination for nature enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds.

VALUES

Houston Wilderness believes that quality of life and wilderness are bound to one another. We believe that responsible stewardship of our natural resources enhances the economic well being of our communities and overall health of people. We believe there is an increasing need for people to enjoy and experience the opportunities provided by a wilderness area. It is our belief that the long-term benefit of conserving these natural resources leads to prosperity for individuals as well as communities.

GOALS & OBJECTIVES

We have many aspirations for our area’s environmental assets and for the people who enjoy them. Houston Wilderness wants to raise broad public awareness of our region’s many varied wilderness ecosystems. We also want to make our region’s environmental treasures easier for people of all backgrounds and ages to find and explore. Additionally, we desire to instill in our community a sense of environmental stewardship. Below we have listed some of Houston Wilderness’ chief priorities.

• At least 45 percent of area residents will visit a site within the 10 ecoregions each year.

• By the time they complete 7th grade, 100 percent of project area students will have had at least one school-sponsored outdoor environmental education experience.

   

• We will help make local environmental assets more accessible for public education and recreation.

• We will help preserve and protect our precious environmental resources by working with 70+ network partners, including green groups, governmental agencies and business interests focusing on the areas of advocacy, education/outreach and trail-building in our 24 county area.

• We will help advance conservation initiatives by serving as a non-political/convener organization that brings diverse stakeholders together.

• The 24-county Houston Wilderness region will become nationally and internationally recognized as an ecologically rich, desirable place to live, work, and visit.

ORGANIZATION LEADERSHIP

We are members of the Houston wilderness community and recognize that quality of life and wilderness are closely bound to one another. We strive to share the beauty of our natural heritage and create awareness of what has been generously loaned to us.

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Houston Wilderness is also supported by a number of gracious donors. View Donors »