2013-10-10

Center for Public History, University of Houston; University of Houston Libraries, University of Houston

This is an oral history interview with Barry Ward conducted as part of the Houston History Project. Following the destruction of Hurricane Alicia, Trees for Houston was born and focused on planting street trees in modest amounts around the Houston area. Barry Ward, a self-proclaimed naturalist, began his work with Trees for Houston in early 2008 and since then has dramatically increased the number of planted trees to an average of 30,000 a year. In addition to planting trees, Barry discusses the numerous services that Trees for Houston provides, such as a new and upcoming horticultural center in a three-acre facility an impressive amount of public tree donations and numerous community projects at schools and churches. Barry believes the organization can compete against popular urban gardens by educating the community how to maintain their own fruit trees and has been experimenting with South American trees in his own home. Barry also goes into detail about the recent 2011 summer drought that struck the area and how he was able to predict and react in order to sustain the trees in Houston.

interviews

Environmental aspects; Trees For Houston; Ward, Barry J.

Houston, Texas

Oral Histories from the Houston History Project

University of Houston Libraries Special Collections

English

Collection
University of Houston Libraries Special Collections
Houston History Archives
Oral Histories from the Houston History Project

Preservation Location: ark:/84475/pm5187pq570