American Leadership Forum - Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter

The American Leadership Forum joins and strengthens diverse leaders to better serve the public good. We do this through an intense yearlong program that fosters learning and trust among experienced leaders from every sector of our community. The result is a unique forum where barriers between people are removed, issues are openly discussed, and solutions emerge that benefit the entire community. The Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

ALF was founded in 1980 to create a regional network of diverse senior-level leaders across private, public and nonprofit sectors. ALF Fellows and Senior Fellows now number more than 2,500 nationwide. In Houston, they have created a network that brings together a broad cross-section of leaders committed to building a stronger community. They use collaborative leadership skills to identify and deal with complex regional issues, model servant leadership, and create opportunities to work together in ways that make a significant difference to Houston and its surrounding communities.

Visit http://www.alfhouston.com

Armand Bayou Nature Center

ABNC was founded in 1974 as a result of efforts begun by an environmental visionary, Armand Yramategui. Armand foresaw the urban growth around Armand Bayou and strove to have this land remain a wilderness. Armand's tragic death in 1970 inspired a local, regional and national coalition of people and organizations to acquire the 2500 acres of land now preserved as ABNC. ABNC is a non-profit organization that was established with the mission preservation and environmental education.

ABNC is one of the largest urban wildlife refuge in the United States. The Center's stewardship programs ensure that future generations have the opportunity to experience a wilderness close to home. ABNC's educational programs promote the value of preservation and conservation of natural resources. These programs also encourage everyone to incorporate ecological concepts into their daily lives.

Visit http://www.abnc.org/

Artist Boat

Artist Boat is dedicated to promoting awareness and preservation of coastal margins and the marine environment through the disciplines of the sciences and the arts. To fulfill this mission, Artist Boat promotes collaborations between marine scientists and artists in order to develop the environmental literacy needed for individuals to act as vessels of knowledge, carrying within themselves the talents to: 1) Promote the preservation of fragile ecosystems through environmental education and the arts   2) Utilize the traditional tools of the sciences and the arts in coastal margins and the marine environment to bring people to places of awareness and reflection while visiting these habitat   3) Reflect the immense beauty, wonder and diversity of life contained in coastal margins and the marine environment back to their communities.

This mission is manifested through art and science residencies in communities, the use of vessels and interactions with coastal peoples, hands-on experiences for participants, public art collaborations, symposia and workshops and partnerships designed to promote creative projects.

Visit http://artistboat.org/

Bayou Preservation Association

The Bayou Preservation Association is a citizens' group whose mission is to "protect and restore the richness and diversity of our waterways". BPA facilitates collaborative projects and public awareness about the region's streams and bayous in order to foster watershed management, conservation, and recreation along Houston's defining natural resource.

Houston calls itself the Bayou City. With over 2,500 miles of waterways, protecting and transforming the bayous into "beautiful ribbons of green" makes good sense. If properly managed, they can provide recreational opportunities close to neighborhoods, scenic views to offset the stress of city living, and reduce flooding by maintaining the water-absorbing qualities of the floodplain.

Since the 1950s many of the natural streams of Harris County have been converted into single-purpose storm sewers. Many streams were "channelized" (sides dug out and uniformly sloped) and lined with concrete to increase the flow of water through them. Trees and habitats were destroyed to "improve" our naturally occurring drainage systems. Concrete bayous were constructed with no concern for aesthetics. Unfortunately, this is the image of a bayou that many Houstonians have.

BPA advocates a "watershed management" approach to flood control, which controls flooding by managing the amount of water leaving a watershed and also balances the needs for storage, conveyance, habitat, recreation and aesthetics.

From tree plantings to town meetings to policy review, BPA is working to effect responsible management of our bayous and put nature back into our stream corridors.

Visit http://bayoupreservation.org

Baytown Nature Center

The Baytown Nature Center, located at 6213 Bayway Drive, is a 450-acre peninsula surrounded by three bays. More than 300 species of birds depend on this area for migration, feeding or nesting.

But this recreated wetland isn’t just for the birds. Numerous other animals also call the nature center home. In addition, it’s an important nursery area for a variety of aquatic species, including shrimp, crab and fish.

This former residential subdivision now features picnic shelters, three fishing piers, two pavilions and two overlooks. There’s also the Crystal Bay Butterfly Garden, the Children’s Nature Discovery Area and the Myra C. Brown Bird Sanctuary.

The Baytown Nature Center, an official site on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, is operated by the City of Baytown. It is open to the public.

Visit http://www.baytownnaturecenter.org/

Big Thicket Association

The Big Thicket Association, a 501-c-3 organization, founded in 1964, was formed to save remnants of the once extensive historic Big Thicket forests with its remarkable diversity.  The Association's efforts led to the establishment of the Big Thicket National Preserve in 1974 (a National Park System Unit, the first National Preserve).  Threats to the fledgling Preserve have proliferated over the years and in 2003 the Preserve was designated by the National Parks Conservation Association as one of America's Ten Most Endangered National Parks, and in 2007, the Neches River (part of the Preserve) was named by the American Rivers Association as one of America's Most Endangered Rivers.

Visit http://www.btatx.org

Big Thicket National Preserve

Some 40 years after the Biological Survey, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that created Big Thicket National Preserve. The legislation was signed by President Gerald Ford in October 1974, establishing the first national preserve in the National Park System. In 1993, legislation was passed to expand the Preserve to incorporate creek corridors and additional land areas. Today, the National Park Service manages over 105,684 acres of public lands, more or less, in what was the original Big Thicket surveyed by Parks and Cory.

Further recognition of Big Thicket's unique biological diversity came from the United Nations UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program. In 1981 Big Thicket National Preserve was added to the list of International Biosphere Reserves. The United States Man and the Biosphere (USMAB) program, a voluntary program, requires no special programs, management techniques, obligations, or changes in ownership. Program support comes through the U.S. Department of State. There are 47 USMAB sites in the United States. The Man and the Biosphere program is beneficial because it provides a wider reach of scientific knowledge made available through the international scientific community.

On July 26, 2001, the American Bird Conservancy designated Big Thicket National Preserve a Globally Important Bird Area (IBA). We join many other IBAs throughout the world in our joint efforts to conserve wild birds and their habitats.

Ten distinct ecosystems have been identified within Big Thicket National Preserve. This area has some of the richest biodiversity in North America. Natural processes have influenced the region over the millennium. The last Ice Age brought a character change on the natural systems found here. The cold environment "pushed" or encouraged species to move from separate ecological systems into a close "neighborhood." Today, species from the Gulf Coastal Plains, Eastern Forests, and Central Plains share space with species indicative of swamps and bayous. Baldcypress swamps are a short distance from upland pine savannahs and sandhills. Roadrunners watch eastern bluebirds fly to and from their nests in nearly trees.

Visit http://www.nps.gov/bith/index.htm

Brays Bayou Association

Purpose: To reduce the risk of flooding in the Brays Bayou watershed.

Visit http://www.cechouston.org/2006/03/17/brays-bayou-association/

Brazos Bend State Park

Brazos Bend State Park, approximately 28 miles southwest of Houston, covers roughly 5000 acres, with an eastern boundary of 3.2 miles fronting on the Brazos River on the southeast border of Fort Bend County. This was the area of Texas' first Anglo colonization. It was purchased by the state in 1976-77 and was opened to the public in 1984.

Archeological materials show that prehistoric people visited this area, possibly as early as 300 BC; in early historical times, the Capoque band of the Karankawa Indians roamed between the mouth of the Brazos River and Galveston Bay and may have traveled inland as far as Brazos Bend. In the early 19th century, this area of Texas was the site of Stephen F. Austin's first colonial land grant from Mexico, and present park land was included in a grant to Abner Harris and a partner named William Barrett in 1827. Most of riverfront was sold shortly after the Texas Revolution, and records show that in 1845, part of the park and 2400 feet of river frontage were in the hands of cotton brokers who lived in Brazoria. At the time, the Brazos River was one of the principal routes of commerce, and it may be that the brokerage firm used the area for one of its riverboat landings. In recent times, the land on which the park is located was used for cattle grazing, pecan harvesting, and as a private hunting preserve.

Visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/brazos_bend/

Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer Organization

Volunteers have been a vital part of Brazos Bend State Park since its opening in 1984. The volunteers organized in 1989, by electing officers and accepting by-laws. We operate as an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. The Brazos Bend volunteers have been recognized for the highest number of volunteer hours, 15,821, for any park in Texas. The volunteers have demonstrated teamwork and quality of hours in support of Brazos Bend State Park.

We are a diverse group of individuals with a common interest in nature and the environment.  Our purpose is to assist and educate the visitors of Brazos Bend State Park through information and interpretive programs and to assist in the care and conservation of this 5,000-acre park.

Visit http://brazosbend.org/parkinfo/homepage.shtml

Brazos River Authority

The Brazos River Authority was created by the Texas Legislature in 1929 and was the first State agency in the United States created specifically for the purpose of developing and managing the water resources of an entire river basin. Today, the Authority's staff of 250 develop and distribute water supplies, provide water and wastewater treatment, monitor water quality, and pursue water conservation through public education programs.

Although the Brazos River Authority is an agency of the State of Texas, it does not levy or collect taxes. Except for occasional governmental grants to help pay the costs of specific projects, the Authority is entirely self-supporting. The Authority maintains and operates its reservoirs and treatment systems using revenues from the customers it serves.

Visit http://www.brazos.org/

Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History

The Museum’s current mission is to preserve and protect natural and cultural history, to stimulate its understanding, and to encourage responsible stewardship of all natural and cultural resources. It accomplishes this through: 1) the preservation of artifacts and natural specimens; 2) the presentation of exhibits and educational programming; and 3) cooperative partnerships with arts and cultural organizations, community oriented entities, and academic institutions throughout the Brazos Valley.

Visit http://brazosvalleymuseum.org/

Buffalo Bayou Partnership

In 1984 Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire appointed a task force to study Buffalo Bayou and to develop a realistic strategy for its development. The result of the task force’s two-year effort was the Buffalo Bayou Master Plan, published in 1986. In addition to outlining conceptual redevelopment designs for Buffalo Bayou, the task force proposed the establishment of a non-profit authority to implement its recommendations.

Created in 1986, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership is a coalition of civic, environmental, governmental and business representatives whose director nominees are confirmed by the Mayor of Houston and Harris County Judge. The 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation is transforming and revitalizing Buffalo Bayou, Houston's greatest natural resource

For one quarter century, BBP has been actively pursuing plans and programs for a 10-mile stretch of Buffalo Bayou. Directed by the Buffalo Bayou and Beyond Master Plan, over the past 15 years alone the organization has raised and leveraged more than $80 million for Buffalo Bayou’s revitalization. The organization’s major accomplishments include: Sesquicentennial Park ($23 million), Allen's Landing ($4 million), Sabine Promenade ($12 million), hike and bike trails ($2 million and a $2 million pledge), and land acquisition for the future creation of parks and open space ($20 million - 45 acres).

Visit http://buffalobayou.org/

Center For Houston’s Future

The Center for Houston’s Future is a dynamic, community based organization that brings together business and community to innovate for the future of the Houston region. We do this by planning strategically for the region, strengthening the base of diverse business and civic leadership, and informing people, while engaging them in the necessary ground-work for Houston's future.

The overarching benefit to the community is that of an independent and respected source of information, a catalyst to connect and energize divergent groups, and an incubator of new ideas and initiatives to fuel big-picture, long-range thought and action.

Visit http://www.futurehouston.com

Children’s Museum of Houston

The Children's Museum of Houston serves the following Community Needs:

• Foster the development of Houston’s significant child population.
• Enhance parents’ involvement in their children’s learning.
• Reinforce and supplement classroom instruction.
• Reduce the effects of poverty on learning.
• Serve a multicultural, multilingual population.
• Promote workforce preparedness through the development of 21st century skills.

“America’s No. 1 Best Children’s Museum” by Parents magazine, winner of Nickelodeon Parents’ Picks “Best Museum in Houston 2009 & 2010,” Click2Houston’s Best “Best Museum 2010,” the Children’s Museum of Houston is a Citysearch.com’s nationwide 5-star children’s museum.  Housed in a whimsical building designed by internationally acclaimed architect Robert Venturi, the Children’s Museum of Houston offers a multitude of exhibits bursting with action-packed fun that engage kids in the ultimate learning experience. The Museum was founded in 1980 by a group of Houston parents who hoped to elevate early childhood development to a community-wide priority.

Since then, the Museum has grown to serve more than 850,000 people annually, focusing on bilingual (Spanish/English) learning programs for kids ages birth to 12 years and workshops in literacy, science, math, health, engineering, civic engagement, culture and social studies. The Museum operates as a 501(c)(3) under the direction of a Board of Directors.

Visit http://www.cmhouston.org/