Houston Arboretum Receives $90,000 Richard King Mellon Foundation from Richard King Mellon Foundation for Fall 2025 Conservation Project
Funding Supports Invasive Species Management by Student Conservation Association Program Participants
Houston Arboretum & Nature Center has been awarded a $90,000 grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation in Pittsburgh, PA, to support a 12-week conservation project beginning in September 2025. The grant will fund the removal of invasive plant species and support hiring Student Conservation Association (SCA) program participants, who will help restore the Arboretum’s woodland habitats.
Since 1967, Houston Arboretum & Nature Center has worked to conserve its nature sanctuary of diverse ecosystems, including savanna, prairie, wetland, woodland, and bayou. Only minutes from downtown Houston, the Arboretum plays a vital role in reducing flooding, chemical and bacterial pollutants, and the Urban Heat Island Effect, in which urban regions with buildings and infrastructure experience warmer temperatures than rural areas.
The Arboretum’s natural areas have been found to reduce air temperature between 1-2.8 degrees Fahrenheit1, and during the 2015 Memorial Day Flood alone, an equivalent of 34 Olympic-size swimming pools worth of water was absorbed by Arboretum soil2 instead of running into Buffalo Bayou.
Like many protected natural areas, the Houston Arboretum faces challenges from invasive plants that threaten biodiversity in its 155-acre native Gulf Coast ecosystem. The Arboretum’s Conservation team, led by Conservation Director Stephen Benigno, has found that managing dense underbrush—caused primarily by these invasive species—can promote long-term tree diversity and reduce the risk of uncontrolled wildfires.
The project aims to create a more resilient woodland environment while also providing hands-on experience for emerging conservation professionals. Long-term benefits include improved ecological diversity and a healthier, more sustainable landscape. Progress will be closely monitored and documented.
“The Arboretum’s ecosystems do more than protect wildlife; they protect Houstonians. We are proud to collaborate with such a committed group of young environmental advocates like the SCA who are helping shape a greener future for our city,” said Debbie Markey, Executive Director of the Houston Arboretum. “This generous grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation allows us to strengthen the Arboretum’s ability to act as a climate buffer, while also mentoring the next generation of conservation professionals.”
The SCA began fielding local community conservation programs across Houston in the early 2000s. Since then, hundreds of local Houston youth have participated in SCA programs. These young people have walked away with the knowledge of how to serve their communities through conservation service work and gained a strong connection to the outdoors through environmental education. The SCA’s Houston Urban Green program offers paid conservation jobs and volunteer opportunities to local teens and young adults.
“This much-needed funding and opportunity will allow the SCA to reach even more young people and provide them with valuable hands-on experience plus the chance to develop their skills in real-world settings,” said SCA President and CEO Lidia Soto-Harmon. “Our program participants are not only at work for the planet, but they will be poised to become the next generation of conservation leaders.”
While prescribed fire and grazing animals have been reintroduced to the Arboretum as methods for underbrush control to improve woodland health, this project will rely on skilled crews to manually remove invasive species and selectively and sensitively apply herbicide, using techniques designed to preserve native species and minimize future interventions.
The Houston Arboretum is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. March through October and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. November through February. Parking is $6.50, free on Thursdays, and always free for Arboretum Members. Visitors can access the grounds at 4501 Woodway Dr. or 120 West Loop North off Interstate 610.
For more information, visit https://houstonarboretum.org or call 713-681-8433.
Photo credit: Houston Arboretum and SCA (Student Conservation Association)