THE HERE IN HOUSTON STORY

The need for a comprehensive, free, and regional clearinghouse for quality environmental education materials has long been recognized as a pressing need for the Greater Houston Region.

Many local educators, both formal and informal, have expressed an interest in teaching about Greater Houston’s environment - both its challenges and its many resources. Yet, they often teach about other places for lack of local materials. This leaves their students lacking in knowledge and skills about the local environment and also limits our collective need to grow the next generation of local environmental leadership.

Sensing this need, the Coastal Prairie Conservancy (a local nonprofit land trust) initiated a year-long collaborative, multi-institutional scoping process from 2012-2013 (under the direction of Jaime González) to determine which resources would be featured on a new, regional, place-based environmental education website to be called. hereinhouston.org. The HERE in Houston acronym was created by Dr. Brenda Weiser, a long-time environmental education leader and now retired professor (UH-Clear Lake).

This process also day-lighted which trainings, workshops, and experiences could work in conjunction with the website to foster greater use of locally-crafted environmental education materials within the 54-school district Region IV footprint. This year-long deep dive was a collaborative venture of the Coastal Prairie Conservancy, Houston Zoo, Houston Audubon Society, Galveston Bay Foundation, Environmental Educators’ Exchange, teachers from Houston ISD, and others.

In fall of 2016, the Coastal Prairie Conservancy launched version 1.0 of hereinhouston.org and the first resources were assembled. In spring of 2018, this project was transferred to the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, which connects over 140 environmental/conservation groups in Greater Houston. Here in Houston is also an integral part of Houston’s Cities Connecting Children with Nature Plan and the regional efforts the for Texas Children in Nature movement.

Here in Houston will serve the needs of more than 140 nonprofit, state, and federal agencies.

If you have resources such as lesson plans, discovery trunks, or activities that you would like to see shared on this site, please contact the Web administrators.