Dog Days Policy
Throughout the dog days of August*, the Houston Botanic Garden invites responsible pet parents to bring their canine pal(s) along on visits to the Garden.
Mother’s Day Walk Creative Director
Myra Johnson is CEO of Ephesus Investments and a mother of two. Recently married, she welcomed three additional kids to her blended family and will sometimes count her cat and dog among her children, as well. Unexpected events led her to discover that walking outdoors and lessons from nature can have incredible impacts on our interactions with others. Now she’s offering other families the chance to have the same experience.
Development & Membership Manager
Julian Serebrin joined the Garden as its new membership and development manager in January 2024.
Bayou Blues Festival
The inaugural Bayou Blues Festival on Saturday, April 27, will feature a talented lineup of artists, headlined by the Chambers DesLauriers Band, featuring Chambers and her blues-rock guitarist and singer husband, Paul DesLauriers.
Summer BotaniCamp
Since the inaugural summer of 2021, BotaniCamp — Houston Botanic Garden’s plant-centric nature camp — has evolved, yet the focus remains on connecting children with their natural surroundings. With summer just around the corner, Mills is preparing to welcome the latest energetic group of kids, ranging in age from 5 to 12. She is making the final plans for an inquiry-driven curriculum and creative hands-on activities that grow the campers’ interest in the local flora and fauna.
ZimSculpt Artist Interviews
The upcoming ZimSculpt exhibit at the Houston Botanic Garden will surround visitors with an exquisitely curated collection of more than 100 Zimbabwean Shona stone sculptures that celebrate the harmony of art and nature. To add to the visually stunning experience, two resident artists – Percy Kuta and Passmore Mupindiko – will be actively sculpting new masterpieces daily, providing visitors with a first-hand glimpse into the artistic process. ZimSculpt founder Vivienne Croisette shares her insights into why the award-winning exhibition has become such an international phenomenon and described how Shona sculpture has become the most collected type of African art in the world. Artists Percy Kuta and Passmore Mupindiko also tells us about their passion for sculpting and helping visitors better understand the rich heritage reflected in the art form.
Houston Health Department
Houston Botanic Garden will be one of nine area locations to host an air quality monitoring device for a year as part of a recently awarded grant funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and led by the Houston Health Department. The device placed at the Houston Botanic Garden will passively but continuously collect air samples over the course of a year.
Tree Flagging
During the winter of 2024, Houston Botanic Garden’s horticulture team, with the help of volunteers, staked, flagged, and mapped 116 young trees in its South Gardens. Staking, flagging, and mapping these young trees ensures they are properly cared for and protected during routine site maintenance. It also ensures they are included in the Garden’s drought watering program maps, which are important in the event of a not-unusual-for-Houston hot, dry summer.
The Dopest Historian
Whitney Brantley, a.k.a. The Dopest Historian, served as the official historian of the Garden’s Juneteenth celebration, A Wine Walk to Remember, last year and frequently hosts a variety of tours and talks related to Black history and Houston history.
Better Impact
Recently, Houston Botanic Garden took the first step toward upgrading the system for managing volunteer recruitment and activities. After a successful testing period, a complete transition to the new volunteer management software by Better Impact is underway in February 2024.