A Note From Our Leadership
Thank you to our supporters, stakeholders, and community partners for supporting our mission to expand, improve, and protect parks and greenspace in the Houston region.
Fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025) was a successful year of growth and progress toward Houston Parks Board’s 2024-2028 Strategic Plan:
- Connect communities by enhancing, expanding, and linking the Bayou Greenways system.
- Revitalize neighborhood parks by investing in improvements and local greenspaces.
- Create landmark destinations along Bayou Greenways by developing and improving regional parks in Houston.
- Champion parks and greenspaces through awareness, partnerships, and funding.
Throughout this year’s report, we are excited to share updates on our projects and initiatives that support HPB’s core priorities.
Public-private partnerships continue to be a key driver of park and greenspace development across the Houston region, and this trend is increasing nationally. HPB is proud of its role as a convenor, providing us with a unique opportunity to unite various public and private partners in support of a greener Houston.
Our mission would not be possible without the long-standing collaboration with private funders, the City of Houston, and Harris County. HPB is grateful for the deep trust and support from Kinder Foundation, The Brown Foundation, Inc., Houston Endowment, and Hildebrand Foundation, in addition to our strong partnerships with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioners Rodney Ellis (Precinct One), Adrian Garcia (Precinct 2), Tom Ramsey (Precinct 3), and Lesley Briones (Precinct 4), as well as Dr. Tina Petersen and her team at the Harris County Flood Control District.
As our stakeholders know, the heart of HPB’s work is meaningful community engagement. We are grateful to have a dedicated team that continues to set the standard for effectively engaging with our communities and ensuring their voices are represented in each project. You will read more about our community engagement team’s remarkable success later in the report.
Thank you to our passionate Board of Directors and talented staff for their contributions in furthering our mission and expanding access to parks and greenspace for all Houstonians.
Cullen Geiselman Muse, Board Chair, Houston Parks Board
Beth White, President & CEO, Houston Parks Board
In May 2025, President and CEO Beth White announced her retirement, effective December 31, 2025. Beth’s impact is difficult to measure in words, but it can certainly be felt and seen daily by all Houstonians. Since joining the organization in 2016, she has led HPB through its largest initiatives, including Bayou Greenways, the revitalization of more than 30 neighborhood parks, and ongoing regional park projects.
Expanding Houston’s Bayou Greenways and Trail Connections
During the 2025 fiscal year, HPB continued to expand the Bayou Greenways system, bringing together even more communities by adding additional miles of trail along the Bayou Greenway network and by expanding our connector trails between the Bayous.
Brays Bayou Trail Projects
In January 2025, construction began on three interconnected trail projects along Brays Bayou creating 4.4 miles of new or improved trails and seven pedestrian and bicycle underpasses. The projects, funded through Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones’s Places 4 People initiative, include a memorial plaza honoring Captain Gary L. Herod. These new trails improve safety, accessibility, and recreational opportunities while enhancing equitable access to greenspaces along the 39-mile Brays Bayou Greenway – the longest greenway in our city!
Rabbi Samuel Karff Memorial Bridge
In February 2025, HPB, in partnership with Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Precinct One, celebrated the opening of the 634-foot Rabbi Samuel Karff Memorial Bridge over Brays Bayou. The bridge, named in honor of Rabbi Karff, strengthens connections across North and South Braeswood Boulevards along Brays Bayou Greenway by providing safer access to schools, parks, and local businesses.
Spring Branch Trail
In May 2025, a new 0.8-mile trail segment in Spring Branch officially opened, connecting Gessner Road to Shadowdale Drive and linking to the existing Emnora Trail. Managed by HPB and developed through a public-private partnership with the Spring Branch Management District, the trail improves mobility, safety, and recreational opportunities for the community. Built within a CenterPoint Energy utility easement, the project demonstrates an innovative approach to transforming underutilized land into accessible greenspace. This segment is part of a long-term vision to create an 11-mile continuous Spring Branch Trail, providing a seamless connection from Addicks Reservoir to White Oak Bayou Greenway.
Sharpstown Hike-and-Bike Trail
In June 2025, the first phase of the Sharpstown Trail officially opened with a 1.8-mile trail connecting Sands Point Drive to Beechnut Street. The trail, realized through community collaboration and partnerships with Harris County Precinct Four Commissioner Lesley Briones and Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 20, features seven trail connections, intersection improvements, signage, and landscaping. Recognizing the high-traffic area and limited park space, the project strengthens connections to community centers, schools, parks, libraries, and transit, providing residents with safe, accessible, and enjoyable pathways for recreation and safe, off-street commuting.
Regional Parks
Hill at Sims
Project Details:
- New hilltop pavilion with expansive views of downtown Houston, the Texas Medical Center, Uptown, and NRG Stadium
- 4.5 miles of new hike-and-bike trails
- Connection to nearly 20 miles of trails and greenspace along Sims Bayou Greenway
- New 1.6-mile nature loop
- New signature pedestrian bridge
- New 2,000-square-foot open-air nature pavilion
- Restrooms
Construction continued at the Hill at Sims in fiscal year 2025, moving the new regional park along Sims Bayou Greenway closer to completion.
Alongside our project partners — Harris County Precinct One and Commissioner Rodney Ellis, as well as the Harris County Flood Control District, and The Brown Foundation, Inc. — HPB looks forward to celebrating the opening of the nature-based park with the Sunnyside neighborhood and surrounding communities in 2026.
MacGregor Park
Project Details:
- Enhance and improve the Homer Ford Tennis Center
- Refurbish the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza
- New Central Promenade as focus point for activities and park users
- New natural amphitheater
- Expanded walking trail around the park perimeter
- Connection to over 38 miles of uninterrupted trails along Brays Bayou Greenway
- New all-inclusive, ADA-accessible playground
- New pickleball courts
- New shade trees
Progress has not slowed at historic MacGregor Park. Since the project implementation phase began in December 2023, HPB has held 16 public engagement opportunities, registering nearly 4,400 interactions with community members.
The community engagement efforts from HPB — as well as Kinder Foundation, the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Hood Design Studio, and Dr. Teddy McDavid and Friends of MacGregor Park — resulted in one of the largest public meetings in the organization’s history.
On the evening of March 26, nearly 300 community members gathered under the park’s storied basketball pavilion to see the unveiling of MacGregor Park’s final conceptual design. Long-term maintenance and preservation are critical components of our mission. In fiscal year 2025, HPB took over maintenance of MacGregor Park’s greenspace. As we look toward construction starting in 2026, the conservation & maintenance team will ensure the greenspace in this beloved, 65-acre park receives proper care.
Conservation & Maintenance
We are committed to maintaining our greenspaces so they remain safe, functional, and welcoming. A significant portion of our annual budget is dedicated to conservation and maintenance, reflecting the high standard of care required to sustain these spaces. Our Conservation and Maintenance team regularly mows, removes litter, clears debris from paths, addresses graffiti, restores amenities, and cleans up after floods. In total, we maintain more than 100 miles of trails and 3,300 acres of greenspace, taking pride in keeping these areas beautiful and accessible for the community.
#ParksByYou Day
We hosted two #ParksByYou Day volunteer events — one in fall 2024 along Brays Bayou and another in spring 2025 on Halls Bayou. Together, 78 community volunteers worked alongside our conservation team to help us restore prairies and wetlands along the Bayou Greenway system.
In the fall, volunteers helped celebrate the transformation of Woodvale Park along the newly revitalized section of Brays Bayou Greenway. Planting efforts were a resounding success, creating a vibrant new landscape made possible by a generous grant from CITGO Fueling Good, whose employees also joined in to add the finishing touches.
In the spring, community volunteers and students from NWF Earth Tomorrow planted more than 1,000 native trees and plants, strengthening Houston’s environment and ecosystem. We are especially grateful to Earth Tomorrow, a program of the National Wildlife Federation, for their partnership and commitment to empowering the next generation of environmental leaders.
Restore America’s Estuaries
In partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Restore America’s Estuaries, HPB launched an ambitious effort to establish eight new wetland sites in six locations along three bayous — Sims, Greens, and Hunting — within the Bayou Greenways trail system. These wetlands will provide critical ecological benefits, from improving water quality to creating habitat for wildlife.
River Drive at Sims Bayou
On October 26, 2024, 11 volunteers joined our maintenance team to develop the first Watershed Grant site at River Drive. By utilizing an existing drainage way, the project successfully harnessed natural hydrology to establish a thriving wetland. Volunteers installed more than 20 different species of native plants, and the site is now in its maintenance phase, already delivering valuable ecological services to the surrounding community.
Erie Street Wet Meadow at Sims Bayou
On May 3, 2025, 48 volunteers installed more than 5,000 native plants at Erie Street, located just upstream from River Drive. The new wetland has already become a haven for wildlife, including the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, Houston’s official city bird. Even in the Texas heat, this site provides a vital refuge and enhances biodiversity along the bayou.
Nursery at Coolgreen
The conservation & maintenance team is constructing a new nursery at Coolgreen, along Greens Bayou Greenway, that will eventually grow more than 80,000 plants per year. This work is possible through the NEP Watersheds Grant received in 2023 from Restore America’s Estuaries and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
HPB is proud to partner with Houston Audubon Natives Nursery — as well as Greenstar Wetland Plant Farm and TreeLife Farms — to grow native trees, shrubs, grasses, forbs, and wetland plants at the nursery. These partnerships ensure that HPB has the necessary quantities to complete various conservation projects.
Thanks to the grant, the foundation of these efforts enabled HPB to secure support for planning and building a larger facility. With construction underway, the site will be enhanced by the installation of shade structures, a greenhouse, wetland plant grow-out pools, and an automated irrigation system.
Community Engagement
At the heart of our mission is a deep commitment to engaging with the communities we serve. We are committed to bilingual, proactive communication and collaboration with residents, stakeholders, and community organizations.
Through public meetings, surveys, and workshops, we actively seek feedback and ideas, integrating them into our project planning and development processes.
Let’s Play Houston
In partnership with Mayor John Whitmire and Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Houston Parks Board is leading Let’s Play Houston — a public-private initiative to revitalize 25 neighborhood parks across the city. As the project manager, we oversee bilingual (English and Spanish) community engagement, design, and construction, ensuring each park reflects the unique needs of its surrounding community.
This year, we reached a major milestone: completing community engagement for the first ten parks in the program. HPB hosted six pop-up park events, facilitated 10 listening sessions, and distributed nine surveys — yielding nearly 1,000 survey responses and direct engagement with more than 950 community members and stakeholders.
By prioritizing listening at the outset of design, we are ensuring each park becomes a vibrant, inclusive space shaped by those who use it most.
Major Events
2024 Annual Luncheon
Thank you to the nearly 400 of Houston’s most passionate park advocates for joining us at our annual luncheon on October 15, 2024. Returning to Avenida de las Americas Plaza, attendees enjoyed a beautiful fall day in celebration of HPB’s plans to Reimagine Houston’s Greenspace Landscape.
HPB was excited to welcome special guest Walter Hood, founder and creative director of Hood Design Studio, for the 2024 “Parkside” chat. Hood spoke about his vision for the reimagining of MacGregor Park, as well as his design philosophy, the resilient ecology of MacGregor Park, and the importance of looking beyond parks to study the spaces around them.
Mayor John Whitmire also took the stage to speak about the positive impact of greenspace in urban settings. In exciting news, Mayor Whitmire also announced Let’s Play Houston (LPH).
We were ecstatic to raise $700,000 to support our mission. Thank you to our event co-chairs Reggie DesRoches and Paula Gilmer DesRoches and George and Liz DeMontrond for hosting an incredible event and helping foster a more connected and resilient Houston!
4th Annual Art Bike Parade and Festival
The 4th Annual Art Bike Parade and Festival delivered a new look and feel to attendees this year. Taking place on April 26, 2025, students and artists flocked to Fonde Park to show off their rolling, colorful creations. Thank you to Orange Show Center for Visionary Art for partnering and hosting the event at its campus, in addition to the Mayor’s Office of Special Events, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, and Houston Independent School District. Houstonians won’t have to wait long for the 2026 Art Bike Parade and Festival, as the event will take place on Saturday, March 28 — preceding the legendary Art Car Parade.
ParkScore® Index Rating
Houston’s Park landscape continues to grow and thrive, as reflected in the latest ParkScore® rankings by the Trust for Public Land (TPL). We are pleased that the city moved up two spots in 2025 to rank #66 of the 100 largest cities in the United States. This work would not be possible without the extensive number of public and private organizations that donate resources, time, and funds to improve our park system.
Awards
In February, HPB was honored to receive awards for two important community projects.
Vogel Creek Greenway
The Vogel Creek Greenway project received the 2025 Development of Distinction Award in the Open Space category from Urban Land Institute (ULI) Houston. This recognition highlights developments and open spaces that set a high standard in design, construction, and community impact. HPB’s project partners included Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Houston Public Works, and The Brown Foundation, Inc.
Herman Brown Park Master Plan
The Herman Brown Park Master Plan — with funding from The Brown Foundation, Inc. — received the 2024 Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) Parks and Natural Areas Award in the Planning and Policy category. This recognition honors innovative projects that serve as models for planning and implementing parks and natural areas across the region.
Media Highlights
In this fiscal year, HPB amplified our impact through both owned and earned media.
On April 4, we hosted a media tour with six local reporters, showcasing our work on neighborhood parks, the Bayou Greenways, and regional parks, which resulted in three earned media placements, including a front-page story in the April 21 edition of the Houston Chronicle.
Our owned channels, including social media and our blog, provided the community with project updates, event coverage, and educational content. Notably, our #1 blog post focused on our wetland restoration efforts on Erie Street. LinkedIn remains our leading social media platform for engagement and reach. During this period, the highest-performing posts across all of HPB’s social media channels originated from our LinkedIn content followed by Facebook.
FY25 Financials
Our important work is supported by a variety of donors and partners, both public and private. For a more complete picture, please refer to the Houston Parks Board audited financial statements.
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS FY2025 DONORS
We are incredibly grateful to our donors and partners who have made HPB’s mission possible. Donors listed include gifts and pledge payments made during the fiscal year from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025.