713-627-3200
Jan 15, 2025
HOUSTON, TX – The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is pleased to announce the winners of the 19th Annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards. A recognition ceremony will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, at H-GAC’s Second Floor Conference Rooms. Registration is encouraged but not required. To register, visit the Parks and Natural Areas Awards Celebration Registration Form.
The 2024 H-GAC Parks and Natural Areas Awards honor innovative projects that serve as models for planning and implementing parks and natural areas across the region. There were 25 applications submitted by local entities for the 2024 program, with winners selected by a panel of five judges.
Projects were recognized in four categories:
- Planning Process/Policy Tools
- On-the-Ground Projects Over $500,000
- On-the-Ground Projects Under $500,000
- Programming
The winners exemplify excellence in planning, execution, and programming, setting a benchmark for parks and natural areas in the Houston-Galveston region.
Winners
Planning Process/Policy Tools
- Herman Brown Park Master Plan (The Houston Parks Board)
- Seabourne Creek Park Nature Center (City of Rosenberg, Texas)
Projects Over $500,000
- Japhet Creek Park (Buffalo Bayou Partnership)
Projects Under $500,000
- Martin Elementary SPARK Park (Alief ISD - SPARK)
- Truxillo Pocket Park (Houston Housing Authority: Third Ward – Cuney Homes Choice Neighborhood Initiative)
Programming
- Interpretive & Educational Experiences in Precinct 4 Parks (Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones)
Honorable Mention
Planning Process/Policy Tools
- City of La Marque Parks Master Plan (City of La Marque)
- Timber Lane Utility District 2024 Master Plan (Timber Lane Utility District)
Projects Over $500,000
- Greenway Accessibility (Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy)
- Wetlands Park at Riverstone (Johnson Development Corporation)
Projects Under $500,000
- James Bute Park and Frost Town Historic Site (Art & Environmental Architecture, Inc., Kirk Farris, Founder)
Programming
- Arts in the Parks (City of La Marque)
Certificate of Recognition
Planning Process/Policy Tools
- Eagle Pointe Recreation Center Master Plan (City of Mont Belvieu)
- Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s Water Management Plan (Houston Parks and Recreation Department)
- Mahan Park Boat Ramp Expansion (City of La Marque)
- The Woodlands Township 2022 Parks & Recreation Needs Assessment (The Woodlands Township)
- Troxell Park Design (Missouri City Parks & Recreation)
Projects Over $500,000
- Hackberry Dog Park (City of Mont Belvieu)
- Jersey Meadow Berm and Street Drainage Improvement Project (City of Jersey Village)
- T.C. Jester Park Playground (City of Houston General Services Department/City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department)
- Vogel Creek Greenway (Houston Parks Board)
- Wier Park Improvements (West University Place)
Projects Under $500,000
- Deerfield Park (City of Mont Belvieu)
Programming
- Agents of Discovery (Carly Horn)
- Growing Resilience: Harris County’s Towering Solution to Food Access Challenges (Harris County Precinct 2)
Attendees will also hear about accessible and inclusive designs in parks and natural areas from Clark Condon | Landscape Architecture.
For more information, contact Andrea Tantillo, Principal Communications Coordinator, at [email protected] or 832-681-2507.