Please join the Bellaire Braeswood Democrats on Monday, June 12th for our monthly meeting where we will hear from Jaime González of The Nature Conservancy in Texas.
Jaime’s topic is: Planting Health & Resilience For An Era of Disruption
Houston is a dynamic, diverse, and wonderful area. Yet, it is also a place that is feeling the accelerated effects of the intersected challenges around health and economic inequity, climate disruption, and biodiversity loss. Yet, there is always hope and action to be taken. Join The Nature Conservancy in Texas’s Jaime González for a discussion of how our ancient local ecosystems can help Bellaire and Houston become healthier, more climate ready, and equitable cities.
The dinner social portion of our meeting begins at 6 pm and the program will begin promptly at 7 pm. The meeting location is the Hickory Pit BBQ, 6601 S Rice Ave, Bellaire, TX 77401. We look forward to seeing you!
To RSVP, please click here.
About our speaker
Jaime González, M.Ed.
Community and Equitable Conservation Director, The Nature Conservancy in Texas
Jaime González is an interdisciplinary conservationist, environmental educator, and network weaver who works to better ensure that the practice and benefits of conservation are more equitable and inclusive in Texas communities, including Greater Houston. This includes providing better access to conserved lands, engaging the public in community science and conservation opportunities, supporting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) initiatives within the The Nature Conservancy (TNC) –Texas Chapter, and contributing to policy development. Mr. González also is a member of TNC-Texas’s Climate Team, working with local communities, governments, corporations, health professionals, and other nonprofit partners, to co-create healthier, climate ready, and wildlife-rich places. Jaime also serves as the vice chair of the North American Association for Environmental Education(NAAEE), which sets national standards for environmental education excellence, and has serve as a Texas Master Naturalist instructor for 23 years.
Mr. González has worked in the Greater Houston, Texas, and national conservation, environmental education, resilience, and nature equity spaces for 25 years, including as the Community Conservation Director at the Coastal Prairie Conservancy (2006-2018), as Naturalist and inaugural Conservation Lead at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center (1998-2005), and as the Founder and President/Vice President of the Coastal Prairie Partnership(2009-2020).
Mr. González earned a M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction-Science Education and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Houston. He has also earned a Texas Educator Certificate (Science, Grades 4-8) from the Texas Educational Agency, expert certificates in environmental education and civic ecology from the Civic Ecology Lab at Cornell University, the Certificate in Environmental Communication from the Nicholas School for the Environment at Duke University, and the Climate Change and Health Certificate from the Yale School of Public Health. He is currently completing a professional certificate in Understanding and Operationalizing One Health from the One Health Research Center at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks.
Mr. Gonzales has won numerous awards for his work, including the 2023 Houston Visionary award from the Center for Houston’s Future, Prairie Champion Award from the Katy Prairie Conservancy, Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Houston’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and the Elizabeth Hull Abernathy Award from the Garden Club of America for outstanding contributions to environmental education of youth.