Trees for Houston

Barry Ward, the Executive Director of Trees for Houston since 2008. Founded in 1983 as the Live Oak Society, Trees for Houston has expanded to plant, protect, and promote all of Houston’s urban forest. Growing with the city of Houston, they have worked to see that trees shade neighborhoods, clean air, beautify streets, and slow runoff – all vital to the beauty and well-being of our urban environment. Barry manages all conservation, project and administrative aspects of the organization which now has a 1.5 million dollar annual budget. He established and manages their 20,000 tree nursery operation.

From 1999 to 2006 Barry served with the Battleship Texas / San Jacinto Battleground Historic Park, Texas Parks and Wildlife, first as Curator and promoted to Director. In 2006 he because the Executive Director of the Battleship Texas Foundation where he served until taking the helm at Trees for Houston.

Barry’s background includes serving as Head Archivist, Assistant Curator, and Development Officer at The Haggin Museum in Stockton, CA from 1988-1995 and as part-time Historical Consultant and Site Manager if the historic Klamath Ferry Center in Stockton from 1993-1998. He served as Assistant Curator of the Houston Cultural Heritage Society from 1998-1999.

Barry has done guest appearances on PBS, the Discovery Channel and the History Channel.

Barry is also author of Stephens Brothers: A Century of Shipbuilding, published in 2002 and is a freelance writer, with articles published in the Wooden Boat Magazine, The Central Valley Harvester, Touchstone, The Caravan magazine, and others.