Written by Evelyn L. Merz
While Keep Big Bend Wild has done significant in-person outreach in the western part of Texas, we know that there is plenty of love for wilderness in Big Bend National Park on the eastern side too.
Just a heads-up here: We’re going to tell you about events we did in the south and central areas of Houston, but we would like to spread the word elsewhere in sprawling Houston. If you can help KBBW find a low-cost location and an audience in the western and northern parts of Houston, please send an email to Evelynnola1@outlook.com. KBBW would also like to engage folks in the Dallas-Fort Worth region too, so let us know if you can assist us in setting up presentations there.
Most recently, KBBW was a tabling participant at the June 5th United Nations World Environment Day “Activism and Art” event hosted by the Houston’s Citizens Environmental Coalition near downtown Houston. It was another opportunity to update people about the evolving status of border security plans in the Big Bend National Park region and explain how wilderness designation could offer improved long-term protection for natural and cultural heritage within the park. KBBW signed up an additional eleven supporters at the event, with one of them being Luana Rubin, the featured artist and guest speaker of the evening.
Luana is a fiber artist who uses her talent to highlight the importance of wildlife and the essential habitat supplied by our natural areas, including wilderness. Pictured is one of her works created to celebrate 250 years of wilderness in the United States and to honor the federal natural resource agency personnel who left service during widespread employee dismissals during 2025. Although the Wilderness Act passed in 1964, the U.S. has benefitted from wilderness since the inception of the country and before. Another of her works featured a regal brown bear looking directly at its observer.
Earlier in March, KBBW was fortunate to arrange presentations at two Harris County Precinct 2 facilities for about 50 attendees, thanks to Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia. Local supporters Doug Peterson and Nicole Clouthier were a tremendous help in organizing and publicizing the presentations. Former Big Bend Conservancy board member Gene Fisseler helped with photography and set-up. Attendees were deeply concerned about the effects of proposed Customs and Border Protection plans for both the national park and all the public lands in the region and hungry for updates. We signed up 26 supporters during our spring events.
KBBW wants to continue these in-person presentations. We are looking for additional opportunities to meet existing supporters and add new ones to achieve our goal of increasing protection of Big Bend National Park through wilderness designation by Congress.
Pictures are courtesy of Doug Peterson, Gene Fisseler, and Evelyn Merz.
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