When people think of Houston, its thriving nature scene may not be at the top of their minds. Christine Mansfield, senior manager of marketing and development at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, wants to change that: She’s passionate about the beauty of Houston.
Q: What first piqued your interest in nature and the outdoors?
A: Growing up, my mom had a really nice garden, and so I was always out there helping with that. My dad loved camping and hiking, so I would do that with him. It’s something that I loved, and so I wanted to incorporate that into what I do for work.
Q: How did you get interested in working for Houston Arboretum & Nature Center?
A: I grew up in Houston. I would come to the Arboretum when I was younger, so I remember being in the space and enjoying it a lot. After college, I knew I wanted to do something with Houston’s green community — to help get more people outside and showcase what Houston has to offer. It does have a lot of nature, but people don’t always know where to look or access it.
Q: What is your least favorite and most favorite aspect of Houston nature?
A: It might be the same thing: It’s so subtle sometimes. We don’t have the sweeping mountains or large-scale redwood trees. We don’t have the nature that punches you in the face. We have a much more subtle landscape.There’s such a story around what happens here, how the grassland ecosystems were formed and maintained over years. It’s a very cool and complex system. The challenge and the beauty of Houston is its subtlety. The more time you spend looking at one of our ponds or wetlands, the more things you see, and the more connected you become.
