On Saturday, February 11, 2023, Memorial Park Conservancy celebrated the official opening of the Kinder Land Bridge and theCyvia and Melvyn Wolff Prairie at The Biggest Picnic in Texas. The nearly 100-acre destination reconnects the north and south halves of the park with safe passage for humans and animals over Memorial Drive and reestablishes native coastal prairie to enable a more resilient ecology and diverse habitat. After four years of planning and execution, this marked the first time Houstonians could explore the prairie and ascend to the top of the Kinder Land Bridge to take in the views. An estimated 15,000 Houstonians joined in this history-making moment.
Sarah Newbery, Director of Parks and Greenspace for Kinder Foundation, has been an integral member of the team implementing the “Ten-Year Plan,” which enables Memorial Park Conservancy to accelerate design and construction of significant components of the Memorial Park Master Plan. In recognition of this milestone moment, we asked Sarah a few questions to reflect on the team’s recent achievement.