Houston Chapter of the Native Prairies Association of Texas

The Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum – A tour of Rice University's urban conservation space

The Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum is a teaching and research resource for Rice University. Dedicated in 1999 after the famous plantsman and father of the native plant movement in Texas, Lynn Lowrey, Rice’s arboretum spans the entire 300-acre campus. In this talk I will provide some history of the Arboretum and the ongoing efforts (and challenges faced) to restore a fragment of the historic wetland and prairie ecosystems that once dominated the Houston region.

Cassidy Johnson is the first Director for Rice’s Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum and an Assistant Teaching Professor of Biosciences. In her role as Director, Cassidy is currently working to elevate the status of the Arboretum as a living laboratory and conservation space. She is currently developing signage for the arboretum, organizing and hosting community events, and leading the restoration effort of the Harris Gully Natural Area. Cassidy also continues to teach a broad range of undergraduate courses including human immunology, conservation biology, and biology for non-science students. Before coming to Rice, Cassidy taught at Houston City College while also serving as the president for the Coastal Prairie Partnership, and previously served as a Houston toad specialist in the Department of Conservation and Science at the Houston Zoo, Inc. Cassidy received her B.S. and M.S. from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Cell Biology at Rice University.