Cullinan Park Conservancy is pleased to share that it raised $80,000 at its eighth annual fundraiser, Picnic for the Park, on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Sweetwater Country Club, presented by Memorial Hermann Hospital.
“We are so grateful to our many sponsors and donors who attended our event and continue to support our mission – to preserve and protect Cullinan Park’s natural resources and promote conservation and education of its vegetation and wildlife,” said Cullinan Park Conservancy Board Chair, Keith Borgfeldt. “Proceeds will be used to complete the transformation of Cullinan Park, including expanding trails, and creating an outdoor classroom experience called LEAP (Learn, Explore & Play), which will be accessible to all children.”
The guest speaker for the more than 200 participants was PhD Cullen Geiselman Muse, a conservationist, philanthropist, and bat researcher. Dedicated to conserving bat species and the habitats they need to thrive, Muse shared that the Houston area has as many as 12 bat species with a lifespan of up to 40 years and very strong immune systems. She is also focused on preserving and expanding green space for the benefit of people and nature. Her most recent book, One Health Meets the Exposome: Human, Wildlife, and Ecosystem Health, discusses the interconnections among humans, wildlife and our shared environment with the goal of optimizing health outcomes for all.
Nina Cullinan Award
This year, the Cullinan Park Conservancy was proud to recognize and present the Nina Cullinan Award to Sugar Land Mayor Joe Zimmerman, who, through his dedicated leadership, has continued the legacy of preserving Cullinan Park’s beauty and nature. “We attribute the ongoing improvements and success of the park to Mayor Zimmerman’s perseverance, and we’re truly grateful for his dedication to making it a vibrant and cherished part of our community,” added Borgfeldt.
Cullinan Green Award
New to the program was the addition of the Cullinan Green Award, which is designed to recognize and promote an environmentally conscious business and/or organization in Sugar Land. “We’re excited to honor Storm Water Solutions as the first-ever recipient of this award for their contribution to environmental improvements, encouraging efficient resource use, promoting sustainability, and contributing to healthier and more livable communities,” said Borgfeldt. “We’ve seen first-hand their dedication to the environment and green-based practices.”
2023 Photo Contest Winners
An element of every year’s fundraiser is a contest of photos taken at Cullinan’s 754-acre nature park and the winners are announced at the fundraiser and posted on the organization’s website.
Sponsored again by Oxbow Advisors, LLC, amateur and professional photographers were able to submit up to three total photos in designated categories. Serving as judges this year were three talented local photographers James Eastham being one of them. Each winner from the five photography categories received a $50 gift card.
First Place Entries in Respective Categories:
- Flora category: “Spiderwort in the Morning” by Victoria Pfeifer
- Bird category: “We Are Family” by Vivian Vu
- Wildlife category: “Blue Swallowtail and Texas Purple Thistle” by Roger Hutchison
- Landscape category: “After the Rain” by Roger Hutchison
- Cell Phone category: “Red Gully Sunset” by Kristi Norman
- People’s Choice category: “Reflections” by Katy Lagunes
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- 1st Place Wildlife Roger Hutchison Blue Swallowtail and Texas Purple Thistle with name
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- 1st Place Popular Vote Katy Lagunes Reflections with name
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- 1st Place Flora Victoria Pfeifer Spiderwort in the Morning with name
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- 1st Place Bird Vivian Vu We Are Family
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- 1st Place Phone Kristi Norman Red Gully Sunset with name
Sponsor Appreciation
This year’s Healthy Lifestyles presenting sponsor was once again Memorial Hermann, who has also been a devoted supporter and promoter of healthy lifestyles in our community with a focus on the physical and mental benefits of spending time in nature.
Cullinan Park Conservancy is also grateful to the sponsors noted below for their unwavering support:
- Premier Birder:H-E-B, Storm Water Solutions, and Westin Homes
- Great Blue Heron:Republic Services and John & Lorna Van De Wiele
- Beautiful Butterfly: BGE, LJA Engineering, Newmark Homes, Jubilee, Harvest Green, Spartan Wealth Management, and Kay & Chico Cravens
- Dragonfly: Clark Condon, Mary Von Tungeln, Fort Bend Financial, TBG, Western Airways, Perry Homes Foundation, Pape-Dawson Engineers, Partners in Building, Earthcare Management, David & Cee Cee Parker, Jimmy and Gay Thompson, Will & Janet Cravens, Doug & Susie Goff, Muller Law Group; Wendy Kelsey and OCuSOFT; WJ Interests
A special thank you to Diane Amundson of Festivities Turnkey Events, our event planning partner of seven years. To learn more about the Cullinan Park Conservancy and the many ways to support the organization, please visit cullinanparkconservancy.org.