Chris Smith’s earliest memory of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge was a school field trip she took as a child. She distinctly remembers walking around Greer Island and taking it all in.
“If you’ve ever walked out there, it’s a long pathway across water,” Smith said. “And visually, it’s stunning. But it’s the sights, the sounds, smells. It’s everything that you experience when you’re in the outdoors.”
As she grew up, her love for nature and Fort Worth followed her. From earning her master’s in environmental relations from the University of North Texas, to working as an environmental consultant in Austin, she always kept an eye out for anything Fort Worth-related.
She would later volunteer with — and eventually become a longtime board member of — the Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization that helps protect, preserve and provide financial support for the city-owned property that spans more than 3,650 acres.
Through a variety of fundraising events and memberships, the nonprofit has provided funding for major projects at the nature center, including the Marty Leonard Lotus Marsh Boardwalk that opened in April.
Now Smith has been named the nonprofit’s executive director, a position that has been open since February. It’s a full-circle moment, Smith said.
Linda Christie, board president of the friends group, said Smith’s past experience as the vice president of marketing communications for the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is “a testament to her leadership abilities.”
Following the 2020 merger of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden with the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Smith led a marketing communications department and implemented strategies that advanced the organization’s brand and exceeded revenue goals.
“The friends are at a crucial turning point,” Christie said, speaking to Smith’s new challenges at the nature center. “We’re ready to launch ambitious new projects, deepen our partnerships, and reach a wider audience. With Chris at the helm, we’re confident in our ability to achieve these goals and more.”
The nature center is also experiencing a leadership transition, as longtime director Rob Denkhaus stepped down in June to take on a new position with the city. Jared Wood is serving as the interim manager of the nature center, parks spokesperson Karen Stuhmer told the Report via email. The city plans to start recruitment by October to permanently fill the position.
In the meantime, Smith wants to make the nature center nationally recognized as a leading model for conservation, environmental education and community engagement, as well as raising visibility and funding for the nonprofit.
“It always amazes me when I learn someone who’s lived in Fort Worth their whole life, that they know so little about this place or that (the nature center) even exists,” Smith said. “We have a bison herd, we have deers, snakes, alligators and bobcats. A lot of people don’t know that.”
She plans on accomplishing these ambitious goals through storytelling.
“A good storyteller knows what might be of interest to the audience and what’s in it for them,” Smith said. “I’m going to tell people about what an amazing place the Fort Worth Nature Center is. I’m going to highlight the benefits that I talked about before, but also talk about what’s in it for them.
The fresh air, the getting away from the screens, just improving your mood, enhancing your overall well-being. That’s kind of priceless.”
Kevin Vu is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and contributor to the Fort Worth Report.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.