Earth Day 2024 (April 22) came with beautiful weather at Houston Botanical Garden, creating a sun-dappled stage for the official debut of “Wild Texas,” a 300-foot-long mural beneath a bridge over Sims Bayou.

Gulfgate Redevelopment Authority/TIRZ 8 funded the creation of the mural — and its maintenance — in collaboration with the Botanical Garden, the non-profit Houston Parks Board (HPB) and, naturally, muralist David Cobb. HPB spearheads the city’s transformative Bayou Greenways project.

Among the speakers at the mural debut ceremony was GRA/TIRZ 8 Chairman Sonny Garza, who explained how the TIRZ’s work extends from floodwater detention and other infrastructure projects to improvements at 12 area parks.

As a member of the TIRZ board, the Houston Parks Board and the Houston Botanic Garden, attorney Alberto “Beto” Cardenas provided remarks, too, from his unique perspective.