Location
Sarah Catherine Emmott
Topics
Description
Sarah Emmott, often working with her husband Army Emmott, was a long-time Houston conservationist.
She was interested in nature study and appreciation through the Outdoor Nature Club and its Little Thicket Nature Sanctuary. She was also engaged in education and outreach. For instance, Emmott co-founded Citizens Who Care (later evolved into the Citizens Environmental Coalition), and wrote the book, Memorial Park: A Priceless Legacy, which tracked the history of saving that land from development in the 1920s.
Ms Emmott is also remembered for her advocacy work. She co-founded Texas Beaches Unlimited, and supported passage of the Texas Open Beaches Act assuring public shoreline access (1959). She was also an early ally in efforts to block channelization of Houston’s Buffalo Bayou (mid-1960s and ongoing), and to create Armand Bayou Nature Center (1974).
Location Notes
Perhaps a marker would be fitting in Memorial Park, given her mother-in-law's campaign to save the Park, and Sarah's later work blocking channelization of Buffalo Bayou in the vicinity of the Park. One such sign site could be at the Memorial Park Picnic Area, close to the north bank of the Bayou, just off South Picnic Lane.