Dr. Stephanie Glenn, HARC’s Vice President of Research – Water, was recently interviewed by Community Impact – The Woodlands on the legacy of George Mitchell – businessman, philanthropist, and founder of The Woodlands and HARC. The article included insights from area experts to discuss George Mitchell’s vision and intentionally sustainable design of The Woodlands over fifty years ago.
Dr. Glenn shared the historical context on George Mitchell and The Woodlands. She provided insights into HARC’s founding and its evolution, but emphasized that at HARC’s core, it has always been an organization rooted in sustainability. She also shared examples of how HARC continues to support The Woodlands and local communities in the work that it carries out:
“The development of HARC within The Woodlands is also an outgrowth of the sustainability efforts launched in the wake of The Woodlands’ founding.
Stephanie Glenn, vice president of water research at HARC, said while the mission of the facility has changed over the years, it reflects that continued vision for innovation and sustainability.
Initially founded with a focus on research and development, HARC now focuses on energy and water sustainability, particularly with an emphasis on disadvantaged communities both locally and in the world.
HARC’s building on Gosling Road is a net-zero building, meaning it creates more power through solar panels than it consumes.
“We work within the community in several ways,” Glenn said. “We recently did a groundwater study for several different utilities and The Woodlands Township focusing on the state of the science.”
In addition to HARC, another group outside of The Woodlands’ governing body is local nonprofit group The Woodlands Green, which provides information and community involvement on topics such as invasive plants, rain barrels, community gardening, pollinators and native plants.
“Mitchell … had that vision for The Woodlands—sustainability before it was a buzz word; forward thinking, an innovative vision of how we create a community,” she said. “Those three pillars of sustainability—the economic, habitat and people—make it all work.””
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