At the J.W. Couch Foundation, our Wellness pillar has always been guided by a simple belief: access to nature is not a luxury — it is a foundation for human health and dignity. That conviction is exactly what drew us to Arboretum San Antonio, a nonprofit building South Texas' first arboretum on San Antonio's historically underserved Southside. Through our grant supporting their "Growing a Healthier Future" project, we are proud to help turn 200 acres of former golf club land into a living, breathing resource for one of the city's most vulnerable communities.
A City With an Unequal Canopy
The data tells a sobering story. San Antonio has the second-highest death rate from diabetes among the 54 largest U.S. cities — a statistic that falls disproportionately on communities of color. Nearly 66% of adults in Bexar County are overweight or obese. The neighborhoods surrounding the Arboretum site are 78% Hispanic, and they reflect a pattern seen in cities across the country: lower-income communities and communities of color consistently have less tree cover, fewer parks, and greater exposure to heat islands and poor air quality.
Access to green space isn't just an aesthetic concern — it is a public health issue. And on San Antonio's Southside, that access has long been out of reach.
A 200-Acre Answer
Founded in 2021, Arboretum San Antonio is building something that has never existed in South Texas: a world-class arboretum on more than 200 acres of land on the city's southeast side, located on the former Republic Golf Club off Southeast Military Drive. The land was secured through a landmark collaboration with Bexar County, Brooks Development Authority, and founder Henry Cisneros, who together invested nearly $9 million to make the project a reality.
The vision is ambitious and community-driven. After a full year of listening sessions and planning with local residents, ASA partnered with nationally renowned architecture and design firm Sasaki to complete a master plan featuring nine distinct zones — including a canopy walk, nature center, amphitheater, and research fields — all connected to the 101-mile Howard W. Peak Greenway Trails System. The Arboretum will also be permanently protected through a conservation easement, ensuring this green space remains a community asset for generations to come.
Where the Work Begins Now
Even before the Arboretum opens its gates to the public, ASA is moving. Our grant is helping them do three things that matter right now: expand their staff, establish an on-site office and event center, and launch immediate health and wellness programming for the surrounding neighborhoods.
One of the most compelling early initiatives is a partnership with the San Antonio Vascular and Endovascular Clinic (SAVE), which was created specifically to confront South San Antonio's diabetes epidemic. Together, ASA and SAVE will offer regularly scheduled Arboretum walks — led by a bilingual program coordinator — connecting patients identified by local physicians to preventative health information and the healing power of nature. Bilingual educational programming will also reach young people through regional schools, with the potential to serve more than 263,000 elementary students across Bexar County.
Why This Story Matters to Us
The J.W. Couch Foundation's "Get Outside" focus area was built on the belief that connecting people to the natural world has profound and lasting effects on physical and mental wellness. Arboretum San Antonio embodies that belief at scale — and in a community that has been waiting for it.
What draws us most to ASA's work is its long-term thinking. This isn't a program. It's infrastructure — the kind that changes the health trajectory of an entire region. By investing in their team and their early programming, we are helping lay the groundwork for an institution that will welcome San Antonians for decades to come.
We look forward to watching this arboretum grow — and to growing alongside it.
