Barbara Quattro – Alief
About the Project
This storytelling project, led by Jazmin Storrs through her internship with Mobilize Green, offers a human perspective to the environmental challenges shaping life across Texas. From the Panhandle to South Texas, from coastal towns to Hill Country communities, interviews capture how people experience heat, drought, hurricanes, floods, and strong winds in their own backyards. Too often, these realities are contained in statistics, while the lived stories remain unheard. By centering personal voices, the project reminds us that whether facing storms, droughts, or flooding, we are bound by a common thread: our humanity. Each story calls us to listen with empathy, see beyond the data, and recognize that caring for the environment is inseparable from caring for one another.
The Woman Who Kept Alief Green
by Jazmin Storrs
About Barbara Quattro
Barbara Quattro was an environmental activist from Alief, a suburb of Houston, who led her community’s tree-planting efforts, having planted hundreds of trees in local parks. Barbara was instrumental in transforming her neighborhood’s landscape, helping reduce urban temperatures and improve community spaces. Her work inspired local youth volunteers and attracted community investment, including a new $60 million community center. Her project’s motto was “A-Leaf Clean and Green.”
Note: Barbara passed away shortly after this interview on August 8th. We are grateful to have had the honor of hearing her story and remain inspired by the work to which she dedicated herself every day.
Left: A sign by the county honors Barbara Quattro’s impact on the city.
Above: The new Alief community center
What have you observed in your environment?
“Alief is 10 degrees hotter than the rest of Houston, and part of that is because we had no canopy cover. So it wasn’t just a beautification project, but an environmental project to reduce temperature,” said Quattro. “I mean, nobody wants to go out there, and when it’s 100 degrees… all that concrete in August makes it miserable. The hotter the concrete gets, the more it emits chemicals that aren’t doing anybody any good.”
How has the heat affected your community?
Quattro pointed to a recently built neighborhood hike-and-bike trail as an example of infrastructure that may be underused during Houston’s extreme summer heat.
“The kids here have asthma and sometimes I feel as if you could cut this air with a knife. It’s very polluted and so I believe we are morally bound to try to clean up this mess and leave it better than we found it,” Quattro said. “Behind my subdivision, there’s a hike and bike trail. It’s less than two years old. Who’s going to be out there when it’s 105 degrees?”
Left: Barbara speaks to volunteers before a planting event. Right: Trees on the road median reflect planting efforts
How have you adapted to these circumstances?
“We started planting trees because the city showed no interest in planting anything out here. I thought, ‘The worst I can do is fail.’ So we started planting trees,” Quattro said. “We’ve planted hundreds of trees in all four parks. The city finally took notice and put $750,000 into park improvements. People now enjoy it, and that makes me happy.”
Why plant trees?
“Trees aren’t just about looking good. They actually cool down the environment. If an area looks better with trees, people will treat it better, and we can reduce the overall temperature,” Quattro said. “People would rather have a shaded parking lot or something that is physically beautiful, so it will attract business and that’s a plus.”
Students and community members planting trees
What are your hopes for the future?
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is today. We know what we’re going to plant, and we’ll just have to set out the word.”
After experiencing health complications, Quattro still showed up every day with her leadership to guide volunteers.
“Now, since I’m physically not able to do what I used to do, I sit in a chair on the Esplanade and point,” Quattro said. “We don’t have problems with volunteers, (and) we’ve never paid for labor. The Alief kids get out there, and now they can teach how to plant a tree.”
Left: Barbara Quattro leads a tree-planting effort despite health limitations. Above: Trees she helped plant now flourish in Alief.
Why care for the environment?
“This is my home and I want it to look good. I want it to feel good, and I want it to be safe from environmental problems.”
For Quattro, the motivation behind her work has always been rooted in concern for others and the future of her community.
“There’s no planet B. If we don’t act, where are we going to go? The weather pattern is changing, and it behooves all of us to do whatever we can to address environmental change, global warming and otherwise.” Quattro said. “We are morally bound to try to clean up this mess and leave it better than we found it. I mean, I’m old. That’s one thing. But kids, babies—we owe it to them to make this planet the best.”
Jazmin Storrs
Jazmin Storrs is a student at the University of Texas at Austin, double majoring in International Relations and Humanities Honors, where she has designed a concentration titled Climate Policy, Human Rights, and the Media. As a Rapoport Community Service Scholar, Jazmin is recognized for her public service. She works as an Election Clerk to support voter access and recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for underserved communities.
As a Mobilize Green Intern, Jazmin supports Keep Texas Beautiful by leading storytelling on Texans’ environmental experiences. She is also the Climate Lead for UN Young Professionals and Vice Chair for Central Texas Model United Nations.
A violinist of over ten years, Jazmin earned 1st place at the 2022 New York National Orchestra Cup and performed at the International Midwest Clinic in 2023. Passionate about humanizing climate policy, Jazmin is dedicated to ensuring that everyday voices are represented in institutional spaces.
