Joe Heiser

Houston | Naturalist, Activist

Joe Heiser (1897-1987) was a Houston-based naturalist and activist. While he worked as an accountant, he was also very committed to understanding, protecting, and advocating for nature during his leisure time. In 1923, he started the Outdoor Nature Club of Houston, and was instrumental in the Club’s acquisition of the Little Thicket Nature Sanctuary near Evergreen, Texas. Through his skills and connections as a ornithologist, he and the ONC aided the Audubon Society in Texas, until a local Texas branch could be established. He was also active in the Houston Zoological Society and the Big Thicket Association. This archive holds a variety of his writings, courtesy of the Houston Metropolitan Research Center of the Houston Public Library.