Texas State Parks is turning 100, and H-E-B, one of its proven biggest fans, is honoring it with a $1 million gift. This gift makes the grocery store the presenting sponsor for the centennial celebration, a multi-event affair that begins late on December 31, 2022, in collaboration with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

Our Texas, Our Future is H-E-B’s amorphous ecological mission, summed up as “a promise to you, our customers, that we will help preserve Texas' natural resources.” It encapsulates a mission in awareness and environmental stewardship, specifically committing to “coastal conservation along the Texas Gulf Coast, Black Bear restoration in West Texas, and the establishment of Palo Pinto Mountains State Park.”

More visible to consumers, it presents the brand Field & Future, which sells items like 100 percent recycled toilet tissue and biodegradable dish soap. In April, the grocer announced that a portion of sales from the Field & Future brand would be donated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

“In a state rich with majestic landscapes, our support of this effort aims to provide access to our parks and the beauty of our great state for all Texans to enjoy,” said Winell Herron, H-E-B Group vice president of public affairs, diversity and environmental affairs, in a press release. “Only a fraction of land in Texas is public land, and it’s our commitment to work with our longtime partner Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and many other dedicated organizations to protect these precious resources, so Texans can use them for generations to come.”

H-E-B also plans other event sponsorships to help spread the eco-friendly word, including Field & Future giveaways during park ranger-guided First Day Hikes, a traveling art exhibit featuring retrospective work by 30 artists about the state parks, in-store visits by Texas Park Rangers to share tips, and commemorative merchandise.

This donation makes $13 million total donated by H-E-B to more than 500 environmental organizations since 2012, according to the release. Its efforts with Keep Texas Recycling have had tangible impacts on store shelves, adding informative labels to more than 2,300 products. It recycled at least 636 million pounds of assorted materials including food and tires just in 2021, and donated 34 million pounds of food to food-insecure families.

More information on the Centennial Celebration, including a complete list of events and instructions to sign up, is available at texasstateparks.org.