We have created the recurring Volunteer Service opportunities listed below in conjunction with some of our partners. Since the times and locations given may change, you should confirm the event time, date and location with the contact person before going to the site.
Armand Bayou Nature Center (ABNC)
- Volunteer activities available are guides for night hikes, kayak and pontoon boat tours, prairie restoration, maintenance, gardening, monthly bird counts and assisting with Eco kids programs.
- Before volunteering you must complete mandatory COVID-19 training. Contact Elisa O’Neal or visit the ABNC volunteer website for more information.
Group Bird Surveys
- Sweetwater Survey – First Tuesday of the month, 7am – 9am
Meet at the property entrance on 103rd Street in Galveston. These surveys are an important tool for monitoring bird populations, migration, habitat and the overall health of Galveston Bay. If you’d like to come, be prepared with wading boots or rubber boots! Contact Davis Clay for more information
- Resoft Park Bird Survey – First Monday of the month, 8am
Resoft Park is located at 20020 TX-35, Alvin, TX 77511. Contact Deborah Repasz (z4golfer@yahoo.com) if you are interested in attending.
- Pine Gully Bird Survey – First Saturday of the month, 9am-11:30am
Pine Gully is located at: the address is 605 Pine Gully Rd, Seabrook, TX 77586. We meet at the picnic tables across from the fishing pier. A Seabrook Bird Survey sign will be posted at the picnic tables across from the fishing pier where parking is also available. Note that parking is free for residents of Seabrook as well as for those participating in the count. Birders of all levels are welcome. Contact Stennie Meadours for more information.
- Exporation Green Bird Survey – Second Tuesday of the month, 7am-9am
This survey is at Galveston Bay Foundation’s Exploration Green. We will meet at the parking area at 7:00am by the trail start near Diana Ln. and Reseda Dr. This park has a trail so tennis shoes would be fine for walking, unless there is an abundance of rain in which case boots may be preferred. Contact Davis Clay for more information.
- U of H Clear Lake Bird Survey – Third Tuesday of the month, 7am-9am
Meet at the UHCL Nature Trail at 7:00AM. This survey will include three different points covering three very unique habitats including Horse pen Bayou and the created wetlands at UHCL. Waterproof boots are recommended for this survey! Contact Davis Clay for more information.
- Nassau Bay Peninsula Wildlife Park Bird Survey, Fourth Tuesday of the month, 7am-9am
This 3 mile round trip trail is decomposed concrete gravel so boots are not required for walking unless it’s rainy or you go “off road”. The group meets in the parking lot at 18900 Upper Bay Rd. Houston, TX 77058. Sidewalk leads away from lot to the east. If you arrive late, just walk about 1/5th of a mile on the sidewalk along the creek to the gate which opens to peninsula path. Contact Davis Clay for more information.
- University of Houston Coastal Bird Survey, Fourth Saturday of the month, 7am-9am
The UH Coastal Center is located at: 5721 Highway 2004, La Marque, TX 77568. Please be on time so you don’t get locked out. Contact Deborah Repasz (z4golfer@yahoo.com) if you are interested in attending.
- Contact Alexis Baldera (alexis.baldera@audubon.org) if you have any questions about the TERN bird surveys
Galveston Island State Park (GISP)
- Stewardship work-days are Monday (8:30-11:30am plantings) and Thursdays (8:30-11:30am potting). Contact Brenna Ceron for more information involving stewardship activities.
- Bay Hikes – Assist/ lead visitors around the bay ecosystem. Use a seine net and demonstrate the adaptations of plants and animals native to these wetland places. Will get wet and be outdoors.
- Prairie Hikes – Assist/ lead visitors around the prairie ecosystem. Identify plants and animals native to the prairie ecosystem. Will be outdoors.
- Beach Hikes – Assist/ lead visitors around the beach ecosystem. Use a variety of nets and sifter boxes. Demonstrate the adaptations of plants and animals native to the beach ecosystem. Will get wet and be outdoors.
- Kayak tours – Lead groups of park visitors on a kayak adventure. Be able to work with all skill levels to build their confidence on the water. Identify plants and animals native to the marsh habitat on the bayside. Will get wet and be outdoors. Must attend GISP kayak guide training.
- Weekend Nature Center docents (Saturday & Sunday 10:00am-2:00pm) – Assist with the basics of park orientation, map reading, and center activities. Basic maintenance and cleaning, as needed. Indoor educational opportunities for visitors coming to the nature center.
- Contact Taylor Burley Galaviz if you have any questions or would like to get more information on any of these opportunities
Exploration Green – Trees
Meets at the Exploration Green nursery which is located at Seakale and Bay Area Blvd.
Monday mornings, 8-11: general tree nursery maintenance: weeding, up potting, etc….
We will also need volunteers to regularly check (on their own schedule) the irrigation zones on phases 2 and 3.
If anyone is interested in these events or wants to be on the mailing list for volunteers please email Susan Parker
Wetland and Stormwater Wetlands Restoration
- Meets every Thursday, usually at Exporation Green nursery which is located at the corner of Seakale and Bay Area, but the location does change
- You must RSVP
- Look for information sent via GBAC email each week
- Contact Christie Taylor for more information
Texas City Prairie Preserve (TCPP)
- Not back to full schedule.
- For more information contact Aaron Tjelmeland
San Jacinto Battle Ground (SJBG)
Thursdays (8:30 am – 11:30am) Hands on volunteer prairie restoration that includes potting and planting grasses and forbs.
- Volunteers meet by the park headquarters next to the stone columns at the entrance to the park.
- For more information contact Jim Duron.
Environmental Institute of Houston(EIH) at UHCL
- Tuesdays (9:00 am – 11:00 am) Wetland garden maintenance. Contact Wendy Reistle for more information.
Houston Zoo Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) at the Johnson Space Center
- Not back to regular schedule. For more information contact Sandy Parker.
Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD)
Second Wednesdays of the month, 8:30am -11:00am, plant propagation at 16830 Diana Lane, Houston, TX, 77058 and habitat restoration at Sylvan Rodriguez Park, 1201 Clear Lake City Blvd, Houston, TX, 77062. You must register for both activities. Please email NaturalResources@houstontx.gov to register.
Johnson Space Center/University of Houston – Clear Lake
Plastic Film Recycling (weekly Tues, Thurs, Fri.) – Our chapter’s collaboration with Johnson Space Center and University of Houston-Clear Lake to recycle flimsy plastic (a.k.a. plastic film) and earn a plastic composite bench from Trex was so successful that we plan to make this an ongoing volunteer opportunity. From April 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2022, the group collected more than 2,000 pounds of plastic film and earned 2 benches, with another on the way!
As GBAC-TMN volunteers, you can assist with this effort each week by:
- dropping off your plastic film at Carbide Park or UHCL (during normal operating hours)
- weighing plastic you’ve collected at your home and delivering it to a retail collection site
- sorting and weighing the film at Carbide (Tuesdays or Thursdays)
- picking up the film from Carbide (Tues. or Thurs.) or UHCL (Fridays) and delivering it to a retail collection site
- Participating retail collection sites in our area are Kroger & Randall’s
We ask that you sign up ahead of time at this Signup Genius link so we know the slots are covered. Please email Sandy Parker or Emily Morris if you have trouble with Signup Genius. Once you have completed your volunteer shift, please fill out the Plastic Film Weight and Delivery form at this link (your response to Question 3 will allow you to add the weights, if required).
A recorded training PowerPoint explains how to volunteer for this program and can be viewed at this Zoom link.
The Green Team committee meets via Zoom on the 3rd Tuesday each month. If you would like more information about the Green Team or would like to join us, please contact Sandy Parker (847-903-7949) or Emily Morris (832-443-3617).