Calendar
Secretive and challenging to identify are what make this group of birds Fun. The Upper Texas Coast is a great place to see wintering sparrows. Learn the key principles of identification that will enable you to separate the 17 different species that are possible. After this class you will no longer call sparrows little brown birds, you will recognize them as sparrows.
Class: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 (7:00-8:45 PM)
Classroom sessions are normally held in the administration building which is the brick building you first come to on the gravel drive as you enter the sanctuary. On a rare occasion we meet in the log cabin, which is the second building.
Reserve online
Field Trip: Saturday, February 24, 2018 (7:30 AM – 3:30 PM)
Field trip locations: We will review all the details for the field trip in class. The instructor will be checking for bird activity the week of the class to maximize our opportunity to see birds. You will be provided info by email on what to bring and complete driving directions to our meeting location a few days before the field trip.
Plant It Forward farms are selling fresh produces directly on-the-farm at their neighborhood Farm Stands. You can stop by during Farm Stand hours to buy freshly harvested produce from your friendly neighborhood farmer.
If you’d like to stop by and see one of their farms, Plant It Forward recommends that you visit during Farm Stand hours and meet one of their farmers.
SNAP, credit, and debit accepted!
PLANT IT FORWARD WAREHOUSE
4030 Willowbend Blvd, Houston TX 77025
Tuesdays 3:30-5:30pm
For more information, visit plant-it-forward.org.
The Rice Farmers Market is open every Tuesday, rain or shine, from 3:30 PM until 6:30 PM at Entrance 13B off of 5600 Greenbriar Dr. Parking is free. The Rice University Farmers Market supports activities, goods and services that promote community education about the benefits of eating fresh, locally produced food. No cash? Not a problem. The market has tokens that can be purchased with a check and used for purchases with our vendors. If you would like to become a vendor, please check out their Rice Farmers Market Rules and Rice Farmers Market Online Application.
Parents, bring the kids and enjoy the sights and sounds of Pundt Park after dark. Come look for clues about what lives in the forest. All ages invited!
Pundt Park is a 380-acre park featuring a dog park, primitive canoe launch, playground, picnic loop with ten tables and two pavilions, bicycle racks, rest rooms, separate equestrian and multiuse trails, and two lakes* that are perfect for fishing. Pundt Park is part of the Spring Creek Greenway, and has a nearly 10-mile trail that connects the park with Stahl Preserve and Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center.
*Swimming, boats, canoes, and kayaks are not permitted in lakes or ponds.
Classroom location: Houston Audubon’s Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. 440 Wilchester Blvd., Houston, TX 77079. Telephone: 713-932-1639
Classroom sessions are normally held in the administration building which is the brick building you first come to on the gravel drive as you enter the sanctuary. On a rare occasion we meet in the log cabin, which is the second building.
Field trip locations: We will review all the details for the field trip in class. The instructor will be checking for bird activity the week of the class to maximize our opportunity to see birds. You will be provided info by email on what to bring and complete driving directions to our meeting location a few days before the field trip.
Sparrows: February 20-24, 2018
Secretive and challenging to identify are what make this group of birds Fun. The Upper Texas Coast is a great place to see wintering sparrows. Learn the key principles of identification that will enable you to separate the 17 different species that are possible. After this class you will no longer call sparrows little brown birds, you will recognize them as sparrows.
Class: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 (7:00-8:45 PM)
Field Trip: Saturday, February 24, 2018 (7:30 AM – 3:30 PM)
Shorebirds: March 27-31, 2018
Shorebirds are an elegant and beautiful group of birds that grace our shores, marshes, and fields. The upper coast is one of the best places in North America to enjoy and learn about Shorebirds. Some species are seen primarily in migration, some primarily during winter and others we have throughout the year. Join us to learn how to simplify the identification of shorebirds. Through an organized and systematic approach to identification, you will soon learn to recognize most of the shorebirds. For the peeps, well that takes a little more time and practice but we will get you on the right path to learn these small, challenging and beautiful shorebirds also. This class is open to all levels of birders and photographers.
Class: Tuesday, March 27, 2018 (7:00-8:45 PM)
Field Trip: Saturday, March 31, 2018 (7:30 AM – 3:30 PM)
Warblers & Songbirds: April 3-7, 2018
People come from all over the world to the Houston Audubon High Island Sanctuaries to experience the migration and arrival of the “jewels” of the bird world. Learn about the remarkable migration journey of these small and beautiful birds. Learn the principles to identify the 37 different species of warblers that are possible to see in our area as well as other spring migrant songbirds. This class is open to all levels of birders and photographers.
Class: Tuesday, April 3, 2018 (7:00-8:45 PM)
Field Trip: Saturday, April 7, 2018 (7:30 AM – 3:30 PM)
Glenn Olsen
INSTRUCTOR
Glenn Olsen leads natural history and birding tours with GOBirding Ecotours and teaches bird identification, gardening for birds and butterflies, and nature-related classes through Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, Houston Audubon, Katy Prairie Conservancy, and the Texas Master Naturalist program. He has served on the Houston Audubon Board as Vice President of Education and also served as an Audubon Warden monitoring colonial nesting birds in Rockport, TX. He is currently Region 8 Director for the Texas Ornithological Society. Two of his many other efforts towards conservation include monitoring endangered Attwater’s Prairie Chickens at the Nature Conservancy’s Texas City Preserve and co-founding the Wildscapes Workshop through the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) where he served as president of both the Houston Chapter and the State NPSOT. He has led field trips and/or given programs for meetings of the Texas Ornithological Society, Houston Audubon, Houston Arboretum, the Native Plant Society of Texas, Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival, Rockport Hummer/Bird Festival, Galveston FeatherFest, and other groups and festivals. Glenn has led trips to such exotic locales as Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands, Amazon Rainforest, Costa Rica and the hottest birding locations in the U.S.
At this year’s SSPEED Center conference: “Urban Flooding & Infrastructure: Moving Forward from Harvey†top experts in the field will discuss Houston after Harvey, Communicating Flood Risk, Flood Prediction and Modeling, and Addicks/Barker Reservoirs. There will also be sessions on Land Use, Green Infrastructure and Climate Change, Economic Policies for the Future, Financial and Insurance Issues. The conference registration fee includes handout materials, drinks, snacks, lunch and a reception. For more information and to register, visit signup.rice.edu/Harvey.
All About Central City Co-Op
In September 2001, Jennifer Georgantas and Pat Greer dreamed of a community of people joining together each week around healthy, earth-friendly food. This dream became a reality 15 years ago with the founding of Central City Co-Op, Houston’s very first organic co-op.
Organic Produce, Organic Community
Our mission is to support sustainable, chemical free farming practices through offering both 1) sustainably raised local and 2) certified USDA organic national produce and farm goods to our community at the fairest prices possible.
Everything we carry on our shelves and stock in our shares is either locally, sustainably grown by farmers we know or is nationally-certified USDA organic. Both are great options for you and for our planet!
Central City Co-Op also provides a space for individuals to come together as a community. We support every member of our community in their journey to learn more about where their food comes from, how it’s produced, and how the local economy is impacted by food choices.
A bit more…
Visit us in every Wednesday inside Kindred Church at 2515 Waugh Drive. Take a tour with a volunteer to see us first hand!
Shop with us in our open market on Wednesday, or pre-order a share on our online store (by 6 pm Sundays for Wednesday pickup).
Non-members can pre-order their first share in person on Wednesday with the members-only 10% discount (one time only). After that, individuals must become a member to receive the discount.
Learn even more about Central City Co-Op in our FAQs.
Meet in the outdoor classroom near the Nature Center for a one-hour beginner
class with JJPV member and instructor Doug Ebeling.
Programs are for all ages unless otherwise noted.
All Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center programs and events are free of charge unless otherwise noted and open to the public regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, physical ability, national origin, or religion. Anyone requiring special assistance to participate in these programs should contact the nature center. Programs meet at the Nature Center unless otherwise noted. Solid shoes are recommended for all walks. Call 281-446-8588 for more information.
Looking for a place to get your children outdoors? ABNC’s EcoClasses will allow your child to explore, discover and observe (STEM). Join them for some great nature experiences! Check out their website at abnc.org for details or call 713-274-2668 to reserve your spot.
EcoTots are for children 18-36 months with an adult every Friday.
EcoKids are for children ages 3-6 every Wednesday and Friday.
EcoSchoolers are for homeschool children ages 7-10 every Wednesday and Friday.  EcoAdventurers are for children ages 11-14 every Wednesday.
Please bring a Snack, Refillable Water Bottle, mask, closed toe shoes and dress for the weather.
The public can enjoy a variety of locally prepared ready-to-eat or packaged to-go foods, pick up farm-fresh weekly groceries and at the same time support sustainable food, all amidst Houston’s dramatic downtown urban setting.  The City Hall Farmers Market features more than 30 vendors (located along both sides of City Hall’s reflection pool), including local fresh produce grown by local farmers, cheeses, breads, roasted coffees, and a variety of prepared meals, as well as food trucks.
Downtown dwellers and employees are encouraged to walk, take Greenlink (the downtown shuttle) or ride a bike via Houston Bike Share. Garage Parking is located at 400 Rusk or metered street parking is available. Note the market is discontinued during the hottest summer, so please check the website for operating dates.