Calendar
2018 Update on Nesting Shorebirds in Galveston County presented by Kristen Vale of American Bird Conservancy
The Galveston County Audubon Group (GCAG) of the Houston Audubon Society hold monthly meetings jointly with the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council (GINTC). The meetings are held in the Wortham Auditorium on the first floor at the Rosenberg Library, 7 – 8 p.m. They welcome guests to come early at 6:30 p.m. to visit with other birders about their recent outings and sightings before the meeting. Membership is free and meetings and field trips are open to the public. Membership in Houston Audubon Society is encouraged but is not required.
Texas City Dike Field Trip: Saturday, November 17: 8:30 a.m. – Noon
Meet at the Texas City Dike Pavilion parking lot.

RSVP by emailing cypresstop@pct3.com or calling (281) 357-5324 to be added to the wait list.
- Must be at least 50 years of age to participate.
- You may only sign up yourself and/or plus one (friend/spouse). No multiple reservations.
- A confirmation email will be sent a week before the trip.
Trip to Tour Old Victoria and To Visit the Victoria County Courthouse
Date: September 21, 2018
Time: TBA
Trip to New Braunfels to Tour the Comal County Courthouse and Gruene Historic District
Date: October 26, 2018
Time: TBA
Trip to the Sam Houston Home and Museum in Huntsville and the Fanthorp Inn in Anderson
Date: November 16, 2018
Time: TBA
Trip on December 14, 2018: TBA
For more future trips or information, visit pct3.com.

Register online at www.houstonaudubon.org or contact Juanita Perkins at jperkins@houstonaudubon.org
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.
Comes with a field trip for Saturday, December 1, 7:30am-4:00pm
Member cost: $75
Non-member cost:$90
The Houston Zoo has extremely generously donated the use of the Brown Education Center for the annual HNPAT & CPP (Coastal Prairie Partnership) Prairie Stampede – the Awards Potluck. More information, including a signup sheet for the potluck, will be coming about this event. Some of the awards to be presented are:
Dick Benoit Upper Texas Coast Prairie Award – This award recognizes someone from the Upper Texas Coast area, oftentimes Greater Houston, who is contributing to coastal prairie conservation, education, etc. This award is for recent work not a career of achievement. This award is voted on by the general public. Send nominations to prairiepartner@gmail.com.
Prairie Excellence Award – This award recognizes career achievement in coastal prairie conservation. This award is selected by the CPP Board. The CPP board will gladly take suggestions for this award. Send suggestions to prairiepartner@gmail.com.
Please plan to arrive at 6 p.m. to avoid full parking.

Register online at www.houstonaudubon.org or contact Juanita Perkins at jperkins@houstonaudubon.org
In this class we will focus on the many species who winter in our region, including raptors, waterbirds, sparrows, and other land birds.
Comes with a field trip for Saturday, December 15, 7:30am-4:00pm
Member cost: $75
Non-member cost:$90
Applications are being accepted for the Ruder Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, a national design award celebrating transformative places that contribute to the economic, environmental, and social vitality of American cities. One Gold Medal ($50,000 cash award) and four Silver Medals ($10,000 cash award) are awarded each biennial. To be eligible, projects must be urban, built, and located within the contiguous United States. Applications may be submitted by anyone involved with the project. The deadline to submit applications is Dec. 12, 2018.

RSVP by emailing cypresstop@pct3.com or calling (281) 357-5324 to be added to the wait list.
- Must be at least 50 years of age to participate.
- You may only sign up yourself and/or plus one (friend/spouse). No multiple reservations.
- A confirmation email will be sent a week before the trip.
Trip to Tour Old Victoria and To Visit the Victoria County Courthouse
Date: September 21, 2018
Time: TBA
Trip to New Braunfels to Tour the Comal County Courthouse and Gruene Historic District
Date: October 26, 2018
Time: TBA
Trip to the Sam Houston Home and Museum in Huntsville and the Fanthorp Inn in Anderson
Date: November 16, 2018
Time: TBA
Trip on December 14, 2018: TBA
For more future trips or information, visit pct3.com.
Presentation:Â The Upper Texas Gulf Coast provides a variety of habitats that attract winter waterfowl and other water birds such as loons and grebes, making it a wonderful birding destination during the fall and winter months. Identification of these birds can be somewhat tricky, however. This interactive presentation will cover the different family groups and provide information about behavior, habitat, and plumage that can aid in identification. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and everyone is encouraged to come early to share about recent outings and sightings.
Field Trip: Jan. 19, 2019, 8:30 a.m. – Noon, @Â Moody Gardens south Aquarium Parking lot, 1 Hope Blvd
Meet at Moody Gardens as a starting point and give everyone the game plan for the trip. Attendees can consolidate into carpools. Narration broadcast will be available on an FM radio channel for caravan options.
There will be a mandatory judging webinar that will take place on Feb. 20, 2019 at 12:30pm. If judges are unable to make this webinar, it will be recorded and judges will need to watch it before judging takes place. Governor’s Community Achievement Awards and Keep Texas Beautiful Awards judging will take place Thursday, Feb. 28 and Friday, Mar. 1, 2019 in Austin, TX. Lunch will be provided on both days of judging. The date for judging Youth Awards is still being determined. The deadline to submit your application for consideration is Jan. 18, 2019. Â
Each year, the prestigious Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Award recognizes members in the community who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to aiding in the conservation, preservation, restoration and/or advocacy of Houston’s waterways. Nominees can be from the nonprofit, public or private sectors. Please submit nominations by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2019. Submit the nomination information in the body of an email, or as an attachment, or by fax. Email to info@bayoupreservation.org, or fax to 713-529-6481.