Learn more about these thousands of magnificent Mexican free-tailed bats that share the city with us! Led by a “bat girl” docent, guests will enjoy an amazing view of the bats’ dusk emergence from the Waugh Drive Bridge on Buffalo Bayou.

Time: Dusk – Boat departs 30 minutes before sunset (1½ hour boat rides)

Cost: $30 per person (children under 4 are not permitted on boat tours)

Weather and water levels permitting. Reservations required.

Chimney Rock Market is an outdoor market that features local artists and farmers. Beginning on Feb. 18, 2018, are open the first Sunday of each month.

Their vendors sell mouth-watering eats and artisan gifts the whole family can enjoy. As always, four-legged friends are welcome. There will be plenty of treats for them too!

When you’re done shopping, stop in Sean Anthony Salons to browse the beautiful art gallery brought to you by Creative Energy. Art Reception is from 2pm-4pm. Meet the Artisits! Refreshments will be served.

If you are interested in becoming a vendor, please email chimneyrockmarket@yahoo.com.

Visit the Chimney Rock Market’s Facebook page.

Meet at the Nature Center for a 1/2 mile, paved trail, approximately 1.5 hours.Families with children are welcome. Leashed canine companion can also join you. Bring sturdy walking shoes, drinking water and insect repellent.

This introductory painting program will review the important skills of water coloring and give visitors a chance to create their own painting. All art supplies ready and available for use. Everyone is invited for this easy lesson, but pets must be on leash.They will meet at the day use beach, near the end of the boardwalk overlooking the beach, for spectacular views and a quick art lesson. In case of inclement weather, please check with park headquarters

**Groups larger than 15 people, please contact Ranger Lisa for a private event.

What to bring:
• Creativity or curiosity
• Binoculars (optional)
• Water
• Comfortable shoes
• Must have a park permit on vehicle windshield before joining program.

You can help the park and understand more about the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle, an endangered species that nests Galveston Island State Park. They will take a stroll down the beach and explore ways to help the environment.

They will meet at the day use picnic area and begin a short hike down the beach and through the dunes, patrolling for turtles on this easy, beach hike. Families, groups, and pets on a leash are welcome.

Where: Day use picnic area to begin
Who: Park Ranger Lisa Reznicek is inviting everyone to join

Before you can join us:
• Park entry fee paid before trip (park permit on vehicle)
• All children must be accompanied by an adult

What to expect:
• Great family fun for all ages.
• Prepared for physical activity
• Small group instruction and guide
• 1 hour program of games, activities, and short hike
• Restrooms available
• Camera-worthy shots of a great Texas beach
• NOTE: sea turtles may not be present on the beach during our event, but we need your help to look for them.

Join the monthly meeting of the Nature Cubs Club at Sheldon Lake State Park! This club is for kids and has been created by kids. Club members will have a chance to meet other nature lovers, learn about a topic, and then explore the park together.

You should bring water, bug spray, and closed toe shoes. All programs and events are FREE and meet at the Pond Center.

Lone Star Legal Aid’s Environmental Justice Team and the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ) at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cordially invite you to a FREE webinar to learn the basics about converting Brownfields to Healthfields (B2H).  Learn how Houston-based community organizations might be able to apply a disaster recovery lens to this existing EPA program (B2H) towards an equitable and just transition post-Hurricane Harvey.

Citizen Science Lunch and Learn Series Webinar that will focus on the broad topic of citizen science and education.

Topic: Using Citizen Science as an Education Tool.

This webinar will feature an overview of 3 citizen science programs with a focus on how they use citizen science as an education tool.  Four speakers will give speed talks that describe their programs and how citizen science is used to engage students.  We will also cover the following topics in the talks and/or the discussion section that follows:

• Best practices (e.g., for using citizen science to engage students, collecting high quality/usable data)
• Outcomes of the citizen science efforts on students
• Challenges they’ve had to overcome
• Validity of data collected by students and whether it is usable for research purposes

This webinar is part of the NOAA Citizen Science Lunch and Learn Webinar Series and will feature 3 speed talks on the topic of “Using Citizen Science as an Education Tool”.

The 3 talks are on:

1) LiMPETS: Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (Claire Fackler, National Education Liaison and National Volunteer Coordinator, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries): A unique youth-based citizen science program, which gives students an opportunity to conduct real scientific observations by monitoring sandy beach and rocky intertidal ecosystems along the California coast that resource managers can use for ocean conservation efforts;

2) Marine Debris Toolkit for Educators (Alyssa Nally, Program Coordinator, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries): The Toolkit provides useful marine debris resources and adapts the Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project, a robust citizen science monitoring initiative, for classroom use. This toolkit is designed to assist teachers in educating their students about marine debris and involving them in scientific monitoring, research, and community outreach; and

3) Lake Champlain Sea Grant – UVM Watershed Alliance (Ashley Eaton, Watershed and Lake Education Coordinator and Kris Stepenuck, Extension Leader): A Collaborative K-12 education program focused on increasing watershed awareness and stewardship throughout the Lake Champlain Basin and Vermont.

You can help the park and understand more about the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle, an endangered species that nests Galveston Island State Park. They will take a stroll down the beach and explore ways to help the environment.

They will meet at the day use picnic area and begin a short hike down the beach and through the dunes, patrolling for turtles on this easy, beach hike. Families, groups, and pets on a leash are welcome.

Where: Day use picnic area to begin
Who: Park Ranger Lisa Reznicek is inviting everyone to join

Before you can join us:
• Park entry fee paid before trip (park permit on vehicle)
• All children must be accompanied by an adult

What to expect:
• Great family fun for all ages.
• Prepared for physical activity
• Small group instruction and guide
• 1 hour program of games, activities, and short hike
• Restrooms available
• Camera-worthy shots of a great Texas beach
• NOTE: sea turtles may not be present on the beach during our event, but we need your help to look for them.

For the last After Dark event of the season, we’re kickin’ it country-style.

Break out your boots and get ready to two-step and line dance to our live band, or challenge your friends to a game of cornhole or horseshoes.

Plus, see who can stay on our mechanical bull for the longest ride! Some of our favorite party animals will also visit Masihara Pavilion so guests can learn more about them and the important role we all play in saving animals in the wild.

Price is reflective of online purchase and includes event entry and activities plus one drink. Online sales end at 12:00 p.m. on the day of the event. Tickets are available for $45 at the door. Additional food and beverage available for purchase.