Workdays are held once a month, October through March on the second Saturday of the month. We start work around 8:30 AM and work until about noon, when we break for lunch, provided by Houston Audubon and prepared by the lunch crew. Lunch at the picnic area of Boy Scout Woods is a good chance to visit with other volunteers and recharge from a morning of exercise and work. After lunch, we take about an hour to tie up any loose ends and clean up.

Come be a part of sanctuary maintenance, habitat restoration, and Houston Audubon’s amazing volunteer workforce. Email Pete Deichmann at pdeichmann@houstonaudubon.org for more information or to be put on the email list.

• November 10
• December 8
• January 12
• February 9
• March 9

Volunteers meet the second and fourth Thursday of every month to propagate plants from locally collected native seed. A typical workday may include seeding pots, bumping up trays into 1-gallon containers, separating seedlings, and weeding pots. They will also have special seed collecting trips, invasive species removal workdays, and planting events in restored prairies.

If you’re interested in volunteering for the Natural Resource Management Program, email kelli.ondracek@houstontx.gov or visit houstontx.gov/parks/naturalresources.html.

Katy Prairie Conservancy (KPC) is partnering with Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) to install the first 9 Natives Showcase Garden. The 9 Natives Showcase Garden will be located near the HMNS Cockrell Butterfly Center and in close proxmity to the METRORail line on San Jacinto Street. This “showcase garden,” featuring nine Texas native plants, will demonstrate how individuals can incorporate native plants in their own gardens or yards in the Houston area. Volunteers interested in assisting with the 9 Natives Showcase Garden installation are welcome to attend the event, as well as those who wish to observe how to create a garden with native plants. The address for HMNS is 5555 Hermann Park Dr. Look for KPC and Garden Club of Houston representatives near the Cockrell Butterfly Center in proximity to San Jacinto Street.

Habitat Restoration

Our volunteer group meets the second and fourth Thursday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon at the HPARD Greenhouse.

We propagate plants from locally collected native seed. A typical workday may include seeding pots, bumping up trays into 1-gallon containers, separating seedlings, and weeding pots. We will also have special seed collecting trips, invasive species removal workdays, and planting events in our restored prairies!

We are also beginning to conduct semi-annual vegetation transects and monthly bird surveys at our current and future restoration sites. If you’re good at identifying plants or birds or if you would like to learn more about them, come join us!

If you’re interested in volunteering for the NRMP, email kelli.ondracek@houstontx.gov.

The Memorial Park Conservancy has generously offered Katy Prairie Conservancy use of their greenhouse while the Native Seed Nursery at KPC’s field office in Waller is being renovated. Volunteers will help grow plants that will be used for various Katy Prairie Conservancy spring projects and for the Great Grow Out. The Memorial Park Conservancy Greenhouse is located in Memorial Park on the south side of Memorial Drive. All are welcome, no experience necessary.

Workdays are scheduled for the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

As birds, butterflies and bees become increasingly imperiled, more homeowners are creating gardens to nurture and sustain pollinators. These dynamic gardens not only support wildlife but also provide an attractive and healthy environment for people.

Master gardener and naturalist Glenn Olsen explains which wildflowers, flowering shrubs, fruit trees and even vegetables offer food and shelter for pollinators. Learn to create an outdoor oasis for yourself and for pollinating creatures. The class includes a field trip to the Rice University Betty and Jacob Friedman Holistic Garden, the Urban Pocket Prairie and the Lynn Lowery Arboretum. To register and for more details, visit glasscockcatalog.rice.edu.

Join Houston Audubon at the Edith Moore Nature Sanctuary for a morning of gardening and sanctuary maintenance. Houston Audubon’s team works 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., once a month on the 4th Saturday from September through May (3rd Saturday in November and December).  Activities include trail maintenance, filling bird feeders and baths, litter pick-up, native gardening, and invasive species removal. It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors and meet like-minded friends.

Bring water, sunscreen, bug repellent & gloves/clippers if you have them. Wear closed-toe shoes & long pants. Bring sack lunch if desired. Children of any change are welcome with their parent/chaperone. (Minimum age without a parent/chaperone is 12 years.)

All volunteers must pre-register by the Wednesday before workday with Bethany Foshée (713-932-1639).

Join the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory for their second annual Brew on the Bayou. Come sample and enjoy specialty brews from local breweries as well as wines. Listen to live music, grab a bite to eat from local food trucks and check out some hot items during their silent auction.

Tickets are $20/person in advance – call 979-480-0999. Tickets will cost $25 at the door. ID required at door for alcohol drinking.

GCBO is seeking donations for their silent auction and volunteers to help run Brew.

• March 22nd — GCBO needs your help to set up, starting at 9 a.m. until about 2 p.m. Coffee and donuts in the morning and pizza lunch will be served.
• March 23rd — Volunteer hours will be from 3-9 p.m. Food truck meal vouchers and soft drinks / water will be provided.

Contact Tricia Patton, information provided above, or Martin Hagne.

A series of 4 classes