Calendar

Nov
8
Thu
HPARD’s Greenhouse Workday @ Memorial Park Greenhouse
Nov 8 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

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.

Nov
10
Sat
High Island Workdays @ High Island
Nov 10 @ 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

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

Nov
12
Mon
Blackwood Farm School
Nov 12 @ 8:30 am – 2:00 pm

Beginning this Fall: Blackwood Farm School

Blackwood Farm School, begins this September for Middle School students (Grades 6 – 8th).
Farm School is designed to provide students an in-depth, hands-on look into how a farm operates. In a day, they will live the full cycle of basic agro-ecology and learn the value of preparing wholesome food. Students will leave with a strong work ethic, empowered to utilize their new skills to model the indispensable role of restorative food systems in daily life. Lessons include soil science, culinary techniques, seasonal planting, carpentry, harvesting, and so much more!
2018 Fall Session Dates
September 17th
October 15th
November 12th

Nov
15
Thu
HPARD’s Native Plant Propagation Workdays @ HPARD Greenhouse
Nov 15 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Image result for Houston Parks & Recreation Department logo

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.

Nov
17
Sat
Community Workdays @ Edith L. Moore Natural Sanctuary_
Nov 17 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

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).

Urban Harvest’s Edible Landscapes @ The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moran Conference Room
Nov 17 @ 9:30 am – 11:30 am

In making the most of small spaces, it’s a good idea to think about an edible landscape. This class will discuss the basics of good landscape design based on sound gardening principles and aesthetic beauty.

Ticket includes instruction by Angela Chandler on how to design the basic components of the garden space and how to accomplish much of this through the use of food plants – from traditional vegetable crops to edible flowers, fruit trees and more. Class ticket may be used to tour museum permanent exhibits.

Nov
22
Thu
HPARD’s Greenhouse Workday @ Memorial Park Greenhouse
Nov 22 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

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.

Nov
29
Thu
HPARD’s Native Plant Propagation Workdays @ HPARD Greenhouse
Nov 29 @ 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Image result for Houston Parks & Recreation Department logo

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.

Dec
8
Sat
High Island Workdays @ High Island
Dec 8 @ 8:30 am – 12:00 pm

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

Urban Harvest’s Insectary Gardens @ Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moran Conference Room
Dec 8 @ 9:30 am – 11:30 am

Insectaries are fascinating gardens – in bloom much of the time, and alive with some of nature’s most interesting creatures. Organic gardeners depend on beneficial insects as one of many front-line defenses against pest species. Yet how do we invite them to choose our gardens as their home and hunting ground? Beneficials are attracted to a specific ecosystem that provides food and habitat and supports their reproduction.

Learn to create pocket insectaries that include all of the plants and amenities required to attract beneficials and keep them in your garden. You can create a pocket insectary in a container and move it anywhere you see a pest problem arising.

Class ticket may be used to tour museum permanent exhibits.