In honor of Houston Audubon’s 50th anniversary, they’re hosting the first-ever Houston Bird Week! Equal parts fun, education, and celebration, experience firsthand the important role Houston plays in the journey of billions of migratory birds, and the everyday life of our urban-dwelling birds. Led by Houston Audubon’s Young Professionals Advisory Council in collaboration with local conservation partners, they have a flock of fun planned for all.

Don’t miss their kickoff party, where we’ll be unveiling the official Bird Beer in collaboration with Bakfish Brewing Co and announcing the Bird of Houston! From pop-up birding stations to park clean-ups and bioblitzes, your participation and excitement will help them continue to be a welcoming home for Houston’s birds. They’ll end the week with a Birthday Bash to celebrate Houston Audubon’s 50th anniversary and the conclusion of Bird Week, so mark your calendars for a week of fun!

Let’s get chirping on social media. Use #HoustonBirdWeek to share your excitement!

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.

Bring your little ones to listen to a story every Friday morning in the McGovern Centennial Garden’s Family Garden. After the reading, children are invited to participate in a fun activity like coloring a picture or planting a seed to take home. For more information, visit hermannpark.org.

Meet count leader Jason Bonilla in the parking lot of Woodland Park. Please note that the park does not have a maintained trail system. As such, there is a lot of poison ivy that is somewhat unavoidable when walking the park and looking for birds. Additionally, there are terrain changes and unstable areas. Participants should wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. They usually meet on the fourth Saturday of the month.

Please join the Houston Chapter of Native Prairies Association of Texas for their Fall Wildflower Day to enjoy the fall blooms and wildlife at the Lawther-Deer Park Prairie Preserve.

See prairie plants that you can use in your garden to attract pollinators, learn seed collecting techniques and take some Deer Park Prairie seeds home. Experience the beauty of insects through Chuck Duplant’s photos at tinyurl.com/CDuplant; then come and learn about them from him in person.  Bring your camera or smartphone to take photos of plants and animals that you see and post on the Deer Park Prairie Project on Naturalist.org.  Activities include:

● Bird Survey (tentative)
● Insect Net Sweeping – by Chuck DuPlant at the Insect Popup Tent
● Wildflower Walk – learn plant identification techniques, including taking photos
● Seed Collecting / Prairie History walk
● Complimentary lunch

Since lunch will be provided, RSVP IS REQUIRED, at https://tinyurl.com/DPP190928, so they can have a food count.

Celebrate the great outdoors and get back to nature at this family-friendly event. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department provides hands-on activities, booths and information about natural resources in Houston.

At a time when people in big cities are becoming increasingly disconnected from the world of nature and the outdoors, this has hands-on activities,and opportunities to engage audiences who haven’t ever or don’t often get exposure to the great outdoors.

There will also be two educational demonstrations of live hawks and other raptors in flight by master falconer John Karger of “Last Chance Forever – the Bird of Prey Conservancy.” Flying demonstrations will be at 11am & 1pm.

Learn about the animals of Armand Bayou and the habitats they live in. Demonstrations vary from week to week: mammals, birds and reptiles.

Join us for this important Environmental Forum to discuss topics that are focused on the City of Houston.  You are encouraged to bike or travel electrically by taking the Green Line to the Coffee Plant/Second Ward light rail station. The house is one block away at 317 Sampson Street.  Please bring your own chair and reusable water bottle.

The event is sponsored by 350.org Houston, Citizens Climate Lobby Houston, Energy & Environmental Democrats, Environment Texas, Houston Climate Movement, and Houston Renewable Energy Group.  #oursharedhouston