Events
Marsh Mania
GBF's Marsh Mania is the nationally-recognized, signature community-based wetlands restoration and education event of the Galveston Bay area. The goal of Marsh Mania is to involve local citizens in hands-on wetlands restoration activities while increasing their awareness and appreciation of wetland habitats and functions. The first Marsh Mania was held in 1999, that year known as "Marsh Bash." This one-day event set a national record when 1,500 volunteers planted nearly 70,000 stems of smooth cordgrass to create 14.5 acres of new habitat at eight sites around the bay. In the nine years since it began, Marsh Mania has involved more than four thousand seven hundred (4,700) community volunteers in the restoration of one hundred and seven (107) acres of vital wetlands at forty-one (41) coastal sites around Galveston Bay.
Terry Duncan, long-time
GBF volunteer and former
employee, reports for duty
at Marsh Mania 2006.
Marsh Mania 2008
GBF members and volunteers joined efforts to celebrate 10 years of Marsh Mania this Spring. The first of two 2008 Marsh Mania days was held on Saturday, April 26. In spite of wet weather, 181 volunteers came out to work at Pierce Marsh, North Deer Island and Clear Creek. The industrious crew successfully planted more than 112 eighteen-gallon buckets of smooth cordgrass. On Saturday, May 31, volunteers gathered at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Armand Bayou Nature Center, Chocolate Bay, and Texas City Prairie Preserve for the second Marsh Mania of 2008. Ideal weather and over 300 enthuastic volunteers made this event one of the most successful Marsh Mania days to date!
Marsh Mania volunteers at North Deer Island (left) and Pierce Marsh (right) on April 26.
Marsh Mania volunteers at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge on May 31.
Special Thanks to our Habitat Hero, Wetland Wrangler,
Marsh Maverick, and Acreage Amigo Sponsors!
Belaire Environmental, Inc. Benchmark Ecological Services, Inc. ENSR/AECOM Texas Petrochemicals
