Search Results

Galveston Bay Foundation protects 106 Acres on Dollar Bay in Texas City (Kemah, TX – December 17, 2020) This week, Galveston Bay Foundation acquired 106 acres in Galveston County as part of its continued effort to protect coastal habitat through property acquisitions and conservation easements. The newly conserved property is directly adjacent to a planned marsh restoration site on Dollar Bay. Preserving the property will preserve a buffer next to the wetland restoration area and conserve native coastal grasslands and wetlands that support resident and migratory wildlife and fisheries species common to the area. It will now enhance the conservation benefit to the area by protecting native prairie habitat, mima mounds, and coastal wetlands. Galveston Bay Foundation partnered with the landowners Byron and Holly Davis to protect the land. The Davis family initially planned to develop the property as residential canal subdivision but learned over time of the property’s value for conservation. “Once we understood the uniqueness of the property, we began to imagine a new vision for the land, a vision that will be shared for many generations under the leadership and conservancy of The Galveston Bay Foundation,” said Byron Davis. After completing the purchase, Galveston Bay Foundation transferred the property to the City of Texas City and placed a conservation easement on the tract that will perpetually protect the land and restrict future land uses. Galveston Bay Foundation will retain a management role and lead stewardship and restoration efforts that will enhance the habitat on the property. Funding for the acquisition was provided primarily by a Gulf of Mexico Energy Securities Act (GOMESA) grant administered by the General Land Office as part of the Coastal Management Program. Additional support for this effort was also provided by the Brown Foundation and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program through the Conservation Assistance Program. Since its establishment in 1987, Galveston Bay Foundation has conserved more than 8,000 acres of coastal habitat through property acquisitions and conservation easements. The Foundation is a member of the Land Trust Alliance (LTA) and was accredited by the Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission in 2013 and re-accredited in 2019. The Foundation is also a participating member of the Texas Land Trust Council (TLTC). Galveston Bay Foundation continues to actively expand its land conservation efforts within the Galveston Bay Watershed, focusing on protecting a wide range of habitats and land uses including freshwater and estuarine wetlands, tallgrass prairies, coastal forests, and various agricultural lands. Conservation easements are an excellent tool for private landowners who wish to conserve natural resources on their land in perpetuity, but also wish to retain ownership of the land to enjoy and pass on to future generations. Learn more about Galveston Bay Foundation’s land conservation efforts. Download High-Resolution Photo Download High-Resolution Photo Property Map 1 Property Map 2 About the Galveston Bay Foundation Established in 1987, the Galveston Bay Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to preserve and enhance Galveston Bay as a healthy and productive place for generations to come. It implements diverse programs in land preservation, habitat restoration, water quality and quantity, youth education, and advocacy. ###

By Cindy Wilems, Director of Education Have you ever been inspired by a group of teenagers? I was recently when The Kinkaid School’s marine science classes joined Galveston Bay Foundation educators for part 2 of our Environmental Leadership virtual workshop. This workshop is a two-part series in which students learn how to be leaders for the environment, research local issues in their watershed by investigating the Galveston Bay Report Card website, and then create action plans to help solve local environmental issues. To give you a little more background, the Houston region is made of 22 watersheds that are all part of the larger Galveston Bay watershed, which drains into Galveston Bay. Whatever happens in these sub-watersheds, either good or bad, will affect the Bay in some fashion. The goal of this workshop is to have students identify environmental issues in their own community and find real, tangible, solutions. Solutions that they can actually implement during the school year. Oftentimes we think of environmental solutions being someone else’s job or something that we aren’t equipped to do.  This workshop aims to defeat that notion, proving to students that they can make a difference in their community. Kinkaid students researched and worked on their action plans for two weeks prior to presenting to their teachers (Sarah Shea & Tatum Branaman), peers, and Galveston Bay Foundation educators. When the presentation day arrived, we were all anxious, excited, and a little nervous. This was the first time we’ve done this workshop virtually and the students were all working from home as well. The workshop could be a hit or a flop – we wouldn’t know until the presentations started! Fortunately, it worked out perfectly and the students went above and beyond our original concept! We were completely blown away by the thoughtfulness, thoroughness, and creativity that came from these students. They not only came up with plans but already started implementing them. The work that each group accomplished is highlighted below. We look forward to checking back in with Kinkaid at the end of the school year to see how their plans turned out. If you’re interested in participating in the Environmental Leadership virtual workshop or any of our other virtual workshops, check them out here . We can host schools, homeschool groups, scouts, youth groups, and more. Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.   Group plans (in no particular order)

Visit savethebay.causevox.com to Save the Bay this holiday season!

Join us on November 19 at 6:00pm for a public forum to discuss the proposed Coastal Barrier project. Co-hosted by Bayou City Waterkeeper, Galveston Bay Foundation, Healthy Gulf, and Turtle Island Restoration Network. Please Register Via Zoom Here

Galveston Bay Foundation continues its Land Conservation Efforts with Acquisition of Flo Hannah Prairie in Brazoria County (Houston, TX – July 8, 2020) Last week, the Galveston Bay Foundation acquired 79 acres of remnant coastal prairie in Brazoria County, as part of its continued effort to conserve coastal habitat through property acquisitions and conservation easements. Conserved land provides clean water, recreational opportunities, scenic beauty, a refuge for wildlife, and a host of other benefits. “The Texas Coast was once home to an estimated 6 million acres of coastal prairie. Today, less than one percent of that coastal prairie remains in a relatively pristine condition,” said Bob Stokes, Galveston Bay Foundation’s president. “At this point, every acre of conserved remnant prairie in our region is important. In terms of its biological value, Flo Hannah Prairie has been compared to Nash Prairie, another large remnant coastal prairie that has been conserved, so we are excited to be able to preserve this Texas coast treasure for generations to come.” A remnant prairie is defined as an isolated prairie site with original vegetation, very little if any non-native species and undisturbed topographic features. Strategically located off County Road 213, north of the Brazoria National Wildlife Reserve, the acquisition site is adjacent to a 35-acre tract that The Galveston Bay Foundation previously acquired in 2019 — for a total of 114 acres that have now been preserved in the area. The site will be named the “Flo Hannah Prairie” after Flo Hannah, a Galveston native and a renowned conservationist and prairie enthusiast, who passed away from cancer in 2018. A steward for the environment and the Upper Texas Gulf Coast, Hannah was passionate about native grasses and did meaningful work in native prairie plant restoration through her role at Houston Audubon Society, her own nursery of Gulf Coast Prairie plants, and her involvement with several local nature conservancies. Among her many contributions, she was involved in preserving the Deer Park Prairie and Nash Prairie — two other important remnant prairie tracts that have been conserved in the Houston region in recent years. The Galveston Bay Foundation intends to have a dedication ceremony of the Flo Hannah Prairie this fall. “Mom was so quiet about her achievements and accomplishments in prairie restoration and stewardship, and she would have been overwhelmingly humbled by this honor,” said Emily Coulter, daughter of the late Flo Hannah, speaking on behalf of herself and her sisters. “She always did what she did for prairie restoration and protection for the greater community, not for the recognition. The Galveston Bay Foundation has made such an incredible effort, and we hope we speak for all of her family, friends, and colleagues when we say thank you for honoring her. She felt so passionately about prairies - far more than any possessions. This is a perfect gift to the community as a whole, and it is a gift that will keep on giving for years to come. Thank you!” Funding for the acquisition was provided primarily by the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant. Private funds from friends and family of Flo Hannah, as well as the Hershey Foundation, Houston Audubon Society, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and several other private donors have supported the effort. Additional support for this effort was also provided by the Galveston Bay Estuary Program through a Conservation Assistance Program grant. Since its establishment in 1987, Galveston Bay Foundation has conserved more than 8,000 acres of coastal habitat through property acquisitions and conservation easements and plans to add another 4,600 acres of before the end of 2020. The Foundation is a member of the Land Trust Alliance (LTA) and was accredited by the Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission in 2013 and re-accredited in 2019. The Foundation is also a participating member of the Texas Land Trust Council (TLTC). The Foundation continues to actively expand its land conservation efforts within the Galveston Bay Watershed, focusing on protecting a wide range of habitats and land uses including freshwater and estuarine wetlands, tallgrass prairies, coastal forests, and various agricultural lands. Conservation easements are an excellent tool for private landowners who wish to conserve natural resources on their land in perpetuity, but also wish to retain ownership of the land to enjoy and pass on to future generations. Learn more about the Foundation’s land conservation efforts and conservation easements at: https://galvbay.org/how-we-protect-the-bay/on-the-ground/land-conservation/

Virtual Bay Day Festival 2020! We hosted Bay Day Festival virtually this year on our website and Facebook page on May 16th from 11:00am - 4:15pm! In case you missed it, you can still access presenter videos here. Presenters provided educational videos of their exciting exhibits and participants will learn about the importance of Galveston Bay in our everyday lives. We have a variety of videos that include Bay animals, interactive games and more! The Lineup: 11am - 12pm Welcome to Bay Day Festival 2020! Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center | Blue Crabs Elequa | Safe Drinking Water Back the Bay | Galveston Bay Video: All About Galveston Bay MD Anderson Cancer Center | Sponsor Spot Video: What makes MD Anderson a place of hope for cancer treatment Armand Bayou Nature Center | Terrapins and Sea Turtles Galveston Bay Foundation | Oysters 12pm - 1pm Citizens Environmental Coalition | Youth Environmental Education Moody Gardens | Kemps Ridley Sea Turtles Laurel Sullivan Gold Award Girl Scout Project | Plastic Pollution Exploration Green and Urban Land Institute | Green Space Wildlife Revealed | Birds of Prey Wildlife Revealed's YouTube Channel 1pm - 2pm Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center | Treating Injured Wildlife Baytown Nature Center | Nature Hike Kemah Aquarium | Snakes Native Prairies Association of Texas | Wonders of Insects Green Mountain Energy | Sun Club Galveston Bay Foundation | Recycle, Compost, or Trash? 2pm - 3pm Houston Zoo | Texas Wetlands Sea Center Texas | Touch Tank Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network | Marine Mammal Rescue Consulate General of Canada | International Migratory Birds Texas A&M Sea Camp | Sea Camp Program Texas Snakes and More | Snakes! Ball High School | Get Hip To Habitat Program Gulf Coast Bird Observatory | Local Birds Miss Earth USA | Coastal Restoration & Sustainability Oppe Elementary | Protecting the Bay Galveston Bay Foundation | Eco-Storytime Bayou City Waterkeeper | Urban Bayous & Watershed Habitat Jaime | How to Make a Bug Catcher Special Thank You To Our Event Sponsors Who Made Bay Day Festival 2020 Possible:

During this 2020 Volunteer Appreciation Week, I want to reflect on the powerful, amazing work that volunteers have done, and continue to do, for Galveston Bay. Galveston Bay is one of the largest and most productive estuaries in the United States. The Bay faces many challenges such as loss of coastal habitat, reduction in wildlife populations, and insufficient freshwater inflows. At Galveston Bay Foundation, we work to preserve and protect Galveston Bay on the upper Texas coast through programs in land conservation, habitat restoration, environmental education and outreach, advocacy and research. In order to increase public awareness about Galveston Bay and combat issues it faces, we developed and implemented hands-on volunteer events and programs. Marsh Mania, one of our signature community-based restoration events, began in 1999 when a national record was set for a number of volunteers involved in a single-day marsh restoration event. Since then, more than 8,000 Galveston Bay Foundation volunteers have restored over 215 acres of marsh habitat in Galveston Bay. That is the equivalent of 165 NFL football fields! Every year, thousands of volunteers help us complete marsh restoration projects, marine debris cleanup events, oyster reef restoration, land stewardship workdays, water quality monitoring, bottlenose dolphin research, environmental education, and the list goes one. In the year 2019 alone, over 2,600 volunteers donated over 11,700 hours of their time to help the Bay.  We could not succeed in preserving and enhancing Galveston Bay without our valued, hard-working, and dedicated volunteers. During this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, we truly miss our volunteers. Though we continue to work as a staff to address the issues that Galveston Bay faces, it is just not the same without our volunteers. We are grateful for the volunteers who have helped with tasks like video editing, as we work to bring the Bay to you virtually, and the Water Monitors who are still actively and individually collecting water samples when and where they safely can. I look forward to the day that we can safely get back to protecting the Bay, together.  For now, we have a virtual Bay Day Festival to look forward to on May 16th! I hope you are safe and well and that you can join us. Sincerely, Emily Ford Community Programs Manager & Chief Safety Officer

Virtual Earth Day Celebration Galveston Bay Foundation hosted a live virtual event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2020. From learning about microplastics in the Bay to our staff's Earth Day resolutions, check out the videos below for the full Earth Day experience. Miss Earth USA Kickoff Nurdle Nick Sustainable Sasha Bay Bob Staff Earth Day Resolutions

EARTH DAY WITH SUSTAINABLE SASHA Sustainable Sasha here! One of the biggest threats to Galveston Bay is pollution, including everyday sources of litter and trash. The Bay starts in all our backyards. Its watershed extends all the way from Dallas to Galveston. Litter and car oil leaks in our neighborhoods get washed into storm drains when it rains or pieces of trash get carried by the wind into streams and rivers, and all this ends up in the Bay. Trash and pollution in Galveston Bay and connected waterways are dangerous to animals that live, nest, or eat there. Dolphins, turtles, and birds can easily get tangled in fishing line or plastic bags and accidentally eat plastic, which can damage their stomachs. Fish can eat tiny plastics too, which is bad for them and can also end up being part of our dinner if we like to fish. In this blog, I'll walk you through tips on reusing products and recycling. REUSE An easy way to start being more sustainable is to try to replace things you only use once with reusable versions! Reusable versions of common single-use items end up saving you money and shopping time too. Some things I’ve had trouble with is forgetting my reusable grocery bags at home. Then I realized I can just bring my groceries straight to my car in the shopping cart and use my bags or a box to bring them in the house once I get home. Something else I’ve been working on, when ordering take-out over the phone or on an app, is requesting they do not include plasticware. It saves your favorite restaurant money too! When it comes to reusable and sustainable items, look for glass, stainless steel, tin, silicone (mainly made of sand), bamboo, hemp, organic cotton, or wool. For new products, I love to shop locally and support small businesses, but I know everyone’s needs, budgets, and accessibility vary. If you do shop on Amazon for more sustainable products, you can still make a difference by choosing Galveston Bay Foundation  as your Amazon Smile non-profit of choice and they will donate a percentage to us! Some of my favorite small businesses and items: Chagrin Valley Soap And Salve for deodorant, lotions, face washes, insect repellent, and more A Drop in The Ocean for household goods, bath and beauty products, and pet care BZ Honey for locally made beeswax wraps Naples Soap Company for my favorite shampoo and conditioner bars Etsy sustainable make-up shops Etsy sustainable sunblock shops RECYCLE No one is perfect, and there are things even I need or use that aren’t “zero waste”. What about the things you can’t reuse, or haven’t found easy alternatives for yet? That’s where recycling comes in. Recycling helps prevent the need for brand new things to be made, which reduces the use of fossil fuels, production of carbon emissions and nurdles (the raw plastic pellets found all along our shorelines). Knowing what and how to recycle can be confusing, and if not done properly, recycling can become too expensive or difficult for cities to keep doing it. Check out your local recycling center website to learn what you can and can’t recycle. I’ll share some specific tips below for things that confused me at first. Remember, always clean out your containers before recycling them! What, where, and how to recycle in the Houston-Galveston area: Houston/Clear Lake Pearland League City Alvin Galveston Are these common items recyclable? Answers and tips on how to recycle them. Plastic bags and plastic packaging can jam up recycling center machines - processed separately take them to recycle at grocery stores near you, like HEB, Kroger, or Target or Houston. Plastic caps/lids and their bottles – best to wash out matching container, squish it down if you can and reattach the bottle cap. Magazines and phone books - YES! Including curbside! Beverage containers – Yep! Now curbside & recycling centers (lids reattached after squishing down). Envelopes – YES! The windows are actually made from cellulose (wood) so they can be put in with paper as is! K-cups for coffee – “recyclable” is #5 and “non-recyclable” is #7 so Houston area curbside and Galveston accepts these! Foil – Remove foil tops of K-cups, glass bottles, and yogurt containers - use an aluminum can to collect loose foil. Pinch the top of the can when full and recycle it! Take out boxes that are greasy, like pizza boxes go in the trash but clean cardboard can be recycled. Styrofoam (#6 plastic) – Accepted at Galveston Eco Center, but not curbside programs so drop off at West Park Recycling or other centers in Houston (not accepted at Stella Roberts or League City centers). Lightbulbs are made of a variety of materials – Best to collect and bring to Batteries Plus Bulbs store to recycle. A good place to bring your batteries too! Electronics – Accepted at most recycling but not curbside. Not recyclable: Shredded paper, chip bags, candy wrappers, and mirrors, very shiny freezer packaging, and disposable coffee cups – coated in thin plastic which can jam up recycling machines (check for recycling symbol, occasionally they are.  FREE solution for hard-to-recycle items! Visit TerraCycle online to mail in or find drop off locations for FREE for items you can’t recycle locally like toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes, Febreze spray bottles, dishwashing and laundry detergent pouches, pens and markers, snack bags from sweets and chips, Burt’s Bees beauty products, contact lenses and their packaging, plastic toys, baby food pouches, and even cigarette butts! And on a final note, one great action to take if you see signs of pollution is to report it on the Galveston Bay Action Network (GBAN) app! Visit Galveston Bay Report Card's interactive tool to find more “What You Can Do’s” to help the Bay. The Report Card Website is also available in Spanish .

We're bringing the Bay to you with digital content. If you need an educational lesson, our "At Home With The Bay" series features conservation videos and activities. And if you're feeling anxious, our "Keep Your Stress At Bay" relaxation video series features calming scenes from the Bay. All of our content is listed below on this page. You can also join in on our events virtually! We celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day virtually on April 22nd and we held virtual Bay Day Festival on May 16th . We hope you can join us! Are there any other resources you'd like to see us provide during this time? We'd love to hear from you .   "At Home With The Bay" Virtual Field Trip Series "At Home With The Bay" is a virtual series of engaging environmental education lessons taught by Galveston Bay Foundation's staff. Lessons include a lab, conservation craft, talk with a Bay biologist and an activity of the week. Each lesson comes with an accompanying activity guide available for download here . Oyster Virtual Field Trip Wetlands Virtual Field Trip Bay Biodiversity Virtual Field Trip Microscopic Ecosystems Virtual Field Trip Plankton Virtual Field Trip If you participate in these lessons, we'd love to hear from you! Please fill out this survey about your experience. Virtual Earth Day Celebration We hosted a live virtual event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2020. From learning about microplastics in the Bay to our staff's Earth Day resolutions, check out the videos below for the full Earth Day experience. Miss Earth USA Kickoff Nurdle Nick Sustainable Sasha Bay Bob Staff Earth Day Resolutions "Keep Your Stress At Bay" Series Meditation moment: Take some deep breaths and tune into these videos to keep your stress at Bay. Free apps for mindfulness resources: Headspace; Stop. Breath. Think.; Smiling Mind; Calm; Aura. Video One Video Two Video Three Video Four Virtual Bay Day Festival 2020! Our exhibitors provided educational videos of their exciting exhibits. Participants will learn about the importance of Galveston Bay in our everyday lives. The virtual festival features Bay animals, games and more. Welcome to Bay Day Festival 2020! Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center | Blue Crabs Elequa | Safe Drinking Water Back the Bay | Galveston Bay Video: All About Galveston Bay MD Anderson Cancer Center | Sponsor Spot Video: What makes MD Anderson a place of hope for cancer treatment Armand Bayou Nature Center | Terrapins and Sea Turtles Galveston Bay Foundation | Oysters Citizens Environmental Coalition | Youth Environmental Education Moody Gardens | Kemps Ridley Sea Turtles Laurel Sullivan Gold Award Girl Scout Project | Plastic Pollution Exploration Green and Urban Land Institute | Green Space Wildlife Revealed | Birds of Prey Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center | Treating Injured Wildlife Baytown Nature Center | Nature Hike Kemah Aquarium | Snakes Native Prairies Association of Texas | Wonders of Insects Green Mountain Energy | Sun Club Galveston Bay Foundation | Recycle, Compost, or Trash? Houston Zoo | Texas Wetlands Sea Center Texas | Touch Tank Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network | Marine Mammal Rescue Consulate General of Canada | International Migratory Birds Texas A&M Sea Camp | Sea Camp Program Texas Snakes and More | Snakes! Ball High School | Get Hip To Habitat Program Gulf Coast Bird Observatory | Local Birds Miss Earth USA | Coastal Restoration & Sustainability Oppe Elementary | Protecting the Bay Galveston Bay Foundation | Eco-Storytime Bayou City Waterkeeper | Urban Bayous & Watershed Habitat Jaime | How to Make a Bug Catcher "Conservation Tip of The Week" Series Kayaking Native Gardening  We're still working hard to protect the Bay! Follow us on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter for even more updates.

Greetings from Galveston Bay Foundation, To ensure that we do not inadvertently add to the spread of the novel coronavirus, Galveston Bay Foundation has decided to postpone several upcoming events including our Annual Meeting and the Inaugural Houston Oyster Festival. Caring for the Bay includes caring for the community beyond its waters, and our team believes that postponing these events is the best course of action for the safety and well-being of our community. We will be in touch with rescheduled dates. While it is best to take these precautions and be mindful of the risks associated with coronavirus, the Bay still needs us. We will continue to do the office and field work that can be done safely. We will also develop contingency plans to allow our office work to take place from home if necessary. And we will ensure we can get back to doing all of our work as soon and as safely as we can. Thank you for your patience and support. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns. We wish everyone the best in these unusual times. Warmly, Bob Stokes Galveston Bay Foundation President

In 1987, a diverse group of recreational, commercial and industrial Bay users put aside their differences and came together to protect their common interest – Galveston Bay. They were concerned about two issues – 1) the Wallisville project set to dam up 20,000 acres of the lower Trinity River and create a lake that would inevitably damage the river delta and the ecosystem, and 2) the deepening and widening of the Houston Ship Channel. The group met in a classroom at Rice University and chose the name Galveston Bay Foundation, modeling itself off the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Together, the birders, boaters, sailors, bay residents, barge operators, industry representatives, and community activist groups created the first organization on the Gulf Coast that brought together various interest groups to serve as a voice for Galveston Bay. “I’ll never forget the late commercial oysterman Joe Nelson in the same room with the founders of the recreational fishing group Gulf Coast Conservation Association (now known as CCA Texas), working together to create an institution for the Bay despite deep distrust and animosity,” said Jim Blackburn, Rice University Professor and founding chairman of the Galveston Bay Foundation. “Those moments set the stage for today.” Galveston Bay Foundation’s first advocacy work was a success. The Wallisville project was completely redesigned after bald eagles were found nesting in the area. And after the organization funded an economic impact study of the Ship Channel project, and the depth and width to which the channel was dredged were eventually reduced. Both of these were wins for the Bay and propelled the organization forward to branch out in other areas. In the early years, those areas notably included hosting community-based marsh grass plantings, creating an oil spill response plan after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, educating groups and students through boat-based Bay tours and testing water quality through volunteer monitors. Galveston Bay Foundation still works with various interest groups to preserve and enhance Galveston Bay for future generations. Now, you can find Galveston Bay Foundation in schools and communities, on the ground and on the water, working to protect the resource we’re all connected to. This year marks an important milestone in the Galveston Bay Foundation’s history, as it relocates to its permanent home on Galveston Bay and creates a place where the community can come to experience and learn about the Bay and what they can do to protect it. To learn more and to get involved, please visit  www.galvbay.org .