EarthShare Texas

McKinney Circle Christmas Bird Count
2021-12-26 07:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Heard Natural Science Museum & Wildlife Sanctuary, 1 Nature Pl, McKinney, TX, 75069, United States
As is tradition, the McKinney Christmas Bird Count will be held on Dec. 26th, the day after Christmas, starting at 7:00am and generally ending between 4:00-4:30pm. The McKinney count circle is 15 miles in diameter centered on the Heard Museum, and it is divided into 9 zones. Volunteers join with a zone leader to survey their assigned area, recording the time spent, the distance traveled, and a list of all the birds seen or heard.

KPC Holiday Open House at the Indiangrass Preserve
2021-12-27 10:00 - 13:00, 2021-12-28 10:00 - 13:00, 2021-12-29 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Indiangrass Preserve – Coastal Prairie Conservancy, 31975 Hebert Road, Waller, TX, 77484, United States
Join us for our Holiday Open House days at the Indiangrass Preserve on the Katy Prairie! Our staff and volunteers will welcome visitors and families for holiday crafts, winter prairie ecology stations, pond dip-netting, and nature bingo out on the trails.

Learn more about life on the prairie in winter.
Make a festive popcorn and berry garland to take home to help feed our visiting songbirds.
Create your own one-of-a-kind migrating duck or goose craft.
Seed stomp native grass and wildflower seeds in the meadow.
Visit the pond for dip-netting and then head out to the Ann Hamilton Trail to play Prairie Bingo!

This is a free event, and no reservations are needed. As always, we welcome donations and end-of-year gifts!

Contact info@katyprairie.org for more information

Tanglers, Toys & Holiday Decorations Recycling Awareness
2022-01-01 - 2022-01-31 | TX
Around the holidays, ‘Tanglers’ like broken Christmas lights, old toys, and old decorations create a huge problem at recycling sorting facilities.
Tanglers get caught in the machinery and can take hours of hazardous work to fix, Toys and holiday decorations are often made of different types of plastic and can’t be recycled easily, so they should be donated or thrown away – not put in recycling.
That’s why we’re encouraging participants to share No Tanglers or Toys messaging for January.
Vist the STAR website for more information.

Katy Prairie Conservancy's Stewardship Saturday
2022-01-08 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Indiangrass Preserve – Coastal Prairie Conservancy, 31975 Hebert Road, Waller, TX, 77484, United States
Looking for a way to get your hands dirty and help the prairie? Come join us for a STEWARDSHIP SATURDAY! Volunteers help manage invasive species, plant native plants, and restore prairie habitats. All ages are welcome to participate – no experience necessary!

Physical Requirements: Bending, kneeling, or sitting on the ground; some light lifting.
What to wear: Closed-toe shoes, tall socks, long pants, long-sleeved shirt, hat.
What to bring: Reusable water bottle, gardening gloves (we have pairs to borrow). All other tools are provided.

Contact info@katyprairie.org for more information

9 Natives Showcase Garden Volunteer Day at the Houston Museum of Natural Science - January
2022-01-10 09:30 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | 9 Natives Showcase Garden, 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
Interested in volunteering at the 9 Natives Showcase Garden at the Houston Museum of Natural Science? This monthly volunteer opportunity is the perfect way to get involved and support native plants in the heart of Houston!

On the second Monday of each month, volunteers will maintain the garden by pulling weeds, planting new native plants, and monitoring the garden’s growth. Volunteers of all ages and experience are welcome to join this come-and-go event.

Physical Requirements: Bending, kneeling, or sitting on the ground; some light lifting.
Recommended Clothing: Hat, closed toe shoes, and long pants.
What to bring: Water in a reusable water bottle, garden gloves (or the museum has disposable vinyl gloves), and any garden hand tools that you have such as pruners (or scissors), trowel, tool for weeding. KPC will also provide tools.

The 9 Natives Showcase Garden is located outside of the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the corner of Hermann Park Drive and San Jacinto Street. Three hour parking is available along Hermann Park Drive or in the parking lot with entrance from the circular drive around the statue of Sam Houston.

Contact Lan Shen, lshen@katyprairie.org, for more information.

Unplugged Adventure: Coming Home to Roost
2022-01-12 16:00 - 18:00, 2022-01-19 16:00 - 18:00 (America/Chicago) | Indiangrass Preserve – Coastal Prairie Conservancy, 31975 Hebert Road, Waller, TX, 77484, United States
Each winter, the Katy Prairie becomes home to flocks of birds fleeing cooler climates for the season. Join John Berner and Steve Gast, local birding enthusiasts, to see one of the most charismatic of these species, the sandhill crane, come in to roost on the prairie for the evening. You also will see waterfowl and other birds moving to their nighttime roosts. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today!

Meet at 4 pm at the Indiangrass Preserve Field Office. The group will be leaving promptly at 4:15 pm. The cranes sometimes shift their roost sites a bit, so our guides will be scouting within a few days of the field trip to determine a good viewing location. Depending on where that is, we may be doing a bit of driving over field roads, but not rough ones (we can combine into vehicles best suited for this). Bring binoculars and camera and dress in camouflage or dark colors; a spotting scope could be helpful.

$20 registration fee.

Contact info@katyprairie.org for more information.

Prairie and Timbers Audubon Society Meeting with Presentation
2022-01-25 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
Presentation: Mitigating and Monitoring Bird-Building Collisions

Speaker: Dr. Tania Homayoun – Texas Parks and Wildlife Texas Nature Trackers Biologist

Description: Collisions with buildings and glass are one of the top human-related causes of death to native birds in the United States. Dr. Tania Homayoun’s presentation will introduce the biological and design factors associated with bird-building collisions and why they matter to bird conservation; techniques for mitigating collisions; and strategies for monitoring collisions in built landscapes.

Laredo Birding Festival
2022-02-02 - 2022-02-05 | icon-renewable-energy-solar-3
Sponsored by Monte Mucho Audubon Society and Rio Grande International Study Center

The Laredo Birding Festival includes professionally guided field trips, a chance to catch local green parakeets in action at St. Peter’s Plaza in the afternoon, and special talks in the evenings. Enjoy a diverse selection of scenic getaways that can be explored during the three-day Laredo Birding Festival.

Register here.

Horticulture Happy Hour with Leslie Uppinghouse
2022-02-07 19:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
We’re back! SBCA is thrilled to hold our first Happy Hour of the year Monday, February 7th at 7 pm. Our guest will be Leslie Uppinghouse, Lead Horticulturist of the Central Garden East at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Leslie will be giving tips on how to add Texas native plants to your gardens and yards. She will also be discussing the benefits of land stewardship and guiding us through the Wildflower Center’s online plant database.

SBCA Happy Hours are always the first Monday of the month, so mark your calendars! While this discussion with Leslie will be on zoom, we hope to move back to in-person social events soon.

Click here to register and add to calendar. Hope to see you there!

Stewardship Saturday
2022-02-12 09:00 - 11:00, 2022-03-12 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Indiangrass Preserve – Coastal Prairie Conservancy, 31975 Hebert Road, Waller, TX, 77484, United States

KPC Volunteer Orientation
2022-02-12 12:30 - 14:30 (America/Chicago) | Indiangrass Preserve – Coastal Prairie Conservancy, 31975 Hebert Road, Waller, TX, 77484, United States
Save the date for our 2022 KPC Volunteer Orientation on February 12th, 2022 from 12:30 to 2:30pm at the Indiangrass Preserve.

This is a great training opportunity for new and current volunteers alike. Come to learn about KPC’s latest news, updates on our preserves, history of the Katy Prairie, ecology of the coastal prairie, and important information on all of our current volunteer opportunities. This will also be a great opportunity to meet fellow KPC volunteers and help to host new volunteers!

Contact Bethany Foshee at bfoshee@katyprairie.org for more information

9 Natives Showcase Garden Volunteer Day at the Houston Museum of Natural Science
2022-02-14 09:30 - 12:00, 2022-03-14 09:30 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | 9 Natives Showcase Garden, 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX, 77030, United States

Governor’s Community Achievement Awards Application Closes
2022-02-17 | TX
For more than thirty years, Keep Texas Beautiful, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), has awarded the prestigious Governor’s Community Achievement Awards to Texas communities for their outstanding overall efforts to keep their communities beautiful. This year, ten winning communities will share $2 million in landscaping awards from the Texas Department of Transportation, with the amount based on population size. The funds are used for landscaping projects along local rights-of-way. A community’s environmental program is judged on achievements in seven areas:

Community Leadership and Coordination
Public Awareness and Outreach
Environmental Education and Youth Engagement
Beautification and Community Improvement
Litter Prevention and Cleanup
Solid Waste Management
Litter Law and Illegal Dumping Enforcement

Application Link: https://ktb.org/gcaa

STAR Virtual General Council Meeting: Sustainable Purchasing
2022-02-17 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Chicago) | TX
STAR Central Texas Council
& STAR Circular Economy Education Working Group
February General Meeting
Join us for a conversation about sustainable purchasing featuring Karen Hamilton, Sustainable Purchasing Program Manager at King County in Washington State. King County has been a leader in the sustainable purchasing space and we are excited to learn from their experience. You can learn more about their sustainable purchasing program here.
This meeting is open to all STAR members and guests. We especially encourage procurement professionals to join us.
Please register to receive the Zoom link.
This meeting is a collaboration between STAR Central Texas Council and the STAR Circular Economy Education Working Group and is made possible by STAR’s Mission Partners.
Link to register

Invasive Plant Removal on Spring Lake
2022-02-19 08:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | icon-flower
Paddle the pristine waters of Spring Lake, the headwaters of the San Marcos River and help remove invasive plant species. Volunteers can paddle or work on shore. Registration required.
Contact info@sanmarcosriver.org for more information

Citizen Science Water Quality Training
2022-02-20 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | icon-flower
Become a state-certified water quality monitor and begin monitoring and collecting data on local creeks, lakes, and rivers in your watershed. Learn how to test for basic water parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and field observations. Data collected from monitoring is used to support research and inform policy.
Monthly trainings
Contact riverrangers@sanmarcosriver.org

Prairie and Timbers Audubon Society Meeting with Presentation: Sea Turtle, Inc.
2022-02-22 18:45 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
Sea Turtle, Inc.

Presented by: Hannah Catherman, Director of Education, Sea Turtle, Inc.

Learn about Sea Turtle’s effort to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured sea turtles, educate the public, and assist with conservation efforts for all marine turtle species. Hannah will spend time describing the herculean efforts of the organization during the catastrophic deep-freeze that Texas experienced in February 2021. Citizens and Sea Turtle volunteers combed the beaches and seawalls of Padre Island and found nearly 5,000 “cold-stunned” sea turtles to hopefully be saved.

Send email to ptaszoom@gmail.com with your name and postal address to register.

Ethnobotany and the Appreciation of Native Plants
2022-02-23 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Chicago) | TX
Presented by: Maeve Bassett, Conservation and Volunteer Programs Specialist, San Antonio Botanical Garden
Maeve Bassett will introduce applied ethnobotany and its application at the San Antonio Botanical Garden to garner a greater appreciation for plants, especially the often misunderstood and under-appreciated Texas Native Plants. The historical and contemporary relationships between a variety of Texas native plants will be covered and the importance of these plants to birds and butterflies. Approved for AAMN AT hours.

JOIN THE ZOOM MEETING
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 827 6816 5969
Passcode: [REDACTED]
To call in, find your toll-free number here.

IMAGE: Gulf Fritillary on passiflora incarnata by Lora Reynolds at San Antonio Botanical Garden

Camp Wildflower Registration
2022-03-01 - 2022-03-14
Cultivate a Future Conservationist
Camp Wildflower registration is now open! Kids in grades K – 5th are encouraged to explore the great outdoors at this weekly day camp, led by Wildflower Center experts. Through hands-on activities, attendees will cultivate an interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM). From “Plants & Pollinators” to “Wondrous Woodlands,” this year’s lessons will last a lifetime. Sessions start June 6.
Camp Wildflower is an immersive, nature-based learning experience for youth and is held mostly outside. By getting out of the classroom and into the garden, campers explore the world of native plants and become lifelong conservationists. Camp Wildflower is open to all youths in kindergarten through 5th grade learning levels. Campers can register for a single week or all eight weeks.
Mondays – Fridays
June 6 – July 29, 2022
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

50th Annual Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta
2022-03-05 07:30 - 14:30 (America/Chicago) | 7700 San Felipe, 7700 San Felipe St, Houston, TX, 77063, United States
Register for Texas’ largest canoe and kayak race, the 50th Annual Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta! Participants 12 and up are invited to paddle and support Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s efforts to revitalize Houston’s historic waterway.
Buffalobayou.org

Habitat Work Day - Audubon Texas
2022-03-12 08:00 - 11:00 (America/Chicago) | Mitchell Lake Audubon Center, 10750 Pleasanton Road TX, San Antonio, TX, 78221, United States
Join Mitchell Lake Audubon Center and other members of the community to help clean up our habitat! We depend on our amazing volunteers to help manage our habitat. This can involve tail maintenance, removal of invasive species, and planting native plants for birds and butterflies depending on the tasks of the day. All training provided.
Groups are welcome! All children 18 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
To register, click RSVP Link .

Unplugged Adventure: Kite Flying on the Prairie
2022-03-18 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Indiangrass Preserve – Coastal Prairie Conservancy, 31975 Hebert Road, Waller, TX, 77484, United States
Celebrate spring with us on the Katy Prairie! You can bring your own kite to enjoy the unmatched prairie breezes or get creative at our docent-led Kite Making Station! Bring a picnic to enjoy the wide open spaces. Additional activities will include: Insect and Pond Netting, Birding 101, and Prairie Bingo.

No registration needed. Open to all ages!

Contact info@katyprairie.org for more information

Invasive Plant Removal on Spring Lake
2022-03-19 08:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | icon-flower
Paddle the pristine waters of Spring Lake, the headwaters of the San Marcos River and help remove invasive plant species. Volunteers can paddle or work on shore.
Registration required.
Contact info@sanmarcosriver.org for more informtation.

Tree Identification Hike with Ali Baucom - TreeFolks
2022-03-19 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Feb & Mar Events
Join TreeFolks‘ own Urban Forest Steward and Tree ID Docent, Ali Baucom, on a one-of-a-kind tree identification hike hosted in partnership with Texas Land Conservancy!

We’ll meet out at the esteemed Los Madrones Ranch in West Austin on Saturday, March 19, at 10:00 am to enjoy this amazing ecosystem firsthand. Register here to hold your spot: https://buff.ly/3JQjkKr

More details: This specific tree ID location is more of a hike than a stroll. Bathrooms are scarce and there is very little infrastructure on this ranch so please bring water, hiking shoes, long pants, and sunscreen, but also don’t forget your camera to capture some gorgeous hill country views!

Citizen Science Water Quality Training
2022-03-20 10:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | icon-flower
Become a state-certified water quality monitor and begin monitoring and collecting data on local creeks, lakes, and rivers in your watershed. Learn how to test for basic water parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and field observations. Data collected from monitoring is used to support research and inform policy.
Monthly trainings
Contact riverrangers@sanmarcosriver.org for more information.
