Welcome to Galveston Bay Foundation
The Galveston Bay Foundation was founded in 1987 as a nonprofit organization to preserve, protect and enhance Galveston Bay -- one of the world's most productive estuaries. Its balanced programs in advocacy, conservation, education, and research strive to ensure that Galveston Bay remains a beautiful and productive place for generations to come.
Recent News
Purchase tickets for Redfish Raft Up 2010!
The 6th annual Redfish Raft Up benefiting the Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) will be held Sunday, September 5, 2010, of Labor Day weekend. Singer and song writer, Kelly McGuire, will once again be our headliner. This concert on the water will be the place to celebrate Labor Day weekend, so don't miss out! To purchase your GBF membership and t-shirt combo packs and tickets aboard the Star Gazer, visit our Redfish Raft Up page. Raffle tickets also available for purchase from the Redfish Raft Up page; we have put together some great raffle items for this event!
Controlling invasive species--Brazilian peppertree eradication
The Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) is currently engaged in a project to eradicate Brazilian peppertree, Schinus terebinthifolius, from Galveston Island. Brazilian peppertree is a non-native, invasive plant species that was brought to Texas as an ornamental plant and is considered one of the greatest threats to native biodiversity. This opportunistic species quickly forms dense thickets, shading out native vegetation and drastically affecting plant and animal communities. Read more at our Invasive Species Control page to learn about this eradication project and who to contact if you have Brazilian Peppertree growing on your property.
The fall campaign season is here for workplace giving!
You can help support the Galveston Bay Foundation with a workplace payroll contribution through Earth Share of Texas, a federation representing GBF and more than 70 of America’s most respected environmental and conservation organizations. Many private employers offer Earth Share as an option, but here are the Galveston Bay Foundation's Earth Share codes for some of the biggest public campaigns:
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Code: 182557 |
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GBF Announces 2010 Guardian of the Bay Award Luncheon
The date for Galveston Bay Foundation’s 2010 Guardian of the Bay Award Luncheon has been set for September 15th at the Hotel ZaZa. There will be a Reception and Silent Auction at 11:30 a.m. and the Lunch and Program will begin at 12:00 p.m. The Honorary Luncheon Co-chairs are Janiece Longoria Lasher and George Pontikes, Jr. The Keynote “State of the Bay” speaker will be The Honorable William E. King. 2010 Guardian of the Bay Awards will be given to the following:
Industry--Intercontinental Terminals Company
Community--Katherine Fay and Frank Smith
Government--Harris County Commissioner Sylvia Garcia
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the 2010 Guardian of the Bay Award Luncheon, please click here. If you would like to donate an item for the silent auction, please click form. Please email or call Karen Lee at klcompany@yahoo.com or 713.851.3540 for questions or additional information.
Register now: 2010 Bike Around the Bay sponsored by Shell
The annual two-day, 150-mile "Bike Around the Bay" ride benefiting the Galveston Bay Foundation is open for registration. We are pleased to announce Shell as our new 2010 Title Sponsor. This year's event will be held October 16-17, 2010. Register now, and find more details at bikearoundthebay.org.
Shell volunteers plant mangroves and marsh grass
On July 22, 2010, over 30 volunteers from Shell came out to plant 39 mangroves and 5,400 stems of marsh grass with the Galveston Bay Foundation. This West Galveston Bay marsh restoration project is 3.25 acres large and planted in partnership with the Isla Del Sol homeowners' association. Thank you to all of our Shell friends for a great day in the bay! See all of the photos on GBF's Facebook page.
Marsh Mania wrap up: 300 volunteers help plant 6 sites this spring!
GBF's annual Marsh Mania event took place on May 1st and June 5th this year. With the help of over 300 volunteers, an estimated 5.68 acres were planted with 43,000+ stems of smooth cordgrass and other wetland plants, restoring six sites across the greater Houston-Galveston region. This year's sites included Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Sheldon Lake State Park, Terramar, Nassau Bay, Virginia Point and Sportsman Road. Thank you to everyone who came out in support of GBF's marsh restoration projects! If you participated on May 1st at Terramar, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Nassau Bay or Sheldon Lake State park, please take this survey. If you participated on June 5th at Virginia Point or Sportsman Road, please take this survey.
GBF's successful "Get Hip to Habitat" program gains momentum
GBF's Get Hip to Habitat program greatly expanded in the 2009-2010 Academic Year. Participants included 11 schools, 25 classes, 188 nursery pools, 573 students, and 90 parent volunteers throughout the Houston-Galveston area. From Aldine to Texas City, students were exposed to several facets of marsh grass restoration. Students harvested smooth cordgrass from an existing wetlands nursery in Baytown, transplanted the plugs to pots, and cultivated the stems in shallow, plastic pools at their schools. They also carefully monitored and maintained the salinity and pH of the water in their mini-marsh nurseries throughout the school year--to ensure overall health of the plants. This spring (after 7 to 8 months of growth), GBF assisted the students in planting the matured cordgrass at marsh restoration sites in Nassau Bay and Oak Island. See related news coverage from Channel 39, The Citizen, and the Daily News.
Thanks for joining us at BAY DAY 2010
Galveston Bay Foundation hosted its annual Bay Day event on Saturday, May 15, 2010, at the Kemah Boardwalk. We appreciate all participants who came out to support a great cause for bay awareness and environmental education. This free annual event hosts live entertainment and lots of interactive, educational exhibits and demonstrations for families to learn about Galveston Bay. Read more about Bay Day 2010 and view our event photos.
Oil Spill Recovery Update
The Galveston Bay Foundation remains on standby to provide volunteer help in the case of any local impacts from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In that effort, we are collecting names and information for volunteers who may assist in the recovery process. If you are interested in volunteering with GBF, please fill out the necessary volunteer form. Volunteers without specific oil spill response training will likely serve in a support role to trained responders and will not come in contact with any hazardous materials. We are monitoring this situation closely and will contact you as soon as the need arises. If you would like to provide direct help to our sister organization, visit the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. For all the latest information regarding the spill, check out GBF's oil response page. Thank you.
GBF's newest conservation easement on West Galveston Island
Environmental Flows: Let your voice be heard.
Galveston Bay needs freshwater! The health of an estuary like Galveston Bay is dependent upon adequate amounts of freshwater flowing from our area rivers, bayous, creeks. Freshwater and the salty water of the Gulf of Mexico meet and mix in Galveston Bay, offering a rich habitat in which so many plants and animals flourish. Without adequate flows, the bay would become too salty and cease to provide such a bountiful harvest of fish and shellfish for our recreational and commercial fisheries. Over the next 20-30 years, local population growth and population growth in the Dallas-Fort Worth region of the Trinity River watershed will put a tremendous strain on the freshwater resources flowing into Galveston Bay. We need YOUR help to make sure the freshwater keeps flowing to Galveston Bay! New legislation means you can have a say! Read more here.
Photo credit: NASA - JSC
SAVE THE DATE for the 5th National Conference and Expo on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration
Galveston Island Convention Center
Galveston, Texas
November 13-17, 2010
Restore America's Estuaries is pleased to announce the Call for Dedicated Sessions, Presentations, and Posters for the 5th National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration--Preparing for Climate Change: Science, Practice, and Policy.
We invite you to be a part of the only national conference that focuses exclusively on coastal habitat restoration. Healthy coasts and estuaries are essential to the social, economic, ecological wellbeing of everything that depends on them. Successful habitat restoration at all scales is critical to ensuring vibrant coasts. The Conference will bring timely national attention to the challenges and opportunities for restoration and will bring together a unique blend of people involved in policy, outreach, science, strategy, business, and on-the-ground restoration work.
The Conference will be held November 13-17, 2010, at the Galveston Island Convention Center, Galveston, Texas. The deadline for Sessions, Presentations, and Posters is March 2, 2010.
For more information, please visit here.
