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.
Marsh Mania 2008
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. Please read below for details on our upcoming May 31 Marsh Mania.
Marsh Mania volunteers at North Deer Island (left) and Pierce Marsh (right) on April 26.
Registration - May 31
Join us for Marsh Mania and help restore wetland habitat by spending a Saturday morning planting marsh grass. Free lunch and t-shirt will be provided to all volunteers. Students, families, corporate groups, youth groups, and individuals are welcome to attend. Don't want to get muddy but still want to help? We are also looking for volunteers to help with check-in booths, site set-up, food stations, etc.
Planting Sites:
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (Anahuac)
Armand Bayou Nature Center (Pasadena)
Chocolate Bay (Alvin)
Texas City Prairie Preserve (Texas City)
Schedule:
8:00am - Sign In
9:00am - 12:00pm - Planting
12:00pm - Lunch
To register for Marsh Mania, please send us an e-mail at marshmania@galvbay.org.
Please include the following in your e-mail:
- Your name
- Address and telephone number
- Number of volunteers in your party
- Organization/company name (if applicable)
- Age range of volunteers in your party
- Site preference
- Tell us how you heard about Marsh Mania
- Let us know if you do not want to plant but prefer to help with check-in, set up, food station, etc.
Terry Duncan, long-time GBF volunteer and former employee,
reports for duty at Marsh Mania 2006!
