Galveston Bay Foundation’s 25th Annual Marsh Mania Helped Restore Vital Coastal Habitat
- September 25, 2024
- News
ANAHUAC, TX—Marsh Mania is a nationally recognized, award-winning community-based marsh restoration event that has been a cornerstone of the Galveston Bay area since its inception in 1999. It is an initiative that has restored more than 221 acres of vital coastal habitat involving over 8,500 volunteers in its rich history.
We kicked off National Estuaries Week (September 21-28, 2024) by hosting two additional planting events ahead of our 25th Annual Marsh Mania event. In total, we had 105 volunteers helping with both planting and event support. Collectively, our volunteers were able to log 436 hours valued at $13,911!
Volunteers gathered for a hands-on planting event with the goal to not only restore our precious marshlands and prairies but also to increase awareness and appreciation of wetland habitats and their functions. There were 11,000 stems of smooth cordgrass planted at the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, with an additional 600 coastal prairie plants at Galveston Bay Foundation Headquarters, and 1,700 stems of freshwater wetland plants at Exploration Green, our conservation partner.
“Year after year, our plantings are a success due to the incredible dedication of our volunteers and the steadfast support of both our sponsors and agency partners. Wading through wetlands, planting prairie grasses, and providing support to host these events are all essential to the greater work of protecting and enhancing Galveston Bay and its connected habitats. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to ensuring their health and vitality for generations to come,” says Galveston Bay Foundation Volunteer Manager, Elisa O’Neal.
Our constant success with Marsh Mania is made possible thanks to generous support from Aramco, CITGO, United Airlines, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Transocean, John P. McGovern Foundation, Ports America, Port Houston, Stolt Tankers, Odfjell, and Houston Pilots. Thank you for your contributions and for supporting Galveston Bay for generations to come.
About Galveston Bay Foundation:
Galveston Bay Foundation is a conservation nonprofit that has served as guardian of Galveston Bay since 1987. Our mission is to preserve and enhance Galveston Bay as a healthy and productive place for generations to come. We work to facilitate a true cross-section of Bay interests through creative, inclusive, and forward-thinking solutions to the challenges confronting Galveston Bay. We envision a future Bay that is brimming with vitality, connected to people, and contributing to the community in every possible way.
