Volunteers Restore Over Five Acres of Coastal Habitat During Galveston Bay Foundation’s Fall Marsh Mania
- October 07, 2025
- News
KEMAH, TEXAS – This fall, Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) and more than 80 dedicated volunteers rolled up their sleeves for Marsh Mania, the Foundation’s long-running community-driven habitat restoration event. Together, participants planted nearly 3,900 marsh grass stems across three coastal sites, restoring over five acres of vital coastal habitat throughout the Galveston Bay region.
GBF’s Marsh Mania brings together volunteers, corporate teams, and community partners to help restore and protect the Bay’s diverse ecosystems—including freshwater marshes and coastal prairies that provide critical habitat for wildlife and natural protection from storms and flooding.
This year’s success was made possible through the incredible efforts of volunteers and partners:
- 21 Port Houston volunteers helped plant approximately 1,000 stems at Exploration Green.
- 40 volunteers restored 2,300 stems of freshwater marsh habitat at Armand Bayou.
- 27 volunteers planted 600 stems in the coastal prairie at GBF’s Kemah headquarters.
“Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers and partners, we’ve restored over five acres of precious coastal habitat,” said Elisa O’Neal, GBF Volunteer Manager. “When volunteers help plant native grasses and marsh, they’re not just restoring habitat and strengthening the Bay’s natural defenses. They are enhancing the quality of life for people in our community.”
GBF extends special appreciation to its land partners, Armand Bayou Nature Center and Exploration Green, as well as to the Foundation’s dedicated Team Captains: Bev Morrison, Diane Humes, Lisa Hardcastle, Chatt Smith, Mike Petit, Colin O’Neal, Jennifer Kramer, and Laura Bradley.
The event also brought together incredible corporate volunteer teams, including Team CITGO, Team Kirksey Architecture, Team Vickery led by Rachel Vickery, Team Port Houston, and Team DRDA CPAs, LLC.
Marsh Mania would not be possible without the generous support of this year’s sponsors:
Transocean, Aramco, CITGO, Bass Pro Shops, Gulf Coast Authority, Port Houston, Odfjell SE, Houston Pilots, and the John P. McGovern Foundation.
Galveston Bay Foundation thanks all who took part in this year’s Marsh Mania for helping make America’s seventh-largest estuary a healthier, more resilient place for generations to come.
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Contact: Kimberly Meza, Communications and Marketing Manager
kmeza@gmail.com | 281-923-3278
