GALVESTON BAY FOUNDATION
What Is It?: A nonprofit that works “to preserve and enhance Galveston Bay as a healthy and productive place for generations to come” though advocacy, conservation, education, and research.
Help Needed: Help with Abandoned Crab Trap Removal (February), the Armand Bayou Trash Bash (March), Marsh Mania marsh grass planting (April), or the Bay Day Festival (May), or assist in other ways.
Minimum Age to Volunteer: None. All ages are welcome for most activities.
Help Needed
MARSH MANIA AND OTHER GROUP PLANTINGS
Each year hundreds of volunteers help GBF plant marsh grass on a Saturday morning in spring. More information is here.
GBF can work with corporate groups, scouts, and youth groups to coordinate group marsh plantings. A minimum number of volunteers is required for most plantings. Planting opportunities are dependent on site availability.
TRASH BASH AT ARMAND BAYOU (MARCH)
Join more than 800 GBF volunteers as on a Saturday morning in March to collect tons of trash and recyclable materials over a 40-mile stretch of the Armand Bayou during the annual Rivers, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash event. More information is here.
ABANDONED CRAB TRAP REMOVAL (FEBRUARY)
Each year, on a Saturday morning in February, volunteers gather to collect and smash abandoned and derelict crab traps, which endanger wildlife and cause other harm. Help as a boat volunteer (on the water collecting traps), or a land-based volunteer (helping offload traps, smashing them, and tossing them in the dumpster). For more information, sign up for volunteer alerts here or check the GBF website.
BAY DAY FESTIVAL (MAY)
A popular annual celebration of Galveston Bay on the Kemah Boardwalk at which families and adults enjoy arts and crafts, live animal demonstrations, a scavenger hunt, science and marine exhibits, and live music. Volunteers help throughout the festival. Learn more here.
WATER MONITORING TEAM
Conduct regular water sampling around Galveston Bay that includes chemical analyses, physical testing, and field observations. For more information, sign up here for volunteer alerts. beach
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Help with organization, data entry, filing, and other administrative tasks is greatly appreciated. If you’re looking to earn a few volunteer hours after school and want to use your administrative skills, or are looking for other special in-office projects, let us know and we may be able to work with you.
Ball High School students placing storm drain markers, 2013
Sixth grade students from YES Prep Gulfton, 2011
Crushing abandoned crab traps, 2015
Earth Day Texas, 2016
Bay Day Festival
Central Michigan University students after their 2011 planting project
Cesar Chavez high school students, Emerge College Success program, 2011
Planting smooth cordgrass in Clear Lake Forest Park, 2011
Cousins who raised $2250 for GBF through a bird-watching project
Bay Day Festival
Bay Day Festival
Eagle Scout project, Troop 5141: building many benches for education center, 2016
Champions Area Teen Service Society donated $1200 of items, 2014
High school students, 2011
Tree planting, January 2017
A group of Carnegie Vanguard High School seniors, 2015
Scouts from Troop 446 Bay Area Council, at Scout Fair, 2015
Crushing abandoned crab traps
Students from Harmony School of Excellence raised money and planted cordgrass
Trash Bash, 2012
Pulling trash from Burnet Bay, 2011
Trash Bash 2011
Bay Day Festival
Trash Bash, 2011
Water Monitor Team member
Volunteer water monitors, 2012
Wildlife Workday, 2012
YES Prep students, 2010
YES Prep Southeast students propagated dune grass and loaded mangrove trees, 2011
We planted marsh grass with a school group, and I liked it. We helped carry holedigging tools and buckets of marsh grassto the shore. You could plant where it was marshy or wade a little deeper into the water. Someone would make a hole and the other person would stick a stem of grass with the roots on it and sort of pat it into place. When we started the beach was pretty bare but by the end there was lots of grass and it looked good. The people from GBF helped us and had coolers of water and explained what was going on with the bay and gave us lunch at the end. Pretty place! I would definitely do it again. The whole thing took a couple of hours – maybe 3 or 4.