Dear friend,
It was fruitful and fun to have our Land Director, Communications Manager, and Operations Administrator join me at the Land Trust Alliance Rally in New Orleans in September. Discussions around best practices in land conservation, nonprofit governance and management, and strategic communications, as well as the importance of inclusivity were productive, inspiring, and rejuvenating. Returning home from Rally to Houston Bird Week, jam-packed with a variety of meaningful events organized by Houston Audubon’s amazing Young Professional Advisory Council, brought an exciting September to a close and ushered in cooler temperatures to kick off more fall programming. I’m joyfully reminded of how operating at the intersection of birds, nature, and people as reflected in the management of our nature sanctuaries, Bird Week partnerships, and the host of dynamic educational programs sampled in this month’s issue, strengthens our connection to community and our ability to engage as many as we can in our conservation mission.Â
- Helen Drummond, Executive Director
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Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
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After a hot (but very fun!) Bird Week, we finally have some cooler weather! Another season change means wildlife is on the move, and cooler weather means they might not be moving quickly – so please give them plenty of space to get where they are going.
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Expect to see even more migrant birds at ELMNS in the coming weeks. In between watching for those hard-to-identify fall warblers, keep your eye out for flyovers of hawks, ducks, and Sandhill cranes. Thanks to Wild Birds Unlimited, our feeders are stocked and ready to fuel these birds all the way across the Gulf!
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| - Cabin, Coffee, Conversation - learn the history of Edith Moore, her historic log cabin and sanctuary, and Houston Audubon!
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Mindful Mornings in the Forest - find restorative time in nature with a guided mindfulness practice, solo time in nature, and a conversation over tea made from local trees.Â
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Fledgling Friends - children ages 3-5 will learn about the animals and plants of the sanctuary, including a lesson, story, activity, craft, and hike.Â
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Friday Night Hikes - raccoons, opossums, bats, owls, and more await night hikers!Â
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Wild TEXAS Home Schoolers - homeschooling families can explore the natural world together at our monthly nature classes
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Raptor and Education Center
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Time to give a HOOT! October is upon us and it is going to be busy. September saw the education team representing Houston Audubon at the annual Kleb Woods Hummingbird Festival. This event drew over 1,800 visitors, lots of hummingbirds, and plenty of opportunities to photograph some of our raptor ambassadors.
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We also bid goodbye to martins and swifts at our final Swift Night Out at Lakeview Elementary in Sugar Land and the CenterPoint sponsored Purple Martin Migration watch parties. Hundreds came out to see these birds as they prepared for their journeys to South America. Thanks to all the great volunteers who made these events a success!
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Fall hours: Open every Friday from 10 am-4 pm or by appointment on other days. Free for Houston Audubon members, $5/person for non-members. Call (713) 640-2407 to make an appointment.Â
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| - Owl Prowls - take a hike through the forest to see wild owls!Â
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Raptor Fest - raptors, crafts, games, face painting, bird photo ops, and more await!
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Behind the Scenes Tours - learn about native raptor conservation, meet the raptors up close with photo ops, and discover what it takes to run the center.
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Raptor Photo Shoots - photograph our raptor ambassadors in a natural setting and early morning light.
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Art with Raptors - sit with one of our raptors and learn step-by-steop how to draw your bird from head to talon. Learn about bird anatomy, art history, and watercolor techniques.
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On the Coast - High Island and Bolivar Flats
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The Bolivar Flats Beach Clean-up on September 24th was a success! We’d like to thank the 34 participants who spent a sweltering morning helping us clean the half-mile swath of protected beach and areas around the vehicular barrier at Bolivar Flats.Â
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Our new seasonal Conservation Technicians - Carrie Chapin and Jonathon Piasecki - will be starting in early October. This marks our annual shift in focus to the intensive removal of invasive Privet and Tallow from the High Island sanctuaries for the upcoming fall/winter seasons.
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While the diversity and abundance of migrants on any given day is usually not as exorbitant in the fall as compared with spring, October tends to be the most diverse month for autumnal migration here on the immediate upper Texas coast. Decent numbers of migrating vultures, warblers, and vireos can be seen at Smith Oaks and Boy Scout Woods sanctuaries and the first Ruby-crowned Kinglets of the season have recently returned. The mosquitos and deer flies are still numerous, but one can usually escape them on the Smith Oaks canopy walkway.
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High Island Workday with One Tree Planted Saturday, October 8 - volunteer at this special workday in partnership with One Tree Planted and help us plant over 500 native plants at our High Island sanctuaries!
- Bolivar Beach Rambles - explore the diversity of life along the Gulf Coast at our first Saturday guided nature walks.
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October 20, 2022
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Celebrate the connection between art and nature and support Houston Audubon at our annual fundraising dinner, Avian Affair. Featuring keynote speaker and nationally recognized artist, Dixie Friend Gay, this year's event will showcase works of art, including art cars from Houston's annual parade! Join us for a colorful evening and help protect the inspiration behind countless works of art, our birds. Tickets on sale now!
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Support our education ambassador animals by adopting a bird! Funds from honorary adoptions go towards all care of the animals, including food, housing, healthcare, and more.
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Support Houston Audubon and get great membership benefits like free member birding trips and discounts at our Natives Nursery Open House!Â
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Purchase our specialty license plate, featuring an Eastern Meadowlark, to support our mission of bird conservation! $22 of the annual $30 plate fee comes to Houston Audubon.Â
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