NOVEMBER 2025

Help us Save Bolivar Flats!

We're more than halfway to our goal with 2 months remaining to protect this critical habitat from development.

Dear friend,

The response to our Save Bolivar Flats campaign has been nothing short of incredible. More than 700 donors from 34 states and several countries have already joined us in this effort to protect one of the most important shorebird sanctuaries on the Texas coast. Your support reminds us that Bolivar Flats is not only cherished locally, it’s valued by bird lovers around the world.

This unique habitat provides refuge for hundreds of thousands of migratory birds each year, and with your help, we can ensure it remains whole and protected for generations to come. If you haven’t yet joined the campaign, now is the time. Please consider making a donation or sharing our emails and social media posts. Together, we’re making a lasting difference for the birds and the people who depend on this special place.

With gratitude for your support,

- Jed Aplaca, President & CEO

Houston Audubon has been protecting Bolivar Flats since the 1980s and has secured 1,240 acres of this critical habitat since then. On an annual basis, half a million birds depend on Bolivar Flats to rest and refuel. This site has a rare international listing as a "Globally Important Bird Area," and over 300 bird species have been documented here, including 3 Threatened species.

There is one last missing piece surrounded by our sanctuary that is platted for a housing development. Houston Audubon is under contract to purchase this last piece to save it from development if we can raise $3 million by December 31st. We have raised over $1.5 million so far, thanks to the generous support of donors from around the country. Please help us Save Bolivar Flats by making a donation or sharing our campaign. 

View the beauty of Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary

Video by Brian Traylor

Map of the last missing parcel slated for development

FEATURED EVENTS

SANCTUARY SNAPSHOT

Houston Audubon owns and manages 18 bird sanctuaries totaling over 4,100 acres, many of which are open to the public! Our most frequented sanctuaries include the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary in west Houston and our High Island and Bolivar Flats sanctuaries on the coast. 

Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary

By John LeaRussa, ELMNS Sanctuary Lead

This fall has been particularly parched in our 17-acre oasis, so we to turn to the wildlife to find color throughout the sanctuary. Nature never disappoints us, as evident by this Polyphemus Moth sighting.

The dry weather has allowed us plenty of opportunities get workdays in at the sanctuary, and the Trail Crew has been hitting it out of the park keeping up with our trails and other maintenance items throughout the sanctuary, including repairing some damage on our boardwalk over the Turtle Pond. In October, we began our monthly Community Work Days (3rd Saturday of each month October-April). These are great opportunities to tackle some of the larger

projects we have to do to keep ELMNS the shining star that it is. A big shout out and a huge thanks to all our volunteers who work enthusiastically to maintain that shining star status.

There are still spaces available in our Stories and Crafts classes for children ages 3-5 that meet on select Mondays in the cabin. November topics include Squirrels and Earthworms. See the schedule and register here »

Don’t forget to stop by our Nature Shop in the admin building between the hours of 9 AM – 3 PM from Monday–Friday to pick up some great gifts just in time for the holidays, such as holiday cardinal ornaments and new enamel pins. It's a great opportunity to impress your loved ones and support our mission at the same time.

Fall Colors, ELMNS style

Photo Credit: jake98snake, iNaturalist

On the Coast - High Island and Bolivar Flats

By Wyatt Egelhoff, Sanctuary Manager

Thank you to all of the volunteers that attended our first High Island Workday of the fall in October. We managed to open the trails at Boy Scout Woods and feed some hungry mosquitoes. Our next High Island Workday will be Saturday, November 8 from 8:30 AM to noon. This month’s activities will likely entail opening the trails at Smith Oaks. Our next Coastal Nursery Workday will be Friday, November 14 from 9 AM to noon. Fall is a great time to work on propagating some of our native woody understory plants, such as American Beautyberry, Yaupon Holly, and Wax Myrtle. Depending on the weather, we may also do some planting of the forbs and Red Mulberry that we’ve been growing out over the past year within our sanctuaries.

November means growing numbers of wintering shorebirds settling in at Bolivar Flats, with larger numbers of Dunlin joining the hundreds of Western Sandpipers, and the numbers of American Avocets often climbing into the thousands. Coastal staff will be leading the next Bolivar Flats Ramble on Saturday, November 1 from 10 AM to noon. It's a great opportunity to learn more about the beautiful sanctuary we're working to protect. 

There are now 370 Neotropic Cormorant nests at the Smith Oaks Rookery, with a handful of chicks now visible. The first fall cohort of nesting Neotropic Cormorants at the Rookery occurred about a decade ago and has commenced most years since. This is apparently a part of the larger trend of Neotropic Cormorant range and population expansion across the Gulf and up the Rio Grande over the past 40 years. It is unknown whether the individuals that nest at Smith Oaks in the fall are the same as those that breed there in the spring/summer months. After a somewhat lackluster October for cold fronts, we remain optimistic that November will bring cooler weather and perhaps some bigger pulses of migrants to the sanctuaries.

CONSERVATION CORNER

Save Bolivar Flats! The Importance of Stopover Sites for Migrating Shorebirds

By Schyler Brown, Bird-Friendly Communities Program Manager

Shorebirds are incredible animals; many species are capable of flying for thousands of miles non-stop. Others travel distances that span hemispheres, stopping only briefly at key areas as they make their way to their breeding or wintering grounds. These key areas, known as stopover sites, are critical in a shorebird's annual cycle (a yearly cycle of hatching, migration, and reproduction). They provide an abundance of food necessary to fuel the bird's flight north or south.

Unfortunately, stopover sites are disappearing and birds that use them are vanishing. One important stopover site is Houston Audubon's Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, a 1,240 acre bird oasis that includes dunes, coastal marshes, and some of the largest mudflats on the Texas Coast. The mudflats give north and southbound migrating shorebirds an opportunity to dig for worms, crabs, clams, oysters, and other food they need to make a successful flight to their destination. Currently, there is a development threatening Bolivar Flats, but we have an opportunity to purchase the plot of land before it's too late. You can help us raise money by making a donation here and getting the word out. With enough support, the Flats will continue to be a haven for shorebirds and an incredible birding experience for people.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Connecting with the Coast

By Casey Smith, Coastal Community Liaison

The fall months have brought a little cooler weather and a beautiful deep rich blue color to the water on the Bolivar Peninsula. The birds are enjoying the smaller crowds and quiet beaches this time of year. Nevertheless, just because the summer travelers and vacationers have flown the coop, the adventures on the peninsula are still flying high! The Bolivar Flats Beach Cleanup had over 70 wonderful volunteers show up to give our birds a cleaner beach. A scarecrow named “Bolivar Birder” was constructed from some of the litter and upcycled materials from the cleanup and won 3rd place at the Bolivar Escape Room scarecrow contest.

Bolivar Flats is teeming with precious birds with fewer beach-goers this time of year. Giving them 50 yards of space, equal to about half of a football field, helps keep them safe and thriving!

The local community has shown their support for the Save Bolivar campaign and are so hopeful that Bolivar Flats will be saved from development. The last missing piece will complete the sanctuary for the half a million birds that live, rest and refuel in Bolivar Flats, and will continue preserving spaces for people to connect with nature.

NEWS & BIRDING

Featured Beak: Red Knot

Houston Bird Week 2025: Community, Celebration and Conservation

WAYS TO HELP

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