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Spring is upon us, and so are plenty of exciting volunteer opportunities this season!
Our greatest need during this time of year is staffing the admissions and sales kiosks at our Smith Oaks and Boy Scout Woods Sanctuaries in High Island every day, now thorugh May 3. If you have not been to spring migration in High Island before, we hope you will consider joining us this year! Please read on below, or reach out to volunteer@houstonaudubon.org with questions.
There are many ways to help birds this spring, from spotting feathered friends on a bird survey to sprucing up habitat at a sanctuary workday, lending a hand at our nurseries, or participating in NestFest to clean Bolivar Flats, and we would love to see you there.
As always, thank you for being part of our incredible flock—we couldn’t do it without you!
Caroline Evans
Volunteer Coordinator, Houston Audubon
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| | Spring Migration is Here!
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High Island Spring Migration Volunteers
Daily from March 7 through May 3 | 8 AM - 4 PM
Each spring, thousands of birds—and birders—descend on the internationally acclaimed Smith Oaks and Boy Scout Woods sanctuaries. To keep things running smoothly during this busy season, we rely on a dedicated team of volunteers at both sites.
Admissions and Sales Volunteers welcome visitors, collect admissions, sell merchandise, distribute birding guides and trail maps, and help maintain daily sightings lists.
Canopy Walk Volunteers enjoy a unique opportunity to engage visitors on the canopy walks, sharing what’s happening in Smith Oaks’ Rookery and helping spread awareness about the importance of conserving birds and their habitat. Training material (a half-hour video presentation) is distributed ahead of time—birders and TMNs are encouraged to sign up, but expertise is not required!
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High Island Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
You are invited to celebrate the kick-off of the 2026 spring migration season with fellow Houston Audubon volunteers! Our High Island Volunteer Appreciation Picnic is a potluck-style luncheon.
BBQ will be provided for all to enjoy, but please bring a side or sweet treat to contribute to the celebration (utensils and plates will be provided).
We encourage you to share this invitation with your friends or interested birders as we are still actively recruiting volunteers for High Island, and would love to have them join us!
This year, we will celebrate all our spring migration volunteers and honor two very dedicated High Island volunteers, Brian and Vicki Anderson.
Please RSVP by clicking the link above or the image to the right so we can include you in our headcount!
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| | Coastal Volunteer Opportunities
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Join Houston Audubon and SPLASh for a special morning of cleaning up the shorelines of Bolivar Peninsula! We have two beach cleanups remaining before nesting season begins, and your efforts will provide clean habitat for our beach-nesting birds, including the Wilson's Plover, Snowy Plover, Least Tern, Black Skimmer, and Willet. These birds use all sections of the beach, from the water's edge to the dunes, to lay their eggs and raise their chicks. Gloves, trash grabbers, and trash bags will be provided. Please bring your reusable water containers, and we’ll have water on-hand for refills. Click either the link or graphic above to register with SPLASh!
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Entergy Coastal Natives Nursery Workdays
Every Second Friday | 9 AM - 12 PM
February 13 & March 13
Help grow habitat in High Island! Houston Audubon is seeking volunteers to support the Entergy Coastal Natives Nursery.
Join Sanctuary Manager Wyatt Egelhoff at the Coastal Operations Center to assist with propagating native Texas plants that benefit birds and other wildlife. New to native plants? No problem. Already experienced? Even better—we’d love your leadership on the team.
The Entergy Coastal Natives Nursery is located at the COOP (2081 Old Mexico Road, High Island, TX 77623)
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High Island Sanctuary Workdays
Every Second Saturday | 8:30 AM - 12 PM
February 14 & March 14
Join us at the Field Station across from Boy Scout Woods to help spruce up one of our four High Island sanctuaries! Workday projects support both wildlife habitat and the spaces that welcome thousands of visitors each year.
Enjoy time outside, make a difference, and refuel with a delicious lunch prepared by our stellar lunch crew.
Please bring a refillable water bottle—we’ll take care of the tools and gloves!
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| | Volunteer Opportunites at ELM and Around Houston
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Join us at the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary to assist with trail maintenance, litter pick-up, gardening, and invasive species removal.
Sanctuary workdays are a great way to enjoy the outdoors and meet like-minded friends! In case of inclement weather, registrants will be notified in advance of cancellation.
While this volunteer opportunity is open to students and children, please note that all participants under the age of 18 must have a participation waiver signed by a parent or guardian who attends the workday in addition to their child.
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