Dear friend,
I hope you had a wonderful summer and are as excited about entering the fall season as we are at Houston Audubon. Our summer was full— integrating and training exciting new team members, building synergy across our land and education programs, cleaning -up some of our operational processes, and developing a fall work plan of fun and ongoing conservation impact. There are many ways for you to get involve with our amazing, diverse community of volunteers, nature enthusiasts, conservationists, birders, habitat gardening aficionados, and artists. Your involvement means a lot to us. We hope to see you around.
- Helen Drummond, Executive Director
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Houston Bird Week is back for its fourth year! Held from September 17 - 24, 2022, this celebratory week of birdy events has something fun for everyone to enjoy.Â
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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT HOUSTON AUDUBON
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Join us for a fall open house at the Natives Nursery at Edith Moore Nature Sanctuary! Chat with our expert nursery volunteers, get answers to your native plant and gardening questions, and go home with the perfect plants for your space. And you can take advantage of the long weekend to get your planting done for the bugs and birds!
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Art with Raptors is a 2-hour art workshop that bridges the gap between art, science, and birds. Sit with one of our raptor ambassadors as you learn step-by-step how to draw birds from head-to-talon. Learn about bird anatomy, art history, and watercolor techniques, all while you create your very own bird masterpiece! Artists of all levels are welcome.Â
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Hawks, falcons, owls and more await you at Houston Audubon's Raptor Photo Shoots. You will have the opportunity to photograph Houston Audubon’s education raptors in an intimate setting at the Houston Audubon Raptor & Education Center. Whether you use a simple point and shoot or serious photography equipment, you will enjoy meeting and learning about these awesome birds.Â
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Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
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Rain and cooler temperatures have perked up the sanctuary. Watch for late season tadpoles and juvenile birds still learning the ropes. Fall migration is bringing warblers and raptor flyovers, and the hummingbirds are loving the salvia and Turk’s cap in the cabin garden!
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Children ages 3-5 can join us at the cabin for a new program called Fledgling Friends, beginning September 20!
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Raptor and Education Center
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Summer camps have concluded and fall programming is already in full swing at the Raptor Center! Join us at a Behind the Scenes tour, Raptor Photo Shoot, or Owl Prowl. We're bringing back Art with Raptors, which was launched in spring, and provides a unique experience painting one of our education raptors.
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New this fall, we're launching Raptor Fest! Raptor Fest is a weekend event that happens once a month and features up-close raptor encounters, bird-themed crafts and games, face painting, and more.Â
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Visit us at an upcoming program or schedule your field trip today!
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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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On the Coast - High Island and Bolivar Flats
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The beach-nesting bird season has officially wrapped at Bolivar Flats and the symbolic fencing has been removed. Shorebird migration is in full swing with several thousand plovers, sandpipers, gulls, and terns taking advantage of the rich foraging opportunities provided by the mudflats. Many of our breeding Least Terns and Wilson’s Plovers have begun to depart for points to the south and have been replaced by more northerly breeding species. Even so, the mix of lingering summer residents, migrants, and arriving winter residents means we are entering a period of maximum shorebird diversity at Bolivar Flats and across the Upper Texas Coast.
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At the High Island Sanctuaries, frequent rain has meant many more mosquitos, just in time for the first wave of returning songbird migrants. So far these have included Chuck-will’s-widow, Olive-sided Flycatcher, American Redstart, and Kentucky Warbler, among others. This summer has yielded large numbers of golden orb-weaver spiders, particularly at Smith Oaks.
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You can support birds by signing up to be a Houston Audubon volunteer! We're currently searching for volunteers for Houston Bird Week, fall collision monitoring, sanctuary work days, and more!
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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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15% off all new and renewing memberships during Houston Bird Week Sep. 17-24!
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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