Several Houston-area institutions and organizations are honoring Earth Day on April 22. Below are select event highlights; more possibilities nationwide are at earthday.org.
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1. 🐘 Walk for the wild. Houston Zoo’s Walk for the Wild 5k returns on April 23. Registration for Walk for the Wild includes a commemorative shirt, admission to the zoo, and access to the Walk for the Wild After Party. Every dollar raised benefits the Houston Zoo’s wildlife-saving programs.
📍 Houston Zoo, 6200 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030
2. 🦆 Flock to FeatherFest. Bird lovers are invited to experience one of the largest birding festivals in Texas. Held April 20 to April 23, the 21st annual event features field trips, workshops, and other special events on Galveston Island.
📍Galveston, Texas
3. 🌳 Plant a tree. Trees for Houston is celebrating a milestone: 40 years and more than 750,000 trees planted or donated to local families, schools, neighborhoods and parks. This year alone, Trees for Houston has a goal to plant and distribute more than 70,000 trees, which will benefit Houstonians for generations to come. Trees for Houston will hold an Earth Day tree giveaway, which is open to the public, on April 22, from 9 a.m. to noon at. In addition to its tree planting and giveaway events, Trees for Houston offers educational and advocacy programs.
📍 Tom Bass Park, 3452 Fellows Road, Houston, TX 77047
4. ⛵ Set sail on a floating safari. Each weekend, Bayou Ranger II shuttles the waters of the Armand and Horsepen Bayous of the Armand Bayou Nature Center. The pontoon boat’s 90-minute excursions provide passing views of wetlands forest, prairie and marsh habitats and the chance to spot various critters, including the occasional alligator. The 2,500-acre wilderness preserve is home to more than 370 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Along the way, guides share the history of the preserve while highlighting the importance of environmental conservation. The pontoon tours depart Friday through Sunday from Armand Bayou Nature Center at 8500 Bay Area Boulevard in Pasadena. Tickets are $35 for the morning and sunset cruises and $45 for the night cruise. Proceeds support the Armand Bayou Nature Center and its mission to protect the wilderness preserve.
📍Armand Bayou Nature Center, 8500 Bay Area Boulevard, Pasadena, TX 77507
💻 abnc.org
5. 🎂 Celebrate 100 years of Texas State Parks. A newly published book commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Texas state park system. Conservationist Andrew Sansom and author Linda J. Reaves, in collaboration with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, produced “The Art of Texas State Parks, a Centennial Celebration, 1923-2023.” In a release, the department describes the book as an attempt to create “a lasting visual record of Texas State Parks in art and, at the same time, memorialize the past and ongoing development of the distinctive collection of Lone Star parks and natural areas.” For the book, published by Texas A&M University Press, 30 Texas artists were commissioned to produce paintings of state parks. Proceeds from the sale of the book benefit the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. The book ($40) is available for purchase through Texas A&M Press and on Amazon.
6. 🌲 Attend a wildscape work day. Lend a hand at the Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center. Help park staff rake, weed, plant, and remove invasive species from a wildscape garden area while learning more about garden maintenance and native Texas species. Work days will be held on April 22, and May 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Volunteers are asked to bring their own gloves. To register to volunteer, contact Victoria Sharrock at Victoria.Sharrock@tpwd.texas.gov or (281) 456-2800, ext. 232.
📍Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center, 14140 Garrett Road, Houston, TX 77044
💻 tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/sheldon-lake/wildscape-work-day/2023-04-22
7. 🌎 Festive fun for kids. Celebrate Earth Day at Children’s Museum Houston during a family-friendly event that pays tribute to the environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Earth’s natural resources for future generations. Earth Day activities include nature-themed projects, demonstrations and experiments.
📍Children’s Museum Houston, 1500 Binz Street, Houston, TX 77004
💻 cmhouston.org/events/earth-day
8. 🦪 Eat oysters. The second annual Houston Oyster & SeaFest is returning to Buffalo Bayou Park on April 22. Proceeds benefit the Galveston Bay Foundation’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program. Festival attendees will enjoy a selection of menu items including cooked oyster bites and signature seafood dishes from several of Houston’s hottest restaurants. Also at the event -- drinks, live music, educational exhibits and more. Tickets start at $35.
📍 Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park, 105 Sabine Street, Houston, TX 77007
9. 🌱 Purchase plants. The Harris County Master Gardener Association holds several public plant sales throughout the year. The funds raised are used to support Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in its educational mission to bring relevant, research-based information about horticulture to the public. “Our plant sales are special events. We pride ourselves in offering the best varieties of fruit trees, vegetables and ornamental plants for our area at our plant sales,” its website reads. “Compost and other useful gardening accessories are also available. Most sales host free seminars about growing and caring for gardens, with emphasis on what is being sold at that particular sale. ... Come early for best selection as quantities are sometimes limited.” The organization will hold its spring perennials and peppers sale on April 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or while supplies last.
📍 Texas at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 5373 Franz Road, Katy, TX 77493
10. 🥬Learn how Houston’s going green. The City of Houston will hold its annual Earth Day Festival at City Hall on April 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will feature demonstrations, hands-on activities, displays and interactive booths showcasing city initiatives for a cleaner, greener Houston. Noteworthy activities include a tree giveaway, lead monitoring services, and inflatable archery.
📍 Houston City Hall, 901 Bagby Street, Houston, TX 77002
💻 Click here to learn more and to register!
11. 📖 Sit in on story time. Woodlands Children’s Museum’s Storybook Theatre will present a “double feature” on April 21 as an early Earth Day celebration. In “The Earth Book” by Todd Parr and “It’s Earth Day!” by Mercer Mayer children learn how to care for the Earth.
📍Woodlands Children’s Museum, 4775 W Panther Creek Drive, Suite #280, The Woodlands, TX 77381
💻 woodlandschildrensmuseum.org
12. 🥾 Take a hike. Celebrate Earth Day with a stop at a Texas State Park. About 50% of a park’s operating budget comes directly from visitor fees. Here are nine state parks in and around the Houston area perfect for a day trip or quick getaway.
📍 tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/parks-map
13. 💩 Collect coyote scat. Inspiring right? We kid. Though this task lacks glamour, it’s necessary nonetheless. Organized by the Houston Urban Wildlife office, the Houston Urban Coyote Project is an ongoing project to analyze the diet of urban and suburban coyotes in the greater Houston area. The project requires volunteers to collect scat in select areas. To volunteer your services, contact Kelly Norrid at kelly.norrid@tpwd.texas.gov.
📍Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center, 14140 Garrett Road, Houston, TX 77044
14. 💧Learn about water conservation. Each year Houston Public Works hosts its signature event, the Water Works Festival, to engage and educate the public about the value of water, Houston’s water infrastructure, and the many processes that involve producing safe and reliable drinking water and collecting and treating wastewater every day. This year, the Water Works Festival will be held in collaboration with Discovery Green and Citizens Environmental Coalition. The festival will take place April 22, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Discovery Green. Entrance to the festival is free and open to all ages. The event will feature 60-plus exhibitor booths, performances, art installations, kayaking, live music, face painting, science experiments, educational talks, crafts, and family activities. Emphasis will be put on topics such as water conservation, the water cycle, local water systems, species habitats, weather, water quality, and ecology. Additionally, attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the city’s water supply, water and wastewater treatment systems, conservation efforts, drought plan, stormwater projects, and more.
📍Discovery Green, 1500 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77010
💻 discoverygreen.com/save-the-date-green-mountain-energy-earth-day/
15. 🍏 Attend a nature conservation workshop. Houston Botanic Garden will hold a nature conservation workshop, “Tools to Combat Climate Change by Shifting Perspectives,” on April 22 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The workshop will offer attendees practical ways to to reduce their carbon footprint. Attendance is included in the cost of general admission.
📍 Houston Botanic Garden, 1 Botanic Lane, Houston, TX 77017
💻 hbg.org
16. 🦭 See stunning animals. Every time you visit the Houston Zoo, a portion of your ticket proceeds go towards the zoo’s wildlife-saving programs.
📍 Houston Zoo, 6200 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030
17. 🌻Meander through Memorial Park. Memorial Park Conservancy will hold an Earth Day celebration on April 22, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., in the park’s Eastern Glades area. Free and open to the public, the event will feature educational games and activities, children’s story time, and a documentary screening. “By coming together to celebrate Earth Day, we hope to inspire and encourage others to appreciate the oasis of nature that we have in the center of Houston, and throughout the rest of the world,” Memorial Park Conservancy wrote of the event.
📍 Memorial Park, 6501 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77007
18. 🏖️ Participate in a coastwide cleanup. The Texas General Land Office Adopt-A-Beach program is a volunteer effort that began in 1986. The Adopt-A-Beach program keeps Texas beaches clean through annual all-volunteer cleanups. There are two coastwide cleanups each year, one in the spring, generally held on the fourth Saturday in April, and one in the fall, generally held on the fourth Saturday of September. This year, the spring cleanup will be held on April 22, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at numerous locations along the coast. Use this map to find a cleanup site near you.
📍Numerous locations
19. 🌎 Meet local conservation leaders. Local conservation leaders will deliver a lecture on Houston and Galveston’s greatest wild places on April 18, at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The event will also include a panel and audience discussion about the challenges and opportunities to save and restore more nature in the region--including what guests can do a home and beyond.
📍 Houston Museum of Natural Science, 5555 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030
20. 🚀Blast off. Space Center Houston will hold its Planet Earth Celebration April 21 and 22. The event is included in general admission to Space Center Houston and features a tram tour highlighting the creatures that call the Space Center home.
📍 Space Center Houston, 1601 E NASA Pkwy, Houston, TX 77058
21. 🌳 Explore the arboretum. The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center will hold an Earth Day celebration on April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “This Earth Day we’re celebrating Earth’s Heroes,” the center’s website reads. “Join us for free family fun and meet some real local superheroes: wildland firefighters, park rangers, wildlife rehabilitators, and other incredible conservation professionals. Enjoy interactive booths, nature hikes, fun displays in the Discovery Room, and learn how to be a hero for our planet.”
📍Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, 4501 Woodway Drive, Houston, TX 77024
22. 🐝 Support local pollinators. If you have an outdoor space, consider planting native plants that support local pollinators who rely on native flora for food and shelter.
23. 📢 Attend Houston’s speaker series. The City of Houston will host a speaker series on April 17 and 18, featuring expert panels on topics including Houston’s water future, environmental monitoring, carbon capture, and flood mitigation.
📍Julia Ideson Library, 550 McKinney St, Houston, TX 77002
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