Galveston Bay Area Chapter - Texas Master Naturalist

10/22/2026

Knowledge sharing - Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) - We welcome sharing of our posts.
The Snowy Egret is a common year-round resident of the Galveston Bay Area. This small, all-white bird can be distinguished from similar species by the black beak and black legs with bright yellow feet. In breeding plumage, the yellow lores turn to a deep red. They have long plumes of wispy white feathers on the head, neck, and back.
Snowy Egrets can be found in most aquatic habitats. They like water both fresh and salty, from neighborhood ponds and ditches to marshes, beaches, mangroves, and flooded fields. They have a very active foraging style, running after prey in shallow water or shuffling their feet through the mud to kick up prey. Their varied prey items include small fish, crustaceans, invertebrates, amphibians and reptiles, and even small rodents.
One of the most noticeable features of a Snowy Egret is its yellow feet. It is thought that the coloration may attract curious fish like a lure. As the bird shuffles its feet through the mud, the yellow toes might resemble worms or the flashes of color might distract the fish, bringing them in close enough to become easy prey.
Photos and information shared by Chapter members Elizabeth and Elisha Hehir.

10/18/2026

Two years of blooms and buzzing visitors! 🌸🐝 Come celebrate the pollinator garden at Sunflower Pond on Sunday, October 25, from 9–10:30 a.m.!

10/15/2026

Knowledge sharing - Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus)- We welcome sharing of our posts.
Royal Terns are year-round residents of the Texas Coast. They have white bodies with pale gray wings and for most of the year they sport a black “crown” on their head with a white forehead, though in breeding season the forehead turns black. The bill is bright orange.
The Royal Tern is a coastal bird, most often found on beaches and over shallow waters such as estuaries and bays. However, they have been seen offshore. Like many terns, they hunt by hovering over the water and diving in to grab nearby fish. They also hunt crustaceans, shrimp, and squid.
Royal Terns nest in colonies, usually on low sandy islands. They make a nest out of a shallow scrape in the ground and raise one or two chicks. Chicks leave their nests and gather together in a group. This is called a “crèche”, and adult terns can pick their chicks out of the group by call.
Photos and information shared by Chapter members Elizabeth and Elisha Hehir.

10/13/2026

Caring for our local prairie, one workday at a time! 🌾 Thank you to our Galveston Bay Area Chapter - Texas Master Naturalist and city staff who teamed up at Dick Benoit Prairie Preserve to remove invasive Chinese tallow trees, identify plants, and collect seeds.

With more than 250 plant species documented, this Certified Texas Native Prairie is a special place. We’re grateful to everyone helping protect it for the future!

Another successful workday on the Prairie!

City employees joined the Galveston Bay Area Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists on October 7 for another volunteer workday at the Dick Benoit Prairie Preserve. These workdays are an important part of helping protect the native prairie ecosystem by removing invasive plants and documenting the preserve’s plant diversity.

Last week, volunteers removed invasive Chinese tallow trees, identified plant species, and collected seeds. Their findings will be added to iNaturalist to help track the plants found throughout the preserve.

More than 250 plant species have been identified and recorded at the preserve so far. This rich diversity helped the Dick Benoit Prairie Preserve earn recognition as a Certified Texas Native Prairie, and continued workdays help protect this special habitat for the future.

10/13/2026

🐦 A morning on the prairie. A contribution to science.

In our newest 25th Anniversary video, Galveston Bay Area Chapter member Tom Prouty takes us to Texas City Prairie Preserve to share how bird surveys put citizen science into action.

Our volunteers bring curiosity, birding skills and a love of the outdoors to observations that help us better understand this coastal prairie and its wildlife. And you never know what might come into view!

🎥 Watch Tom’s story as we celebrate 25 years of caring for our natural resources.

Local people. Local knowledge. Local service.
The Nature Conservancy

10/11/2026

🐢 Sea turtles have quite a team in their corner—including 63 of our GBAC members!

From beach patrols and hospital care to outreach, Turtle Trails activities, and rescue and recovery training, our volunteers give their time and talents to support the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research.

At the Center’s annual volunteer celebration, two members received special recognition: Patty, for more than 300 hours volunteering in the sea turtle hospital, and Marlynn, for lending a hand across so many of the Center’s programs. Congratulations to both! 💚

To every member supporting this work: thank you. Your dedication brings our chapter’s message to life—Local People. Local Knowledge. Local Service.

Join us in celebrating these volunteers and our partners at the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research!

10/08/2026

Knowledge sharing – Least Bittern (Botaurus exilis) - We welcome sharing of our posts.
The Least Bittern is a common breeding resident along the Texas Gulf Coast. This tiny tawny-colored heron has a striped neck that often appears short when the bird is sitting but can extend to a great length. The back and cap are black on males and brown on females. The bill and feet are yellow.
Least Bitterns prefer dense, marshy habitats. Their long legs and toes are specially adapted for climbing through reeds and marsh grasses, which they prefer over wading, unlike most herons. They also hunt from these grasses, plucking fish, insects, crayfish, small amphibians and reptiles, and other aquatic prey from the waters below.
Being the smallest heron in the Americas, it’s no wonder the Least Bittern is well known to be elusive. However, it is also aided by its excellent camouflage with surrounding vegetation. When these birds spot a potential threat, they freeze and point their long necks and beaks upward, making their bodies as thin as possible. Standing motionless in this pose, their striped necks help them perfectly mimic the reeds and grasses they call home.
Photos and information shared by Chapter members Elizabeth and Elisha Hehir.

10/06/2026

🌊 You don’t need a cape to be a Beach Hero—but our volunteers sometimes wear one!

As part of our 25th Anniversary stories, meet Maureen Nolan-Wilde and discover Beach Heroes, a program of the Galveston Bay Area Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalist.

Through engaging lessons, art and a little superhero fun, we teach about plastic pollution and its impact on coastal wildlife—and how their everyday choices can help protect our beaches and the animals that call them home.

🎥 Watch Maureen share how our volunteers inspire the next generation of Beach Heroes!

Local People. Local Knowledge. Local Service.
Celebrating 25 years of caring for our natural resources.

10/04/2026

🌿 Water tester. Bird counter. Habitat champion. Mentor. Bev Morrison wears many hats—and has given 10,000 volunteer service hours! 🎉

Whether she’s monitoring water quality and rainfall, protecting native plants and diamondback terrapin habitat, recycling fishing line, or keeping her eyes on the skies at HawkWatch, Bev puts her love of nature into action.

She also makes time to share her knowledge, welcome new naturalists, and lend a hand behind the scenes. Those hours add up to a remarkable gift to our chapter and coastal community.

Join us in celebrating Bev and this extraordinary milestone! 💚 Thank you, Bev, for showing how much one dedicated person can do.

Local people. Local knowledge. Local service.