Category: Armand Bayou Nature Center

Check out our newly completed Hana Ginzbarg Welcome Center. Carefully crafted exhibits display why the confluence of bayou, riparian forest, and coastal tall-grass prairie at ABNC are critical to biodiversity and the health of the environment. The exhibits also provide valuable history of the ABNC site and why restoring and protecting imperiled native habitats is crucial for our community. Browsing our interactive Welcome Center will prepare you for what you’ll see and do as you begin your journey through ABNC.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Our amazing volunteers and members joined us at ABNC last night for a Star Party hosted by Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society (JSCAS). As part of its mission of public outreach, the JSCAS enjoys hosting “Star Parties” where the public has the opportunity to observe the skies through members’ telescopes. We had so much fun enjoying the fall weather and stargazing, learning about the night sky and observing some of its wonders. The nearly full Moon, Saturn and Jupiter were marvels to explore! Thank you to JSCAS for sharing their knowledge and hosting such a fun event for ABNC volunteers and members. Photos courtesy of Haley Holland & Stacy Holcomb 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Thank you H-E-B for sponsoring Texas Recycles Day at ABNC this weekend on November 15th, 16th, 17th! Each visitor who brings a single-use plastic water bottle or single-use plastic bag from any retailer will receive FREE admission thanks to H-E-B. Help us conserve and protect Our Texas, Our Future as you enjoy exploring ABNC.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Anhinga drying her wings after taking a dip in Horsepen Bayou. Unlike most ducks and other water birds, Anhingas don’t oil their feathers in order to reduce buoyancy as they dive for fish. So in the absence of water off a duck’s back, as it were, they perch for long periods with their wings spread in the sun to aid in drying. Info and photo courtesy of Gary Seloff
#wildlifewednesday #birdwatching #birds

Armand Bayou Nature Center

The morning rain on Saturday and Sunday didn’t dampen the fun over the weekend, our Golden Jubilee Festival was a big hit thanks to all who visited, the businesses and organizations who provided entertainment and information, our amazing and dedicated volunteers and generous sponsors! We are truly grateful for all of your support and want to thank you for making our very special 50th anniversary celebration such a big success!

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Armand Bayou Nature Center invites you to celebrate Texas Recycles Day sponsored by H-E-B on November 15th, 16th, 17th! Each visitor who brings a plastic water bottle or single-use plastic bag from any retailer receives FREE admission. Help us conserve and protect Our Texas, Our Future as you enjoy exploring ABNC.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

ABNC is looking great for our Golden Jubilee Fall Festival! It takes many hands to make such a large event happen and we want to thank the many dedicated ABNC volunteers who helped set up the festival. We are also very grateful for the Celanese Corporation team who provided so much help with setting up yesterday. 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

As we prepare for our Golden Jubilee Fall Festival, celebrating ABNC’s 50th Anniversary this weekend, we’re looking back at photos from our Fall Festival in 1982.
Photos from ABNC archives

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Join us this weekend for live music, food, games, wagon rides and more as we celebrate 50 years of Armand Bayou Nature Center! Check out our all new entrance as you’re greeted by our all new epic 40 foot Gator Sculpture. Be part of the grand opening of our completed Hana Ginzbarg Welcome Center! https://www.abnc.org/fall-festival
Special thanks to our generous sponsors Dixie Chemical Company, PEMEX Deer Park, Chemours, and SSCI Environmental, Inc. for helping to make this event possible!

Armand Bayou Nature Center

From tots to teens, get you kids off their devices and outside for an outdoor adventure at ABNC! Registration is open for our EcoPrograms, Ecotots Bilingües and Fall & Winter EcoCamps. https://www.abnc.org/ecoeducation

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Today is National Bison Day & it is also National Native American Heritage Month. For thousands of years, Native Americans relied heavily on bison for their survival & well-being, using every part of the bison for food, clothing, shelter, tools, jewelry & in ceremonies. Bison are the largest mammal in North America. Male bison can be up to 6 ft tall and weigh up to 2000 pounds, while female bison can weigh up to 1000! It only takes 2 years for a female bison calf to grow into a mature breeding adult, whereas it takes the male 5 years. In the wild they can live 15 years and in captivity up to 25 years. They can run up to 35 mph and jump as high as 6 ft and can jump 7 ft horizontally.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

 ABNC now offers Bilingues EcoTots for ages 18 months to 3 years, inspiring young children and their caregivers to explore, respect, and protect nature. https://www.abnc.org/ecotots-bilingues

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Last Saturday’s Creepy Crawlers was amazing! Thank you to all of our guests and volunteers who made this event a big success!! 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Have you seen our new gator! This week we added this epic, eye-catching sculpture designed by Paul Kittelson as part of our Renewal 2024 project to celebrate 50 years of ABNC! This is the first part of our reimagined entrance, designed to capture the curiosity of those who drive by to inspire them to visit and explore ABNC. 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

We are truly grateful for all of the amazing volunteers who came out on Saturday for Prairie Pandemonium to plant over 2,250 native tallgrass prairie plants. We also want to thank our generous sponsors whose support made this crucial conservation event possible! Thank you H-E-B Our Texas Our Future, REI , Galveston Bay Area Chapter – Texas Master Naturalist , Wild Birds Unlimited and Bay Area Meat Market & Deli for making such a big difference in our conservation efforts! Please support these businesses and organizations to show gratitude for their support. 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Ahoy matey, arr’ ye ready for Pelicans & Pirates Pontoon Cruises and Sunset Kayak Paddle this weekend? Join our swarthy crew of deck hand or kayakers for these fun limited time low seas adventure exploring the historic backwaters of Galveston Bay! Learn more at https://www.abnc.org/events Photos by Gary Seloff 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Teen and parent volunteers clean and decorated the pole barn for our upcoming Creepy Crawlers event this Saturday. 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Arr’ ye team Kayak or Pontoon when it comes to your Pelicans & Pirates adventures? Both offer a fun and unique experience exploring the historic backwaters of Galveston Bay! Ahoy matey it’s time to set sail on one or both of these low seas adventures along Armand Bayou! Photos courtesy of Gary Seloff

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Timothy Witt, his father and Troop 30 worked hard for 2 days installing the floor in the Carpenter’s Shed and moving everything back in from the Hay Barn as part of an Eagle Scout service project for his Distinguished Eagle Scout Award! We appreciate everything you’ve done for us!

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Lauren presented her Girl Scout’s Silver Award program on Wetland Birds with materials she created to some of the Education Department staff. These materials will continue to be used for programs and classes here at ABNC. The Silver Award is one of the highest awards in Girl Scouting! #Thankyou and way to go Lauren!

Armand Bayou Nature Center

ABNC and our team of dedicated volunteers meticulously restore and conserve 900 acres of coastal tall-grass prairie which supports a huge diversity of prairie-dependent plants and animals. You can volunteer to be part of our annual Prairie Pandemonium on October 19th, where hundreds of volunteers from our community will come out to help us preserve one of the last remnants of historic prairie in Texas. Registration deadline is October 15th. https://www.abnc.org/prairie-pandemonium
Thank you to our prairie volunteers and generous sponsors for making this year’s Prairie Pandemonium possible. H-E-B , REI , Wild Birds Unlimited, Bay Area Meat Market & Deli, and Galveston Bay Area Chapter – Texas Master Naturalist
Photos of 2011 Prairie Pandemonium courtesy of Tyson Vodochodsky

Armand Bayou Nature Center

We have seen a number of ruby-throated hummingbirds in the butterfly garden recently. In the Fall fewer Ruby-throats cross the Gulf of Mexico than in Spring. Traveling up to 23 miles a day in the Fall mostly along the Texas coast back into Mexico to avoid tropical storms and hurricanes. Whereas in the Spring, they can cover a distance of approximately 500 miles, flying non-stop for 18 to 22 hours to reach the other side of the Gulf. Sometimes they’ll stay in Texas year round if they are too old or too young. While hummingbirds can and have been seen eating mosquitos, their primary food source is actually nectar. Photo courtesy of Tyson Vodochodsky.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Arrr’ ye ready to join Cap’n James and his deck crew for a Pelicans & Pirates Pontoon Night Cruise, or join our swarthy crew of kayakers for a guided sunset paddle tour? Explore the bayou and learn how the historic backwaters of Galveston Bay provided the perfect refuge for notorious ne’er-do-wells and plundering pelicans alike. https://www.abnc.org/reconnect-with-nature Sunset with Pelican photo courtesy of Gary Seloff

Armand Bayou Nature Center

While Bats may not be as beloved as fireflies or owls, they are intriguing animals and are critical to our ecosystem and biodiversity. They reduce the mosquito population in Texas, need we say more! Learn more about these misunderstood mammals and try to spot some on an ABNC Bat Hike.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Thank you to The Equus Group for coming out with us on the pontoon, the bayou safari tour and for helping out with a service project. The bricks lining the garden look great at the farmhouse! Also thank you to our volunteers that helped out!

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Our EcoSchoolers had a great time exploring ABNC’s prairie and creating prairie art. Fun upcoming EcoProgram topics include foraging, bird migration, invasive species, bats, snakes (bilingual) and crawfish(bilingual). Learn more at https://www.abnc.org/eco-programs .

Armand Bayou Nature Center

It’s National Estuaries Week. Did you know Armand Bayou is part of the 7th largest estuary in the US and the biggest estuary in Texas which is called the Trinity-San Jacinto Estuary which is also known as Galveston Bay? Parts of the bayou are in a tidal zone, which means that it is influenced by salt water as well as freshwater flows from upstream. This brackish water makes Armand Bayou an estuary which is a valuable nursery for adolescent water wildlife that includes shrimp, crabs, flounder, menhaden, mullet, red drum, and speckled trout. Some of these marine animals mature in this bayou then migrate into the Gulf of Mexico. This is why ABNC’s preservation of this critically important habitat is vital. abnc.org/nature-blog/living-water Photos by Stacy Holcomb 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

We had a blast yesterday! Thank you to ABNC’s amazing volunteers and City of Pasadena, TX Parks & Recreation for making the event possible! And thank you to everyone who came out yesterday to take part in making Parks for Pollinators a success!

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Join us for our annual Prairie Pandemonium and help restore one of the last remnants of wild coastal tallgrass prairie in Texas! Tall grass prairie once covered nine million acres along the coastal plain of south-central Texas and southwestern Louisiana. More than 99% has been lost to agriculture and urbanization. At nine hundred acres, Armand Bayou Nature Center preserves one of the most extensive holdings of coastal tallgrass prairie in the lower Galveston Bay watershed. https://www.abnc.org/prairie-pandemonium 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

EcoPrograms give kids ages 18 months to 18 years old a fun hands-on way to learn about bayou observation, bird migration, bison, pond life and more! https://www.abnc.org/eco-programs Photos courtesy of Stacy Holcomb

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Even though bald eagles can be seen year round in Texas, they migrate here September through May for breeding. The adults will often return to the same nest year after year. Some bald eagle nests can reach up to 10 feet across & weigh up to 2000 pounds! Bald eagles are believed to live around 30 years or longer in the wild. They mate for life, building huge nests in the tops of large trees near wetlands. Photo courtesy of Gary Seloff #BaldEagle #Birding

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Today is International Vulture Awareness Day. While vultures are often viewed very negatively, they play an important ecological role as scavengers. Did you know that 16 of the 23 vulture populations in the world are endangered or threatened with extinction? The two vulture species that live at ABNC are the black vulture and the turkey vulture. They are both protected by the Migratory Bird Act and are considered a species of Least Concern. In Texas, conservation efforts are designed to preserve their habitat and raise awareness about their vital role in our ecosystems. Photos courtesy of Gary Seloff 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

We are #grateful to Port Houston, a long-time partner of Armand Bayou Nature Center! ABNC is one of the largest urban wilderness preserves in the U.S., and thanks to a conservation easement agreement with Port Houston we are now 175 acres bigger! Check out Port Houston’s video about how we’re working together to enhance prairie and marsh habitats through our partnership!

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Some migrating birds we’ve seen recently are the Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-throated Vireo, Summer Tanager, Red-eyed Vireo and Yellow Warbler. Please try to keep lights out at night to prevent disorientation during critical fall peak migration from September 5 through October 29. Baltimore Oriole photo Courtesy of Gary Seloff #fallmigration2024 #birding #WildlifeWednesday #LightsOutTexas

Armand Bayou Nature Center

This weekend is packed full of fun and adventure at ABNC! Try our Photography Workshop with Gary Seloff. He has spent countless hours taking astonishing photos of ABNC wildlife, and he’s sharing his skills so that you can learn to take your very own stunning photos. For early risers, enjoy watching wildlife seek their breakfast along the bayou shore on a Morning Pontoon Cruise or Kayak Tour. If you prefer when day fades into night, try a Sunset Pontoon Cruise to experience the nocturnal sights and sound of the nature center. The choice is yours! https://www.abnc.org/reconnect-with-nature

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Our friends from LyondellBasell stopped by today to see the progress on ABNC’s Welcome Center. LyondellBasell has been an important partner for Renewal 2024 projects, supporting the creation of the Digital Trail Kiosk and Bayou Wildlife exhibit in the welcome center, as well as supporting the renovation of the LyondellBasell Auditorium in ABNC’s Environmental Learning Center. We are truly grateful to LyondellBasell for their continued support of ABNC and for helping us restore and renew our aging infrastructure as ABNC celebrates 50 years of reconnecting people with nature! 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

This is a venomous Eastern Copperhead, they are much less common to see than the nonvenomous snakes at ABNC. They are non aggressive, choosing to stay still and blend in when threatened, however this one was out foraging mid-day, and didn’t seem to mind being filmed. This is also a very good reminder of why it is important to stay on the trails when exploring. Photos and video by Stacy Holcomb 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

ABNC is a certified site for State Board of Education Professional Development (SBEC). Teachers can earn their PD hours by taking part in many of ABNC’s many EcoExploration Programs including Pontoon Cruises, Kayak Tours, Nature Photography Workshops, Bayou Safari Tours, Animal Encounters and Paint by Nature. Learn more at https://www.abnc.org/sbec-for-teachers 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

ABNC has different kinds of turtles, especially red-eared sliders. We have a lot of red-eared sliders, however sometimes we see river cooters. The first turtle on the left is a river cooter and on the right is the red-eared slider which has that big red spot on its head. The male river cooter can have really long back claws not seen in this photo. As with most turtle species the bigger turtles will usually be the female turtles. Temperature determines which sex a turtle will be when the eggs hatch. Males are produced when eggs are incubated at temperatures of 22–27 °C (72–81 °F), whereas females develop at warmer temperatures. Photo by Stacy Holcomb 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

This back to school season, get your kids unplugged and out in nature with ABNC EcoPrograms with new topics every week. Sign up for one week or many. Fun upcoming eco topics include alligators, dragonflies, states of matter, fishing and pillbugs. Photos courtesy of Stacy Holcomb & Tyson Vodochodsky abnc.org/eco-programs 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

A single image can evoke deep emotional feelings and bring back that past with a quick gaze. Celebrate World Photography Day and send us some photos. Here is a bald eagle up close taken by Stacy Holcomb. 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Embrace your inner artist and enjoy an indoor nature inspired activity! Learn about and how to paint Wildflowers and Armadillos as our multi-talented volunteer coordinator, Jessica guides you through a fun Paint by Nature Workshop. Or dive into nature photography with Gary Seloff as he shares his astonishing skills in our Nature Photography Workshops! Learn more at https://www.abnc.org/

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Thank you to the fine folks from Kendra Scott-Baybrook Mall for coming out and weeding our pollinator garden in education!

Armand Bayou Nature Center

The lifespan of raccoons in the wild is estimated at three to five years, and they have been known to live up to 16 years. A captive raccoon was recorded living for 21 years. Genetic studies have shown that the closest relatives of the raccoon are the ring-tailed cats, coatis and cacomistles. Photo courtesy of Gary Seloff.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Meet our amazing animal ambassadors! Our knowledgeable Zoologist will explain what they eat, how they have adapted to live in our area, and how they came to call ABNC their home! Registration required https://www.abnc.org/animal-encounters

Armand Bayou Nature Center

A big thank you to our outstanding volunteers for everything you do! If you would like to join a fun loving group of people, we have a volunteer orientation on August 24th. Please complete the volunteer registration by August 23rd to take part. abnc.org/volunteer 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

To beat the heat and see more wildlife try visiting ABNC when we open in the morning! We also have early bird Kayak Tours and Sunrise Pontoon Cruises for even earlier morning fun adventures. Photo courtesy of Gary Seloff 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Another fun filled Summer of EcoCamps wrapped up last week! Our EcoEducation team is busy getting ready for our Back to School EcoPrograms, registration is now open. https://www.abnc.org/eco-programs

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Osprey were rarely seen in our area for years due to certain pesticides and habitat loss. They have made a comeback due to changes in pesticide regulations and habitat restoration efforts like those we do at ABNC. Even though most migrate, some can be found year round on our bayou. Fun fact: A group of ospreys is called a duet because ospreys are typically solitary birds, only pairing up during breeding season. For more information about our local ospreys, abnc.org/nature-blog/osprey. Photo courtesy of Gary Seloff. 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Thank you Devin (back row in the blue shirt) and BSA Troop 30 for helping complete an erosion control project on the Martyn trail to the seining site! We use this area for our outdoor classroom which is a Texas Parks and Wildlife certified Aquatic Science Site. 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Alligator tunnels can be up to 65 ft long! Alligators also make their own natural sunscreen called gadusol. Other animals that produce gadusol include rainbow trout, green sea turtles, and chickens. Photo by Tyson Vodochodsky 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

We’re Hiring! Armand Bayou Nature Center is seeking a Stewardship Program Director responsible for the oversight and management of all natural resource management activities at ABNC, including wildlife management, habitat restoration and environmental monitoring. Demonstrated expertise and experience with wetland/rangeland restoration and management and the flora, fauna and ecology of coastal Texas are required. To learn more about this exciting opportunity and how to apply please visit https://www.abnc.org/jobs

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Bird feathers aren’t really blue. Blue is a rare color in birds. Their feathers are a structural color (as opposed to a pigmented color) because it’s generated by light interacting with a feather’s 3-D arrangement. Different shapes & sizes of these air pockets & keratin make different shades of blue. Photos by Stacy Holcomb and Tyson Vodochodsky

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Our red tailed hawk ambassador, Skyler, visited all the campers today during their Birds of Prey session this morning.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

ABNC’s power has been restored and we will be ready to start welcoming visitors once again on Wednesday, July 17. As we reopen, our Discovery Loop is currently the only trail open to visitors. Our other trails, like the one pictured here, sustained damage during Hurricane Beryl and our Stewardship Department and dedicated volunteers are hard at work clearing the other trails for your safety.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

We will be having EcoCamps tomorrow, Monday, July 15th. It looks like power is restored for us! We hope everyone gets power back and soon! Photo of least bittern by Gary Seloff

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Well, we are still hanging in there like these two yellow-crowned night-herons chicks that survived Hurricane Beryl. We will be closed for ecocamp classes and regular admission on Thursday, July 11th. We hope everyone is safe and staying cool as best they can.

I know many of the campers are enjoying their time here at Armand Bayou Nature Center. Unfortunately, due to the heat, lack of power, and projected stormy weather in the tomorrow, the decision has been made to close the Nature Center to everyone. These elements, together, create an unsafe environment to properly engage in camp activities.

As stated previously, we are without power, but we hope that it may be restored by Thursday afternoon.

As a reminder, whether we decide to close for just one or both days, you will receive a refund for each session that has been canceled.

Please look for further updates over email and social media as we are unable to update our website.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Ecocamp classes will still be in session tomorrow, Wednesday July 10th, however, we will be closed for admission to the regular public.

Armand Bayou Nature Center

We are closed today Sunday July 7th and ecocamp classes will be canceled Monday July 8th due to the weather. Photo by Tyson Vodochodsky

Armand Bayou Nature Center

The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus mexicanus) has recently been found to be four different distinct species using DNA! So now the Texas state small mammal will now be called the Mexican long-nosed armadillo (Dasypus mexicanus)! Photo courtesy of Stacy Holcomb 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Green Heron Fishing on the Bayou. What will you see on your pontoon cruise this long weekend? Photos courtesy of Gary Seloff. 

Armand Bayou Nature Center

This long weekend try a Bayou Safari! Observe wildlife from our Discovery Loop boardwalk, then visit our animal ambassadors in the Environmental Learning Center. From there board our shaded stretch electric vehicle and leisurely explore the riparian forest down to the bayou, over to the prairie, farmhouse, and finally to the bison. https://www.abnc.org/bayou-safari
#WeekendAdventures #longweekend #safari

Armand Bayou Nature Center