Houston Audubon held a beach cleanup with a group of Seadrill volunteers at our Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary Friday, May 3rd. Neither staff nor volunteers could have anticipated blustery weather on the coast this late in spring, but an unusually late season cold front sent winds gusting near 40 mph and temperatures in the 50’s. The group, including family and children of the employees, arrived by charter bus and were greeted by Sanctuary Steward Danny Lynch and Development Director Jessica Jubin. A brief talk about Bolivar Flats and the mission of Houston Audubon was given on the bus. Intern Alex Chapman was stationed along the beach to help keep volunteers clear of Least Tern and Wilson's Plover nesting areas and also provide interpretation about HAS's beach nesting program. After their introduction, everyone took to the beach and began filling garbage bags. It was hard work with the strong winds and blowing sand, but a healthy pile of debris was removed and later taken away by Galveston county employees.
Many thanks to Seadrill and the volunteers; we are already looking forward to another cleanup scheduled next spring!
