Volunteer Opportunities
We rely on volunteers to achieve our goals. In fact, without volunteers, we would not exist!
Founded by volunteers in 1969, the mission of Houston Audubon is to advance the conservation of birds and positively impact their supporting environments.
Now, as we celebrate our 50 year anniversary, volunteers are as critical to our mission as ever. From supporting our staff at our headquarters, to maintaining trails on our Bird Sanctuaries, to increasing appreciation and understanding of birds throughout Houston, and more, volunteers are the lifeblood of Houston Audubon!
Read below to learn more about our current volunteers needs and how you can get involved in helping protect bird habitat in your community.
Calendar of Volunteer Events
Ongoing Community Work Parties:
High Island, 2nd Saturdays, October - March, 8:30am-2pm
Raptor and Education Center, 3rd Saturdays, September - May, 9am-noon
Edith L. Moore, 4th Saturdays, September - April (3rd Sat. in Nov. and Dec.), 9am-noon
Long-term and skills-based volunteer roles
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Hang out with our Birds of Prey, enhance visitor experiences, and ring up gift shop merchandise in support of our educational programs and conservation work. Many shifts available. Great if you love birds and the outdoors but would prefer that your volunteer time be spent protected from the elements.
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Can you identify most of the birds you see? Do you enjoy sharing your love of birding with others? Come lead Bird Tours on our High Island Sanctuaries during the spring and fall migrations.
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We're looking for our most knowledgeable birding experts who can be a resource for events, online forums, public outreach, and training other volunteers! Let us know if you have advanced level birding skills and are willing to share them in ways listed here and more.
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Help us maintain our butterfly and bird-friendly gardens at either Edith L. Moore or the Raptor Education Center! Tasks include weeding, pruning, watering, and re-planting as needed. Some knowledge of native plants and gardening techniques will be helpful. Schedule is flexible.
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Help our Education Team deliver bird and conservation focused programming to all ages, at Edith L. Moore, the Raptor Education Center, and at locations around Houston. Knowledge of birding is welcome but not required.
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If you're new to birding and want to learn more this is a great way to get involved! Contribute to a body of knowledge that will help researchers and bird conservationists with their work for years to come by participating in a bird survey. For more information check out this page listing all of the bird surveys around greater Houston.
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Meets from 9am- noon every Tuesday, year-round. Trail Crew projects include boardwalk construction and maintenance, litter pickups, trail trimming and privet/ligustrum removal. This opportunity is for volunteers age 15 years and older who don’t mind getting sweaty. Some carpentry skills helpful, not required.
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Every Friday morning at Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. Plants are used in coastal prairie restoration projects or are sold in support of the Bird-Friendly Community program. Great if you love plants and don't mind getting dirty!
Volunteering as a Group
Houston Audubon welcomes your group's participation at our sanctuaries! Schools, churches, scout troops, corporations, and community agencies are key partners in achieving our mission of conservation and habitat protection. If you are interested in your group working with us, please complete a group volunteer request form. Volunteer Manager Lauren Miheli will contact you after your request is received. Generally, two months lead time and funding support are needed to develop a project. Note: Small groups and families are also welcome to join us for our regularly scheduled work parties.
Corporate groups should contact Julie Gold at jgold@houstonaudubon.org, 281-888-1768
Volunteer from Home
GROW OUT NATIVE PLANTS FOR HOUSTON AUDUBON
The biggest roadblock to coastal prairie restoration is the lack of available native plant material specific to the Upper Texas Coast. We collect native seed all summer and fall and are asking individuals to propagate the seed at home for restoration projects.
I hope you will join in this fun, important wildlife enhancement project. Full instructions on native plant germination are available at the Coastal Prairie Partnership website. Jaime Gonzalez has prepared a Coastal Prairie Plant Growers' Handbook, available on that site, which explains everything about seed collecting and propagating. Once your plants germinate, and are hardy enough to bump-up to 4" or 1-gallon containers, you can join us at a potting-up work day, or drop off the seedlings and we will do the rest. The plants will be used in one of our many restoration projects. We encourage you to retain some of the native plant material for your own backyard, helping to create a wildlife corridor throughout the Houston-Galveston region.
If you would like to help grow out native plants, collect native seeds, or participate in Houston Audubon planting events, please contact Anna Vallery at avallery@houstonaudubon.org.
Grow Out Native Plants Instructions for Volunteers (PDF)
Coastal Prairie Plant Growers' Handbook on the Coastal Prairie Partnership website
On the Horizon
These volunteer opportunities will be open in 6 - 9 months. Sign up for email updates to be the first to know when the dates are set. Use the form at the bottom of this page to get our Volunteer newsletter.
RV Volunteer Caretakers at High Island
We are currently working on a volunteer campground which will feature RV hookups, a kitchen, showers, and an outdoor picnic pavilion to make your volunteer experience convenient and comfortable. Take advantage of this opportunity to camp in exchange for 20 hours of service per week conducting tasks such as greeting guests, leading tours and sharing information about our bird sanctuaries and taking on whatever other projects interest you. We plan to open the grounds in Spring 2020, so make your plans and sign up now!
Birding on the Fly Team
Meet the public where they are to share your love of birding and conservation with new communities around Houston. Volunteers will work with staff to bring high powered birding scopes and binoculars to community events and neighborhood parks to expose people to the diversity of birds in our own backyards. Events start in April after a group training session.
High Island Spring Kiosk Support
Spend a day greeting birders from around the world, giving updates on the day's bird sightings, and helping Houston Audubon raise funds via sales and user fees at the visitor kiosks at Smith Oaks and Boy Scout Woods. During the Spring migration High Island is the site of a vast "fallout" when 1000's of migrating birds see land for the first time since the Yucatan peninsula. Dates volunteers are needed occur roughly Late-March to Early-May.
Beach Nesting Monitors and Stewards
Protect shorebirds at Bolivar Flats and Anahuac NR by interacting with the ATV and Jeep communities, reminding them that the beach is valuable nesting habitat and educating them about the mission of Houston Audubon.
Volunteer Photographers
Use your creative skills as a photographer to help us promote our work in our print and e- newsletters, on the website, and on social media. Volunteers of any skill level will be welcome!
Social Media Influencers
Come tweet about the birds at a Houston Audubon event.
Sign up to volunteer now!
Now that you've reviewed our volunteer needs please complete the appropriate application below. If you have any questions please email our Volunteer Coordinator, Lauren Miheli, or call her at 713-932-1639 ext.102
