VOLUNTEER

“I thought planting marsh grass was really

fun. It’s not something I have done before.

Even if it doesn’t seem like planting a couple grasses makes a big impact, small actions within the community and the awareness it brings for the environment does make a big difference. “

- Giselle Miralles, Junior at Clear Creek High School and Marsh Mania volunteer

“The saddest thing for a sailor to see is trash or oil in the water, so the Galveston Bay

Foundation mission to preserve and protect the Bay is huge for me. Changing stations

were a big need and I am really proud of the work that was done. “

- Kai Brown (right), Sea Scout in Ship 468 who completed his award-winning Eagle Scout project constructing changing stations for Galveston Bay Foundation youth education programs

“One of the reasons we keep volunteering at Abandoned Crab Trap Removal over and over is to show our kids how easy it is to come out and do something that’s fun and gives back. “

- Lanny Ripple, long-time Abandoned Crab Trap Removal volunteer

“Planting marsh grass today was particularly

meaningful. This is my first time doing habitat restoration. We know that Galveston Bay is facing wetland deterioration and this problem is also occurring in my region of

China. Galveston Bay Foundation did a great job organizing this event. There were a lot of people who came and I really loved it. “

- Meng Jiang (second from right), Chinese Delegate and Marsh Mania volunteer Meng created Yangtzee Finless Porpoise Association, an organization to help preserve finless porpoises in China.

2,677

volunteers donated a combined 11,732 hours to help preserve and protect the Bay

I want to reflect on the powerful, amazing work that volunteers have done,

and continue to do, for Galveston Bay. Galveston Bay is one of the largest and most productive estuaries in the United States. The Bay faces many challenges such as loss of coastal habitat, reduction in wildlife populations and insufficient freshwater inflows. In order to increase public awareness about Galveston Bay and combat issues it faces, we developed and implemented hands-on volunteer events and programs.

Marsh Mania, now our signature community-based restoration event, began in 1999 when Galveston Bay Foundation volunteers set a national record for the number of volunteers involved in a single-day marsh restoration event. Since then, more than 8,000 Galveston Bay Foundation volunteers have restored over 215 acres of marsh habitat in Galveston Bay. That is the

equivalent of 165 football fields!

Every year, thousands of individual volunteers and corporate groups help us complete marsh restoration projects, marine debris cleanup events, oyster reef restoration, land stewardship workdays, water quality monitoring, bottlenose dolphin research, environmental education and the list goes on. In 2019 alone, over 2,600 volunteers donated over 11,700 hours of their time to help the Bay. We could not succeed in preserving and enhancing Galveston Bay

without our valued, hard-working and dedicated volunteers.