Events – Page 6 – Nature Discovery Center

Fall Break Day Camps

2022-08-01 Maura Denman

Kids delve into science and nature related topics over Fall school holidays through themed day camps designed with hands-on experiments and investigations, active games, inventive crafts, and more! Volunteer teen counselors support the teacher and give lots of personal attention to each child.

Age Restrictions: 5 to 10 years old

Cost: members $70; non-members $85 (Note: You must be Family Level or higher NDC members to receive the member discount.)

Advance registration: Required. Link below schedule.

Program Size Limit: 10 – 20 kids in groups of 10

Bring: refillable water bottle, lunch

Wear: play clothes that can get dirty

2025 Fall Day Camp Class Schedule

Date	Topic
10/03	Take Flight: Bird Migration
11/24	Seasons Change: Autumn Nature
11/25	Furry & Fuzzy: Mammals

REGISTER here starting August 1 for Members or August 8 for Nonmembers

For cancellation, refund and other camp policies, please read our FAQ for Classes and Camps.

Tree ID Walk

2022-08-01 Maura Denman

Any season is a great season to learn about trees! Jim McKee, a Master Naturalist, tree lover, and bird watcher will be leading more walks throughout the year to teach us how to identify the trees that live here in Russ Pitman Park. You’ll learn how to use leaf, bark, twig characteristics, and more to identify local trees.

Day, Date & Time: Monthly, First Saturdays from 10 – 11am

Program Location: Meet in front of the Center

Cost: FREE

Registration: No registration is required. This is a drop in program.

Shorebirding Along the TX Coast

2022-08-01 Maura Denman

NDC Board Member and expert birder Cin-Ty Lee is generously guiding two fall migration field trips to the upper Texas coast for our members and for other interested birders from the community. Cin-Ty is offering these trips as a fundraiser for the Nature Discovery Center. All proceeds from the trip will be used to support our nature education programs.

October 15, 2022 –

Shorebirding Along the Texas Coast

If you ever wanted to learn the art of shorebird identification, join us on a day long excursion to the upper Texas coast. We will meet at Audubon’s Bolivar Flats bird sanctuary and work our way up the coast and end the day at Anahuac NWR. On this trip, Cin-Ty Lee will teach the basics of finding and identifying shorebirds, gulls and terns. Depending on weather conditions, we may also stop by High Island to search for migrating songbirds.

Meeting time: 7:45 am (note that this is an all day trip, but you are free to break off at any time)

Meeting locations: We will meet at or near the field trip sites. Exact meeting locations details will be sent to registered participants in advance.

Age Range: Adults and families with children ages 7 and up. Every person who attends will need to register and pay for a spot. Children pay the full price for registration, and must be accompanied by a registered adult in order to participate. These trips will be perfect for both advanced and beginning birders.

Cost: members $80/person; non-members $100/person

Registration: Advance registration is required for all attendees.

Register Now

Program Size Limit: 20 people

Bring: bug spray, binoculars, snacks and a lunch

Meet Your Birding Guide

Cin-Ty Lee is a professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University, where he teaches a wide variety of courses ranging from geology to bird biology. He spends much of his spare time studying, photographing and painting birds and other wildlife. He has written numerous articles on bird identification, focusing on some of the more difficult bird groups, such as loons, immature orioles, pewees, pipits, dowitchers, and recently, Empidonax flycatchers.

Fall Migration Birding Trip

2022-08-01 Maura Denman

NDC Board Member and expert birder Cin-Ty Lee is generously guiding two fall migration field trips to the upper Texas coast for our members and for other interested birders from the community. Cin-Ty is offering these trips as a fundraiser for the Nature Discovery Center. All proceeds from the trip will be used to support our nature education programs.

September 17, 2022 – Fall Migration Along the Texas Coast

Join Cin-Ty Lee in search of fall migrants along the Texas coast. We will visit Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary in search of migrating songbirds, where we will work on identifying flycatchers and immature warblers. Afterwards, we will explore coastal wetlands for migrating shorebirds. Mid-September is the time for encountering unusual vagrants.

Meeting time: 7:45 am (note that this is an all day trip, but you are free to break off at any time)

Meeting locations: We will meet at or near the field trip sites. Exact meeting locations details will be sent to registered participants in advance.

Age Range: Adults and families with children ages 7 and up. Every person who attends will need to register and pay for a spot. Children pay the full price for registration, and must be accompanied by a registered adult in order to participate. These trips will be perfect for both advanced and beginning birders.

Cost: members $80/person; non-members $100/person

Registration: Advance registration is required for all attendees.

Register Now

Program Size Limit: 20 people

Bring: bug spray, binoculars, snacks and a lunch

Meet Your Birding Guide

Cin-Ty Lee is a professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University, where he teaches a wide variety of courses ranging from geology to bird biology. He spends much of his spare time studying, photographing and painting birds and other wildlife. He has written numerous articles on bird identification, focusing on some of the more difficult bird groups, such as loons, immature orioles, pewees, pipits, dowitchers, and recently, Empidonax flycatchers.

Willow Waterhole Bird Survey

2022-08-01 Maura Denman

The Nature Discovery Center partners with Houston Audubon to conduct monthly surveys at Willow Waterhole Conservation Reserve, a 290-acre park on the site of a Harris County Flood Control District retention pond project. Participants can help by either spotting birds or helping to identify them on this 2.5 hour long survey. This is a great way to get involved with Houston’s citizen science community. To see the results from past surveys at the site, visit eBird. These surveys are open to experienced and beginning birders alike. Experienced birders lead groups of participants to try to cover as much of the park as possible.

Survey Day, Date & Time: 3rd Saturdays of every month except December.

April through September at 7am, October through March at 8 am

Meeting Location: Meet in the parking lot of the Gathering Place at 5310 South Willow Drive, Houston TX 77035

Cost: FREE

Registration: No registration is required. This is a drop in program.

Bring: Binoculars

Swift Night Out – NDC

2022-08-01 Maura Denman

Join retired Senior NDC Naturalist Mary Ann Beauchemin for a family friendly Swift Night Out at the Center. We will watch Chimney Swifts swoop and soar over our heads and count them as they enter their roost at the south end of Russ Pitman Park.

Day, Date & Time: Saturday, August 24 at 7:40 pm

Program Location: Meet at the Chimney Swift Kiosk near the playground next to our Evergreen St. Parking lot at the south end of the park.

Registration: No registration required. This is a FREE drop-in program.

Bring: Bug spray, folding chair, a water bottle, and a snack if you’d like. Binoculars are optional because the swifts will be visible with be naked eye.

Park After Dark Night Hike

2022-08-01 Maura Denman

Family Night Hikes

Friday, October 20 at 8:00 pm REGISTER

Learn about the animals that are out in Russ Pitman Park once the sun goes down. Bring your family for a guided night hike through the park. Programs include an introduction to the animals we are likely to find and the best ways to find them, followed by a guided walk through the park.

Age Restrictions: These night “hikes” are perfect for adults and families with children ages 4 and up. Every attendee must register and pay for a spot. This is not a drop off program. All children must be accompanied by a paying adult attendee.

Cost: members $10/person; non-members $12/person (Note: You must be Family Level or higher NDC members to receive the member discount.)

Registration: Advance registration is required.

Program Size Limit: 15 people

Bring: flashlight, bug spray

Note: Please do not leave valuables in your car. The Center is not responsible for any unattended items left in vehicles in our parking lot.

This program may be subject to cancellation in the event inclement weather could pose a risk to participants.

For cancellation, refund and other camp policies, please read our FAQ for Classes and Camps.

Curious Kids (Fall)

2022-08-01 Maura Denman

Are you raising a Curious Kid? Join us at the Nature Discovery Center this fall to explore, ask, discover, experiment, and more in our pre-K nature program! Our children’s programs feature nature-rich, weekly, stand-alone classes that offer you the flexibility to sign-up for individual classes that meet your hectic schedules or for specific topics that inspire your children.

Program Days & Times: Tuesdays at 4pm

Program Location: Outside under the NDC Pavilions behind the Center

Age Restrictions: 3 to 5 years old with an adult caregiver

Cost: members $15 per class; non-members $20 per class (Note: You must be Family Level or higher NDC members to receive the member discount.)

Advance registration: Required.

Program Size Limit: 10 kids

Fall 2025 Class Schedule:

09/09 – Animals With Bones
09/16 – Animals With No Bones
09/23 – Fantastic Fish
09/30 – Aquatic Animals
10/07 – Flying Friends
10/14 – Animal Migrations
10/21 – Owl Be There
10/28 – Nocturnal Animals
11/04 – Fall Nature
11/11 – Meat Eaters
11/18 – Plant Eaters
WEEK OFF
12/02 – Furry Friends
12/09 – Winter Nature
12/16 – Winter Nature Crafts

REGISTER – starting August 1 for NDC Members, August 8 for Nonmembers

For cancellation, refund and other camp policies, please read our FAQ for Classes and Camps.

Note: If this class schedule does not work for you and you can get a group of 5 or more children together, we can try to arrange a different day or time. Email Eric Duran to see if a class can be arranged.

Mess Makers (Fall)

2022-08-01 Maura Denman

Messy, sensory play is an important part of child development. Together with Ms. Mo and our NDC volunteers, you will explore and create with all kinds of messy things. We will make works of art as well as just good old messy fun with a mix of natural and man-made materials. After we make messes together, you’ll go home clean!

Looking for a program with a little more nature lesson, but still a chance for some hands-on messy play? Give our *NEW* Naturally Messy classes a try this fall.

Program Location: Outside under the NDC Pavilions behind the Center

Age Restrictions: 3 to 7 years old with an adult caregiver

Advance registration: Required.

Program Size Limit: 15 kids

Bring: refillable water bottle, towel depending on topic

Wear: play clothes that can get dirty/stained

Fall 2025 Schedule

Select Fall Sundays at 10 am or 1 pm

09/28 – Foam is Fun!
11/2 – Pumpkin Guts
11/30 – Stamp, Stomp, Smash!

Cost: Members $22; Non-members $27 (Note: You must be Family Level or higher NDC members to receive the member discount.)

REGISTER here starting August 1 for NDC Members or August 8 for Nonmembers

This program may be subject to cancellation in the event inclement weather could pose a risk to participants.

For cancellation, refund and other camp policies, please read our FAQ for Classes and Camps.

Mini Camp: Birds

2022-02-28 Maura Denman

Because they are short and sweet and you can register for single or multiple days, these mini-camps are perfect for kids who are too young for our regular camps or who have never attended full day, week long camps before.

Your new campers will get to experience what Summer Science Camp is all about in short sessions where they will be engaged and entertained with hands-on activities, games, art projects, new friends, and more all while learning the ropes of camp!

Weather permitting, campers will spend the majority of their time outdoors.

Ages: 4 to 7

Times: Camps run from 9 am to 12 noon. We can not offer pre or post camp care at this time.

May 29 – Invertebrates
May 30 – Fish
May 31 – Herps (Reptiles & Amphibians)
June 1 – Birds
June 2 – Mammals

Cost / day: Family Level (or higher) Members $40 / Non-members $50

Limit: 20 campers in two groups of 10 with one camp instructor and one counselor per group

Advance registration is required. REGISTER

Please notify the Center via phone call (713.667.6550) and detailed email (mail@naturediscoverycenter.org) of any change in your plans or need to withdraw from camp for any reason. Read our FAQ for Camp Registrations Here (includes cancellation and refund policies)

Events Listing

Fall Break Day Camps

2025 Fall Day Camp Class Schedule

Tree ID Walk

Shorebirding Along the TX Coast

Fall Migration Birding Trip

Willow Waterhole Bird Survey

Swift Night Out – NDC

Park After Dark Night Hike

Curious Kids (Fall)

Fall 2025 Class Schedule:

Mess Makers (Fall)

Mini Camp: Birds

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Mini Camp: Birds