Events Listing

Spring Migration Birding Trip

Monday, April 21

Join birding expert Cin-Ty Lee and retired NDC Head Naturalist Mary Ann Beauchemin on a day trip along the upper Texas coast during the 2025 spring migration.

For a change we will bird the Galveston and Quintana areas this year. We will look for migrating song birds at a few stops including LaFitte’s Cove and the Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary. We will also search for shorebirds and waders which will be staging in large numbers as they prepare to head north at Bryan Beach and perhaps a stop in Galveston as well.

This trip is good for beginners and advanced birders as there will be something for everyone. Adults and families with children age 7 and up are welcome.

Additional trip details, including meeting points and times, will be emailed to all registered participants.

Advance registration required. 

Cost: $75 member / $95 non-member

Note: entrance to High Island requires an $8/person Sanctuary Day Pass OR is free with Audubon Sanctuaries Season Pass.

REGISTER HERE

Meet Your Birding Guides

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.

 

 

Mary Ann Beauchemin is the recently retired Senior Naturalist at the Nature Discovery Center where she has taught classes, camps and workshops for children, adults and teachers, as well as leading bird and nature walks for over 30 years. She also volunteers for the Houston Audubon Society leading the Willow Waterhole Bird Survey and the Native Plant Society of Houston working with their Native Landscaping for Birds classes.

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Day Camp (Fall/Winter 2021-22)

Kids (ages 5 to 10) delve into science and nature related topics over Fall & Winter Break 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.

Ages: 5 to 10

Times: 9 am – 3 pm (no before or after care will be available this year)

Cost: Family Level Members $60/day or Nonmembers $70/day

Advanced registration is required.

REGISTER

2021-22 FALL/WINTER BREAK DAY CAMP CLASS SCHEDULE

 

Date Topic
 11/22
 Autumn Nature
 11/24
 Forest Animals
 12/20
 Marvelous Mammals
 12/21
 Beautiful Birds
 12/22
 Reptile Rendezvous
 12/28
 Homes and Habitats
 12/29
 Animals in Winter
 12/30
 Animal Defenses
 12/31
 Aquatic Animals
 01/17
 What Animals Eat

*Please let us know ahead of time, if your child has any food allergies, as this will be a camp where we’ll sample various wild and farm produced plant foods.

 01/18
 Nocturnal Animals
 02/21
 Nature in the Garden

What to Bring: Kids bring lunches and refillable water bottles. We provide snacks.

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

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Special Walk on the Wild Side: Wildflowers in the Park

This month’s Walk on the Wild Side is being offered in collaboration with the City of Bellaire’s month long Planting Palooza Event (April 2021). The main focus on this month’s walk will be Wildflowers in the Park.

Come explore and learn more about the wild side of nature in the city with our fun, family friendly nature walks in Russ Pitman Park. Join us while we sneak up on lizards, peer into the trees for looks at birds, discover the latest blooms and their pollinators in our Pocket Prairie, spy on the secret life of animals that hide under logs, and investigate more seasonal nature surprises! Learn some tips to explore nature with your family in your own backyard or on your travels. Ages 4 and up are welcome. Walks are 45 min – 1 hr long.

Limit: 10 people total to allow for better social distancing. Please bring your mask to wear when/if social distancing is not possible.

When: Saturday, April 17 at 1:00 pm

Cost: $5 / person

Meet: in front of the Center

Advance registration is required. This is not a drop off program. All children must be registered and accompanied by a registered adult.

Register Online Now

Note: This program is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather or due to changes in the status of the pandemic and corresponding city, county and state regulations.

 

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Special Nature Story Time on the Lawn

In collaboration with the City of Bellaire’s Planting Palooza month log event in April 2021, our Nature Story Times this month will be plant related.

  • April 7 – Plant Basics (with a take home activity)
  • April 14 – Flowers & Fruits
  • April 21 – Pollinators
  • April 28 – Trees

This is a free, drop-in program.

When:  Wednesdays at 4 p.m.

We are currently offering our weekly Nature Story Time to a socially distanced audience outside on the front lawn of the Center. These on-site story times will be craft free, to minimize the risks of unintentional viral spread. Attendees are asked to bring their own blanket or beach towel to sit on. And we ask that you maintain at least 6 feet between you (and your kids) and other Nature Story Time guests. Thank you!

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Sustainable Eco-friendly Food Gardening (PM)

Meet Pam at the Pavilions for an interactive presentation about eco-friendly, sustainable gardening in the Greater Houston Area. Pam has been cultivating a bountiful garden in her own yard for many years, and often brings in fruits and vegetables harvested from her garden to share with staff and our ambassador animals. For years, Pam has offered gardening tips to interested visitors who stop by or call to ask questions. This is your chance to benefit from her wisdom and experience in one program.

Learn about:
• soil
• composting
• micro-climates
• seed saving
• friends and foes
• and the hard working microbes that make it all happen.

Seed catalogs will be available to take home.

Date: April 11

Times: 10:00 – 11:30am   OR  2:00 – 3:30pm

Who is it for? Adults and families with kids ages 4 and up. Kids must registered and be accompanied by an adult who is also registered. This is not a drop off program for kids.

Cost: Free

Registration required. REGISTER

Size Limit: limited to 15/session.

Donations for plants or other materials welcome.

This program is being offered by the Nature Discovery Center in collaboration with the City of Bellaire’s April Planting Palooza Event:

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Sustainable Eco-Friendly Food Gardening (AM)

Meet Pam at the Pavilions for an interactive presentation about eco-friendly, sustainable gardening in the Greater Houston Area. Pam has been cultivating a bountiful garden in her own yard for many years, and often brings in fruits and vegetables harvested from her garden to share with staff and our ambassador animals. For years, Pam has offered gardening tips to interested visitors who stop by or call to ask questions. This is your chance to benefit from her wisdom and experience in one program.

Learn about:
• soil
• composting
• micro-climates
• seed saving
• friends and foes
• and the hard working microbes that make it all happen.

Seed catalogs will be available to take home.

Date: April 11

Times: 10:00 – 11:30am   OR  2:00 – 3:30pm

Who is it for? Adults and families with kids ages 4 and up. Kids must registered and be accompanied by an adult who is also registered. This is not a drop off program for kids.

Cost: Free

Registration required. REGISTER

Size Limit: limited to 15/session.

Donations for plants or other materials welcome.

This program is being offered by the Nature Discovery Center in collaboration with the City of Bellaire’s April Planting Palooza Event:

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Twilight

SAVE THE DATE: Our 30th Twilight Gala will be held on Friday, November 21, 2025 at the Junior League of Houston.  More information about this special evening will be coming in the months ahead.

 

We celebrated our 29th Twilight Gala on Friday, May 3rd, 2024. Despite threatening weather, it turned out to be a beautiful May evening, and we dazzled our guests with twinkle lights, human butterflies, mermaids, and more! Guests toasted the Texas coast with Mermaid Tear™ oysters, delicious catering the Houston Catering Concepts, and danced the night away to The Next Level Band. Marybeth Flaherty and Meredith Flaherty-Symonds lead an exciting silent auction featuring many generous local businesses. The event raised over $40,000 to benefit our operations. We are so appreciative of our sponsors, underwriters, and guests! 

Please visit our Facebook page for an album of pictures from the night.

Photos by Jared Meche of JP Meche Media

 

Underwriters & Sponsors 

Business Underwriters


Entertainment Sponsor


Wine Pull Sponsor

Bottlenose Dolphins
Russ Pitman

Whooping Cranes
Betsy & David Black
Peter Cook
Marybeth Flaherty & Meredith Flaherty-Symonds
Johnathan & Emily Ishee
Jayne & Garret Johnston
Dr. Catherine Lewis
Meghan & Kenneth Lutschg
Dean Neubek Critter Classroom
Wesley & Linda Page
Prosperity Bank

Kingfishers
Kristin & Kevin Berry
Kristen & David Buck
Robert & Patricia Lunn
Charlene & Scott Owens

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Mess Makers

Messy, sensory play is an important part of child development. Together with Ms. Mo, you will explore and create with messy things like dirt, clay, sand, and mud. We will make works of art with natural materials (like plant pigments, plants, and feathers), and with a mix of natural and man-made materials (like paints, bubbles, pine cones and fur). We’ll make beautiful messes together, but go home clean!

We’ll meet at the Pavilions behind the Center and plan to hold class outdoors every week.

Ages: 3 – 7 yrs old with an adult caregiver (Unfortunately, no unregistered tagalongs will be allowed so that we can provide for adequate social distancing.)

Class Limit: 10 children

Mondays in May:

  • May 3 – 10:30 am – Mud Pies & More (WAIT LIST)
  • May 10 – 10:30 am – All the Feels (WAIT LIST)
  • May 17 – 10:30 am – Bubbles, Foam, and Fizz (WAIT LIST)
  • May 24 – 10:30 am – Painting with Plants (WAIT LIST)

Cost/Class: $20 member / $25 non-member

Advance registration is required.

REGISTER for the WAIT LIST for Mess Makers

We respectfully ask that adults wear masks when they can not maintain a 6 foot distance from other participants.

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Kid Friendly Sheldon Lake Field Trip

An Immersive Nature Experience

Guided by Cin-Ty & Heru Lee and Eric Duran

March 28 from 9am – 12pm

Get up close with nature during a family trip to a hidden gem just 30 minutes from Houston! We’ll explore Sheldon Lake State Park on a 2 to 3 hour nature walk with stops to observe wildlife, poke around ponds, and more.

We’ll meet at the State Park for this outing. Directions to the meeting location will be provided via email after you register.

EXPLORE fish ponds for all sorts of aquatic life (beetles, dragonflies, frogs, snakes, and birds).

OBSERVE wildlife up close in pond, prairie, and forest habitats without needing binoculars!

CLIMB the hawk tower for a bird’s eye view of Sheldon Lake.

Cost: $15 per person ages 2 and up

This outing is intended for ages 4 and up with an adult caregiver who is also a registered attendee. Attendees ages 2 and up are welcome as long as they are registered as paid attendees for this activity and accompanied by a registered adult.

Attendance is limited to 20 people to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.

Advance registration is required.  REGISTER

Note: Participants must follow the Harris County COVID protocols that are advised at the time of the field trip, including wearing masks and maintaining safe social distance when possible, etc. You’ll also be asked to bring an NDC COVID screening form with you the day of the event. This form will be emailed to you after registration.

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.

Heru Lee is 6 years old and loves nature. He will be joining his dad in helping us spot wildlife.

Eric Duran is Head Naturalist at the Nature Discovery Center.

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Quintana Sanctuary and Brazoria NWR Birding Trip

Apr 25, 2021 – 7:30 am

This is a guided birding trip along the upper Texas coast with Cin-Ty Lee and Mary Ann Beauchemin. For bios of your guides, click here.

The last week of April typically experiences the greatest flux of migrants. We will spend the day birding hotspots in Brazoria County.

We will begin the day at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory’s Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary. This sanctuary is a little oasis along the rather barren coast here and thus tends to attract numerous migrants. Most of the vegetation at Quintana are bushes or small trees, making it much easier to see many of the neotropical migrants. If conditions are right, we may see 20 species of warblers as well many tanagers, orioles, thrushes, and buntings.

After Quintana, we will explore the Bryan Beach area for coastal shorebirds and waders. We will then head over to Brazoria NWR and drive the auto tour loop. This is a good place to see shorebird migration up close. If we are lucky, we may stumble across a group of Hudsonian Godwits.

For those who still have energy later in the day, we will return to Quintana to see what birds have come in from the Gulf.

Age Range: 16+ 

Cost: $75 for members, $95 for non-members

Size Limit: 20 people total

Advanced registration is required.

REGISTER

Note: Participants must follow the Harris County COVID protocols that are advised at the time of the field trip, including wearing masks and maintaining safe social distance when possible, etc. You’ll also be asked to bring an NDC COVID screening form with you the day of the event. This form will be emailed to you after registration.

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