Events Listing

Bolivar Flats, High Island, and Anahuac Birding Trip

Apr 18, 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.

Join us for another whole day outing along the upper Texas coast. We are almost at the peak of spring migration, so we have the potential to see many birds today. In fact, we hope to see more than 100 species of birds.

We will begin on the Bolivar Peninsula, where we will focus on shorebirds and waders as they stage before they head north to their northerly breeding grounds. The third week of April is probably the best time of the year to see every shorebird that passes through the Texas coast. Orioles, tanagers, warblers, and buntings should be passing through wherever there are trees. If conditions are right, we could see 20 different species of warblers.

Our tentative plan is to head up to High Island around noon, where the rookery will be in full swing and the trees will be filled with a dazzling array of neotropical migrants.

If there is time, we’ll swing by Anahuac NWR.

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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Bolivar Flats to High Island Birding Trip

Apr 11, 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.

Join us for another whole day outing along the upper Texas coast where we will teach the basics of finding and identifying shorebirds and warblers.

We are nearing the peak of spring migration and our goal is to see as many migrating songbirds and shorebirds as we can. If the stars are aligned, we should see more than 100 species.

We will begin on the Bolivar Peninsula, where we will focus initially on shorebirds and waders. This is where we can see thousands of American Avocets moving together through the water in search of floating invertebrates. All the shorebirds will be in full breeding plumage, so be prepared for the dazzling plumages of dowitchers, western sandpipers, dunlins, and more. We will see thousands of black skimmers and terns (Royal, Caspian, Forster’s, Least, Common and Black). In the shrubby areas around the Bolivar Peninsula, we will keep an eye out for any songbirds that have come in off the gulf, such as orioles, tanagers and buntings. We will also stop to look for Nelson’s and Seaside Sparrows in the saltmarshes.

We will head up to High Island at noon or in the early afternoon to see the Roseate Spoonbills up close at the heron rookery. If the weather conditions are right, we should expect to see numerous warblers, vireos, tanagers, and orioles arriving off 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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Waders Galore And Early Spring Migrants: A Birding Trip to Anahuac and High Island

Apr 4, 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.

Join us for a whole day outing from Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge to the heron rookery at Houston Audubon’s High Island Bird Sanctuary.

This trip will focus on waders and early songbird migrants. We will begin at Anahuac NWR, where we will get to see a wide variety of waders, from spoonbills to tricolored herons to possibly three different species of ibis. If we’re lucky, we may chance upon a King or Virginia Rail in the reeds, while Pied-billed Grebes are yodeling in the background. There will be a variety of waterfowl and early migrating shorebirds to study. Red-winged Blackbirds, Eastern Meadowlarks, swallows, and some of the early warblers will be passing through.

After Anahuac, we will head down to High Island, where will get up close and personal with the herons, egrets and cormorants at the rookery. We will scan the trees for any early songbird migrants, such as orioles, tanagers, buntings and grosbeaks.

Our goal will be to try to see 100 species of birds. Early April provides an ideal baseline to compare the peak of migration, which comes in late April.

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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Outdoor Explorers

Get outside and explore nature with Head Naturalist Eric Duran this spring! Eric and his Outdoor Explorers will make use of the abundant resources in our nature park to study plants, animals, habitats and more after school. Classes may include brief lessons, outdoor investigations, crafts, animal encounters, and more, but exact elements will depend on the topic of the week.

Ages: 5 to 12

Class Size: up to 10 kids who are in one social pod/cohort/bubble

Day and Time: Thursdays from 4:30 to 6 pm

Cost: $200 (this class will be booked by the cohort, with one adult making the payment for the class and collecting payments from cohort families)

Note: This is a drop off program. We ask that parents and younger siblings enjoy other parts of the park or go off-site during class so that we may maintain a small group size for this program.

Advance registration required. Note: When you register, please don’t log in to your personal NDC account.

REGISTER

 

Weekly Topics:

Date
Topic
Jan 14
Nature of Plants
Jan 21
Trees and Forests
Jan 28
Vertebrate Animals
Feb 4
Invertebrate Animals
Feb 11
Insects
Feb 18
Flowers and Pollinators
Feb 25
Reptiles and Amphibians
Mar 4
Birds and Birdwatching
Mar 11
Furry Mammals
Mar 25
Homes and Habitats
Apr 1
Food Chains
Apr 8
Nature of Plants
Apr 15
Trees and Forests
Apr 22
Vertebrate Animals
Apr 29
Invertebrate Animals
May 6
Insects
May 13
Flowers and Pollinators

 

For health safety, participants will:

  • turn in a health screening form upon arrival for class
  • have their temperatures checked at drop-off
  • wash hands or use hand-sanitizer upon arrival
  • bring and wear a mask when social distancing is not possible or for any indoor activity
  • maintain a distance of 6 feet from the instructor and other participants
  • inform the Center if they develop any symptoms or test positive for Coronavirus within 10 days after their class
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Winter Day Camps

Send the kids (ages 5 to 10) with their lunch and a refillable water bottle and we’ll do the rest. Your children will be engaged and entertained by our science and nature themed camps, featuring hands-on activities, games, art projects, new friends, and more. Weather permitting, campers will spend the majority of their time outdoors.

Age Restrictions: 5 to 10 years old

Cost: members $75; non-members $85  (Note: You must be Family Level or higher NDC members to receive the member discount.)

Advance registration: Required. Link below schedule.

Bring: refillable water bottle, lunch

Wear: play clothes that can get dirty

2024-2025 Winter Break Day Camp Class Schedule

Camps run from 9 am to 3 pm. We do not offer pre- or post-camp care at this time.

 

2024 Dates Topics
 12/23
 Winter Nature
 12/26
 Mammals
 12/27
 Trees
 12/30
 Insects
 12/31
 Birds
2025 Dates Topics
 01/02
 Animal Habitats
 01/03
 Food Webs
 01/06
 Animal Coloration
 01/20
 Texas Animals
 02/14
 Reptiles
 02/17
 Amphibians

 

 REGISTER Here Now

 

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

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Winter Story Time Event

Come celebrate the season at a special Winter Nature Story Time Event!

Come enjoy winter-y nature stories, a special winter nature craft, hot cocoa, and a festive treat with us at the pavilions.

Cost: Members $6 per person; Non-members $12 per person (All children and adults must be registered and paid to attend.)

Advance registration is required.

Register Online Here 

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Meet the Animals

Nature Discovery Center Naturalists offer weekend Meet the Animals sessions aimed to give you a more in depth introduction to our animals. Come learn about their behavior and ecology as well as the characteristics that make them unique in an interactive program with both live animals and natural history specimens.

Day, Date & Time: Select Saturdays at 2 pm

  • 05/17 – Reptile Rendezvous  REGISTER 

Program Location: Meet behind the Center at the Pavilions

Age Restrictions: This program is intended for families. This is not a drop off program. All children must be registered and must be accompanied by registered adults. 

Cost: $5 member / $10 non-member

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

Program Size Limit: 20 people

Note: This program is subject to cancellation due to inclement weather.  

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

To find out which animal species are found in the park, visit our Nature Park page and scroll to the bottom.

Learn more about our Discovery Room and Critter Corner animals on our Our Animals Page.

 

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Walk on the Wild Side (During Covid)

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. This event is a family event for kids 4 and up with their parents or adult caregivers. Walks are 45 min – 1 hr long.

EVERYONE WHO ATTENDS MUST REGISTER FOR A SPOT, AND CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT.

Limit: 15 people total to allow for social distancing. Please bring your mask to wear when/if social distancing is not possible.

Days, Dates, and Times:

  • Saturday, October 2 at 10:00 am   REGISTER
  • Saturday, December 11 at 10:00 am   REGISTER

Cost: Members are FREE but must register as attendees, Nonmembers pay $5 / person for their registration

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.

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.  

Groups: If you would like us to lead a Walk on the Wild Side for your private group of 5 to 10 people on a different date, please contact us at 713.667.6550 to discuss possible arrangements.

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Family Campfire Night (Add-on Option Available)

Visit the Center for an evening of family fun! Night hikes, other outdoor activities, snacks, animal encounters and more! For one of these nights every month, we have a camp out overnight add-on option that might be just what your family needs!

Days, Dates:

  • Friday, March 12 – ALREADY BOOKED
  • Friday March 26 – Campfire Night
  • Friday, April 9 – Campfire Night w/ Overnight Camp Out Add-on Option
  • Friday, April 16 – Campfire Night

Times: 6pm – 8pm, or 6pm – 10am with overnight camp out add-on

 

Costs: $350 Campfire Night base rate, plus $175 with Overnight Camp Out Add-on

Limited Attendance: Limit 10 people, this includes one “host” family plus members of their covid-safe cohort/social pod/bubble up to a final total of no more than 10 people.

Description: Our Campfire Night program hosted by NDC Staff includes hotdogs and s’mores over the camp fire and a guided night hike in the park. If you select and pay for the Overnight Add-on Option, you and your guests are are welcome to spend the night camping out in the park. Outdoor restrooms will remain open all night, but the Nature Discovery Center building will be locked by staff at 8:30pm. Staff will return to open the Center at 8:30am.

Other Details: Advance registration and payment are required. Attendees must wear masks (when not eating) and maintain safe distancing. Meet behind the Center at the pavilions. 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.

 

Advance registration is required.
Register online here!

 

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Theraputic Massage in the Park

Join Kavana Healing Arts Spa each week for Massages in Nature at Russ Pitman Park.

Disconnect from the hustle and bustle, and reconnect with yourself and nature, as we perform 15 and 30 minute chair massages under the trees in the relaxing, outdoor environment of the park.

Now, more than ever, maintaining our mental and physical health and well-being are paramount. The act of healing touch helps to strengthen the immune system, elevates your mood, reduces stress, and improves muscle tone, among other benefits.

Ady Burgida, Massage Therapist

Ady Burgida, Massage Therapist

Kavana Healing Arts Spa and Ady Burgida, (Owner and proud Massage Therapy team member at Kavana Spa) have been serving the Houston community for the last 20 years. All Kavana Spa Therapists are licensed, and specialized in a variety of therapeutic and medical massage modalities.

When you arrive for your massage, let your therapist know what your massage goals are, so that they can best serve you. Appointments must be booked 24hrs in advance of the event. You will find us each week located by the bench near the pigeon enclosure in the middle of the park. We will be practicing the highest level of COVID safety and sanitation, using disinfectants between each client, and always wearing masks.

To book an appointment email our team at

15 minutes= $20

30 minutes = $40

15% of each service goes back to the Nature Discovery Center as a donation to support the mission of the Center.

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