Bayou Restoration
Native plants and clean water are integral for a thriving Greens Bayou watershed. Through a robust volunteer network and collaboration with community partners, Greens Bayou Coalition orchestrates cleanups, tree plantings, and invasive species removal events to help restore Greens Bayou. The Coalition also participates in clean water initiatives to identify and reduce pollutants in Greens Bayou. Texas Stream Team water monitoring and the Greens Bayou Watershed Protection Plan are two such projects.
Tree Plantings & Invasive Species Removal
Through tree plantings and invasive species removal with corporate, community and youth groups as well as municipal utility districts, GBC works to beautifying the region, improving air quality, minimizing water runoff and soil erosion and reducing the effect of "heat islands" in our increasingly urban environment. As youth groups join the efforts, we hope we are also inspiring a new wave of environmental stewards.
Trash Cleanups
Greens Bayou Coalition hosts multiple cleanups annually within the Greens Bayou Watershed, in parks, along the bayou and even in the bayou!
Some cleanups are corporately sponsored events where employees enjoy a day of bonding and team building as they help the local environment.
Community Cleanups welcome individuals and groups, including youth organizations or school groups, and are generally funded by program grants.
Did we say "in the bayou?" Yes! Sign up for our "Canoeing for A Cleaner Greens Bayou" program and get in a kayak or canoe and help get floatable trash out of the bayou, all while enjoying a day on beautiful Greens Bayou.
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Greens Bayou Coalition is the site- sponsor for the Annual Houston-Galveston Trash Bash on Greens Bayou, which draws hundreds of volunteers. In addition, a waterway clean up is a part of the Annual Greens Bayou Regatta, including a Styrofoam Cup trophy for most trash collected.
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While at any of our events, look for our "Greens Bayou Clean Team" packet, which contains everything you need for an individual, on-your-own-time watershed cleanup: gloves, trash bag, instructions on how to share a photo with us and have your cleanup efforts counted. Join our Team!
Clean Water Initiatives
The Texas Stream Team is a network of trained volunteers and supportive partners working to monitor and promote stewardship of Texas waterways and ensure information is available to the public. The collected information can be used to make environmentally sound decisions.
Clean water certainly falls within the Greens Bayou Coalition mission of improving the quality of life in the Watershed and we are working to develop a network of volunteers in the Greens Bayou watershed. A very real way to participate is to join us in monitoring water quality at sites along the bayou. We are very excited that Jacinto College - Generation Park has added monitoring to their curriculum.
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Citizen Scientists are trained to conduct monthly monitoring at specific sites along Greens Bayou to log water flow, algae presence, and test temperature, water depth, pH, and many other factors. Test results and field observations are submitted to the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment. The data finally goes to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
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Since its inception, the Texas Stream Team has trained over 11,000 volunteers to collect water data of lakes, rivers and streams with programs across the state. For additional information about Texas Stream Team, click here: Texas Stream Team | Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC)).
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Interested in helping to monitor Greens Bayou? Contact us here for more information: info@greensbayou.org.
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Greens Bayou Coalition is a member of the steering committee for the Greens Bayou Watershed Partership. Along with Houston-Galveston Area Council, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Galveston Bay Estuary Foundation, GBC works meets regularly with other steering committee members and stakeholders to review data and create a Watershed Protection Plan to improve the water quality in Greens Bayou and it's tributaries.
Interested in participating? Contact Rachel Windham, project manager at H-GAC
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