Welcome to the

Armand Bayou Nature Center

Experience first hand how Armand Bayou Nature Center (ABNC) is working to preserve the wetlands prairie, forest and marsh habitats surrounding Armand Bayou. Visit this astonishingly beautiful part of the Texas Gulf Coast and "reconnect with nature". Visitors can learn about our plant and animal inhabitants, bird-watch, hike on the Nature Center's trails or view our live animal displays of snakes, spiders, hawks and bison. A visit to the Center's Martyn Farm will take you back in time to late 1800's farm life in Texas. Before you leave, make reservations to see the beauty of Armand Bayou on the "Bayou Ranger", an electric pontoon boat, or in a guided canoe tour.

40th Anniversary of Earth Day April, 2010
SPECIAL EVENTS AT THE NATURE CENTER

On April 22, 1970 over 20 million people took to the streets, parks and auditoriums across America to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment, and to celebrate what became known as Earth Day. That same year is remembered for the Kent State shootings, the advent of fiber optics, Apollo 13, the Beatles last album, the death of Jimi Hendrix, and more locally, the murder of Armand Yramategui. Before his tragic death, Mr. Yramategui helped organize the movement that led to the preservation of some of the last remaining natural open space in Pasadena, Texas and to the establishment of the Armand Bayou Nature Center. Since 1974 annual Earth Day celebrations have been big events for the Nature Center.

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EARTH DAY 40 – SECOND SATURDAY at ABNC

Our Earth Day heritage will be the theme of the Second Saturday program on April 10, 2010.

CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC SATURDAY APRIL 24, 2010 FOR PROJECT CLEAN SWEEP

The Nature Center will close to the public on Saturday, April 24, so that volunteer work crews can sweep across the grounds and through the buildings at ABNC to complete a long list of much needed repairs and maintenance projects. YOUR COMPANY or ORGANIZATION can celebrate Earth Day 40 by joining PROJECT CLEAN SWEEP. To learn more about the volunteer opportunities at How You Can Help. To register your volunteer team, please call Barbara at 281-474-2551 ext. 10.

FREE DAY !! SUNDAY APRIL 25, 2010

In honor of Earth Day, the Nature Center will waive admission fees and open free to the public on Sunday, April 25 from noon to 4:00PM. Guided nature walks led by ABNC Volunteer Naturalists are scheduled at 2:00PM and interpretive programs will be offered around the Discovery Trail throughout the afternoon.

Help Support ABNC Get your 2010 Calendars today!

We have new 2010 Armand Bayou Calendars on sale! Each month has a beautiful photo taken during that month. Jim Woodall, one of the many photographers who visits ABNC, also an ABNC member and volunteer, donated the original photos. Each month features fantastic photos that Jim took in that month. Get your calendar and see what you can expect to see each month. They are available in the ABNC Gift Shop for a $12.50 donation. Tell us you heard about the calendar on the web site and get your calendar for only $10. If you would like to order over the phone, 281 474-2551 ext. 10, we will even mail them to you. Call or come by soon, the calendars are going fast!

Summer ECOcamp Early Registration

Summer is just around the corner. Registration has begun for our ECO-CAMP. Follow the Summer Eco Camp link for class dates and descriptions. We look forward to spending the summer with your child.

SECOND SATURDAYS -- Digging up the Past March 13^th

Ever wonder what happened eons ago before European settlers arrived on the shores of Galveston Bay? Find out in March as Armand Bayou Nature Center’s Second Saturday explores the archaeology and history of the area. March 13 promises to be a day of discovery as speakers and exhibitors bring the past to life. The nature center, located at 8500 Bay Area Boulevard in Pasadena hosts its monthly event to help local residents connect with nature close to home.

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Alecya Gallaway, award-winning, environmental historian with the University of Houston Clear Lake, talks about ethnobotany of the Armand Bayou watershed. More simply, how people of an earlier culture used plants found in this area. Gallaway further explains, “For nearly a century archeologists have been locating Native American campsites by the vegetation on them. This change is generally attributed to the change in soil, but after traveling throughout the Galveston Bay Region I recognized that these plants were more than soil indicators; they are a living record of plants used by the tribes living there.” Plants were not only used for food, but also for medicine, shelter, clothing and even ceremonies. Gallaway has spent years studying and writing about the histories of local communities around Galveston Bay and always delights audiences with her presentations.

Tom Nuckols, a member and past president of the Houston Archaeological Society, talks about Upper Texas Coast archaeology with a little archaeology 101 thrown in for those just developing an interest in this fascinating subject. Having worked on both historic and prehistoric sites in Texas and more specifically on sites at ABNC, Tom brings a wealth of exciting information to the program.

For those wanting to really get the feel of previous cultures, Elizabeth Aucoin, a local anthropologist brings a hands-on exhibit of pottery sherds, bones and projectile points. Aucoin, a member of the Texas Archeological Stewardship Network has participated in several major excavation sites in Texas and shares her knowledge of a Coastal Shell Midden Site.

Bring the kids for even more fun as they participate in an archaeological dig of their own.

Admission to Second Saturdays is free to members, $3 for non-member adults and $1 for children 4-12 and seniors 60 and older. For more information, phone 281-474-2551.