Buffalo Bayou and Beyond, the Partnership’s 20-year master plan called for a separate division within the organization to specialize in the conservation of Buffalo Bayou and its unique riparian corridor.

Interacting with corridor users has convinced the BBP that Houstonians want a cleaner, healthier, more natural corridor. We hear requests for cleaner air, more animals and plants, and restoration of the tributaries that interact with the hike and bike trails that run along the bayou. The BBP is dedicated to developing and maintaining sustainable development, native plantings, and environmentally-friendly programs in every project we work on.

Along with teams of tireless Green Team Volunteers the Partnership has conducted dozens of cleanups and restoration projects to improve habitat quality and biodiversity within the Bayou corridor. During habitat restoration, staff and volunteers converge on a particular area where we remove invasive species like giant ragweed, Chinese tallow and chinaberry allowing native species to thrive, clean the area of litter and then plant or seed the area with native material to out-compete any exotic plants. Tree pruning is often involved as well to improve access to these areas for parkgoers to interact with the area in a safe way.

To join our conservation efforts, visit our Volunteer Page or contact us at 713-752-0314 x4 or jballard@buffalobayou.org

Important Guide to Houston-area Invasives Now Available:

The Quiet Invasion: A Guide to Invasive Plants of the Galveston Bay Area is available on request from the Galveston Bay Estuary Program or the Houston Advanced Research Center. This handy guide will help gardeners, land managers, and landscape architects identify invasive plants that can be harmful to local habitats. The guide suggests methods of invasive plant control as well as native plant alternatives which are better choices for planting because they can help provide food and habitat for wildlife, require less water and are easy to maintain.

Invasive plants identified in the guide are species of plants from other parts of the world that, when planted in the Houston-Galveston region, survive, reproduce and crowd out native plants. They eventually harm local habitats and the wildlife that depend on them. Examples of invasive plants include: Chinese tallow, deep-rooted sedge, and water hyacinth. On an annual basis, invasive plants and animals cost this country nearly $137 billion in economic losses and control costs.

Here at Buffalo Bayou Parternship, eliminating the invasive species along the Buffalo Bayou waterway is an ongoing battle. Our top invaders include Giant Ragweed, Chinaberry Tree and Japanese Honeysuckle.

The guide, plus photos and information about the invasive plant species that threaten our region's native plants, can be found online at http://www.galvbayinvasives.org.

To request a free hard copy of the guide, contact Jeff DallaRosa at jdallaro@tceq.state.tx.us or Lisa Gonzalez at (281) 486-1242 or at lgonzalez@harc.edu or (281) 364-6044.

Waugh Bridge Bat Colony

Latest News:

7/06: The Waugh Bat Pups are now fledging.

6/06: Waugh Bridge has been confirmed as a nursing colony.

To find out more about the Waugh Bridge Bats, visit The Waugh Bridge Bat Monitor page.

Reserve your spot on our 2nd-Friday Bat Tours on our Pontoon Boat, the Bayou Breeze.

Flora and Fauna Gallery