Clear Lake Chapter

Chapter Meeting: Pollinator Road Trip: A Habitat Grant Update

Monday, June 8 • 6:00 p.m.
Hybrid Meeting

6:00 Doors Open – UHCL Bayou Building, Forest Room (1430)
6:40 Zoom Opens
6:45 Business Meeting
6:55 Plant of the Month
7:30 Guest Speakers

Join us for an evening of delicious pizza, exciting door prizes, and the chance to connect with others while learning something new. Bring your own beverage.

For our June chapter meeting, we’ll take a closer look at pollinator habitats supported by the Clear Lake Chapter’s Native Pollinator Habitat Grant Program. Two project leaders will share updates from their sites, highlighting their successes, challenges, and lessons learned along the way. From establishing native plants to maintaining these habitats, presenters will offer practical tips and inspiration for anyone interested in supporting pollinators in their own community.

About the Sites

South Shore Village HOA‘s committee-led habitat at the South Shore Village recreation area features Texas native plants that support butterflies, bees, and birds while enhancing a shared neighborhood space. It also serves as an educational resource, with plant markers and year-round blooms to engage residents, visitors, and nearby students in learning about pollinators.

Butterfly Landing is a community-created pollinator habitat in Stevenson Park, showcasing native plants that support wildlife while offering visitors a fun and educational stop along the Fairy Trail. It’s a great place to spot butterflies, enjoy a shady rest, and begin your search for the park’s hidden fairy houses.

In-person – Parking Pass Required

DO NOT park in faculty/staff parking (enforced 24/7).

Clear Lake Chapter Members: If you have a pass, don’t forget it – you will not get another one if you picked one up previously. If you need your new pass, arrive early enough to pick one up in the meeting room and place it in your car, while supplies last.

Visitors: Non-members may purchase a temporary parking permit at the kiosk in front of the Recreation Center or via T2 Mobile Pay.

Bayou Building, Forest Room (1430)
University of Houston-Clear Lake
2700 Bay Area Blvd.
Houston, TX 77058

Meetings are open to members and non-members. If you would like to become a member, you may join online. For more information about the Native Plant Society of Texas and the benefits of membership please visit: www.npsot.org.

Hosted by the Environmental Institute of Houston, University of Houston-Clear Lake.

About the Region

2026 Fall Symposium Logo

This low-elevations region of Texas extends inland from the barrier islands, about 60 or so miles, and stretches from Brownsville to Louisiana. In total, it covers about 9.5 million acres, with a high point of 150 feet in elevation. More than 1000 species of plants can be found in this region. On the southern end, species more common in Mexico (such as Sabal mexicana) and Central America occur.

The barrier islands provide us with dune systems, and clay flats to the inland side, which have species found in these areas alone. Many plants here, such as Ipomoea pes-caprae (beach morning glory), can be found throughout tropical regions of the globe. I’ve encountered the same species on the beaches of Guam.

Once inland, vast marshes and wet prairies occur. Occasionally, oak (Quercus fusiformis) groves can be found. Common grasses include species of Bothriochloa, Paspalum, and Sporobolus; eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides); and switchgrass (Panicum species). Many rivers and creeks cut through the Gulf Prairies, and along these riparian areas various species of trees, Sabal minor, and other plants adapted to clay soils can be found. Due to overgrazing, farming, and fire suppression, woody species such as mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) and huisache (Acacia farnesiana), and invasive species such as chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Brazilian pepper (Schinus terebinthifolius), and Chinese tallow (Sapium sebiferum) have increased and displaced our native flora.

Source: Wildflowers of Texas by Michael Eason