Clear Lake Chapter

Chapter Meeting: Pollinator Road Trip 3: A Habitat Grant Update, Part 1

Monday, May 13 • 6:15 p.m.
Hybrid Meeting

Please join us for our chapter meeting in person or online!

6:15 Doors Open – UHCL Bayou Building, Room 1217
6:40 Zoom Opens
6:45 Business Meeting
6:55 Plant of the Month
7:00 Guest Speakers

For May’s chapter meeting, we will take a virtual road trip to visit pollinator habitats funded by the chapter’s Native Pollinator Habitat Grant Program. You will hear from projects at three sites: FJH Outdoor Classroom at Friendswood Junior High School, Pollinator Habitat in the Discovery Garden at Carbide Park, and Cornelius Re-Spark Park at Cornelius Elementary School. Grantees will highlight their successes, obstacles, and lessons learned.

About the Sites

Cornelius Re-Spark Park at Cornelius Elementary School (Houston ISD): Cornelius was one of the first five schools in Houston to receive a SPARK Park back 1983 and has benefited from a few re-SPARK efforts. This initiative by the Cornelius PTO is creating a native pollinator garden at JP Cornelius Elementary, enriching the learning environment for students while supporting local wildlife.

Outdoor Classroom at Friendswood Junior High (Friendswood ISD): Friendswood Junior High’s project aimed to create an engaging and educational native pollinator garden, fostering a connection between students and the environment.

Pollinator Habitat in the Discovery Garden (Carbide Park): The project led by the Galveston County Master Gardeners at Carbide Park is centered on enhancing a pollinator habitat within the Discovery Garden. This initiative not only provides essential support to local pollinators but also offers valuable learning opportunities for visitors.

In-person – Parking Pass Required

Parking passes required. If you have a pass, don’t forget it – you will not get another one if you picked one up previously. If you need a pass, arrive early enough to pick one up in Room 1217 (meeting room) and to place it in your car. DO NOT park in faculty/staff parking (enforced 24/7).

Arrive early to socialize and enter your name in the drawing for the door prize.

Bayou Building, Room 1217
University of Houston-Clear Lake
2700 Bay Area Blvd.
Houston, TX 77058

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

This is a FREE EVENT. 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