PUBLISHED: February 2026 by Karastin Katusin, conservation program specialist
With a new year brings new events, opportunities, and partnerships for Houston Parks Board. We are so excited to be celebrating 50 years of expanding, improving, and protecting parks and greenspaces in the Greater Houston region!
The HPB Conservation & Maintenance team is celebrating this milestone with a myriad of events and opportunities for our volunteers, community members, and partners throughout 2026.
As we transition from winter to spring, our plantings will shift from trees to wetlands and prairies. Once the summer heats up, we will take a break from our Green Team plantings to (hopefully) explore the outdoors with early morning and evening events. As we all know, Texas summers are unpredictable, so we will stay flexible as always. Looking toward the end of year, when we transition seasons back into the cooler autumn, we will be kicking off our brand-new adult education program along with our major #ParksByYou event.
Follow along as we highlight ways to get involved, build community, and strengthen your ties to the land. Please note that reservations are required for all events.
Spring – We think of spring as a time of “both” – rain and sunshine, seeds and flowers. We get to both plant seeds for the upcoming year and see trees blooming with buds. Spring is when the air is musical – full of buzzing bees, singing birds, croaking frogs.
This spring, join HPB across the Bayou Greenways planting trees, forbs, and grasses, where our habitats will spring alive!
Green Team – Join our technicians around the bayous, where you get to learn proper planting techniques, enjoy the fresh air, and give back to the community. These events are for ages 18-and-up only.
Earth Month – On April 18, we will be planting native landscapes to increase habitat and biodiversity along Sims Bayou. All ages are welcome.
City Nature Challenge – This fun event will take place from April 24-27. Stay tuned to see what events are happening around the bayous and how you can be a citizen scientist!
Summer – Everyone knows how hot, humid, and sticky the summers can be in Houston. To take a breath between planting seasons, and to stay safe and cool, our summer events will be focused on citizen science and education. Weather permitting, we plan to host birding, mothing, and maybe even herping! Stay tuned to see what opportunities come to life this summer.
Autumn – While the slight shift into cooler temps is a sweet relief for many of us, the team will be swinging back into action. Like the spring seasons, we will see different plants blossom and bloom, while some start to retreat to dormancy. Autumn is a wonderful time to see mushrooms, fungi, insects, and birds throughout the Bayou Greenways ecosystems! Come explore with HPB this fall; you can learn, grow, and plant among friends new and old.
Green Team – We will welcome volunteers back along the bayous in September through December, planting a variety of habitats. Green Team is a great way to make friends while planting, and playing, outside. These events are for ages 18 and up only.
Bayou Greenways Conservation Academy – Are you a nature curious adult? Do you want to explore the bayous, build a community, and learn more about what all Houston Parks Board does? Join us for our first ever Bayou Greenways Conservation Academy! You will learn propagation techniques, explore different greenspaces, and deepen your ties to the Houston ecoregion. Please join our early notification list today to become an inaugural member of the Academy.
#ParksByYou – Our annual volunteer event will be all about wetlands! Give us a hand in planting a variety of wetland species in support of our Watershed Grant. If you are interested in learning more about wetlands, consider checking out our StoryMap – where you can see other wetland sites transform before your eyes. This event will be open to all ages.
If you want to join in the fun, or learn more about our events, please make sure to check out our VolunteerHub. We hope to see you along the bayous soon!
