Galveston Bay Foundation

Education and outreach programs aim to connect our community to Galveston Bay and inspire lifelong stewardship through diverse programs, training, tools, and events that reach tens of thousands of people each year. The Foundation's youth education programs connected students in the classroom and in the field with hands-on STEM curriculum and resources. The Foundation also offers rain barrel installation workshops and distributes rain barrels to the public. Ongoing public outreach campaigns and initiatives target segments of the population to increase awareness of the importance of Galveston Bay and address specific issues of concern.

Research programs monitor trends affecting Galveston Bay's most valuable coastal resources. Current efforts monitor dolphin populations (in partnership with the Environmental Institute of Houston), marine debris, and water quality at sites around Galveston Bay. These efforts are collaborative, involving research partners throughout the region and beyond. Several utilize trained citizen scientists to augment professional monitoring data. Findings are widely communicated through data portals, public presentations, and scientific publications. Most monitoring efforts are ongoing in an effort to collect large datasets spanning many years, though some are initiated to allow the Foundation to respond to specific incidents impacting the bay.

Advocacy programs aim to give a voice to Galveston Bay, taking an inclusive and collaborative approach to protect the health and well-being of the bay. The Foundation attempts to balance the multiple uses of Galveston Bay so that the long-term interests of the Bay itself are not compromised. Through initiatives such as the Galveston Bay Report Card (released in partnership with the Houston Advanced Research Center) and the Galveston Bay Action Network (GBAN) pollution reporting app, the Foundation provides tools to enable the public to take positive actions for Galveston Bay.