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CONTACT: Emily Demmeck
281-332-3381, x213
edemmeck@galvbay.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Galveston Bay Foundation Celebrates National Estuaries Day
Webster, TX – September 22, 2011 – The Galveston Bay Foundation (“GBF”) will celebrate National Estuaries Day on Saturday, September 24, by inviting community volunteers to help plant mangroves, remove undesirable vegetation, and pick up trash and debris at the Dickinson Bay Island restoration site.
National Estuaries Day celebrates our nation’s estuaries, those bodies of water along our coasts that are formed when freshwater from rivers flows into and mixes with saltwater from the ocean. Estuaries like Galveston Bay “are among the United States’ most important ecological resources. These rich mixes of salt and fresh water are nurseries and habitat for untold species of wildlife and plants. They act as essential storm buffers for coastal communities. They are stopovers for millions of migratory birds and fish. They are our first line of defense against climate change and sea level rise,” states Jeff Benoit, the CEO and President of Restore America’s Estuaries.
In celebration of our local estuary, GBF will host a volunteer event at Dickinson Bay Island, located in Dickinson Bay. GBF worked with a number of partners to restore Dickinson Bay Island between 2003 and 2005. Dickinson Bay Island is a 4.5 acre intertidal marsh complex with ground nesting habitat for birds and an additional 2 acres of enhanced oyster reef. The completion of this project represented the first effort to restore three historic habitat islands in Dickinson Bay that eroded over the past six decades. Subsidence and subsequent erosion, exacerbated by a series of tropical storms in the 1990s, resulted in the loss of all three islands, thus eliminating their ecological benefits. The restoration of the first island serves to create essential habitat for fish, shellfish, and colonial waterbirds; improve water quality in an impaired water body; enhance recreational fishing opportunities to the general public; and provide opportunities for community involvement in wetlands restoration.
Estuaries are one of the most important ecological resources in Texas, but as important as they are ecologically, they may be even more important economically. Estuaries provide many coastal jobs and generate millions of dollars both recreationally, and in trade and commerce for the state of Texas. “We are excited to celebrate National Estuaries Day here in Galveston Bay,” stated GBF President Bob Stokes. “We’ve worked with dozens of partners and thousands of volunteers over nearly twenty-five years to preserve and restore our local estuary, Galveston Bay. And this is just our latest effort that helps recognize the benefits of estuaries across the country.”
Galveston Bay Foundation’s National Estuaries Day celebration at Dickinson Bay Island is made possible by support from West End Marine, Gulf Coast Limestone, NRG Energy, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
About Galveston Bay Foundation
The mission of the Galveston Bay Foundation is to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural resources of the Galveston Bay estuarine system and its tributaries for present users and for posterity. The Foundation was incorporated in 1987, and is a non-profit organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. GBF is located at 17330 Highway 3 in Webster, Texas. For further information, contact GBF at 281-332-3381, or visit the website at www.galvbay.org.
281-332-3381, x213
edemmeck@galvbay.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Galveston Bay Foundation Celebrates National Estuaries Day
Webster, TX – September 22, 2011 – The Galveston Bay Foundation (“GBF”) will celebrate National Estuaries Day on Saturday, September 24, by inviting community volunteers to help plant mangroves, remove undesirable vegetation, and pick up trash and debris at the Dickinson Bay Island restoration site.
National Estuaries Day celebrates our nation’s estuaries, those bodies of water along our coasts that are formed when freshwater from rivers flows into and mixes with saltwater from the ocean. Estuaries like Galveston Bay “are among the United States’ most important ecological resources. These rich mixes of salt and fresh water are nurseries and habitat for untold species of wildlife and plants. They act as essential storm buffers for coastal communities. They are stopovers for millions of migratory birds and fish. They are our first line of defense against climate change and sea level rise,” states Jeff Benoit, the CEO and President of Restore America’s Estuaries.
In celebration of our local estuary, GBF will host a volunteer event at Dickinson Bay Island, located in Dickinson Bay. GBF worked with a number of partners to restore Dickinson Bay Island between 2003 and 2005. Dickinson Bay Island is a 4.5 acre intertidal marsh complex with ground nesting habitat for birds and an additional 2 acres of enhanced oyster reef. The completion of this project represented the first effort to restore three historic habitat islands in Dickinson Bay that eroded over the past six decades. Subsidence and subsequent erosion, exacerbated by a series of tropical storms in the 1990s, resulted in the loss of all three islands, thus eliminating their ecological benefits. The restoration of the first island serves to create essential habitat for fish, shellfish, and colonial waterbirds; improve water quality in an impaired water body; enhance recreational fishing opportunities to the general public; and provide opportunities for community involvement in wetlands restoration.
Estuaries are one of the most important ecological resources in Texas, but as important as they are ecologically, they may be even more important economically. Estuaries provide many coastal jobs and generate millions of dollars both recreationally, and in trade and commerce for the state of Texas. “We are excited to celebrate National Estuaries Day here in Galveston Bay,” stated GBF President Bob Stokes. “We’ve worked with dozens of partners and thousands of volunteers over nearly twenty-five years to preserve and restore our local estuary, Galveston Bay. And this is just our latest effort that helps recognize the benefits of estuaries across the country.”
Galveston Bay Foundation’s National Estuaries Day celebration at Dickinson Bay Island is made possible by support from West End Marine, Gulf Coast Limestone, NRG Energy, and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
About Galveston Bay Foundation
The mission of the Galveston Bay Foundation is to preserve, protect, and enhance the natural resources of the Galveston Bay estuarine system and its tributaries for present users and for posterity. The Foundation was incorporated in 1987, and is a non-profit organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. GBF is located at 17330 Highway 3 in Webster, Texas. For further information, contact GBF at 281-332-3381, or visit the website at www.galvbay.org.
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