For the health and safety of our patrons and speakers, masks may be required for indoor in-person Houston Seminar events, and we strongly prefer registrants to be fully vaccinated. Since events are held at a variety of venues with their own policies and protocols, there may be other requirements for some courses. We make every effort to inform guests in a timely manner if there are additional health and safety guidelines they will be asked to follow. Our trips and study tours, particularly those that include shared transportation or plane flights, may also require guidelines beyond those for in-person courses, which will be determined in conjunction with venues, vendors, and local guidelines. We will make every effort to announce these guidelines as far in advance as possible. Thank you for bearing with us as we continue to navigate the world of COVID-19 while bringing enriching experiences to our audiences.

The Neches River: Ribbon of Life
September 1, 2011 @ 12:00 am - December 31, 2011 @ 11:59 am
The Neches River: Ribbon of Life
Texas’ burgeoning population places enormous pressure on its finite natural resources. Conservationists and environmentalists battle tremendous odds and are only occasionally successful in preserving the state’s natural and cultural heritage. The victory of the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge is a story you won’t want to miss. Gina Donovan, executive director of Houston Audubon and coauthor of the Neches River User Guide (Texas A&M University Press, 2009) will deliver a presentation about the grassroots effort to protect the essentially free-flowing Neches River in East Texas. She will include a timeline of advocacy events and beautiful photographs of the ecologically diverse river and the wildlife it sustains.
Richard M. Donovan, author of Paddling the Wild Neches (Texas A&M Press, 2006), will discuss the early history of the Neches River Valley and his 1999 and 2001 Neches River canoe expeditions. Using photographs, he will take us on a paddling trip down more than 200 miles of remote river bottomlands. Donovan rallies support for designating the Neches a “National Wild & Scenic River” in order to protect this spectacular waterway in perpetuity.
The price of the course includes a box lunch and a pass to the Bayou Bend Gardens to be used on March 22.