Adventure Programs

February 22nd 7:30am-2:30pm

$50

Join us at Fort Anahuac Park in assisting Texas Parks and Wildlife and Galveston Bay Foundation remove abandoned crab traps from our waterways. Abandoned crab traps cause significant harm to our native wildlife and negatively affect coastal habitats. By removing these crab traps we will be helping to protect sensitive ecosystems. We will also be cleaning up trash and debris from the shores and collecting monofilament fishing line left behind to be recycled.

We will meet at the Houston Zoo in front of Gate 8 at 7:30AM and return to the Zoo by 2:30PM. Transportation will be provided by the Houston Zoo.

Snacks and lunch will be provided by Galveston Bay Foundation. Please wear close-toed shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

Register now!

March 10th 7am-5pm

$50

Let’s explore the various water systems and trailways in and around Lake Somerville State Park. We’ll spend the morning hiking through the trailways of oak and hickory trees and the afternoon canoeing or kayaking around creeks and Lake Somerville.

We will meet at the Houston Zoo in front of Gate 8, which is about 200 yards to the left of the main entrance, at 8am. Transportation to Lake Somerville State Park will be provided by the Houston Zoo. Be sure to bring a lunch, reusable water bottle, and wear a hat and clothes you will be comfortable in for a day outside. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at teenprograms@houstonzoo.org.

Register now!

March 11th 7am-5pm

$50

Want to spend your Spring Break protecting wildlife and wild places? Join us for a Spring Break Adventure working with Galveston Bay Foundation to protect our coastal wetland habitats.

Galveston Bay Foundation’s conservation programs focus on wetlands preservation and restoration. The Galveston Bay system has lost over 35,000 acres of wetlands during the last fifty years, and GBF works closely with numerous partners to restore those lost wetlands across the Bay. Wetlands provide habitat for finfish and shellfish as well as rookery and foraging areas for birds. Wetlands filter water and naturally improve water quality, a critical function given the highly urbanized and industrial uses of Galveston Bay. They also stabilize shorelines and provide flood control, benefits that may be even more important to Houston area residents in the current “big storm” era.

We’ll spend our time helping GBF protect, preserve and restore these habitats by participating in hands-on conservation projects. We will meet at Gate 8 at the Houston Zoo on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00am and return by 5:00pm. Be sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and/or wet and are comfortable spending a day working outside in. Also wear a hat and bring sunscreen, bug spray, a lunch, and a reusable water bottle.

Register now!

March 12th 7am-5pm

$50

Want to spend your Spring Break protecting wildlife and wild places? Join us for a Spring Break Adventure in Big Thicket National Preserve, one of the most diverse landscapes in Texas. The Big Thicket  has an incredible amount of biodiversity due to the convergence of multiple habitats.

We’ll spend our time learning about the habitats and the plants and animals that inhabit the Big Thicket National Preserve while learning field research techniques and the science behind conservation. We’ll hike through the long leaf-pine forests, observe multiple species of carnivorous plants, participate in habitat restoration projects such as invasive species removal, planting native plants, or cleaning up the bayous and rivers.

We will meet at Gate 8 at the Houston Zoo on Thursday, March 12 at 7:00am and return by 5:00pm. Be sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and/or wet and are comfortable spending a day working outside in. Also wear a hat and bring sunscreen, bug spray, a lunch, and a reusable water bottle.

Register now!

March 17th 8am-5pm

$50

Sea Rim State Park is where the salt marshes meet the sea. Marshes are important for providing food and habitat for animals and also protecting inland areas from the effects of storms. We’ll spend the day exploring the plant communities of the marshes and dunes. We’ll paddle through some of their extensive paddling trails in kayaks looking for the animals that inhabit the park from birds like roseate spoonbills to crustaceans like ghost crabs.

We will meet at the Houston Zoo in front of Gate 8, which is about 200 yards to the left of the main entrance, at 8am. Be sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and/or wet and are comfortable spending a day outside in. Also wear a hat and bring sunscreen, bug spray, a lunch, and a reusable water bottle. Transportation to Sea Rim State Park will be provided by the Houston Zoo. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at teenprograms@houstonzoo.org.

Register now!

March 18th 7am-5pm

$50

Want to spend your Spring Break protecting wildlife and wild places? Join us for a Spring Break Adventure working with Galveston Bay Foundation to protect our coastal wetland habitats.

Galveston Bay Foundation’s conservation programs focus on wetlands preservation and restoration. The Galveston Bay system has lost over 35,000 acres of wetlands during the last fifty years, and GBF works closely with numerous partners to restore those lost wetlands across the Bay. Wetlands provide habitat for finfish and shellfish as well as rookery and foraging areas for birds. Wetlands filter water and naturally improve water quality, a critical function given the highly urbanized and industrial uses of Galveston Bay. They also stabilize shorelines and provide flood control, benefits that may be even more important to Houston area residents in the current “big storm” era.

We’ll spend our time helping GBF protect, preserve and restore these habitats by participating in hands-on conservation projects. We will meet at Gate 8 at the Houston Zoo on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00am and return by 5:00pm. Be sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and/or wet and are comfortable spending a day working outside in. Also wear a hat and bring sunscreen, bug spray, a lunch, and a reusable water bottle.

Register now!

March 19th 7am-5pm

$50

Want to spend your Spring Break protecting wildlife and wild places? Join us for a Spring Break Adventure in Big Thicket National Preserve, one of the most diverse landscapes in Texas. The Big Thicket  has an incredible amount of biodiversity due to the convergence of multiple habitats.

We’ll spend our time learning about the habitats and the plants and animals that inhabit the Big Thicket National Preserve while learning field research techniques and the science behind conservation. We’ll hike through the long leaf-pine forests, observe multiple species of carnivorous plants, participate in habitat restoration projects such as invasive species removal, planting native plants, or cleaning up the bayous and rivers.

We will meet at Gate 8 at the Houston Zoo on Thursday, March 12 at 7:00am and return by 5:00pm. Be sure to wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and/or wet and are comfortable spending a day working outside in. Also wear a hat and bring sunscreen, bug spray, a lunch, and a reusable water bottle.

Register now!

Date TBD

$50

Spend the day with our Sea Lion keepers and help protect ocean animals by removing trash from the Surfside Jetty.

We will meet at the Houston Zoo in front of Gate 8 at 8:00AM and return to the Zoo at 3:30PM. Transportation will be provided by the Houston Zoo.

Please wear comfortable clothing and sturdy close-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty and/or wet. Also bring a sack lunch and water bottle.

Registration will become available soon!

April 25th-26th 8am-6pm

$300

Have you ever wanted to learn how to rock climb…outside…on real rocks? Well, here’s your chance. Austin’s Barton Creek Greenbelt is well know throughout Texas for it’s outdoor rock climbing opportunities. We’ll learn from rock climbing expert instructors from Rock About Climbing Adventures the safety and basic climbing techniques of outdoor rock climbing. Their instructors will emphasize teamwork, trust, communication, and having a great time in a beautiful outdoor setting!

All climbing gear (shoes, helmets, ropes, and harnesses) will be provided by Rock About Climbing Adventures. Food and camping gear such as tents and sleeping pads will be provided by the Houston Zoo. Please bring your own sleeping bag. We do have a limited number of sleeping bags that we can lend. If you would like to borrow a sleeping bag, please let us know as soon as possible.

We will need to leave by 8am on Saturday to make it to McKinney Falls State Park by the afternoon. We’ll hike around the vast trails of the state natural area Saturday afternoon. On Sunday we will wake up, pack up and meet our rock climbing instructors at 8:15am for our beginner climbing lessons. After our full morning of rock climbing we will head back to Houston.

We will meet in front of Gate 8, which is approximately 200 yards to the left of the main entrance on Saturday, April 25th. We will also meet there on Sunday evening when we arrive back at the Zoo. After you have registered we will send out more information regarding the trip and what you will need to bring. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at teenprograms@houstonzoo.org

Register now!