Wetland Conservation

Galveston Bay, Texas, has lost about 12,000 acres of wetlands since 1996, which has led NRG to actively participate in restoring area wetlands around our Cedar Bayóu EcoCenter.

Our ecocenter donates wetland plants for soil stabilization, water purification and wildlife habitat in estuarine and freshwater ecosystems. In 2010, the EcoCenter donated 275,000 plants to restore 330 acres on Galveston Island. In 2009, NRG received the President's Coastal America Partnership Award for participation in the North Deer Island Restoration Project.

Hurricane Ike in 2008 devastated homes, businesses and natural habitat on Galveston Island, with dune habitat among the hardest hit.

The ecocenter began growing and donating dune plants soon after the storm. The ecocenter has been growing and donating black mangroves since 2009 for locations where tree habitat is needed for biodiversity. The trees are well-adapted to high salt soils and windy conditions along the Galveston Bay area, and the trees also provide a subtle reminder of adaptive management for climate change.