Volunteers wade back in to restore Galveston Bay

Aramco volunteers "waded back into the water" on June 23, to support the Galveston Bay Foundation's Marsh Mania. Aramco served as lead sponsor, marking the event's 23rd anniversary.

Approximately 40 volunteers worked throughout the day, on June 23, to plant marsh grass — which is vital to maintaining the bay's ecosystem.

For more than a decade Aramco has supported the efforts of the Galveston Bay Foundation, both with sponsorship and volunteers.   

The bay is the seventh-largest estuary in the United States and home to a variety of marine life, birds, and coastal vegetation. Marsh Mania is the Galveston Bay Foundation’s signature event, connecting the community to the cause.

Hands-on restoration of the wetlands
The Galveston Bay Foundation conducts its Marsh Mania event each year in June, seeking out community volunteers to provide needed hands-on restoration of the wetlands.  The annual event aims to plant between 30,000 to 40,000 stalks of grass this year.  Like trees, marsh grass is another tool found in nature to help mitigate carbon emissions.  Additionally, marsh grass helps guard against beach erosion due to storms.

“This year we pledged to support Marsh Mania, which is a natural extension of our work with tree plantings.  Our volunteers were really excited to play a part in this,” said Judy Sultan, Public Affairs, Aramco Americas.

More than 8,500 community volunteers have contributed to the Marsh Mania initiatives through the years, restoring more than 214 acres of marsh habitat at 99 locations around Galveston Bay.

Read more about our partnership with Galveston Bay Foundation