August Volunteer Highlight: Nova Morales

When asked where her lifelong love of science came from, Nova Morales proudly thanks her parents. Nova was always interested in the outdoors as a child, and her parents never missed a chance to take her to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and nature preserves around the area. These days, Nova supports conservation efforts to help preserve open and green spaces so that future generations can enjoy them like she did growing up. As an added benefit, Nova says that volunteering to create a more prosperous environment helps soothe her eco-anxious soul – something many of us could use a little help with, too!

After recently graduating from college and wrapping up a seasonal job in March, Nova decided to volunteer with the Coastal Prairie Conservancy to make good use of her time. As soon as she completed her volunteer orientation about the history of the organization and the precious beauty of the coastal prairie ecosystem, she was hooked. When volunteering at the Indiangrass Preserve, you can usually find Nova at the Native Seed Nursery tending to native plants and learning about the coastal prairie from her fellow volunteers.

While she may be a new addition to this team, Nova is an active member of our community, working alongside the Galveston Bay Foundation, Hermann Park Conservancy, Artist Boat Coastal Heritage Preserve, Armand Bayou Nature Center, The Nature Conservancy, and Houston Parks Board during her time with the Texas Conservation Corps. When she’s not volunteering, Nova loves her job tending to native plants as a Native Landscaper at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center.

If you’re interested in becoming more involved in our volunteer programs, Nova recommends attending a volunteer orientation led by our Stewardship and Outreach Programs Manager, Bethany Foshée. She remembers the orientation telling “… the history of the Coastal Prairie Conservancy so wonderfully, further igniting a drive in me to want to work towards bettering our coastal prairie ecosystems!”

Thank you again, Nova, for your generous volunteering with the Coastal Prairie Conservancy! We’re proud to have you on our team working to conserve the coastal prairie for all Texans to enjoy.