Title: Save the Date: Texas Master Naturalist Meeting
Location: Memorial Park
Event Link: Click here
Description: Naturalist:
A person who studies nature, especially by direct observation of animals and plants.

In the Gulf Coast Chapter, training is usually offered twice a year. Click here Classes for details. Trainees attend 56 hours of classes and field trips, complete 40 hours minimum of volunteer service, and 8 hours minimum of advanced training in approved classes the first year. To maintain their active status in the Gulf Coast Chapter, a Texas Master Naturalist completes 40 hours minimum of volunteer service and 8 hours minimum of advanced training, annually.

Mission: The purpose of the Texas Master Naturalist program is to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers to provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within their communities.

Texas Master Naturalist volunteers receive in-depth training in wildlife and natural resource management, customized to focus on their local ecosystems. Training is provided by educators and specialists from universities, agencies, nature centers, museums, and other organizations who donate their services. In return, volunteers provide service in the form of community education and demonstration projects, while pursuing advanced training in areas of special interest.

Date: 2010-06-05

Title: HAS Field Trip to Katy Prarie
Location: Katy Prairie
Event Link: Click here
Description: Participants, please check the HAS Website for any last minute changes. Sign-up instructions found in guidelines at link above.

Guide: Bob Honig
Leave the hot concrete of the city behind and spend a few hours on the Katy Prairie only an hour or so west of Houston, where summer evenings can be very comfortable. This is the third consecutive year that HAS will visit the Katy Prairie on Independence Day weekend. We’ll explore grasslands, wetlands, and tree lines to observe the diversity of life on the prairie – on properties owned by the Katy Prairie Conservancy, which has helped protect almost 18,000 acres in west Harris County and east Waller County. We hope to see a variety of birds (possibly Painted Buntings and Orchard Orioles), butterflies visiting flowers, and dragonflies cruising over ponds. At sunset we plan to be near a wetland where thousands of White-faced Ibis, as well as other waterbirds, may settle in to roost for the night; and we hope to be treated to a chorus of frogs and toads, insects, displaying Common Nighthawks, and maybe even King Rails and Least Bitterns.

Start Time: 17:00
Date: 2010-07-03
End Time: 21:00

Title: Houston Audubon Fun on the Flats- Celebrating Birds and their Habitats
Location: Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, Bolivar Peninsula
Event Link: Click here
Description: Activities for all ages, native plant sale, birding, educational games, seining, and much more!

Houston Audubon’s Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary has been recognized by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network as an important resting and feeding location for migrating shorebirds from throughout the Western Hemisphere. Bolivar Flats is a unique area combining salt marsh, mud flats and beach, each habitat quite different from the other. Every year hundreds of thousands of birds discover that Bolivar Flats is a special place. We want you to discover how amazing this ecosystem is. FUN on the FLATS celebrates the birds and their habitat on Bolivar and highlights the critical need for protection and appreciation of this special place. JOIN US – June 12, 2010. This Project is supported by TogetherGreen, an Audubon program with funding from Toyota. Support is also received from ERM Foundation-North America.

To reach the sanctuary: Turn right off of Highway 87 onto Rettilon Road (3.8 miles from ferry). Turn right on the beach and drive to the vehicular barrier.

Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2010-06-12
End Time: 12:00

Title: Adult Lecture Series: Beachcombing Adventures
Location: Nature Discovery Center
Event Link: Click here
Description: Help us celebrate our seaside summer with a presentation by Cathy Yow, longtime beachcomber and sea bean expert. If you are even a casual beachcomber, you won’t want to miss Cathy’s presentation. Bring the family, and come early for our Sargasso Sea Special Event.

Cathy Yow is a life-long beach enthusiast. She was challenged by her father as a child to find new things on the beach and try to figure out what they were. She has sprouted tropical seeds that washed up on shore as well as crafted jewelry from her finds. She brings a wealth of knowledge to her joy in beachcombing.

Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2010-08-04
End Time: 20:30

Title: Adult Lecture Series: Local Snakes with Chaz and Clint Pustejovsky
Location: Nature Discovery Center
Event Link: Click here
Description: Two for One! Kids get their own snake lesson with Chaz with while their parents learn from Clint. Meet some live snakes that live in southeast Texas and learn about their lifestyles and how they impact our environment. Find out how to be safe around snakes in this interactive and engaging presentation.

Clint has been a wildlife enthusiast since his toddling days. As a young boy of 11, he had the opportunity to meet Robert A. Vines, who taught him how to catch and handle snakes. He continues to study snakes and their benefits to ecosystems and human beings through current reports, books and by working with other professionals. Chaz Pustejovsky will be a senior at Lutheran High North next year. He is a Life Scout, and has been learning about snakes with his dad since he was a small child.

Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2010-07-07
End Time: 20:30

Title: Nature Discovery Center Inquisitive Naturalist – John Schneider
Location: Nuture Discovery Center
Event Link: Click here
Description: Topic – Dragonflies and Damselflies of Houston

Come learn about those amazing and beautiful aerial predators of the insect world, the odonates (dragonflies and damselflies). This presentation will cover some of their natural history, along with identification tips and a whole slew of photographs of the many species that can be found in the Houston area.

John Schneider is a local birder who became interested in insects in 2007. He has led bird and butterfly walks for the Nature Discovery Center, and is vice-chairman of the Outdoor Nature Club Ornithology Group.

Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2010-06-02
End Time: 20:30

Title: Guided Trail Hike at Armand Bayou
Location: Armand Bayou Nature Center
Event Link: Click here
Start Time: 14:00
Date: 2010-05-30

Title: Hawk Identification 101: August 24 – September 12, 2010
Event Link: Click here
Description: Learn the principles of Hawk Identification. These majestic birds of prey range from the small American Kestrel to our national emblem bird, the Bald Eagle. We are located along a major flyway for Hawk Migration. This is a great time and an amazing opportunity to see large numbers and many species of these beautiful birds. Learn how and why hawks migrate. Learn the key elements that enable you to identify hawks in flight.

Classes: August 24, 2010 September 7, 2010
Field Trips: August 28, 2010 September 12, 2010

Date: 2010-08-24

Title: Introduction to Ornithology Class Begins
Event Link: Click here
Description: Introduction to Ornithology: June 15 – July 13, 2010

A series of classes to study the remarkable physiology of birds that make them such amazing creatures of flight, migration, wonder. Not a field identification class but information learned will prove valuable in the field study and identification of birds.

Class Dates: June 15, 2010 June 22, 2010 June 29, 2010 July 6, 2010 July 13, 2010

visit link above to sign up
Date: 2010-06-15

Title: ATC All-Stars: The Home Field Advantage Conference
Location: Pasadena Convention Center, 7902 Fairmont Pkwy, Pasadena, TX
Event Link: Click here
Description: This year’s conference, ATC All-Stars: The Home Field Advantage, will feature speakers, break-out sessions, and an alternative fuel vehicle ride & drive. Topics on the agenda include:
- GPS as a cost-saving option,
- Trucking in transition in the Houston area,
- Low-cost fuel saving technologies,
- Panel discussion on alt-fuel infrastructure

Start Time: 08:30
Date: 2010-07-13
End Time: 16:00

Title: Houston Electric Cars Corp
Location: Kirksey, 6909 Portwest Drive, Houston
Description: The USGBC Emerging Professionals present: Houston Electric Cars Corp

Mr. Rich Ehlrich of Houston Electric Car Corp.
Top 10 Reasons to Buy an E-Car Now !!

Please register!
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2010-06-16
End Time: 20:00

Title: LID Design Challenge Retrospective
Location: Texas Department of Transportation, District Headquarters 7600 Washington Avenue @ I-10 (free parking, use main drive with flags)
Event Link: Click here
Description: Please RSVP.

Don’t miss your chance to take a look under the hood of the designs, hydrographic data and economic comparisons produced by the finalist teams in the recent HLWSF Low Impact Development Design Competition.

Each finalist team will offer an expanded version of their finals presentation and they, along with some of the expert judges, finals jury panel and sponsors will be available to answer your questions about their conclusions. This is a great opportunity to learn why the competition generated so much excitement about designing with LID practices to improve water quality, reduce runoff, improve quality of life, and save money in the process.

Start Time: 16:00
Date: 2010-06-09
End Time: 18:00

Title: The ABCs of Schools: Green Building to Create Supportive k-12 Learning Environments
Event Link: Click here
Description: This even is a Lunchtime Education-based Webcast:Education-based Webcasts are designed to provide a brief, very-specific educational experience. The purpose may be to provide timely coverage on a topic that is of immediate relevance. Webcasts are assumed to be low-cost and delivered via the web. GBS will deliver the webinars from our Portland office.

$20.

This program addresses the Attributes, Benefits and Challenges to the application of green building in k-
12 schools. Participants will understand the parameters unique to defining ‘green’ in K-12 schools, the most critical
influencing variables on building and occupant performance throughout the school’s life-cycle, and green building
strategy to meet multiple objectives, including LEED certification.

CEUs:
USGBC LEED Professional: 1-hour “Professional Development” Category
AIA: 1-hour HSW and Sustainable Design (to be facilitated by USGBC Houston)

Trainer: Katrina Shum-Miller

Start Time: 12:00 pm
Date: 2010-06-16

Title: USGBC EP Happy Hour – EI8HT
Location: Eight on Washington
Event Link: Click here
Description: Eight on Washington Join Emerging Professionals for happy hour at Eight on Washington and connect with other people dedicated to the green movement. Free appetizers, a complimentary drink, happy hour specials. Come by for a chance to win a prize too!
Start Time: 18:00
Date: 2010-06-09
End Time: 20:00

Title: Free Family Fishing Day Event at Trinity River Refuge
Location: Champion Lake, at the end of CR 417, two miles east of FM 1409 in southern Liberty County
Description: Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge along with the Friends of Trinity River Refuge will be hosting the annual “Free Family Fishing Day” on Saturday, June 5, 2010 from 9:00am – 11:00am at the Champion Lake Public Use Area. It is the one day in the state of Texas that anyone can fish or crab without a license on public waters. We will have fishing poles and bait for those who need it along with experienced fishermen who can help children with baiting hooks and casting techniques. All ages are invited.

Champion Lake is located at the end of CR 417, two miles east of FM 1409 in southern Liberty County. This is approximately 10 miles south of Dayton, TX from Hwy 90 or about six miles north of I-10 at the Cove exit (FM 565). Admission is free. Call the Refuge office at 936/336-9786 for more information. You may want to bring a lawn chair as seating is limited.
Start Time: 09:00 am
Date: 2010-06-05
End Time: 11:00 am

The Bayou Preservation Association (BPA) seeks a full-time Bayou Preservation Program Director to develop and manage programs to monitor and improve water quality in Houston area bayous and waterways. The position requires a challenging mix of scientific, management and advocacy skills. Responsibilities include assessing and monitoring all issues relevant to water quality, establishing and maintaining communication with the public and private sector persons and institutions interested in water quality, and facilitating public education about bayous. The position requires excellent communication skills and includes preparation of written reports and presentations concerning the water quality program for the BPA Board of Directors and Executive Committee, for governmental organizations, BPA partners, and grassroot groups. The ideal candidate will be a confident and motivated self-starter with a strong personal commitment to the cause of preserving and enhancing the health of Houston’s bayous, to the BPA and to broader goals and values of environmental protection. Program Director will report to and work closely with Executive Director. BPA is a local non-profit organization that has a long and successful history of preserving and improving Houston area bayous. Please see BPA website for the position description.

Title: Save the Date! BPA Gala
Event Link: Click here
Date: 2010-10-07