The Citizens’ Environmental Coalition is pleased to announce that H-E-B has selected EarthShare of Texas to be the beneficiary of its in-store coupon promotion for April, in recognition of Earth Day. This means that customers can tear off and add check-out coupons worth $1, $3, or $5 to their total bill.

H-E-B has supported many EarthShare of Texas organizations with corporate grants or in-kind contributions. The April tear-pad promotion enables H-E-B customers to support the program work of Earth Share of Texas organizations. The CEC will benefit, because the contributions will be divided among EarthShare of Texas organizations with program work in the Houston-area market.

Look for the EarthShare of Texas display and tear-off coupons at the check-out stands in H-E-B stores and the Central Markets store beginning in late March through April. Help support EarthShare of Texas and the Texas environment! More at www.earthshare-texas.org.

Title: Trinity River Refuge Earth Day event
Location: Champion Lake is located at the end of CR 417, two miles east of FM 1409 in southern Liberty County.
Link out: Click here
Description: In commemoration of Earth Day 2011, Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge along with the Friends of Trinity River Refuge, will host an afternoon of outdoor activities at the Champion Lake Public Use Area. The fun-filled afternoon is on Saturday, April 30 from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm. Activities will include canoeing, kayaking, bird and butterfly viewing, walking the levee trail, dip netting and fishing lessons in the lake for the kids, and a “wildlife Olympic experience.” 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: 11:00
Date: 2011-04-30
End Time: 13:00

Title: 17th Annual Migration Celebration – San Bernard NWR
Location: San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, Brazoria County
Link out: Click here
Description: Migration Celebration is held by the Friends of the Brazoria Wildlife Refuges in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Texas Mid-Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex. With the exception of fundraising activities, all other Migration Celebration events, tours, presentations, and other activities are free to the public.
Start Date: 2011-04-15
End Date: 2011-04-17

Title: “Booming” -N- “Blooming”–17th Annual Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Festival
Location: FestivalAttwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Eagle Lake, Texas 77434
Link out: Click here
Description: Come enjoy:
-Prairie Chicken Viewing Tours
-Refuge Van Tours
-Bird Walking Tours
-Marsh Birding Tours
-Native Plant Walking Tours
-Refuge Auto Tour and Walking Trails
ContactAttwater Prairie Chicken NWR at 979/234-3021 or email at FW2_RW_AttwaterPrairieChicken@fws.gov
Start Date: 2011-04-09
End Date: 2011-04-10

Title: Green Our Lives Volunteer Day
Location: Esteban Park, 5172 South Acres Drive, Houston, TX 77048
Link out: Click here
Description: The Great Plains Restoration Council is hosting a volunteer event on Saturday, April 2, 2011, at Esteban Park. Esteban Park is a brand new refuge for urban Houston — part organic farm, part coastal prairie restoration preserve. AIn partnership with Katy Prairie Conservancy and the Harris County Attorney’s Office, Restoration Not Incarceration will restore several thousand acres of native coastal prairie while providing special rehabilitative work opportunities to temporarily incarcerated individuals. More information at www.gprc.org or 832-598-GPRC.
Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2011-04-02
End Time: 15:00

1. Speaker: Premier Oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Sylvia Earle will be speaking as part of The Progressive Forum on April 5th at 7:30 at the Wortham Center, Cullen Theater. Dr. Sylvia Earle is widely acclaimed as the most important advocate for research and protection of the world’s seas. Her presentation is titled Program: Sustainable Seas: The Vision and the Reality. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.progressiveforumhouston.org/.
2. New Houston Volunteer Opportunities Website. On March 28, a new New Houston Volunteer Opportunities Website will be launched. Visit http://www.houstonservice.org/#s to post volunteer opportunities before Monday, to be included in the initial site launch. The website is designed to encourage all Houstonians to volunteer and help our city, and one another while enhancing the existing good work being done by Houston’s nonprofit sector.
3. Green Our Lives Volunteer Day. The Great Plains Restoration Council is hosting a volunteer event on Saturday, April 2, 2011, at Esteban Park. Esteban Park is a brand new refuge for urban Houston — part organic farm, part coastal prairie restoration preserve. AIn partnership with Katy Prairie Conservancy and the Harris County Attorney’s Office, Restoration Not Incarceration will restore several thousand acres of native coastal prairie while providing special rehabilitative work opportunities to temporarily incarcerated individuals. More information at www.gprc.org or 832-598-GPRC.
4. Sea Turtles and the Quest to Nest. This online game developed by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and the National Ocean Service, is designed to help students understand how they can help protect turtles and their habitat. The game takes place in the southeastern United States. Students are introduced to all of the people and animals that play a role in the life of loggerhead turtles. More at http://games.noaa.gov/seaturtle/welcome.html.

Want to help CEC and offset your carbon footprint at the same time? Reliant Energy and EarthShare of Texas have launched The Reliant EcoShareSM, a program that allows Reliant customers to support EarthShare of Texas and its participating organizations and help reduce the customers’ carbon footprints through the purchase of carbon offsets.

Here’s how it works: The Reliant EcoShareSM program gives customers the option of two pricing levels:

• For a flat monthly cost of $3.95, a $1 donation is made each month to EarthShare of Texas, and 500 pounds of carbon offsets are purchased.
• Or for a flat monthly cost of $5.95, a $2 donation is made each month to EarthShare of Texas, and 1,000 pounds of carbon offsets are purchased.

CEC benefits, because as one of EarthShare of Texas’ participating organizations, a portion of the Reliant donation is shared with us. Carbon offsets for the Reliant EcoShareSM program meet approved standards to ensure that they represent real, verifiable reductions in greenhouse gases. More information on the EarthShare of Texas website or reliant.com/ecoshare.

Title: Keep Houston Beautiful – Greater East End District
Location: SettegastPark, 3000 GarrowStreet
Link out: Click here
Description: Litter and Trash Pick Up
Planting, Pruning Trees
Graffiti Abatement
Gloves, Trashbags, Water, Snack Provided

Registration: www.greatereastend.com
More Information:
Greater East End Management District
Phone 713-928-9916
FAX 713-928-2915
Start Time: 08:00
Date: 2011-04-02
End Time: 11:00

Title: Keep Houston Beautiful – Acres Homes
Location: Progressive Missionary Baptist Church 944 Reverend B J Lewis Drive, Houston, Texas 77088
Link out: Click here
Description: Houston will be shining after hundreds of volunteers put in some serious cleanup work for Keep Houston Beautiful Day April 2. Students, community organizations and businesses will join forces for projects across the city. It’s all part ofthe Great American Cleanup?’.
Start Time: 08:00
Date: 2011-04-02

Title: Keep Houston Beautiful – Allen’s Landing
Location: Allen’s Landing – 901 Commerce Street, Houston, Texas 77002
Link out: Click here
Description: Keep Houston Beautiful will be hosting it’s annual city-wide cleanups.
Start Time: 07:00
Date: 2011-04-01

Title: LightsOut Houston
Location: Houston
Link out: Click here
Description: The “Energy Capital of the World” will continue its sustained commitment to become the “Energy Conservation Capital” by turning off the lights on April 21, 2011. LightsOut Houston started in 2008 as a city-wide commitment to energy efficiency by commercial building owners and their tenants. The goal of the program has expanded to establish a sustained reduction in the use of non-essential electricity by all buildings throughout the Greater Houston area. Participants are asked to sign a pledge of their commitment to energy conservation.
Date: 2011-04-21

Title: Guided Paddling Trip on Village Creek
Location: Village Creek from Hwy 327 to the Baby Galvez boat ramp in Silsbee
Link out: Click here
Description: Big Thicket National Preserve rangers will lead a float trip on Village Creek from Hwy 327 to the Baby Galvez boat ramp in Silsbee on Saturday, April 9. This stretch of the creek is just over 2 miles long and is lined by beautiful trees and white-sand beaches. Participants should meet at the Hwy 327 boat ramp at 10 am and be prepared for a float trip of just a few hours.

No reservations are required for this activity. Participants must provide their own canoes or kayaks and arrange their own shuttles. For more information, please call the preserve visitor center at 409-951-6700.
Start Time: 10:00
Date: 2011-04-09

Title: No Impact Man Showing and Climate Protection Alliance Meeting
Location: First Unitarian Universalist Church
Link out: Click here
Description: Sunday showing will be at 1:15 pm at First Unitarian Universalist Church, 5200 Fannin at Southmore, in the Museum District. We will be in a second floor classroom. This is the monthly meeting of Houston Climate Protection Alliance.

A family reduced their environmental impact of their lifestyle to nothing for a year. They discovered that some of their new habits were good for them as well as good for the climate. For example, buying their food at the farmer’s market and cooking at home. Getting rid of the TV meant they talked to each other more. The wife was glad to break her expensive habit of buying designer clothes.
Start Time: 13:15
Date: 2011-04-03

Title: ELMNS Cabin Crew
Location: Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
Link out: Click here
Description: Give the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary log cabin and its gardens some heartfelt TLC. On the TLC agenda are such items as filling bird feeders, sweeping, prepping craft supplies or caring for the animals. For more information, contact Juanita Perkins, telephone 713-932-1639.
Start Time: 12:30
Date: 2011-04-18
End Time: 14:00

Title: ELMNS Work Day
Location: Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary
Link out: Click here
Description: Activities include trail maintenance, filling bird feeders and baths, litter pick-up, native gardening, and invasive species removal. It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors and meet like-minded friends! Bring water, sunscreen, bug repellant & gloves/clippers if you have them. Wear closed-toe shoes & long sleeves. Bring sack lunch if desired. Minimum age is 16 yrs. All volunteers must pre-register by the Wednesday before work day with Flo Hannah at fhannah@houstonaudubon.org, telephone 713-932-1639.
Start Time: 08:30
Date: 2011-04-23
End Time: 12:00

Title: Houston Audubon Membership Meeting
Location: United Way Center, 50 Waugh
Link out: Click here
Description: The World of Warblers with Jon Dunn

Jon Dunn’s favorite birds are warblers and shorebirds, and this spring you should see plenty of both at our sanctuaries on the Bolivar Peninsula and at High Island! This is a rare opportunity to hear the author of the Peterson Field Guide to Warblers share his love and expertise of these gems.
Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2011-04-13

Title: Weekly: Discovery Green Farmer’s Market
Location: Discovery Green 1500 McKinney Street Houston, TX 77010-4011
Link out: Click here
Description: Visit the farmers markets on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday for locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, cheese, honey, and much more!
For more information contact :
tyler@urbanharvest.org
Start Time: 12:00
Date: 2011-04-24
End Time: 16:00