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September 22, 2016

Houston Environmental News Update September 21, 2016

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I walked to City Hall today from our office in the 6th Ward. I was excited to partake in Urban Harvest’s Farmers Market.URBAN HARVESTI was very excited to help the SPARK School Park Program celebrate as it announced an exciting program to address park equity–and game-changing grants from Houston Endowment and Kinder Foundation. I was also hoping that the beginning of fall might make the 20 minute walk less hot. Sigh. Here’s a little fall pic from Sheldon Lake State Park to help us all think cool thoughts. -Rachel

COALITION NOTES

  1. SPARK Receives $5 Million Grant from Houston Endowment & Kinder Foundation. SPARK is honored to be the recipient of a record $5 million donation from Houston Endowment and Kinder Foundation, to be used to increase park equity in the Houston-Harris County area. Each foundation will contribute $2.5 million dollars over the next three years to construct 30 SPARK parks in “park desert” areas of the county. The City of Houston has also pledged an additional $450,000 in federal Community Block Grant funding toward the project. Twenty-five new parks and five re-SPARKS of existing parks will be included in the initiative. Schools will be selected from park desert sites identified through a park evaluation conducted by The Trust for Public Land. A park desert is defined to be more than one-half mile or a ten-minute walk from an existing park. Learn more at SPARKPARK.org.
  2. Public Meeting: Cedar Bayou Watershed Protection Plan. The meeting will be hosted on September 22 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm, at the Eddie V Gray Wetland Center, 1724 Market Street, Baytown, TX, 77520. At the meeting, the Partnership will discuss the current status of the bayou, the efforts to implement the WPP, and provide feedback on current efforts. We look forward to speaking with you about your ideas, planned activities, and potential partnerships! Light refreshments will be served. Visit  www.cederbayouwatershed.com for more information about the Protection Plan. Email Justin.Bower@h-gac.com to RSVP for the meeting.
  3. Young Adult Sustainability Call for Presenters. The Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club is reaching out to young people, from high school to college in the Houston area, that have demonstrated dedication and commitment to sustainability.  This can include a range of interests from urban park preservation or air and water quality mitigation to environmental activism around global climate change.  The Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club would like to celebrate the ongoing achievements of these young adults. The group is offering a certificate of recognition and a one-year, free membership to the Sierra Club to individuals who make a 7-10 minute presentation about their sustainability efforts at its February general meeting in order to bring together young people from all parts of the city, and all races and economic groups, to see their common interests in sustaining the planet for future generations. If you have any questions, please email Elizabeth Spike at elizabeth.spike@comcast.net or call 713-256-3589.
  4. NAACP Sea Level Rise Workshop. The Houston branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People invites you to attend a local workshop on climate change on September 24, 2016, at the Barbara Jordan Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University. The workshop will include presentations by Jacqui Patterson, Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program; Dan Rizza, of Climate Central, who will demonstrate the Surging Seas web tool; Steve Costello, Chief Resilience Officer (“Dlood Czar”) for the City of Houston; And John Jacob and Steve Mikulencak of the Texas Sea Grant.  Seating is limited, and RSVP is required. Contact Dr. Jacqueline Smith at climate@naacphouston.org to RSVP or for more information.
  5. Scenic Galveston’s 31st Annual Fall Estuary Cleaning. Scenic Galveston, in partnership with the Texas General Land Office, invites volunteers to participate at the 31st Annual I- 45 Wetlands Cleaning event Saturday, September 24, 9 am until noon. All interested volunteers are welcome. Scenic Galveston was founded by environmental advocate Evangeline Whorton in 1992 specifically to create a high-visibility marsh preserve along the highway approach to Galveston Island. A volunteer membership service organization dedicated to the mission of creating land trusts of scenic habitat conservation preserves the organization now maintains over 6,000 acres. http://scenicgalveston.org/
  6. National Public Lands Day. On September 24, 2016, Bayou Land Conservancy is part of National Public Lands Day, led by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF). Join BLC on Sept. 24, 2016, at the George Mitchell Nature Preserve to restore trails from 8:30am – 11:30am. REI will provide t-shirts to participating volunteers and we’ll have snacks and chilled water to refill your bottles. Learn more and sign up at bayoulandconservancy.org. Additional events are being hosted at Village Creek, Sam Houston National Forest, Memorial Park, Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge, and Galveston Island State Park. Search for a site near you at www.neefusa.org/public-lands-day.
  7. Vegan for Life Monthly Meeting. Vegan for Life is having its monthly meeting Saturday, September 24, at 7pm at Central Market (3815 Westheimer Rd, Houston, Texas 77027) in the community room. The meeting is limited to one hour, followed by time enjoying each others’ company on the patio (or indoors) with snacks and drinks we purchase at Central Market. Learn more at vegan-for-life.org.
  8. STAR Texas Compost Council Summit and Training. Registration is now open for the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling’s (STAR) Texas Compost Council Summit and Training September 26-28, at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center, Conroe. This training is the leading educational and networking event for industrial composters in Texas. More at www.recyclingstar.org.
  9. Sierra Club Benefit with Dr. Andrew Sansom. Join the Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club on Tuesday, September 27, 2016, at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center for a special evening to benefit the Sierra Club’s Lone Star Chapter and Houston Group. Gather with like–minded folks, enjoy good company, great appetizers and desserts. See displays of local conservation efforts and service projects. The Houston Electric Auto Association will also have electric vehicles on display. The main event will be from 6:30-8:30pm, and Arboretum walks between 6-7pm. Learn more and buy a ticket at sierraclub.org.
  10. RDA Lecture Series: Mass Timber. Mass Timber, The Rice Design Alliance lecture series with the Rice School of Architecture, begins this month. The series comes at a time of increasing exploration into the possibilities of designing and building with wood. The National Building Museum in Washington D.C., for example, just opened an exhibition called Timber City. The young designers of Ultramoderne will visit us first on Wednesday, September 28, 2016. Learn more and purchase series tickets at ricedesignalliance.org.
  11. Houston Bike Challenge 2016. Are you a passionate biker? Or looking to explore a new hobby? Support BikeHouston by joining their 2016 Biking Challenge. The Challenge is ongoing from Oct. 1 2016 – Oct. 31,2016 You can compete against other teams of participants and encourage friends and co-workers to join as a team Join this free competition with prizes for people to who beat their Challenges. The Bike Challenge will be ongoing for the month of October. Visit www.lovetoride.net for more information on how to participate and sign-up!
  12. Cigna Sunday Streets: Energy Corridor. For the first event for fall 2016 season, Cigna Sunday Streets heads to Energy Corridor! With no cars on the road, you’ll be able to walk, run, dance bike or play in along Eldridge Parkway with friends, family and neighbors. Cigna Sunday Streets is not a street festival. It is a FREE family-friendly opportunity to be physically active and enjoy active transportation, as well as connect with neighbors in your community. For more information about the October 2, 2016, event, check out http://www.gohealthyhouston.org/sundaystreetshtx.
  13. Buffalo Bayou Park’s First Birthday. Join in the fun with a birthday party for Buffalo Bayou Park (turning 1) and BBP (turning 30) at The Water Works (105 Sabine Street). Enjoy tasty food truck fare, birthday cake, free beer from Saint Arnold Brewing Company, lawn games and tunes from A Fistful of Soul. Bring the kiddos to play in the Barbara Fish Daniel Nature Play Area! October 6, 2016, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Learn more at buffalobayou.org.
  14. Great Houston WIldlife Count. On Saturday, October 8, 2016, join local wildlife experts for an exciting day of discovery as we count and photograph everything from bees to bats to bigmouth bass in some of Houston’s great parks and wildspaces. You’ll have fun while contributing to our understanding of urban wildlife. This event is also a part of the statewide Texas Pollinator Bioblitz, so your contributions can have a statewide impact! Great free event for individuals, students, and families. Counts will take place in four locations (1) Buffalo Bayou Park (2) Houston Arboretum & Nature Center (3) Rice University/Hermann Park and (4) Mason Park. Learn more at https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/bioblitz and www.katyprairie.org.
  15. Jennie Romer to speak about plastic bags at Bayou Symposium. Jennie Romer, a national expert on carryout bag policy, will be the keynote speaker at Bayou Preservation Association’s 50th Anniversary Symposium, 50 for 50, on Wednesday, October 12, 2016, from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm. This year’s symposium will include 50 informative presentations related to the many aspects of improvements in our watersheds over the last 50 years. The keynote speaker, Jennie Romer, will discuss the challenges and successes with local legislation to manage plastic bags in LA and NYC. Her story is truly inspiring; a practicing attorney, Romer is the country’s leading expert in plastic bag law. Learn more at bayoupreservation.org. Other events celebrating BPA’s 50th anniversary include the Cypress Creek Regatta on Sep. 26, 2017, and the 50th Anniversary Gala on Oct. 5, 2016.
  16. Early Registration Deadline: Intersections 2016. Intersections 2016 is a cross-disciplinary conference of quality of life, health, equity, development and environmental issues facing our growing region. Our goal is to foster synergistic thinking and collaboration by bringing different people together, and to demystify the mechanisms for creating sustainable change in Houston. CEC is proud to be a part of this conference. Early registration through September 31, 2016 at intersections2016.org.
  17. STAR Recycling Summit. Registration is now open for the State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) 2016 Recycling Summit, October 16-18, 2016, at the Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade. Recycling professionals attend this event for educational sessions, equipment demonstrations, roundtable discussions, and training opportunities. Learn more at www.recyclingstar.org/summit/.
  18. Zero Waste Survey. Most major cities have enacted long-term plans to reduce up to 90% of waste from landfills and incinerators. Houston is in the beginning stages of developing its own plan after years of encouragement from community leaders. Many elements of such a plan can be found on the U.S. EPA’s “Transforming Waste” tool. As part of an informal coalition called Zero Waste Houston, Texas Campaign for the Environment invites you to take the Zero Waste Survey. The purpose of this form is to collect public opinion from individuals and organizations regarding what policies and programs should be included in a long-term waste reduction plan in Houston.
  19. Additional Upcoming Events:

COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Bill Dawson of Texas Climate News receives Sierra Club’s national award for environmental journalism. Bill Dawson of Houston, editor and founder of the nonprofit Texas Climate News, is the 2016 recipient of the Sierra Club’s David R. Brower Award, which the 124-year-old organization presents to an individual each year to recognize “outstanding environmental reporting or editorial comment that contributes to a better understanding of environmental issues.” In addition to his work at Texas Climate News, Bill has worked as Houston Chronicle’s environment writer for 17 years and as senior writer for environmental issues at the Center for Public Integrity, an investigative reporting organization in Washington. In 1997, Bill was the recipient of CEC’s inaugural Synergy Media Award for outstanding efforts in the field of environmental reporting. Learn more and subscribe to TCN’s excellent publication at texasclimatenews.org.
  2. Wildlife Diversity Program Grant Application Grants
    Wildlife Diversity Program Grant Application Grants will be offered to support “shovel ready” conservation-related projects, and proposals may address any conservation related issue in Texas.  Proposal deadline is Sept. 30, 2016, by 5 pm. Proposals can be submitted to HLLP.Proposals@tpwd.texas.gov. Maximum award grant is $30,000, minimum is $2,500. For a full list of priority proposals and submission guidelines visit www.tpwd.texas.gov.
  3. The National Parks of Texas: In Contact with Beauty Film Screening. The National Park Service at Big Thicket National Preserve invites everyone to a free screening of “The National Parks of Texas: In Contact with Beauty”. This 55 minute documentary tells the fascinating and diverse story of Texas by highlighting the state’s 16 National Park Service units. Come explore the lives of sea turtles, geologic wonders, rich cultural heritage and much more. September 22, 2016, starting at 6:30 pm at The Jefferson Theatre in Beaumont, TX. Learn more and register at nps.gov.
  4. Texas Adopt-A-Beach 2016 Coastwide Fall Cleanup. Saturday, September 24, 2016, at multiple locations including Quintana, Surfside, Chambers County, Bolivar Penninsula, Galveston Island, The John M. O’Quinn I-45 Estuarial Corridor & Virginia Point Peninsula Preserve, Morgan’s Point, Sabine Pass, Matagorda Beach, and Palacios. Since the program began back in 1986, more than 496,000 volunteers have removed more than 9,200 tons of trash from Texas beaches. Due to tide patterns in the Gulf of Mexico, trash dumped anywhere in the gulf is likely to end up on a Texas beach. Volunteers record information such as the source and type of debris collected on data cards. This data has been instrumental in the passage of international treaties and laws aimed at reducing the amount of offshore dumping. Learn more and register at http://www.glo.texas.gov/adopt-a-beach/.
  5. Monarch Madness at Brazos Bend State Park. Visit Brazos Bend State Park for the Monarch Madness Festival put on by Girl Scout Troop 27119! This is a festival about our endangered Monarch butterflies, put on by kids, for kids, and adults too! With activities, booths, speakers, and games you can’t get bored! So get off the couch and come spend the day outside learning about butterfly conservation at the gorgeous Brazos Bend State Park! Sunday, September 25, 2016, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
  6. Filming Oil Refineries in Texas: Screening and Roundtable with Tania Mourand This film screening will be hosted on Sept. 25, 2016, 5:30 – 7 pm, at Rice University Media Center, 6100 Main St. Houston TX 77005. With the support of the Center for Energy and Environmental Research in the Human Sciences (CENHS), the Cultural Service of the French Embassy in Houston, Rice Cinema and in conjunction with her new exhibition Everyday Ogres at The University of Texas at Austin’s Visual Arts Center, visiting French artist Tania Mouraud will present and discuss a selection of her works, including the newly commissioned video Fata Morgana. Filmed at night at an oil refinery in Pasadena, TX, Fata Morgana captures a haunting vision of Texas’ metal cities filled with toxic smoke and threatening power. Please RSVP at the facebook event page, www.facebook.com/events. A wine and cheese reception will prelude the film screening.
  7. Finding a Home for Environmental Justice: HUD Seeks Input on EJ Strategy Update. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has made it a priority to update their environmental justice strategy by regularly meeting with environmental justice stakeholders to get their input on how to keep the strategy relevant to the needs and requests of those communities facing environmental justice concerns. Right now, the HUD EJ Coordinator is hosting a listening tour (not near Texas) to get your input! Learn how you can contribute to how HUD incorporates the principles of environmental justice into their work in Finding a Home for Environmental Justice: HUD Seeks Input on EJ Strategy Update by James Potter.
  8. 2016 EcoChallenge. Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church invites Houstonians to join them in challenging themselves to better care for the environment during the upcoming EcoChallenge. Participants (individuals, families, or groups) choose one action to reduce their environmental impact and stick with it for the two-week challenge period (Oct. 14 – 28, 2016).  There are many possible challenges to choose from in the categories of: water, energy, food, transportation, waste, nature, simplicity, and community.  Or, you can create your own challenge. Sign up today a twww.ecochallenge.org and challenge yourself to become a better steward of the environment.
  9. State Income Tax Refund on Energy for Nonprofits. A quick review of your energy bill will indicate if your organization has been charged state sales tax for your electricity and/or natural gas usage. If this is the case, then as a non-profit organization, your entity is eligible for a refund from the Texas State Comptroller on all previously-paid state sales tax charges within the last 48 months. Should you be interested in seeing if you might be due a reimbursement, contact Heidi Massin with Infinity Power Partners at 832-488-5418 to facilitate a refund process on your behalf. Ms. Massin is a former board member of the CEC, and is excited to help organizations find environmental solutions for nonprofits.
  10. Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Releases Draft Comprehensive Plan Update. The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) has released a proposed update to its 2013 Comprehensive Plan. The draft provides important additional strategic guidance for the Council to follow as it makes decisions on funding projects and activities aimed at restoring the Gulf of Mexico. The draft Comprehensive Plan Update is intended to improve Council decisions by:
    • Reinforcing the Council’s goals and objectives;
    • Setting forth an initial Ten-Year Funding Strategy;
    • Establishing the Council’s vision for Gulf restoration;
    • Increasing collaboration among Council members and partner restoration programs;
    • Providing for advancement of large-scale projects and programs;
    • Refining the process for ensuring that the Council’s decisions are informed by the best available science; and
    • Improving the efficiency, effectiveness and transparency of Council actions.

    The Council is updating its Initial Comprehensive Plan now in order to take into account recent developments in Gulf restoration such as the resolution of civil claims against BP for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a source of future funding for the Council’s projects. Public input meetings will be held throughout the Gulf Coast, including in Galveston, on September 29, 2016. For more information, visit www.restorethegulf.gov.

  11. Texas Environmental Excellence Awards. The Texas Environmental Excellence Awards (TEEA) honor achievements in environmental preservation and protection. As the state’s highest environmental honor, the Office of the Governor and commissioners from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recognize outstanding projects from nine diverse categories: agriculture, civic/community, education, individual, innovative operations/management, pollution prevention technical/technology, water conservation, and youth. You can apply online at teea.org/apply; this page also contains helpful information on how to write an effective application. If you would like an example of a winning application, send your request to awards@tceq.texas.gov and include one (or more) or the award categories. The last day you can submit is September 30, 2016. Apply at www.teea.org. Read more: TEEA.
  12. Montrose Bi-Annual Recycling Event Join the Montrose District on Oct. 15, 2016, from 10 am – 2 pm. The event will be hosted at Walgreens,3317 Montrose. Contact MVillafranca@compycycle.net, or via phone, 713-869-6700. For a full list of acceptable items, visit www.montrosedistrict.org.
  13. NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Region Grant Proposal. NOAA is now seeking proposals under the Gulf of Mexico Bay-Watershed Education and Training (Gulf B-WET) Program. The full FY17 Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) can be found at Grants.gov under funding opportunity number NOAA-NMFS-SE-2017-2005000. Applicants should apply through Grants.gov. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time on October 28, 2016, to be considered for funding. Please see the FFO for all application details. The Gulf of Mexico B-WET program is an environmental education program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment. Funded projects provide meaningful watershed educational experiences (MWEEs) for students, related professional development for teachers, and help to support regional education and environmental priorities in the Gulf of Mexico. Visit www.sero.nmfs.noaa.gov for more information.
  14. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on municipal access cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, Seabrook, Sugar Land, and on HCC TV. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). For a preview, visit TPWD’s YouTube Page.
    • Pronghorns
    • TentRevival
    • A Sinking Ship