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April 5, 2017

Houston Environmental News Update April 5, 2017

Photo credit: FeatherFest‘s 2017 Grand Prize and Week Four First Place winner by Scott Meyer taken at Smith Oaks Woods in High Island, TX. FeatherFest, hosted by the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council, is an extraordinary four days of excellent birding and nature photography workshops and adventurous field trips, topped off with delightful evening social events. While online registration is closed, you can walk in for onsite registration starting today.

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter, which includes a Texas legislative update and green job listings.

Thank you to everyone who came out last Wednesday to Environment Matters, CEC’s new periodic gathering. Thank you also to Melanie Scruggs, Houston Program Director for Texas Campaign for the Environment, who provided a great overview of activities of the Texas Legislature.

CEC NOTES

Stump the Treehugger: Earth Day Environmental Trivia Contest

Join CEC at Saint Arnold Brewing Company on Sunday, April 30, 2017, from 4 PM to 6 PM for the Earth Day Houston Environmental Trivia Contest. Sponsored by the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, this exciting new way to celebrate Earth Day will stimulate and challenge all area tree-huggers (as well as budding ones). Both individuals and entire teams of eight are welcome to sign up for the contest (individuals will be assigned to a team). Think & Drink for the Planet!

Teams of eight players each will compete in nine rounds of earthy trivia, answering eco-centric questions in the following categories:
  • Enviro 101
  • Soils
  • Plants and Agriculture
  • Water
  • Air
  • Animals and Wildlife
  • Human Footprint
  • Politics, Government, and Eco-Justice
  • Global Issues

Ripe Cuisine food truck will have healthy, plant-based, seasonally inspired, and locally sourced delicious food available for purchase.

Register on EventBrite. We hope to see you there!

Support CEC & EarthShare at HEB!

Throughout the month of April and into the first week of May, look for the EarthShare of Texas display and tear-off coupons at the check-out stands in any Texas H-E-B and Central Market store. As a member of EarthShare of Texas, CEC (and several of CEC member organizations, including Galveston Bay Foundation, HARC, Air Alliance Houston, Bayou Preservation Association, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Environmental Defense Fund, Katy Prairie Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Texas Sierra Club, SPARK School Park Program, and Texas Campaign for the Environment) will definitely benefit from these funds!

Earth Day Houston 2017
Dozens of Earth Day festivals will be held throughout the Houston area in 2017. We have begun compiling a list of Earth Month events on our calendar.

If you are hosting an Earth Month event (or any environment-related event), please be sure to let us know so we can share it! Information can be sent to news@cechouston.org.

Earth Day Houston 2018

The CEC is gearing up for the Earth Day Houston 2018, and is recruiting members for our planning committee. Join us at a planning meeting on May 11, 2017. To become a part of this exciting event, contact Marina Rossow, Program Manager, at 713-524-4232 or marina@cechouston.org.

COALITION NOTES

  1. OKRA Charity Saloon features green groups for Earth Month
    April’s charities focus on sustainability: Bayou Land Conservancy, Galveston Bay Foundation, Gulf Coast Monarch Project, Slow Food Houston. Let’s take care of Mother Earth. The concept is simple. For each drink purchased, guests receive one vote that they may cast that night for one of four charities selected by OKRA’s members. The charities are all locally based. The charity with the most votes at the end of the month receives the next month’s proceeds.
  2. Flooding and Storm Surge Symposium–Registration Full
    Houston City Council Members David W. Robinson and Dave Martin and the AIA Houston Urban Design Committee will host an event on April 5, 2017, featuring two panel discussions on flooding and storm surge. Learn more at aiahouston.org.
  3. 15th Anniversary Galveston FeatherFest
    Thousands of birds take wing to Galveston Island each spring during an arduous northward migration across the Gulf from Central and South America. And hundreds of tourists and neighbors follow suit to see more than 200 species of brightly-colored birds strut their stuff around Galveston – a prime location along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. If you’ve attended FeatherFest before, you know it’s a fun four days (April 6-9, 2017) of excellent birding and nature photography workshops and adventurous field trips, topped off with delightful evening social events. You can also meet and mingle with some of the top naturalists in the country. Hosted by the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council, the festival is appropriate for the experienced or new outdoor enthusiast alike, and has event for all ages. Some activities fill up fast, so pre-registration is encouraged, although onsite registration is also available. Learn more and register at GalvestonFeatherFest.com.
  4. Business Case for EHS Compliance and Sustainability
    On Friday, April 7, 2017, you are invited to connect with colleagues in industry, consulting, non-profits, and the legal and regulatory communities as we examine the Business Case for Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Compliance and Sustainability: creating value through EHS compliance and auditing programs; embedding sustainability into everyday business; corporate social responsibility and stewardship; regulatory and industry partnering; and tracking EHS regulatory changes.  Join the amazing line up of local and global companies sharing their best practices…proving that taking care of people and our Earth simply makes good business sense!  For the agenda and information on registration, visit chapters.theiia.org.   Hosted by the IIA South Central Regional Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Audit Center.
  5. AIA Sandcastle Competition–Team Registration Deadline
    The 31st Annual AIA Sandcastle Competition will take place on Saturday June 3, 2017, at East Beach in Galveston, TX. The team registration deadline for the competition is Friday, April 7, 2017. Learn more about the competition and register at aiahouston.org.
  6. Baytown Nurture Nature Festival
    The annual Nurture Nature Festival at the Baytown Nature Center, 6213 Bayway takes place on April 8, 2017. The free, family event introduces visitors to the reptiles, birds, fish and native plants of the Baytown area through fun activities for all interests and levels. Exciting children’s games, informational exhibits, live animals and a variety of food keep visitors coming back year after year for this popular event. Learn more at Baytown.org.
  7. Keep Houston Beautiful Day
    Keep Houston Beautiful Day, on April 8, 2017, is a city-wide service day spanning various locations throughout the community. The event kicks off the national Great American Cleanup and celebrates the Don’t mess with Texas Trash-Off in Houston. For more information, visit www.houstonbeautiful.org.
  8. Boomin & Blooming Attwater Prairie Chicken Festival
    The annual celebration of the Attwater’s prairie-chicken and the native coastal prairie that the iconic bird calls home will be this weekend, April 8 & 9, 2017.  Early morning van tours will take participants up to one of the booming grounds to watch the male prairie chicken’s famous courtship dance. Other events this weekend include wildflower and native plant guided tours, bird walks and birding van tours with experienced birders, refuge management tours and a merchandise booth sponsored by the Friends of Attwater Prairie Chicken Refuge. Learn more at www.fws.gov.
  9. 2017 City Nature Challenge: Austin vs. Houston vs. DFW
    Join Texas Parks & Wildlife, Texas Master Naturalists, the Audubon Society, and others in a fun challenge to see which city can document the most species between April 14-18, 2017. It is easy to participate by joining an event, or making observations on your own using the iNaturalist app. With the iNaturalist app, you just take a picture of a plant or animal, and the community will help identify which species it is. Any observation in the greater metropolitan area of each city will count during the five day challenge. You can participate by exploring the life in your backyard, in your local park, or on a field trip with your local naturalist group. Learn more on the TPWD Nature Trackers webpage.
  10. Save Wild Animals with TWRC
    Volunteers are needed to help with the influx of animals during the wildlife rehab “high season.” New volunteers are encouraged to help at an evening shift to become familiar with Center operations. The Opossum and Pals Program is eagerly seeking new and returning volunteers. Over 100 opossums have been admitted to the program and your help is needed. The Baby Bird Program will open April, 2017. Our home-based volunteer rehabilitators care Northern Mockingbirds, Carolina Wrens, Carolina Chickadees, Northern Cardinals, and House Finches. If you are interested in helping, visit www.twrcwildlifecenter.org and sign up for an upcoming class.
  11. EarthShare of Texas 25th Anniversary Round Table Discussion Series
    Happy Anniversary to EarthShare of Texas!  To celebrate 25 years, EST is hosting a Round-Table Discussion Series to introduce the public to all of the great work its members have accomplished.  You will be amazed at everything they have been able to get done to protect Mother Earth! From air quality to zebra populations, they have it covered. Buying a ticket to the entire series will gain you entry into the following events:

    • Successes in Sustainability: A coffee talk covering the evolution of a good idea to a corporate requirement.  April 18 8:30 am, Sustainable Food Center, Austin  The speakers will be:
      • Gail Vittori, Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems
      • Ronda Rutledge, Sustainable Food Center
      • Karly Jo Dixon, Ecology Action
      • Sara Nichols, State of Texas Alliance for Recycling

      H-E-B is generously donating breakfast and coffee for the attendees. We are very excited about these speakers and know that it will be a fantastic event. 

    • Bats, Birds, and Barbecue- A dinner discussion of wildlife and habitat conservation with a viewing of  the awesome bat emergence at Bracken Bat Cave May 20 2017 Bracken Cave,  San Antonio
    • Toxic Tour- Just sit right back and you’ll hear a tale of Air Pollution in Houston.  A three hour (bus) tour.  June 7, 2017 -Air Alliance Houston
    • On the Ground Floor of Ground Water: A breakfast discussion divining the future of our most precious resource.   July date tbd Redbud Center
    • The Hot Topic of Climate Change- Greater Houston Environmental Summit Aug 4 United Way of Greater Houston–In conjunction with the CEC!
    • This Land is your Land: Exploring the terrain of land conservation   Red Bud Center October 17
    • And the grand finale picnic with food, games music and more!  The whole family is welcome!
  12. EDF Launches Video Contest – Houston Teens Care about Clean Air
    In 2015, Houston experienced 44 days of unhealthy air quality. The region also continues to be unable to meet federal health-based air quality standards for ground-level ozone, commonly referred to as smog. Environmental Defense Fund is working together with four local high schools on a new video contest about the value of clean air. EDF is sponsoring the contest for students at four schools in Houston’s East End – Chavez, Furr, Galena Park and Milby. Students at those schools can submit short videos about the health effects of air pollution in Houston. Winning videos will be eligible to receive prizes worth up to $2,500. Winning students will also have the opportunity to learn filmmaking, editing and post-production techniques from Houston-area filmmaking professionals. Learn more at blogs.edf.org/texascleanairmatters/.
  13. Loam Agronomics
    A farm your can love in the ‘burbs of Houston. Fresh and local food is important to the health of our community — both the people’s and the environment’s. We know that, so do the founders of Loam Agronomics, a new farm on 288-acres in Richmond, TX. If you’ve been looking for a regular supply of affordable and eco-friendly food delivered close to home, Loam has what you need. They’re setting up Drop Sites across Houston, scheduling pickups on Thursdays and Saturdays and pricing out boxes at just $30 a week! Check out what it means to be a part of their CSA (community supported agriculture program). And then join in. You may really like what they’re growing.
  14. Kinder Institute “Near-Miss” Study
    The Kinder Institute for Urban Research wants to understand the challenges experience by pedestrians and bicyclists and provide opportunities for residents to report daily travel challenges, including near-miss incidents. Get a chance to win a $100 gift card by recording your trip and near-miss for 7 consecutive days — weekends included! Learn more and register at kinder.rice.edu/NearMiss, and participate in a training with BikeHouston.
  15. Free Fourth Grade Field Trips!
    Every Kid in a Park in the Houston area is offering FREE transportation for nature-based learning opportunities. Learn more at www.hereinhouston.org.
  16. 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.

    • Park Hiker: Follow a walker of Texas ranges as he visits the state parks one step at a time.
    • Paddling Port O’Connor: Slide through silent saltwater marshes as you paddle the coastal trail at Port O’Connor.
    • Finding Flounder: One of the top three sport fish in Texas, more and more fishermen now set their sights on the southern flounder.
  17. Additional Upcoming Events

http://cechouston.org/category/green-jobs/Â