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April 12, 2017

Houston Environmental News Update April 12, 2017

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.

City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, Houston Parks & Recreation Department and retiring director Joe Turner, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Jacob & Terese Hershey Foundation, and all of Terry’s family and her many friends
invite the public for a
Joyous Celebration
honoring the generous life of Terese Tarlton Hershey.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017, at 10:30 AM
Buffalo Bayou Park, west of Eleanor Tinsley Park and east of Henry More sculpture.
A grove of 5 bur oak trees will be planted along the bayou in honor of Terry,
“A force of Nature for Nature,” as described by President George H.W. Bush.
Parking will be available along Allen Parkway; some golf cart assistance will be available.

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. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 9, 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!
  4. Earth Day & Arbor Day at Texas Southern University
    April 19, 2017, from 10 AM to noon in front of the Martin Luther King Building. Sponsored by the TSU sustainability program, the TSU Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, and the TSU Mickey Leland Center for Hunger, Poverty, and World Peace. For more info, contact Dr. D. King at kingdw@tsu.edu.
  5. Earth Day!
    While every day is Earth Day, Earth Day proper is April 22 each year, and this year we are celebrating on Saturday. Here are a few special events happening today:

  6. 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.
  7. NWF Names 100th Community Wildlife Habitat: Houston
    In February, the National Wildlife Federation named Houston its 100th certified Community Wildlife Habitat™. With more than 2 million residents and 900 NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat® sites—including 73 schools and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Johnson Space Center—Houston is now NWF’s largest certified community. Houston Parks and Recreation Department Natural Resources Manager Jed Aplaca helped lead the effort but credits much of the achievement to the citizens who helped put 2,500 native plants in city parks and made their own yards wildlife friendly. “There has been an uprising.” Learn more at NWF.org.
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.

    • Eroding Island: See what’s being done to save Chester Island in Matagorda Bay, one of the most important rookery islands on the Texas coast, from eroding away.
    • Fire Crew: Meet the crew on a prescribed fire and learn about all the different skills necessary for a successful burn.
    • Intro to Geocaching: Try geocaching, a modern-day treasure hunt played by millions of fans around the world. Learn how to get in on the game.
    • Jamaica Beach: Enjoy the end of the day at Jamaica Beach near Galveston.
  11. Additional Upcoming Events

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