Houston Environmental News Update November 25, 2015

CEC NOTES

1. Houston’s Environment & Sustainable Future Happy Hour: Meeting of the Business, Government and Non-profit Minds
   On Thursday, December 3, please join the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition and January Advisors at Springbok on Main Street for a meeting of the minds between business, non-profit, and governmental leaders. Mix and mingle with folks who have made a positive difference in the Houston area by integrating people and the natural environment into their bottom line, and collaborate on issues and actions to drive further improvements to our community.  Learn more and RSVP at www.facebook.com.
2. Shopping? Support CEC while you are at it. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are two of the busiest shopping days of the year. This is a great opportunity to support the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition at no cost through two great websites. (Or you can gift tickets to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival–see below.) Goodshop has the best coupons and deals, AND donates to CEC when you shop online! On #GoodshopSunday (Nov 29th), you’ll earn us double donations at select stores– so Goodshop that day and buy a gift so nice that it gives back twice! If you sign up using this special link, Goodshop will donate an extra $5 to the cause you choose to support (and an extra $5 to CEC) when you complete your first $25 purchase. Goodshop is partnered with 114,000 nonprofits and schools – so you’re apt to find the one you really love. And, if not, you can always choose CEC, and give us double the support. AmazonSmile
   Amazon donates 0.5% of eligible purchases to charities selected by customers who shop at smile.amazon.com. (Just imagine the same photo with a pair of binoculars, an organic cookbook, a reuseable/recyclable water bottle, and a vampire-proof phone charger.)
3. New Subscribers
   Thank you to our new subscribers: Anna, Geri, Janet, Tyler, and Laura. We hope you enjoy our emails. Please consider liking us on facebook.
4. Save the Date: CEC’s Greater Houston Environmental Summit
   Please mark your calendar for our annual summit on Thursday, March 24, 2016. If you are interested in sponsoring the event or participating in the planning committee, please contact rachel@cechouston.org.
5. Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour: Tickets Now on Sale
   After hosting a sold-out showing in January 2015, the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition (CEC) is bringing The Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour, one of the largest environmental film festivals in North America, back to Houston for two nights: January 27 & 28, 2016 at the historic River Oaks Theatre!

   The Festival consists of twenty-two short documentary films which speak to the environmental concerns and celebrations of our planet, covering topics ranging from adventure and the beauty of the great outdoors to grass roots efforts to combat serious issues. Each night, eleven films will be shown including one created by local groups depicting local issues.

   Tickets now on sale. Tickets are per night and start at $13 for members who buy tickets in advance to $20 for General Admission. Buy now for the best price and to reserve VIP seating.

   Sponsors to Date:
   Kirksey
   Asakura Robinson
   Ruggles Green
   Katy Prairie Conservancy
   Several generous individuals

   If you are interested in being a sponsor, partner, or volunteer, please contact rachel@cechouston.org. The Festival is an amazing opportunity to raise awareness for your own green initiatives and show your support for local environmental groups and green business. It is a great opportunity to offer Kickback coupons, promote a new line or service, or generate goodwill with free giveaways.

COALITION NOTES

1. Houston Bike Challenge. Bike Houston, the Energy Corridor District, and Love to Ride are promoting the Houston Bike Challenge through November 30, 2015. More information, including how the competition works, how to register, and standings, is available at www.lovetoride.net/houston. Here’s a big shout out to Bike Houston, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, the Energy Corridor District, Avenue CDC, Houston Parks Board, and H-GAC, who are participating along with CEC.
2. GCBO Experiential Auction. Ready to start your holiday shopping and wondering what to get that special someone? From November 16 to December 4, 2015, check out our online Experiential Auction and buy that special person a once in a lifetime experience. From a trip to see Whooping Cranes to a guest stay at private ranch, there is something for everyone and none of these items can be bought in a store. Find the auction at www.gcbo.org.
3. Fall Planning Workshop for Local Governments – Realizing our Potential. Each year, H-GAC presents a fall planning workshop for local governments featuring presentations on best planning practices for communities. This year, the event will be held on December 4, 2015, 9am-noon at Houston-Galveston Area Council. At this half-day event, hear how communities are marketing themselves, engaging stakeholders, and quickly implementing on-the-ground projects to create a vibrant place to live, work, and play. There is no cost to attend this workshop. www.h-gac.com.
4. Birding Class with Glenn Olsen: Waterfowl. The Upper Texas Coast is an amazing area for wintering waterfowl. Each year we have thousands of ducks (24 species possible) and thousands of geese (5 species possible) and mergansers (2 species). While the identification of male ducks is often straightforward, the same cannot be said of the more cryptically colored females. Therein lies the challenge and fun of duck identification. Participants will learn techniques for separating the 24 species of ducks, the different species of geese, and the mergansers. The class will be held on December 1, 2015, 7-8:45pm, with a field trip on December 5, 2015, 7:30am-4pm. Learn more and register at www.houstonaudubon.org.
5. Urban Harvest’s Growing Citrus in Houston. Citrus trees bear fruit abundantly and deliciously for many years. They are evergreens and have fragrant flowers, attract North America’s largest butterfly and are a good bird habitat. Explore the types of citrus available, best varieties for flavor and production, how to obtain them and grow them and how to keep them alive during very bad freezes. Citrus can be purchased at the Urban Harvest Fruit Tree Sale in January and planted in mid-March after the last possible freeze. Come out and learn the basics on December 5, 2015, 9-11am at the University of St. Thomas, Malloy Hall, Room 17.
6. Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy – Holiday Music in the Park. Join Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy for a free event at the South Gazebo on December 6, 2015, 3-5pm. There will be music provided by Imani School “Young Voices,” Parker Elementary School Band, Pin Oak Middle School Stage Band, and Westbury High School Choir. Food & Beverages available for purchase from Honey’s Sno-Balls and PUCS Popup Coffee Shop.And the best part… there will be a 25 FOOT SNOW HILL! Learn more at www.willowwaterhole.org.
7. Holiday with the Cranes.
   Spend a wild weekend in Galveston celebrating the island’s wintering flocks of Sandhill Cranes at the first annual Holiday with the Cranes, Dec. 11 – 13, 2015. A weekend experience like no other, it’s chock-full of indoor and outdoor nature activities, combined with the arts and ambience of historical Galveston Island! Holiday with the Cranes is presented by the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council, a nonprofit volunteer organization that helps connect people with nature experiences and outdoor adventures, and promotes the value of natural habitats and resources in the Galveston area. While most events are sold out, you can still register for A Crane Affaire on Dec. 11 and Coffee & Cranes with Keanna Leonard on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13. Learn more at www.galvestonnaturetourism.org
8. Katy Prairie Conservancy’s New Office. Katy Prairie Conservancy’s Houston Office will be moving from its Richmond Avenue location the first week of December. The new address will be: 5615 Kirby Dr, Suite 867. If you need to contact KPC during the first week of December, please email info@katyprairie.org while they get the new offices up and running!
9. Galveston Bay Report Card – 2015 User Survey.
   Take a quick online survey and share your thoughts about the Galveston Bay Report Card and the health of Galveston Bay. The Galveston Bay Foundation will use this input to help improve the report card, which is planned to be updated annually. Plus, you will be entered in a drawing to win a $100 Amazon.com gift card! Take the survey atwww.surveymonkey.com.
10. New Galveston Bay Report Card Partner Toolkit Available. Help the Galveston Bay Foundation and Houston Advanced Research Center reach more residents in the Houston-Galveston region with information about the health of our Bay and its tributaries by sharing information with your members, social media followers, web visitors and more! The free partner toolkit resources – available at https://goo.gl/MR1LkX – include social media graphics, detailed FAQ documents about the Report Card and grading methodologies, a digital version of the Report Card summary brochure, and a guest column for print or electronic distribution. Project staff are also available to speak or give presentations about the Report Card at your next meeting or event. If you have questions, ideas for additional resources, or other inquiries, please contact Galveston Bay Foundation Report Card Coordinator, Anja Borski, at aborski@galvbay.org or 281-332-3381 x223.

         Additional Upcoming Events  

• 12/31/15 (deadline): Call for Projects Houston Zero Emission Delivery Vehicle Deployment
• 1/31/16: 2016 Earth Day Art Contest

COMMUNITY NOTES

1. Sunday Evening Conversations on Creation – The State of the Air. Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church invites you to a series of web meetings to talk about creation. Planned as a regular, ongoing monthly series held the last Sunday of each month (except December), conversations will be on a variety of topics, both purely environmental as well as theological. To get the series started on November 29, 2015, at 6pm, Dr. Dan Cohan, an Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University, will address the State of the Air. This talk will cover climate change, as well as other forms of air pollution. If you would like to join the conversation, contact Lisa at gcs.lrc@gmail.com to receive an invitation to the talk.
2. 2016 Community Solutions Program. IREX seeks U.S. community-based, non-profit or other grassroots organizations, government offices or legislative bodies that actively engage in community development projects to host, mentor and guide community leaders from August to December. Community Solutions participants are among the best and brightest global community leaders working in Transparency & Accountability, Tolerance & Conflict Resolution, Environmental Issues, and Women & Gender Issues. Community leaders participating in the program will come from over 60 countries. Learn more at www.irex.org. You can also express your interest in hosting and mentoring a global community leader and have an IREX representative will follow-up with you by filling out an interest form: www.surveymonkey.com.
3. Clean Air Through Energy Efficiency (CATEE) Conference 2015. The Clean Air Through Energy Efficiency (CATEE) Conference is a premiere educational conference and business exhibition connecting public and private decision makers and thought leaders. Its purpose is to help communities improve decisions that determine the energy and water intensity of the built environment – and reduce related emissions. The CATEE Conference will be held at the Hotel Galvez & Spa in Galveston from December 1-5, 2015. http://catee.tamu.edu
4. Film Screening: “This Changes Everything.” Climate Event Opportunity! A screening of the documentary “This Changes Everything” inspired by Naomi Klein’s book of the same name will be shown on December 9, 2015, at 7:30pm at the Edwards Houston Marq’E Stadium 23 & IMAX theater located at 7620 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77024. “This Changes Everything” is a documentary on the climate crisis, inspired by Naomi Klein’s international best-selling book of the same name. What if confronting the climate crisis is the best chance we’ll ever get to build a better world? Filmed over 211 shoot days in nine countries and five continents over four years, This Changes Everything is an epic attempt to re-imagine the vast challenge of climate change. See the trailer here: www.youtube.com. There will be a Q&A session following the screening. The event will only happen if 74 people sign up for tickets by December 1. Tickets may be reserved at www.tugg.com.
5. 10th State of the Bay Symposium–Early Registration through Dec. 11, 2015 The Galveston Bay Estuary Program and partners have made great progress in protecting the bay’s ecological and economic health over the past 20 years! Don’t miss an opportunity to hear from regional leaders and local experts, and connect with other leading scientists and natural resource management experts. January 13-14, 2016 at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Convention Center in Galveston, TX. For more information on the Galveston Bay Estuary Program and the latest symposium updates, visit http://gbep.texas.gov.
6. Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment. “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its Gulf Coast Vulnerability Assessment (GCVA), a comprehensive report that evaluates the effects of climate change, sea level rise and urbanization on four Gulf Coast ecosystems and 11 species that depend on them. The ecosystems are mangrove, oyster reef, tidal emergent marsh and barrier islands. The species are roseate spoonbill, blue crab, clapper rail, mottled duck, spotted seatrout, eastern oyster, American oystercatcher, red drum, black skimmer, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle and Wilson’s plover. Of the species assessed, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is thought to be the most vulnerable species across the Gulf Coast. Experts identified its main threat as loss of nesting habitat to sea level rise, erosion, and urbanization.” Read more: GCVA News Release FINAL. Learn more about GCVA at http://gulfcoastprairielcc.org.
7. Every Kid in a Park Program. Hey Fourth Graders! See America’s natural wonders and Historical sites for FREE. The Every Kid in a Park program allows you and your family free access to hundreds of parks, lands and waters for an entire year. Seven Federal natural resource agencies, including U.S. fish and Wildlife Service are participating through August 31, 2016. Our country is full of dazzling landscapes where you can play and learn. They protect our wildlife and resources. They let us look at the past and protect our history. Keeping them public supports a healthy planet. Visit: www.everykidinapark.gov for full program details and to download your free pass. Educators, there are opportunities for you too, so don’t miss out. Read more at http://attwater.org.
8. New Degree at University of Houston – Clear Lake: Ed.D. with a STEM Emphasis. The UHCL Ed.D. in STEM degree is designed for professionals who have a dual interest in advancing their careers in K-16 education and the STEM industry. The doctoral degree will address the needs of professionals in the K-14 education sector who seek to improve their practice, positively impact their institutions, and advance their professional careers. The program will also address the needs of professionals employed in the informal education sector such as those who work at zoos, museums, educational outreach and community centers, as well as other educational-related STEM industries. More information can be found at http://prtl.uhcl.edu or contact Weiser@uhcl.edu.
9. EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to help businesses, organizations, and families do their part to reduce the tens of millions of tons of food that Americans throw out every year. By participating in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, any group can fight hunger and climate change by preventing and diverting wasted food in their operations. Food Recovery Challenge participants assess their normal levels of food waste, set a goal for reducing that waste, and track their progress. Groups all across the country have benefited from participating in the challenge, including schools, grocery stores, entertainment venues and sports teams. These organizations have reduced their environmental footprint, donated leftover food to feed hungry people, and saved money by purchasing less. Learn more and find out how your business, school, or organization can participate at http://yosemite.epa.gov.
10. Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program – 2016 Request for Proposals. The Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Program seeks to develop nation-wide-community stewardship of local natural resources, preserving these resources for future generations and enhancing habitat for local wildlife. Projects seek to address water quality issues in priority watersheds, such as erosion due to unstable streambanks, pollution from stormwater runoff, and degraded shorelines caused by development. The program focuses on the stewardship and restoration of coastal, wetland and riparian ecosystems across the country. Its goal is to meet the conservation needs of important species and habitats, providing measurable and meaningful conservation and educational outcomes. For more information on the priorities of the 19 designated locations, go to www2.epa.gov. NFWF will host a webinar for potential applicants on November 18, 2015. This RFP closes February 3, 2016. More at www.nfwf.org.
11. Additional Dates of Note.
    • 2/1/16: TPWD Community Outdoor Outreach Program Grant Deadline
    • 2/3/16: Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program – 2016 Request for Proposals (Deadline)
12. 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, 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.

    • The Firefighters

    • The Cup Crusaders
    • Stewards of the Future
13. Air Quality Forecast http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html. Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.
    • November 24-28, 2015: Green–Good. Moderate to strong winds, increased cloud cover and precipitation, and/or lower incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.