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January 11, 2017

Houston Environmental News Update January 11, 2017

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter.

Our environmental community has some exciting events coming up this month: the perennially popular Urban Harvest Fruit Tree Sale at Rice University, tree plantings, a full moon hike (on Friday the 13th!), and a Flooding and Storm Surge Protection Workshop that has been getting a lot of interest from our newsletter readers.

Of course, we’re particular to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour, which we are hosting at the River Oaks Theatre on January 25 & 26, 2017. Early-bird pricing ends at 5:00 pm on Friday. Also, ticket sales are significantly higher than last year and we might sell out, so don’t wait too long to buy your tickets!

CEC NOTES

2016wsfflogoFilm Festival January 25 & 26, 2017
Buy tickets at cecfilmfest2017.eventbrite.com! Tickets are now on sale for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour, on January 25 & 26, 2017! We’ll show 24 short films over two nights, including local films.

Sponsor the Film Festival
We are still seeking sponsors for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Download sponsorship information or contact rachel@cechouston.org.

Learn more about the event at cechouston.org, and check out our facebook page for the latest updates.

COALITION NOTES.

  1. Take Action Now to Protect Galveston Bay. Send the Environmental Protection Agency your support of their proposed plan to remove contaminated waste from the San Jacinto River Waste Pits. The EPA will base their final decision based on the comments received. Please submit your final comments by midnight Jan. 11, 2017. Visit galvbay.org for instructions on how to submit your comments.
  2. Exploration Green Tree Planting. Exploration Green Conservancy has set the goal of planting more than 120 mature trees in their multi-purpose park. Volunteers needed! Tree plantings will be 8 am – noon, Jan. 12, 14, and 21, and Feb. 10, 11, and 18, 2017. Email jhamby@comcast.net with any questions. Volunteers must register at interland.3.net.
  3. South Texas American Institute of Engineers: January Meeting. Join the STS-AIChe monthly meeting on Jan. 12, 2017, 7-10:30 pm at Brady’s Landing  There will be a live webcast meeting with other branches of the American Institute of Engineers. Dinner presentation topic is “Improving Operational Resilience Using Dynamic Simulation”. Register at aiche.org.
  4. Texas City Prairie Preserve Volunteer Day. Join The Nature Conservancy on Jan. 13, 2017, 8:30 am – 11:30 am, and monthly thereafter, to help restore and protect the Texas City Prairie Preserve. The Nature Conservancy invites volunteers the second Friday of every month and welcomes eager volunteers of every background and ability level. Work days will include a variety of opportunities, from removing invasive species and harvesting native seeds to planting marsh grasses and tending the butterfly garden. The 2300 acre coastal prairie and marshland preserve provides vital habitat for more than 280 different bird species. Its coastal grasslands also act as natural buffers during storms and hurricanes, absorbing and dispersing water from storm surges and floods, making Texas City Prairie a critical component of the Conservancy’s ongoing effort to restore and protect the Gulf Coast. Learn more at nature.org.
  5. Superbowl Tree Planting. Willow Waterhole and Trees for Houston have received donated tree saplings and supplies from the NFL. All are invited to help plant on Jan. 14, 2017, 9 am – 12 pm. Wear outdoor clothing and close-toed shoes. RSVP to facebook.com/events. Email willowwaterhole@gmail.com with questions.  
  6. 17th Annual Fruit Tree Sale. Urban Harvest will host their annual fruit tree sale on Jan. 14, 2017, 9 am – 1 pm at Rice University’s Greenbriar lot. Hundreds of varieties of fruit trees that are acclimated to Texas climate and soil will be available. Visit urbanharvest.org to learn more.
  7. Full Moon Hike. Join Baytown Nature Center Jan. 14, 2017, 5 pm – 6:30 pm, to explore a the nature center and observe the nocturnal animal inhabitants. These monthly 90 minute hikes begin right after sunset. Open to older adolescents and adults. Email maryalive.trumble@baytown.org with questions.
  8. Flooding and Storm Surge Symposium. Jan. 18, 2017, 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Houston-Galveston Council, American Institution of Architecture, and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Houston will partner with Houston City Council members David Robinson and Dave Martin. They will have a panel discuss the human and economic costs of flooding in the city of Houston. The event is free and open to the public. Online registration is open until Jan. 11, 2017. To register, visit aiahouston.org.
  9. Engineering and Green Buildings. Join the Green Building Resource Center Jan. 18, 6-8 pm. This Education Seminar Partnership will feature experts discussing what goes into designing more resilient green buildings, that use less energy and are healthier spaces. Please RSVP by visiting usgbctexasgulfcoast.org.
  10. Building This City. Join Blue Print Houston on Jan. 24, 2017, 6 pm – 8 pm, at The Silos at Sawyer Yards. Celebrate with Plan Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner, and former mayors Lee Brown and Annise Parker, at this exhibition event that will honor James E. Furr. Food provided by Houston restaurant Underbelly. Visit blueprinthouston.org to register or to see about sponsorship opportunities.
  11. Seed Cleaning Party. Join Houston Native Prairies Association on Jan. 25, 2017, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion at Herman Park. Volunteers will clean and packet seeds, and learn about the plants native to Texas. Pizza provided. Please RSVP to shen.gcmn@gmail.com
  12. Full World: Houston’s Economic and Ecologic Future. Former CEC Board Member, notable environmental attorney, and poet Jim Blackburn is teaching a short course through Rice Continuing Studies on the ecological and economic future of the City of Houston. The course will be held on eight Wednesdays between March 1 and April 19, 2017. Learn more about this not-to-be-missed class by downloading the flyer.
  13. Additional Upcoming Events

COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Electronics Recycling at Clear Lake. The City of Houston, together with CompuCycle, will be taking electronics for recycling on Jan. 14, 2017, 9 am – 3 pm. PCs, servers, keyboards, TV’s, routers, hair dryers are just a few of the items that can be accepted. Visit compucycle.net for location details and a list of all items accepted.
  2. Brazoria County Dunes Day. Recycle your Christmas Tree on Jan. 21, 2017, 9 am – 12 pm. Your recycled Christmas Tree will help Brazoria County Beach build up their dunes. Volunteers needed! Visit facebook.com/events for volunteer information, and a full list of tree drop off locations. Call 979-864-1541 with questions about volunteering.
  3. Clear Creek Clean-ups. The 18th Annual Clear Creek Clean-Up, hosted by the Clear Creek Environmental Foundation, will be on Feb. 11, 2017. Between now and then, CCFC will be hosting weekly pre-cleanups starting Jan. 7 & 8, 2017. http://clearcreekcleanup.org/
  4. 2017 NFWF GEBF Project Solicitation. The Texas Trustee agencies (GLO, TPWD and TCEQ) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are in the process of soliciting projects for the 2017 funding cycle from the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. During the next funding cycle (2017), there is approximately $37 million available for new projects in Texas. Learn more at www.restorethetexascoast.org. Deadlines begin on January 3, 2017.
  5. Superbowl Recycling Rally. Come to the Houston Zoo Jan. 21, 2017, 9 am – 1 pm. The event is free and open to the public so share the word with your community! Those who recycle will receive a coupon for half off admission to the Houston Zoo. Visit  housuperbowl.com for a full list of items that can be recycled.
  6. Sunday Evening Conversations on Creation. Christ the King Lutheran Church invites you to a web meeting Jan. 29, 2017, 6 pm. Professor Melissa Anne Sutter from Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, will discuss the vital connections that exist between humans and micro-organisms. Learn more at ctkelc.org.
  7. Texas Sea Grant Seeking Proposals. The proposals can come from investigators from ALL Texas universities and colleges. Non-profits, non-academic institutions,for profit organizations; state, local and Native American tribal governments are also eligible. Grant rewards will support outcome-oriented researchs that spans broad areas of natural, physical, social, behavioral, and economic sciences and engineering, will improve the understanding, wise use and stewardship of Texas’ coastal and marine resources. Proposals will aim to generate substantial social, economic, and environmental impacts in Texas. Funding priorities are now in development. Please complete the survey here. For more information on how to apply for the grant, visit texasgrant.org. Pre-proposal due date is Jan. 20, 2017. Full proposal due date is April 3, 2017. Award period is February 1, 2018 – January 31, 2020.
  8. 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.
    • Moving Bees
    • Razing Cane
    • Wildlife Winds
  9. Additional Upcoming Events