Houston Environmental News Update December 12, 2018
The image above is of the Carmine Stahl Preserve along the Spring Creek Greenway.Â
CEC NOTES
Tickets now available! Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour
January 30 & 31, 2019
Join us on January 30 & 31, 2019, for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour.
Hosted for the fifth year by the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, this ever-popular event, one of the largest environmental film festivals in North America, will be screened once again at the historic River Oaks Theatre, where up to 450 patrons each night will enjoy about ten short films each night highlighting the latest environmental issues. The films showcase the links between beauty, environment, adventure, quality of life, and action. Find more details and purchase tickets by visiting cechouston.org.
Sign up for information about this event and other green film news at constantcontact.com.
Supporting CEC
Did you know your purchases can make a difference? AmazonSmile donates to Citizens’ Environmental Coalition when you do your holiday shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/74-1692204
We have endeavored to confirm the events listed below. Please consider confirming directly with the hosts.
- Public Meetings on Coastal Barrier Project
On Oct. 26, 2018, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Coastal Barrier Project (popularly known as the “Ike Dikeâ€) as its preferred choice for protecting the Texas coastline from future storm surges (see coverage in the Houston Chronicle and the Texas Tribune). The Corps is hosting a series of public meetings in which community members are invited to review the plan and make comments. There are three remaining in the Houston-Galveston region:- 12/12/18 – Galveston Island Convention Center
- 12/15/18 – Crenshaw Elementary and Middle Schools, Crystal Beach
- 12/18/18 – Bay Area Community Center, Seabrook
Public comments can also be mailed to USACE, Galveston District, Attn: Ms. Jennifer Morgan, Environmental Compliance Branch, Regional Planning and Environmental Center, P.O. Box 1229, Galveston, TX 77553-1229; or emailed to CoastalTexas@usace.army.mil. Comments must be postmarked by January 9, 2019. For more details on the meetings, visit coastalstudy.texas.gov. - Audubon Christmas Bird Count
The Audubon Christmas Bird Count continues through Jan. 5, 2019. Organized each year by the National Audubon Society, this global, all-volunteer effort collects data on local bird populations. Individual counts are open to birders of all levels, and there is no fee to participate. Several events are scheduled across the region. For details and dates for each count, visit houstonaudubon.org.- San Bernard NWR (TXSB): 12/14
- Armand Bayou (TXAY): 12/15
- Brazos Bend (TXBZ): 12/15
- Houston [Baytown] (TXHO): 12/15
- Spring Creek (TXSC): 12/15
- Freeport (TXFR): 12/16
- Central Houston: 12/17
- Matagorda County (TXMM): 12/17
- Galveston (TXGA): 12/18
- Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR (TXAP): 12/19
- Bolivar Peninsula (TXBP): 12/20
- Turkey Creek (TXTC): 12/22
- Sea Rim State Park (TXSR): 12/27
- Trinity River (TXTN): 12/27
- Beech Creek (TXBE): 12/29
- Old River (TXOR): 12/29
- Buffalo Bayou [west Houston] (TXBF): 12/30
- San Jacinto Wilderness (TXSJ): 1/1
- Cypress Creek – Katy Prairie (TXCY): 1/1
- Brazoria-Columbia Bottomlands (TXBR): 1/5
- Huntsville [Walker Co.] (TXHU): 1/5
- Air Alliance Houston backs legislation, holds open house
In the upcoming session of the Texas Legislature, Air Alliance Houston is backing SB 180, filed by State Sen. Boris Miles, which aims to protect neighborhoods disproportionately affected by environmental quality issues. Read more about the bill at airalliancehouston.org. On Dec. 12, 2018, Air Alliance Houston will hold its year-end open house to celebrate its collective accomplishments and discuss upcoming campaigns at its offices at 3914 Leeland St. For more information, visit airalliancehouston.org. - “Unsilent Night” at Buffalo Bayou Park
On Dec. 12, 2018, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership and University of Houston-Downtown will host “Unsilent Night,” a procession and sound sculpture created when many individuals simultaneously play one of four music tracks by composer Phil Kline. Prior to the procession, enjoy hot chocolate and Bayou Blend coffee from Katz Coffee, local brew from Saint Arnold Brewing Company and holiday cookies. An after-party will be held on the rooftop of the Sunset Coffee Building. For more information and to RSVP, visit eventbrite.com. - AIA Houston Holiday Party Honoring Barry Moore
On Dec. 12, 2018, AIA Houston will present Barry Moore, FAIA, with the Award for Career Distinction.at its Holiday Party at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. For more information, visit aiahouston.org. - Texas Association of Environmental Professionals Holiday Social
On Dec. 13, 2018, the Texas Association of Environmental Professionals and its partnering organizations will hold a Holiday Social at Saint Arnold Brewing Company, 2000 Lyons Ave. The event will include alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages and a barbecue dinner. For more information and to RSVP, visit taep.org. - Bird Banding at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
On Dec. 15, 2018, from 8 a.m.-noon, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory in Lake Jackson will hold its monthly bird banding event. The purpose of the project is to establish baseline data for the GCBO property on both resident and migratory bird populations. For more information, visit gcbo.org. - Nature Heritage Society Hill Hike
On Dec. 15, 2018, beginning at 8?:45 a.m., the Nature Heritage Society will host a “Holidays on the Hill” hike at Sims Greenway, 11800 Scott Street. Join forces with NHS and Scott’s Community Care to gift boys and girls in the community. For more information, see the Facebook event. - Sheldon Lake Park Volunteer Orientation
On Dec. 15, 2018, from 9-11 a.m., Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center will hold an orientation for prospective volunteers interested in habitat restoration and teaching people about the outdoors. For more information and to register, visit tpwd.texas.gov. - Call for Abstracts for CNREP 2019 deadline on Dec. 15
The Center for Natural Resource Economics & Policy will hold the 6th National Forum on Socioeconomic Research in Coastal Systems from May 19-21, 2019 in New Orleans. This triennial forum focuses on the opportunities and challenges of socioeconomic research in the development and evaluation of coastal resource restoration and management. The deadline for abstracts for oral and poster presentations and dedicated sessions and panels is December 15. For more information, visit cnrep.lsu.edu. - TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife
Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3 p.m. 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.- Keeping the Texas Kangaroo Rat on the map
- Houston Chronicle outdoors writer Shannon Tompkins *
- Preventing White Nose Syndrome in Texas bats.
- Additional Upcoming Events
- 12/26/18: Pearland Christmas tree recycling (through 1/12/19)
- 12/31/18: (Deadline) Apprentice Ecologist Initiative Scholarship
- 1/1/19: Application Period for Scenic City Certification Program (through 3/31)
- 1/1/19:Â Society for the Advancement of Volunteer Youth at Moody Gardens application period opens (through 3/22)
- 1/2-4/19: Artist Boat Holiday Break Eco-Art Day Camps
- 1/6/19: Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston 2019 Kick-Off
- 1/9-11/19: 12th Annual Texas STEM Conference (San Antonio)
- 1/10/19: BirdCast: Perspectives on Bird Migration
- 1/14/19: Blackwood Farm School Winter Session begins
- 1/15/19: (Deadline) Gulf of Mexico Climate and Resilience Community of Practice grant LOIÂ
- 1/16/18:Â Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council hearing on Recreational Red Snapper (League City)
- 2/4-7/19: Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill & Ecosystem Science Conference (New Orleans)
- 2/8/19: H-GACÂ Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony
- 2/9/19: Urban Harvest 19th Annual Fruit Tree Sale
- 2/9/18:Â Â Citizens’ Climate Lobby Third Coast Conference
- 2/28-3/2/19: Toward a Better Future: Transforming the Climate Crisis