Coalition Notes 01-26-2011

1. Counting on Quality of Place – 2011 Regional Symposium. The Counting on Quality of Place 2011 Regional Symposium will take place on January 28th from 7:30 am to 2:00 pm. Different topics will be presented throughout the day including water issues and green buildings. The Luncheon Keynote Speaker will be Kimberly Lewis, VP – U.S. Green Building Council. For more information on the symposium, visit http://centerforhoustonsfuture.cmail5.com/T/ViewEmail/r/69AAD71BBDE04D95.
2. Kleenwood: For a trash-free Kingwood. Keep Kingwood Green is supporting Kleenwood this coming weekend. Who can’t support a trash free Kingwood? If you can help, please show up at your neighborhood pool or any pool in Kingwood at 9:00 am Saturday morning. A Kleenwood Team Captain will greet you there, give you supplies, and suggest an area that you can cover. An hour of your time is all that you are asked to contribute. At noon, there will be a celebration in Town Center Park with refeshments and entertainment. You can find more information at: www.kwchamber.org or www.keepkingwoodgreen.org. RSVP requested to Info@keepkingwoodgreen.org.
3. 4th Annual Houston Environmental Education Summit. The 4th Annual Houston Environmental Education Summit will be held on February 5th at the University of Houston – Downtown. The summit will explore various ways to help reverse the growing trend of the indoor child by connecting children to nature through environmental education at school, at home, and through the offerings of various nature centers in the Houston area. Registration is now open. To learn more, visit http://houstoneesummit.wordpress.com/.
4. The Last Stand: Katy Prairie Conservancy. The Katy Prairie Conservancy, which worked with the Hermann Park Conservancy, Houston Parks and Recreation Department, the Endangered Species Media Project, and others, will be featured in a story on KUHT at 3 pm on Saturday, January 29, 2011. The story, called The Last Stand, talks about the disappearing wetlands and prairies in Texas. The segment can be seen now on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqknxErvs6Y.
5. Comment on Water Quality in creeks, bayous, and streams. The Bacteria Implementation Group, a stakeholder committee representing government, business, and community leaders, seeks comments on a plan to reduce the amount of bacteria entering area waterways. Learn more at www.h-gac.com/BIG. Public open houses are being held throughout the region:
   • Thursday, January 27, 5:30 pm, Spring Creek Greenway Nature Center
   • Monday, January 31, 6:00 pm, Park Place Regional Library, Sims Bayou area
   • Tuesday, February 1, 6:00 pm, Johnnie Arolfo Civic Center, League City
   • Monday, February 7, 5:30 pm, High Meadows Branch Library, Aldine area
   • Thursday, February 10, 2010, 6:00 pm, Bear Creek Community Center
6. Volunteers Plant a Forest in Big Thicket National Preserve. Volunteers from the Houston Sierra Club and Big Thicket Association were among those recognized by the Big Thicket National Preserve for helping to plant over 13,000 longleaf pine seedlings in honor of the National Day of Service. This work is part of continuing restoration efforts to advance the Preserve’s mission of maintaining high quality examples of representative vegetation communities. The longleaf pine ecosystem provide habitat for rare species including the red-cockaded woodpecker and the Texas trailing phlox.
7. 39th Annual Buffalo Bayou Regatta: on-line registration now available. The Regatta, Texas’s largest canoe and kayak race, will be on March 12, 2011. Those not wanting to paddle can catch the outdoor fun and cheer on the racers.  Free live music, awards ceremony, and food and drinks will be available for sale at the finish line at downtown’s Sesquicentennial Park. More information at http://www.buffalobayou.org/regattabayou.html.