Coalition Notes 02-16-2011

1. Training for Transition – 2011 Houston Course. Transition Houston is offering a Training for Transition class on February 19 and 20. Whether you are starting a Transition initiative in your neighborhood, want to be more effective within an existing Transition group, would like to know more about Transition, or would just like to meet fun and interesting people in a great educational setting, this course is for you. The training will be facilitated by David Johnson from Portland, OR, and Maggie Seeley from Albuquerque, NM. The early-bird registration ends Saturday, February 12. For more details and registration please see the Eventbrite page http://training4transitionhouston.eventbrite.com/.
2. Litter and Waste Photos. As part of the Don’t Mess With Texas Cleaunup Campaign, Plastic Pollution Texas is asking the public to send in photos of beverage container litter on streets or in waterways. When sending in pictures, please include your location, name, and if you wish, your permission to publish your photo for our use only. E-mail your photos to info@plasticpollutiontexas.com or mail to 1901 Lexington Houston, TX 77098.
3. Sundays in Nature Series at Armand Bayou. From 1pm – 3pm each third Sunday of the month, the Armand Bayou Nature Center will host programs allowing you to better understand the natural world. The series is designed to make the community Healthier, Happier and Smarter in Nature. Each program will feature speakers, presenters and/or activities for children and adults alike. On February 20th, the presentation is called “Hide & Seek” and is about the important role insects play. Visit the website at http://abnc.org/ for details.
4. The Great Backyard Bird Count. Help count birds for science February 19-20 from 7am-noon at Jones Park. The event will feature feeder watch at the nature center, short bird hikes, information on local backyard birds and how to attract them to your yard and much more. The Great Backyard Bird Count is held once a year and is a joint project by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon to get birders of all levels involved in counting birds to find out where the birds are located. This information helps scientists answer many questions about the life of our feathered friends. Visitors ages 10 and up are invited to bring your binoculars, field guide and a camera and help fellow birders at Jones Park count birds. For more information, visit www.hcp4.net/jones/pdf/calendars/JJPWinter2010-11Programs.pdf.
5. “GiveBack” to the Friends of the Wetlands Center. If you need to have your car fixed, this just might be the week to do it. Bates Custom & Collision (in Baytown and North Channel) will “give back” a portion of repair costs to the Wetlands Center. For more information and to print the Give Back certificate, go to http://www.batescustomandcollision.com/giveback.asp.
6. USGBC Texas Legislative Day at the Capitol. On Tuesday, February 22, 2011, USGBC members will be taking a charter bus to Austin to tell the legislators to vote for green building. In Austin, the travelers will meet their counterparts from across the state. The day will start with lunch and orientation. In the afternoon, advocates will visit their Senators and Representatives. For more details and to register, visit http://www.usgbc-houston.org/calendar.asp?show=799&calid=695.
7. Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition Strategic Plan Community Input Workshops. The Greens Bayou Corridor Coalition and the National Park Service invite you to join us at one or more community planning workshops in February to help develop a strategic corridor plan for Greens Bayou. The goals of the project are to:
   • Conserve the corridor’s most important natural and cultural resources
   • Create a diverse system of recreation opportunities
   • Manage the corridor’s natural and improved landscaping
   • Foster a system of interconnected parks and trails that link neighborhoods and destinations
   • Assure that projects are sustainably designed and are maintained for years to come
     For the purpose of this study, the Greens Bayou Corridor is defined as the area on either side of the bayou running 45 miles from US 290 to the Houston Ship Channel. The study focuses on conservation, recreation and connectivity. This series of community planning workshops will be held in various locations throughout the corridor on February 24, and 25. Space is limited, so register by February 12 to Treena Dockery by phone (281) 874-2146 or by email: tdockery@greenspoint.org. More info at www.greensbayou.org.
8. NPSOT Fall Symposium. NPSOT will be holding its 2011 annual fall symposium and state meeting on October 13 – 16 in Houston, featuring the coastal prairies and marshes of Texas. The meeting will be at the Omni Houston Hotel at Westside. Symposium 2011 will provide knowledge on creating, preserving, and restoring native habitats. Currently, authors are invited to submit research papers, general papers on topics of interest, and “How to” articles related to the Symposium 2011 educational theme. Notification of your intent to submit a paper should be emailed to symposium@npsot.org no later than May 1, 2011. For more information, visit http://npsot.org/wp/story/2011/1651/#more-1651.
9. Saving the Bay. GBF and the Houston Green Scene will be hosting a preview screening of the documentary, Saving the Bay. Producer Ron Blatman will be at the screening to provide introductory remarks. The one hour screening will be followed by a panel of local experts discussing restoration efforts in Galveston Bay. The preview will take place on March 3rd at 6 pm at the George R. Brown Education Center Auditorium at the Houston Zoo. For more information, visit http://www.galvbay.org/.
10. Volunteer at the Wildlife Center. The Wildlife Center is searching for volunteers looking for an opportunity to work with 7000 animal patients a year consisting of 250 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Volunteers must be willing to work several 2, 4 or 6 hour shifts each month and to attend an Orientation lecture. Contact the Wildlife Center at 713-861-WILD (9453) or e-mail at Volunteer@WRandE.org with questions or comments. To find out more, visit http://wrande.org/how-you-can-help/volunteer/.