Community Notes 05-01-2011

1. Wild Orchids of the Big Thicket. Orchid expert Joe Liggio will lead a walk in the Hickory Creek Unit of Big Thicket National Preserve on Saturday, May 7, to look for orchids. Participants should meet at the Sundew trailhead on CR 1910 at 10am. For more information call the preserve visitor center at 409-951-6700 or visit http://www.setxsocialcenter.com/NewsDetail.asp?id=1157.
   
2. Eat this! Summer Camp. The Recipe for Success Foundation’s Eat This! Summer Camp™ prepares children to become savvy food consumers. The camp is directed towards children ages 8 to 11 who will cook, garden and learn how food is developed and marketed to the American consumer. The camp is run from 10am-3pm, Monday through Friday, from July 5-29. To learn more, send an email to molly@recipe4success.org, call 713-520-0443, or visit http://www.recipe4success.org/.
3. “Waters of the U.S.” Proposed Guidance Americans depend on clean and abundant water. However, over the past decade, interpretations of Supreme Court rulings removed some critical waters from Federal protection, and caused confusion about which waters and wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act. As a result, important waters now lack clear protection under the law, and businesses and regulators face uncertainty and delay. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have developed draft guidance for determining whether a waterway, water body, or wetland is protected by the Clean Water Act. The draft guidance will be open for 60 days of public comment to allow all stakeholders to provide input and feedback before it is finalized. Read more at http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/guidance/wetlands/CWAwaters.cfm.
4. Turkey Creek Trail. The Big Thicket National Preserve Superintendent announced today that portions of the Turkey Creek trail are now open. Kirby Nature Trail and the Sandhill Loop are open, as well as the northern portion of the Turkey Creek Trail to the Hester Bridge (CR 4825), but the trail north of the loop remains closed. The middle section of the trail from the Sandhill Loop north to the Hester Bridge is also closed indefinitely due to fire damage. Call the Visitor Center for more information, 409-951-6700.
5. Native Plant Conservation Initiative (NPCI). The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is accepting proposals for its 2011 Native Plant Conservation Initiative grants cycle. The NPCI funds projects with a focus on the conservation of native plants and pollinators or any related education, restoration, research, sustainability, or data linkages. To learn more, visit http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=338000020.
6. Endangered Species Day. Teachers and their students are encouraged to participate in national Endangered Species Day on May 20. There are a variety of ways to get involved, such as holding a campus Endangered Species Day fair, organizing a library exhibit, inviting a speaker to class, helping to restore a nearby habitat and/or attending a local event. Don’t forget to register the activity on the Endangered Species Day Web site (www.endangeredspeciesday.org), which also features a new Teacher Resource Center with science and art lesson plans, podcast series, teacher video, film library (and discount) and Toolkit with a variety of special materials.
7. Galveston Island State Park Master Plan. On May 5th, the Galveston Island State Park Master Plan will be unveiled at an open house on the Texas A&M Galveston campus at 6:30pm. The master plan design provides the guiding framework for rebuilding the park that was severely damaged by Hurricane Ike three years ago. At the unveiling, the public will have the chance to view the design and give input. For more information, read http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20110427c.
8. Lone Star Land Steward Awards. Two of the Lone Land Steward Awards were from the Houston region. One of those awards went to the Wildlife Management Association of Colorado County WMA has been educating landowners on the benefits of good land management, helping agricultural producers understand how to be better wildlife managers. The other award went to the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marches in Austin/Colorado Counties. They use land as an active educational tool to break down barriers between traditional ag producers and new suburban landowners while improving plant and animal diversity. To read more, visit http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20110428a.
9. 2011 Texas Environmental Excellence Awards. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality formally announced the winners of the 19th annual Texas Environmental Excellence Awards on April 28th. The Union Pacific Railroad was a winner from the Houston area in the category of Technology. To read more, visit http://www.myharlingennews.com/?p=20021.
10. Mia and the Migoo Film. Mia and the Migoo is an environmental fable that revolves around a mystical Tree of Life threatened by a development project gone awry. The movie will only be showing until May 6th at AMC Willowbrook 24 and AMC Gulf Pointe 30. Check out the trailer at http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/miaandthemigoo/.