Community Notes 11-03-2011

1. Don’t Mess with Texas Water. Help prevent illegal dumping that affects surface water in Texas. House Bill 451, which recently became law, requires the TCEQ to establish a Don’t Mess with Texas Water program. We are seeking stakeholder input as part of the implementation of this program. I would like to invite you to attend an open stakeholder meeting the TCEQ will be holding on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 1:00 p.m. We will be asking for your input and preferences on the development of this program. To join the call: Dial the Access Number: 1-877-820-7831 and enter Participants Pass code: 924706#. Mute your phone. For more info: cynthia.carter@tceq.texas.gov.
2. Kingwood Garden Club Native Tree Sale. Kingwood Garden Club will have its 11th annual ReForest the Forest tree sale on Saturday, November 5, 8:00 am at the New Kingwood Library. This event is a gift to the community and is not a fund raising event. The native trees and shrubs for sale are adapted for living in our area and are sold at cost price. Have a look at the Tree Price List at http://kingwoodgardenclub.org/.
3. Sheldon Lake Plant-a-thon volunteers needed. Volunteers are needed to help plant 2500 native coastal grasses at Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center on November 12, 2011, from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm (lunch at noon). This event will aid efforts already underway to restore 400 acres of farmland to native prairie habitat and reestablish the diverse wildlife that it once had. For more information or to register, please e-mail sheldonlake@tpwd.state.tx.us.
4. Texas Bottle Bill newsletter. The Texas Bottle Bill group reports that they have debuted a major update to their website at www.texasbottlebill.com. They also now have twitter and Facebook pages.
5. TxDOT’s Green Ribbon Project honored. The Houston District of the Texas Department of Transportation was awarded the Arboricultural Project of the Year for The Green Ribbon Project: Corridor Aesthetics and Landscape Master Plan. The awards are sponsored jointly by Texas Forest Service and the International Society of Arboriculture Texas Chapter. Houston is home to millions of miles of roadways that are traveled each day by just as many vehicles. The primary goal of these roads is to get people to and from their destinations in a safe manner. But the Houston District wanted to do more than that. They wanted to forest the region’s freeways and rights-of-way in an effort to beautify their concrete jungle. After launching the project nearly a decade ago, the Houston District and their many partners planted their one-millionth tree this year. Learn more on the ISA Texas Website.
6. CLEAN Newsletter.  The October newsletter of the Citizens League for Environmental Action Now features articles on an Economy Powered by Clean, Renewable Energy and Green Jobs Too. Read CLEAN’s newsletter for more.
   
7. Whooping cranes set records in Texas. The bird made news three years ago when a record number of crane deaths were reported during drought conditions on the Texas coast. But according to state and federal biologists, flock numbers have rebounded, and a new record high number of cranes should start arriving on the Texas coast later this month. More on the TPWD website.
8. FarmFest 2011. The Last Organic Outpost, a non-profit that focuses on creating an urban green belt in low income areas throughout the city of Houston, will be hosting FarmFest 2011 at Emile Community Farm (711 N. Emile) from 10 AM to 4 PM on Saturday, November 5th. This is a free festival. www.lastorganicoutpost.com
9. Personal Document Shredding Drive. The Johnson Space Center Contractors (JSC) Environmental Partnership is hosting an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling and document shredding event from 8am-2pm on November 5th in the Space Center Houston parking lot. Learn more at http://www.ci.seabrook.tx.us/.
10. America Recycles Day. On America Recycles Day, November 15th, local event organizers host events that inform millions of people on what is recycled in their community. Registration is open for organizers to create a local event. If you cannot host an event, but would like to participate, visit http://americarecyclesday.org/ to find an event near you.
11. Cullinan Park Nature Photo Contest. The Cullinan Park Conservancy is holding a Nature Photo Contest. People are encouraged to enter photographs of landscape, animals, birds, insects, fish, and reptiles who call Cullinan Park at Oyster Creek their home. To enter, send an email, one per image, to cullinanparkconservancy@gmail.com, giving the title of the piece, the name, address, and phone number of the entrant, and attaching the image file. Find out more at http://cullinanparkconservancy.ning.com/.
12. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Seabrook, and on HCC. More info on the TPWD website. This week’s broadcast will cover (items marked with “*” include local footage):
    • Hurricanes: A Force of Nature *
    • Rasca de La Palma State Park
    • A Migrating Muse (sandhill cranes)
13. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/compliance/monitoring/air/monops/forecast_today.html
• November 3: Green–Good–Moderate winds, cool temperatures, and low incoming backgrounds should keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.
• November 4: Green–Good–Moderate winds, cool temperatures, and low incoming backgrounds should keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.
• November 5: Green–Good–Moderate winds, cool temperatures, and low incoming backgrounds should keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.
• On October 31, TCEQ issued an Air Pollution Warning – Level Orange for unhealthy levels of ozone in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria areas. During a Level Orange warning, active children and adults as well as people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exposure.