Community Notes 07-30-2012

1. Project WET Educator Workshop. On Thursday, August 2, the WaterWorks Education Center will begin a new phase of its education and outreach effort with a Teacher and Educator Workshop. The Workshop, a Project WET 6-hour Educator Workshop, will be held at the WaterWorks beginning at 9am and lasting until 4pm. The mission of Project WET is to reach children, parents, educators and communities of the world with water education. Attendees must attend the entire workshop to receive the Project WET 2.0 Educator Curriculum and Activity Guide. Register by August 1st at http://projectwet.org/.
   
2. Endangered Species Interactive Map. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program has launched a web-based interactive map with information about endangered species success in every state: stories of species making strides towards recovery, audio interviews and podcasts with biologists about on-the-ground endangered species conservation, and more. Check out the audio interviews; they offer more depth than a simple sound bite. http://www.fws.gov/endangered/
3. Community-based Restoration Partnership – Gulf of Mexico Foundation. Funding for the 2012 cycle of the Gulf of Mexico Foundation’s Community-based Restoration Partnership (CRP) is now available. Download Guidelines http://www.gulfmex.org/find-funding/. Restoring a total of about 15,000 acres over the past decade, the CRP projects have improved a wide variety of habitat types, including coastal dunes, coral reefs, oyster reefs, marshes, seagrass beds, mangrove forests and artificial reefs. Funding from NOAA and the EPA make it possible for the GMF to provided more than $3 million to project leaders. This round is taking proposals to fund on-the-ground projects to restore marine, estuarine, and riparian habitats to benefit living marine resources and to provide educational and social benefits by significantly involving the community. Projects will be funded between $50,000-$100,000 with 1:1 match. Proposals are due August 30, 2012.
4. New NOAA Website Offers Tips to Prepare for Coastal Flooding. NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey has announced a new website, www.stormsurge.noaa.gov, designed to provide vital information to help protect communities, people, and property from the devastation of coastal flooding. “NOAA’s meteorologists and oceanographers observe coastal conditions and predict when storm surge may occur,” said Jesse Feyen, a storm surge expert with NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey. “This website gives people important information to help them prepare for storm surge. With this advance understanding and knowledge, people will know how to respond to coastal flooding from a storm.” http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/
5. What Happens When Water Hits the Soil? Scientific Water Conservation Seminar. Water conservation and plant health begins and ends in the soil. By acquiring knowledge about how water and nutrients are stored in the soil, what affects the soil water availability has on plant health, and what are the key elements driving plant water use in the soil, water waste can be significantly reduced. The Scientific Water Conservation Seminar will be held on August 9th from 4-7pm at United Way (50 Waugh Dr). Register at http://ohbaonline.org/.
6. 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 (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). This week’s broadcast will include:
   • Charlie and His Cannon
   • Pond #2, Home of the Houston Toad*
   • More Toad Troubles
   • TPWD People: Jonathan Gray
7. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html
   • July 31: Yellow–Moderate–Particle Pollution (2.5 Microns). African dust with “Moderate” PM2.5 levels should cover most of South Texas and should spread northward into Central and Southeast Texas in the afternoon and evening.
   • August 1: Yellow–Moderate–Particle Pollution (2.5 Microns). African dust with “Moderate” PM2.5 levels should cover most of South, Southeast, and Central Texas and should spread northward into North Central and Northeast Texas in the afternoon and evening.
   • August 2: Green–Good. African dust with “Moderate” PM2.5 levels should cover most the eastern half of the state in the morning but PM2.5 levels should decrease in South, Southeast, and Central Texas in the afternoon and evening. Elsewhere in the state, moderate winds and lower incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.