Coalition Notes 09-10-2012

1. Chase Community Giving.You have the power to help decide which eligible local charities will share in $5 million grants! Many local charities you know and love were nominated, including the following CEC member organizations:
   • Armand Bayou Nature Center
   • Artist Boat
   • Galveston Bay Foundation,
   • Houston Audubon
   • Houston Parks Board
   • Katy Prairie Conservancy
   • Buffalo Bayou Partnership
   • Memorial Park Conservancy
   • Trees for Houston
   • Urban Harvest
   • Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition
   • Mercer Society
   • Gulf Coast Bird Observatory.

   The numbers that follow each agency are their current vote totals. Visit the Facebook page until September 19th to vote for the charities that you want to see receive grants from Chase. The 196 charities with the most votes will share in $5 million in grants! Visit https://www.facebook.com/ChaseCommunityGiving/ to learn more and to vote!

2. Sustainable Cities – The Business View. This conference, hosted by Houston Tomorrow and the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, will explore the sustainable philosophies of some of the world’s most important companies – IBM, McKinsey, Siemens, and NRG. Corporate leaders will explore their rationale for creating business models around the idea of sustainability, and increasingly around the idea of smart, sustainable cities. Regional civic leaders will react to the corporate challenge to organize our towns and cities around the idea of sustainability. The conference is September 13th from 8:30am-1:30pm at The Roof at the Westin Oaks at the Galleria (5011 Westheimer, Houston, TX 77056). More at https://org2.democracyinaction.org/.
3. Texas Bottle Bill New Website. This weekend the Texas Bottle Bill website debuted a brand new look. It was rebuilt from top-to-bottom! All the same resources are there (i.e. the petition, list of supporters, pictures, “what you can do” list, etc.) but now the website has been reorganized to make everything easier to find and more aesthetically appealing. Check out the new look here: http://texasbottlebill.com/.
4. Deconstruction Training: Moving YOU Into the New Economy. The USGBC Recycling Committee, Green Built Gulf Coast, and GreenHouse Integration bring you an informational event about Deconstruction on September 13th from 9am-5pm at the H-GAC offices (2nd floor). The ReUse People president Ted Reiff will be in Houston to teach how Deconstruction can help your company move into the new economy. Deconstruction is emerging as a critical skill, as the housing stock ages and homes are being left vacant due to foreclosure. Learn how your company can become a part of this movement in waste management. Cost $50, includes lunch. For more information, contact: CarolineKostak@TheReUsePeople.org.
5. GCBO Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza. 8:00am to noon. Autumn is hummingbird season in Texas, as thousands of these tiny creatures move through the state on their southward migration to Mexico and Central America. Join the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory September 15th to see hummingbirds being banded, adopt a hummingbird, browse the Nature Store, walk the nature trails, or buy a plant to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. More at www.gcbo.org.
6. Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation. TWRC Wildlife Center is growing and we are in need of wildlife rehabilitators. With our recent expansion into The Woodlands, our admissions have increased. Rehabilitating wildlife and returning healthy animals to the wild is a very rewarding experience. TWRC Wildlife Center is offering a free 3-hour class, “Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation”, on September 15 beginning at 10:00am. The class is designed to provide more information to those interested in wildlife rehabilitation and will give you the opportunity to ask questions. The class is being held at the South Regional Library, 2101 Lake Robbins Drive in The Woodlands. Reservations are required and you can register at www.twrcwildlifecenter.org. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday, September 12th. You must be 21 years of age to rehabilitate wildlife. For more information, please contact Cheryl Conley at: vicepresident@twrcwildlifecenter.org. If you love wildlife, you’ll want to attend this class!
7. Going Green Series: Water For The Woodlands – Today… and Tomorrow. Water availability will continue to challenge the future of The Woodlands and surrounding communities. There are big plans underway to address these challenges and the San Jacinto River Authority is a key participant. Mark Smith, Administrator of the SJRA Groundwater Reduction Plan, will speak at the Going Green Sustainability Lecture Series on September 18th. Mr. Smith was Director of Public Works in College Station for over 16 years, joining SJRA in 2010. The Going Green Lecture Series is a program of The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. in partnership with The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department. The lectures begin at 7:00pm at the South Regional Library (2101 Lake Robbins Drive) in The Woodlands. This event is not sponsored or endorsed by Montgomery County Memorial Library system. For more information, contact Cinda Hitchcock, Going Green Coordinator, at 281-363-2723.
8. 2012 Garden Faire – Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens. Enjoy a fun-filled day at Mercer’s annual Garden Faire (22306 Aldine Westfield Road), shopping for plants and other unique home and garden goodies while visiting with garden experts. This two-day event will be held Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23 from 8am-4pm. The Garden Faire takes place on the west side of Mercer under the canopy of the wooded trails at the picnic area and will include over 50 vendor booths, with activities for all ages. You and your kids can adopt a rescue dog, take a train ride with Stan the Train Man, get your face painted, learn to grow seeds, and make amazing paper hats. Food and refreshments will be available for purchase. This sixth-annual event attracts more than 3,000 people and is staffed by 150 volunteers from organizations including the First Baptist Christian Academy in Pasadena, H-E-B, Mercer, the National Charity League, and ROTC students from Cy-Creek, Nimitz, and Spring high schools. More at http://themercersociety.org/.