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October 8, 2012

Community Notes 10-08-2012

  1. Woodland Park Clean-up. On Sunday, October 14th, Bridgestone Americas “One Team, One Planet” Spent Tire Program and the Friends of Woodland Park are sponsoring an all day clean-up event at Woodland Park located at 212 Parkview. The Bridgestone “One Team, One Planet” program is designed to eventually assure that for every tire Bridgestone Americas sells in the United States, one spent tire (a tire that has been removed from use) will be used for a valuable purpose. Volunteers are asked to pre-register on-line and sign up for the morning shift (8am-noon), afternoon shift (1-5pm) or both! On-site registration for the morning shift will be from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and registration for the afternoon shift will be from noon to 1 p.m. The deadline for on-line pre-registration is noon on Saturday, October 13th. Please make sure to register before that time. Bridgestone is providing lunch, water, and refreshments for all pre-registered volunteers throughout the day. Goodie bags with T-shirts, bandanas and other gifts will be given to those who “team up to clean up”. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age to enter the water. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and will not be allowed to enter the water. More at http://www.friendsofwoodlandpark.org/.
  2. Texas Native Plant Week. October 14 through October 20, 2012, is Texas Native Plant Week. This week emphasizes the role of native plants in conservation efforts. Native plants are a good choice whether you are planting a tree, shrub, flowers, vines or grasses because they are acclimated to your local conditions and soils, provide habitat for wildlife, typically require less water and maintenance once established, and do not rely on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to thrive. Learn more at http://txnativeplantweek.wordpress.com/.
  3. Recycle Bowl Competition. Keep America Beautiful presents Recycle Bowl – a competition between schools to invigorate student participation in recycling efforts through a national K-12 competition. The competition will be from October 15 to November 9, and registration is open now. There are two competition divisions (State Champion and National Community Recycling School) and one non-competition division. More at http://recycle-bowl.org/.
  4. OHBA OktOHBAfest. The OHBA OktOHBAfest will take place on October 18, 2012, from 6-9pm at Karbach Brewing Company (2032 Karbach St). With live local music, great grub from Revival Market, and unlimited Karbach Brews- it’s sure to be an OktOHBA blast. The cost is $40 per person. Register online at http://oktohbafest.eventbrite.com/.
  5. America’s Energy Future – U.S. Energy Revolution. As America faces its growing energy challenges, energy experts continue to focus on the country’s and the world’s short and long-term energy needs, including the talent needed to ensure advancement. Please join the Greater Houston Partnership to hear from leading experts – including EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Texas Railroad Commissioner Barry Smitherman and ExxonMobil President Rich Kruger. The event will be on October 19, 2012, from 8am-1:30pm at the Hilton University of Houston (4800 Calhoun Road). The cost is $100 for members and $125 for non-members. Learn more at http://events.houston.org/.
  6. Houston Energy Day. An official City of Houston event, Energy Day is a free, family-friendly festival on Saturday, October 20, 2012, 11am-5pm, that celebrates and highlights the importance of energy in our daily lives. This day-long festival takes place at Hermann Square in front of City Hall in Downtown Houston, Texas. There will be energy exhibits, live music, food, contests and fun for all ages. Learn more at http://energydayfestival.org/.
  7. 9th Annual ASES Houston Solar Tour. Saturday, October 20, 2012. The 2012 9th Annual Houston Solar Tour is a self-guided tour that offers visitors the opportunity to learn about solar energy systems, energy-efficiency and sustainable building technologies by visiting residences and businesses in the Houston area that use these technologies in real world applications. The Houston Solar Tour is a self-guided driving tour. Carpooling is encouraged. Tour sites are open from 9am-1pm. More at http://www.houstonsolartour.com/.
  8. The Neches River Refuge Celebration. Texas Conservation Alliance, Friends of the Neches River, The Conservation Fund, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service invite you to celebrate the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge on October 20, 2012, at the Neches River Ranch near Jacksonville. Bring your friends and family for an afternoon and evening of live music, great food, tours of the refuge, and a canoe trip on the Neches River! Learn more at http://www.facebook.com/.
  9. 15th Annual Texas Recycling and Sustainability Summit. The State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) is hosting its 15th Annual Texas Recycling and Sustainability Summit in the beautiful beach town of Corpus Christi, Texas from October 21-24, 2012. This year’s conference theme is “New and Emerging Trends and Technologies,” providing Summit sponsors, exhibitors, speakers and attendees the opportunity to network with and communicate to prospective clients, partners, stakeholders and policy makers in Texas what is upcoming on the recycling and sustainability horizon. For more information, visit http://recyclingstar.org/summit.html.
  10. EVs for Trees Program. The EVs for Trees Program provides drivers with an added incentive to test drive an electric vehicle (EV). When Houstonians test drive a 100% electric Mitsubishi “i” or Nissan LEAF between now and December 1st at a participating EVs for Trees dealership, the dealer will donate $25 to Trees for Houston. Additionally, if the driver is a Green Mountain Energy or Reliant customer, these companies will donate an extra $25. Throughout the program, EVs for Trees test drive vouchers will be available for download online at http://www.evsfortrees.com/. No purchase is necessary; drivers can simply take the voucher to a participating dealer and test drive an electric car to generate a donation to Trees for Houston, which will provide funding to care for distressed trees and plant new trees. To find participating dealerships and for more information on the EVs for Trees program, visit www.greenhoustontx.gov/, http://www.evsfortrees.com/ or contact Lisa Lin at lisa.lin@houstontx.gov or 832.393.0850.
  11. Free rides on METRORail. “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and KHOU 11, Houston’s CBS affiliate, have teamed up to offer days of free rides on the Houston area’s METRORail. The effort hopes to encourage riders to take advantage of public transit as a fast, convenient and environmentally friendly transportation option. The last free ride will take place on October 28th, from 5:30am to 11:40pm. Read more at http://www.khou.com/.
  12. EPA’s National Estuary Program. EPA’s National Estuary Program (NEP), a place-based program to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance, has released a first-ever interactive map, NEPmap, with more than a decade’s worth of NEP habitat data. A simple static map with contained descriptions of NEP habitat protection and yearly restoration projects, has been replaced with a large set of data layers to enable viewing of NEP habitat information in a wider environmental context. The NEPmap allows users to view water quality conditions in their estuary and surrounding watershed alongside NEP habitat projects. NEPmap users can also generate and print maps and reports, change map scales, turn on and off background layers and interact with information points to provide a greater level of detail than a traditional static map. *Galveston Bay is among the national estuaries. More at http://water.epa.gov/.
  13. Funding for Your Organization! There is a way to fund your organization with little effort and no cost! Recycling clothing can help you raise funds as you help further the recycling movement. Program benefits include:
    • A percentage of the proceeds is returned to your organization
    • Clothing Container supplied at no cost
    • Signage can feature your organization
    • Recycling container is regularly emptied and maintained
    • Your involvement helps to reduce landfill trash
    • Promotional flyers are provided

    For more information, call (281) 288-9714 or email info@imgreenrecycling.com. Learn more about IMGreen Recycling at http://imgreenrecycling.net/.

  14. 2012 Environmental Education Grants. EPA Region 6 will accept proposals from eligible schools and entities through November 21, 2012, for the Agency’s 2012 Environmental Education grants to develop new programs promoting environmental stewardship. Proposed projects should involve designing, demonstrating or developing innovative education tools and materials. Projects also should involve environmental education activities that go beyond disseminating information. More at http://www.epa.gov/.
  15. Vote with Your Lips Campaign – Sea Turtle Restoration Project. The Sea Turtle Restoration Project has been nominated to participate in the “Vote With Your Lips” campaign by the Body Shop. The charitable organization that receives the most votes will receive the largest grant. Through October 28, 2012. Visit http://action.seaturtles.org/ for more information.
  16. 2013 Project Orange Thumb – Community Garden Grants and Makeovers. The Fiskars Corporation, a global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden, and outdoors, has announced the opening of the application process for 2013 Project Orange Thumb garden grants and makeovers in the United States and Canada. Fiskars’ Project Orange Thumb provides tools, materials, and other support to help communities reach their goals for neighborhood beautification, community collaboration, and healthy, sustainable food sources. Eleven recipients will be selected from the pool of eligible applicants. Ten will receive $5,000 in cash and tools, and one applicant will receive a complete garden makeover. Deadline for proposals is December 15th. More at http://foundationcenter.org/.
  17. Clean Air Grants. The TCEQ announced that applications are being accepted for Texas Emissions Reduction Incentive grants to help reduce emissions by replacing older vehicles and equipment. The grants, offered under the agency’s Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP), provide incentives to eligible individuals, businesses, and governments in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area; the Dallas–Fort Worth area; the Beaumont–Port Arthur area; the Tyler-Longview area; the Austin area; the San Antonio area; the Corpus Christi area; and the Victoria area. A total of $40 million in funding is being made available to purchase, lease, replace, repower, or retrofit heavy-duty on-road vehicles, non-road equipment, marine vessels, locomotives, and stationary equipment. Funding is also available for on-site and on-vehicle infrastructure to reduce idling. Funded projects must result in a reduction in nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions of at least 25 percent. Applications will be accepted until Nov. 30, 2012. More at http://www.tceq.texas.gov/.
  18. 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:
    • The Pronghorn Puzzle
    • Outdoor Info: Get Started Camping
    • Call of the Wild
  19. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html. Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.
    • October 9: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone. If there is enough afternoon sunshine, incoming background levels may be high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” levels on the north and northeast side of the Houston area and in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.
    • October 10: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone. If there is enough afternoon sunshine, incoming background levels may be high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” levels on the north and northwest side of the Houston area and in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.
    • October 11: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone. Incoming background levels may be high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” levels on the north and northwest side of the Houston area and in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.