Coalition Notes 10-22-2012

1. Houston Green Film Series Presents: Carbon Nation. Carbon Nation is a documentary movie about climate change solutions. Even if you doubt the severity of the impact of climate change or just don’t buy it at all, this is still a compelling and relevant film that illustrates how solutions to climate change also address other social, economic and national security issues. The screening will take place on October 24th from 6:30-9pm at the Rice University Media Center. Light dinner kindly donated by Dr. Pat Speck and Dry Bones Cafe. A $5 donation is suggested and greatly appreciated. More at http://www.facebook.com/.
2. Green Building Tour: Houston Fire Station # 37. Come see the LEED for New Construction Silver Houston Fire Station # 37 on October 26th on a Green Building Tour! The “open house style” guided tour will happen approximately every 30 minutes from 11am-2pm. The Fire Station is at 7026 Stella Link, Houston, Texas 77025. More information at http://houstongreenscene.org/.
3. Food Day with Central City Co-op. Come celebrate Food Day 2012 with the Central City Co-op on October 24th. Food Day is a nationwide celebration and a movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. The ultimate goal of Food Day is to strengthen and unify the food movement in order to improve our nation’s food policies. Although Central City Co-op celebrates Food Day every day, there will be some special events for this year’s national event. First, stop by to meet Louise Goldberg of An Apple A Day Nutrition Consulting from 9am-1pm and you’ll receive a certificate for HALF OFF your first consultation with her! Then taste all kinds of yummy vegan goodness from Pat Greer’s Kitchen! And not only that, you can also honor the co-op — and your part in it — by contributing to our Food Day art project, put together for us by the artists of First Saturday Art Market and our friend and fellow co-op member, Mitch Cohen. More at http://www.centralcityco-op.com/.
4. Lecture and Discussion with Architect Peter Bohlin. On behalf of Hermann Park Conservancy and The MFA,H, you are invited to hear architect Peter Bohlin speak on Thursday, October 25, 2012 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (reception begins at 5:30 p.m.) in the Caroline Weiss Law Building. Bohlin is well known for his wide range of work, including the retail stores for Apple worldwide; public institutions such as the new Newport Beach City Hall; and cultural buildings that include the Discovery and Visitor Center in Grand Teton National Park. In 2010, Bohlin was awarded the American Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal, the highest achievement bestowed upon an individual architect by the institute. This fall, he brings his internationally renowned talent to Houston’s own Hermann Park. Selected by Hermann Park Conservancy, Bohlin and his team at Bohlin Cywinski Jackson are designing the entry pavilion within the park’s new Centennial Gardens. As the conservancy’s largest and lushest undertaking to date, the gardens will honor and celebrate 100 years of Hermann Park, which reaches this milestone in 2014. More at http://www.hermannpark.org/.
5. Volunteers/Mentors for Fall Trip. The Woods Project is looking for volunteers/mentors for their weekend trips. Being a volunteer means getting out of the city and into the woods for the weekend and hanging out with our kids (you don’t even have to do the cooking!). There is a backpacking trip and a canoe/kayak trip from October 26-28; Two camping trips from November 2-4; a canoe/kayak trip and a camping trip from November 9-11. To sign up for a trip, email Brittany White at brittany@thewoodsproject.org.
6. 3rd Annual LEED for Neighborhood Development Symposium. The 3rd Annual LEED for Neighborhood Development Symposium will take place October 30th, 8:30am-2pm, at 1002 Washington Ave., 2nd floor. Come hear from key stakeholders in the region on how they are scaling up sustainability and learn about the LEED rating system for Neighborhood Development. Featured projects include Mueller, Springwoods Village, and Washington Avenue Livable Centers Study. Project showcases will be followed by a panel discussion and an exclusive opportunity to have your site plans reviewed by two LEED ND experts! At least 4 GBCI CE credits are expected to be approved. Cost: $95. Learn more and register at http://usgbctexasgulfcoast.org/.
7. Nurture Nature Festival. The annual Nurture Nature Festival returns to the Baytown Nature Center, 6213 Bayway Drive on Saturday, November 3 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Enjoy a FREE event for the whole family that introduces the plants and animals of the Baytown area: nature walks, children’s activities, guest speakers, exhibitors, live animals and MUCH more. Learn more at http://www.facebook.com/.
8. 2012 Run in the Park. Sign up now for the 2012 Run in the Park! Proceeds benefit Hermann Park Conservancy. Run in the Park will take place in Hermann Park from 8am to 11am and will include a 5K Run & Walk, 1K Kids’ Run, and Post Race Party complete with live music by Wheelhouse! Registration online is $28 for adults, $12 for kids. For questions, please contact Mindy Campbell, Run in the Park coordinator, at 713-524-5876 ext. 357 or mcampbell@hermannpark.org. Learn more and register at http://www.hermannpark.org/.
9. Electronic Waste Recycling. Keep Kingwood Green and Compucycle are sponsoring an E-Cycling event in Kingwood on November 3rd from 9 am to 3 pm at the Metro Park and Ride location. The goal for November is to collect 30,000 pounds in six hours. This is after a successful event in October where area residents donated 29,000 pounds. Keep Kingwood Green holds an Electronic Waste Recycling Event on the 1st Saturday of each month. More details at www.keepkingwoodgreen.org.
10. What is the Future of Our Region? H-GAC Survey. In less than 30 years, our region is expected to add 3.5 million people. The Houston-Galveston Area Council and partners are working on a Regional Plan for Sustainable Development to help local governments prepare for this growth. You are invited to take a 10-minute survey about four alternative futures: Current Course, Less Time on the Road, Greener Region, and Competitive Workforce. Please contribute your thoughts about these alternatives and the tradeoffs involved with each of them. Then, pass on the survey to others! You can find out more about the planning process and take the survey at www.ourregion.org. The survey ends on November 16. Survey respondents will be entered in a drawing for one of four $25 Amazon.com gift certificates to be given away each week.
11. Biking and Public Transportation.H-GAC and METRO want to know what would make it easier for you to integrate bicycling and public transportation. We are looking for volunteers who:
    1. Already integrate bicycling and public transportation
    2. Bike but do not regularly take public transit, or
    3. Take public transit but do not bike in conjunction with transit use.
       Focus groups will be conducted in November 2012 and will last 60-90 minutes. Please contact Patricia Lawhorn at bikeandride@h-gac.com for more information or visit www.METROBikeandRide.com.
12. Artist Boat – Kayak Raffle. Would you like to own your own kayak but it’s too expensive? Here’s your chance! Artist Boat is raffling a $1700 kayak which could be yours for only $10 per raffle ticket! This year you can even buy raffle tickets right online! Entrance tickets for Float the Boat festival are also available online. Purchase tickets at: http://www.artistboat.org/float-the-boat.html. The Float the Boat Fundraiser on November 9th at Galveston Artist Residency (2521 Ships Mechanic Row).
13. Kayaking Courses. Artist Boat is offering advanced kayak courses this fall and spring break. The first course is ACA Quickstart for paddlers wanting more knowledge on paddling and safety skills. This 4-hour course will be held on November 17th and December 1st. The second course is for people wanting to become certified kayak instructors. All classes are limited in size. To learn more, contact Kelly Cloughly at 409-770-0722 or download the flyers at http://www.guidrynews.com/.
14. Presentation of the Houston Sustainability Indicators Project Report. A free public presentation of the Houston Sustainability Indicators (HSI) Project Report will take place November 28th from 2-4pm at Kelly International Conference Facility, Baker Hall, Rice University. The HSI Project was designed to generate facts and measure how well Houston is doing in terms of development, and to agree on the things that matter most as Houston pursues sustainable development. It is a comprehensive overview of sustainable development in Houston and we are inviting everyone to participate in this project. Participants will gain access to resources on sustainability and will directly contribute to the development of the project through interpretation and feedback on the indicators. Learn more at https://shellcenter.rice.edu/.
15. Save the Date!
    • Native Prairie Plant-a-thon – November 10th.
      http://api.ning.com/