Coalition Notes 11-05-2012

1. What is the Future of Our Region? H-GAC Think 2040 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.
2. “Focus on Issues” Meeting of The League of Women Voters of the Houston Area: Featuring Jim Blackburn. The next meeting of The League of Women Voters of the Houston Area is on November 7th from 2-3pm at United Way (50 Waugh Dr). The topic is ‘Exploring Sustainability and the Environment.’ Jim Blackburn, a celebrated environmental consultant and attorney, will speak about protecting Gulf Coast natural resources. Everyone is welcome. More at http://www.lwvhouston.org/#.
3. Fall Planning Workshop: Healthy Communities. H-GAC will be holding the Fall Planning Workshop on November 9th, 8:30am-12pm. The annual Community and Environmental Fall Planning workshop will provide local governments information on practical best practices, case studies, and tools they can use to help enhance their communities. Last chance to register is November 6th! More at http://www.h-gac.com/.
4. Centennial Gardens Public Meetings. The Hermann Park Conservancy will be holding two public meetings next week to share information about the upcoming Centennial Gardens project in Hermann Park. Eight acres of various gardens from a formal rose garden to an interactive family garden, a sculpture promenade featuring public art donated by countries around the world, and a pavilion designed by world-renowned architect Peter Bohlin will impress and inspire. The prestigious design team, consisting of nationally known architects and landscape architects, has thoughtfully created preliminary plans with the Gardens’ diverse constituents in mind, from families walking in from surrounding neighborhoods to visitors traveling to attend a garden show. The Conservancy invites the public to learn more about the $30 million project, which is scheduled to open in 2014, the year Hermann Park celebrates its 100th birthday. Meetings will take place on Wednesday, November 7 from 7:30 to 9pm and on Thursday, November 8 from 3 to 5pm at the Garden Center in Hermann Park (1500 Hermann Drive, Houston, TX 77004).
5. Mercer Media Brunch & Garden Tour. Darrin Duling, Director of Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens (MABG) and The Mercer Society invites you to the Mercer Media Brunch & Garden Tour, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This event takes place in the MABG Visitor Center at 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble, Texas 77338. Darrin will welcome you with an overview of MABG’s 38-year history. A guided walking tour of the botanical display gardens will follow the brunch and presentation. As director, Mr. Duling is responsible for overseeing the ongoing operation and development of the facility and its educational and volunteer programs. Please RSVP to 281-443-8731. View the event listing at http://cechouston.org/.
6. Native Prairie Plant-a-thon. Volunteers are needed to plant 2,500 native coastal prairie grasses. This event will help the park continue the restoration of 400 acres from farmland to native prairie habitat and reestablish the diverse wildlife that it once had. Located in northeast Harris County, Sheldon Lake Environmental Learning Center is visited by thousands of children and adults each year who take guided nature walks, study ecosystems, go fishing, experience pond ecology, and see alternative energy in action. Restoring this prairie will enhance the educational programs at the Learning Center. The restoration will take place on November 10th from 8am-12pm. More at http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/.
7. Armand Bayou Nature Center’s Harvest Festival. Each fall since 1981 the Martyn Farm at Armand Bayou Nature Center, 8500 Bay Area Boulevard, has given visitors the opportunity to turn back the clock to circa 1900. On November 10 and 11 from 10 am – 4 pm the 32nd annual Martyn Farm Harvest Festival re-creates this time in our history with a popular event the local community looks forward to every year. The festival showcases crafts, products and activities that played an important role in the life of a Gulf Coast farm family at that time. ABNC member’s admission to the festival is $7 for adults and $3 for children ages 4-12 and seniors (60+). For non-members the price is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 4-12 and seniors. Children 3 and under are free. For more information, please phone 281-474-2551. http://www.abnc.org/
8. Birding Classes at Houston Audubon. Learn about birds! The Houston Audubon is offering multiple classes over the winter months, including Wintering Birds (Nov 6-17), Sparrow Identification (Dec 4-15), and Wintering Waterfowl (Jan 29-Feb 9). Classes are held from 7-8:45pm at the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary in the administration building. Each course is $150 for Houston Audubon members ($175 for non-members). Learn more and register online at http://www.houstonaudubon.org/.
9. NRPA Congress and Exposition Call for Program Proposals. The NRPA Congress and Exposition is the flagship event of the park and recreation community. The three-day conference brings together more than 8,000 attendees from all across the United States and Canada and is the single greatest gathering of park and recreation professionals, citizen advocates, partners, supporters and suppliers. The Congress provides attendees with opportunities for education, networking, exploring and debating national issues, and provides a showcase of goods and services of nearly 400 exhibitors relating to the field of parks and recreation. The City of Houston will welcome the arrival of the NRPA Annual Congress and Expo on October 8-10, 2013 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Right now, NRPA is accepting proposals for concurrent sessions, which take place in 1.25 hours, 2.25 hours and 3.25 hours time blocks. All interested speakers are invited to submit an education session proposal for the annual conference, seminars, online webinars, and/or online chats. Fill out the Education Session Proposal Form at https://s3.goeshow.com/. Deadline is November 16th.
10. 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).
11. 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/.
12. 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/.