Community Notes 11-19-2012

1. Input for Brazos River Recreation Master Plan. Fort Bend Green, along with public and private partners on an initial steering committee, is developing a Recreation Master Plan for the Brazos River Corridor. The Committee is seeking broad community input into a plan for the river. A short on-line survey has been created to collect the wishes of County residents and folks from outside the county that might enjoy using the Brazos River for recreation, or that have feelings about conserving this special river resource. The survey can be found at www.surveymonkey.com/s/Brazos_River_Recreation_Plan. The survey should only take 15 minutes to complete.
2. Webinar – The Path to Healthier, Happier, Smarter Kids: The Schoolyard Classroom. Texas Children in Nature is partnering with REAL Schools Gardens in Dallas/Ft. Worth and National Wildlife Federation to host a state-wide webinar on December 6th for Texas educators. The webinar, The Path to Healthier, Happier, Smarter Kids: The Schoolyard Classroom, will include the research supporting outdoor education, the importance of a team approach, outdoor classroom possibilities, instruction, professional development considerations and the components for long term success. Featured speakers include Irene Pickhardt of Texas Education Agency, Lisa Webber of STEMscopes at Rice University as well as educators from successful ISD programs across the state. The webinar is on December 6th, 4:00 p.m – 5:15 p.m. Central. Free! RSVP. More at http://txcinc.wordpress.com/.
3. 2013 Tree Planting Competition. The 2013 Tree Planting Competition will be held on February 9th, 2013. The planting competition once again will be held in partnership with Harris County Flood Control District, and will take place at the 11,500 blk of Ella Blvd, Houston, TX 77067. As in years past there will be Professional, Amateur and Youth Divisions, and HCFCD will till the site beforehand. Register for the event by downloading the form at http://cechouston.org/.
4. National Trails Fund Grants. The American Hiking Society’s National Trails Fund is dedicated solely to building and protecting hiking trails in the United States. National Trails Fund grants are designed to give local organizations the resources they need to secure access, volunteers, tools, and materials to repair and protect America’s hiking trails. Grants will be awarded for projects designed primarily to serve hikers, although multi-purpose human-powered trail uses are eligible; projects that secure trail lands, including acquisition of trails and trail corridors and the costs associated with acquiring conservation easements; projects that will result in visible and substantial ease of access, improved hiker safety, and/or avoidance of environmental damage; and projects that promote constituency-building surrounding specific trail projects, including volunteer recruitment and support. Higher preference is often given to projects that utilize volunteer labor. The deadline for proposals is December 15th. More at http://foundationcenter.org/.
   
5. 2013 Congress & Exposition Education Session Proposals. NRPA and the 2013 NRPA Congress Program Committee are seeking energetic and engaging speakers to submit education session proposals for the 2013 Congress & Exposition, October 8-10, 2013 in Houston, TX. Sessions should focus on: Changing the Way We Do Business: Collaborations, Privatization, and Partnerships; Parks and Recreation’s Role in Public Health Initiatives; Telling Our Story Better: Cultivating Community and Elected Support; Providing Services and Programs for Diverse Populations. Proposal deadline has been extended to Friday, November 30, 2012. More at http://www.nrpa.org/proposals/.
   
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:
   • Native Texan Duck
   • Lone Star Land Steward: Colonel Burns Ranch
   • Wild Things: Black Capped Vireos
   • A Day at Pedernales
7. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html. Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.
   • November 20: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone. Winds may be light enough and incoming background levels high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” or possibly higher levels eastern, southeastern, and central portions of the Houston area.
   • November 21: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone. Winds may be light enough and incoming background levels high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” or possibly higher levels on the southwest, west and northwest side of the Houston area.
   • November 22: Green–Good. Increasing winds and/or cloud cover should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.