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  • info@cechouston.org
December 17, 2012

Community Notes 12-17-2012

  1. Reading Towards Sustainability II. An educational seminar, Reading Towards Sustainability II, will take place at the Green Building Resource Center (1002 Washington Ave) on December 20, 2012, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. GBRC Program Director Steve Stelzer will present an update of converging ideas and contrasts from a cross section of books addressing sustainability. The purpose is to give the audience an idea of the community effect of authors concerned about the state of the human race. Each attendee will receive a free, updated list of books. Please RSVP to Steve Stelzer at steve.stelzer@houstontx.gov or 832.394.9050. http://www.greenhoustontx.gov/gbrceducation.pdf
  2. Holiday Trees: Artistically Upcycled. Holiday trees decorated by local artists using recycled items will be on display during business hours until December 28, 2012, at the City of Houston’s offices at 611. Free and open to the public. More at http://usgbctexasgulfcoast.org/.
  3. First Day Hikes in Texas State Parks. Start a tradition on New Year’s Day 2013 by starting the year off on the right foot, the left foot, any foot — take a First Day Hike in a state park near you! Most all hikes are guided by state park staff and volunteers and feature an interpretive message about native plants, animals or park history. The walks average one to two miles in length, but many also offer shorter or longer trek options as well. There’s something for everyone! In the Houston area, there will be hikes at Brazos Bend State Park (meet at the park’s Nature Center at 10:00 am) and Sheldon Lake State Park (meet at the Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center at 11:00 am). Find a hike here: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/calendar/hiking.
  4. Cedar Bayou Watershed Partnership Public Meeting. Cedar Bayou Watershed Partnership will be holding a public meeting on January 3, 2013, 5:30-7:30pm, at the Eddie V. Gray Wetlands Center (1724 Market Street). The Cedar Bayou Watershed Partnership is a group of local stakeholders from the communities surrounding Cedar Bayou whose purpose is to seek voluntary ways to restore and protect our local waterway. The meeting will cover the project status and preliminary data from the water quality monitoring effort underway. Come to have your ideas and concerns heard! More at http://www.cedarbayouwatershed.com/.
  5. Van Tour – Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge. Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge is one of the largest remnants of coastal prairie habitat remaining in southeast Texas. It is home to one of the last populations of the critically endangered Attwater’s prairie-chicken, a ground-dwelling grouse of the coastal prairie ecosystem. The first Saturday of each month, a guided van tour of the refuge will take visitors on a two-hour trip through the prairie. Join refuge volunteers and staff to learn about native coastal prairie, the history of the refuge, the biology of the Attwater’s prairie-chicken, and what’s being done to save it from extinction. The next tour is on January 5, 2013, 8-10am. Space is limited and reservations are required. Contact the refuge staff to reserve your spot on this interesting tour at (979) 234-3021, ext. 221 or 223. Learn more http://cechouston.org/.
  6. Techs & Trainers. Recycle your computer AND help to provide meaningful employment for people with mental illness or disabilities. Using computers donated by individuals and local businesses, the Techs & Trainers recycling program makes good use of computer parts that were destined for the landfill, preventing e-waste before it starts. They repair, recycle, and refurbish computers and provide technological skills and computers to the unemployed and people with disabilities. Techs & Trainers is located at 5933 Bellaire Blvd., #111. Visit http://www.techsandtrainers.org/ to learn more.
  7. Houston Re-Market. The Houston Re-Market is an innovative market whose goal is to foster responsible consumerism. The market features approximately 10+ vendors who use recycled and reused materials and other sustainable practices in their craft. In addition there are garage sales, a free swap (bring gently used, unwanted items and taking something new home), recycling drop off (plastics 1-5 & 7, aluminum, tin, glass, paper, and cardboard), live music and entertainment, and food. Shop, swap, recycle, and chill every 4th Saturday! The next Re-Market is on December 22nd at 4302 Harrisburg. More at http://www.houstonremarket.com/home.html.
  8. Whooper Help. Citizens can help the whoopers by reporting sightings and by preventing disturbance of cranes when they remain overnight at roosting and feeding locations. Sightings can be reported to whoopingcranes@tpwd.state.tx.us or 512-389-TXWW (8999). Observers are asked to note whether the cranes have colored leg bands. Volunteers interested in attending training sessions to become “Whooper Watchers” and helping to collect more detailed data should contact TPWD at whoopingcranes@tpwd.state.tx.us or 512-389-TXWW (8999). More info at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/whoopingcranes.
  9. 2013 Cohort of Kinship Conservation Fellows. The Kinship Foundation has opened applications for its 2013 cohort of Kinship Conservation Fellows. The goal of the annual program is to develop a community of leaders dedicated to collaborative approaches to environmental issues, with an emphasis on market-based principles. The month-long program supports mid-career practitioners seeking to effectively implement market-based mechanisms for conservation by honing their skills in leadership, communication, economics, and business and finance. The deadline for proposals is January 26th. More at http://foundationcenter.org/.
  10. 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:
    • Lion Country
    • Atlanta State Park
    • Hooked on the Coast
  11. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html. Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.
    • December 18: Green–Good.  Moderate afternoon winds and low incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.
    • December 19: Green–Good. Moderate to strong winds low incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • December 20: Green–Good. Moderate winds, cold temperatures, and low incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.