Houston Environmental News Update April 6, 2016

Not only is Earth Month in full swing, today is National Walking Day, and National Volunteer Week starts on Sunday. We’ll be highlighting volunteer and earth month events in the next two newsletters, so please send information to news@cechouston.org.

Speaking of volunteering…

Do you love our newsletter? Are you committed to connecting our environmental community? Do you want to make a big difference for a small nonprofit? Do you want to save the world? If so, you might want to consider joining the board of directors of the CEC. We are currently soliciting applications for new board members. In addition to a passion for the environment, we are looking for great people with experience and skills in the following areas:

• Leadership
• Law
• Finance & accounting
• Strategic planning
• Marketing & communications
• Human resource management
• Sales
• Fundraising and grantwriting
• Nonprofit administration
• Publications
• Event management
• Storytelling
• Social media
• Education
• Change management
• Networking

If you would like to learn more about board service with the CEC, please contact rachel@cechouston.org for information about the application process and a job description.

Read on for this week’s news.

CEC NOTES

• Earth Day 2016: A Different Type of Celebration–The Story of Stuff Exchange and Social
  CEC is excited to partner with Green Building Resource Center, Air Alliance Houston, Texas Campaign for the Environment, Transition Houston, and USGBC Houston to support this great event. We’re saving up styrofoam for the densifier and are carefully choosing our item for the stuff exchange–so please join us!You’ve thought about how much stuff we use and dispose of in our daily lives – how about trading something you have but don’t want, for something someone else has that you might like? This Earth Month, bring something gently used, or maybe even still in the gift box that you knew you didn’t want, to trade with someone else. All leftovers will go to a charity. (Please, no broken or offensive stuff, or old electronics that ought to be recycled). There will be an interview booth going to make a video. This exchange will be held on April 13, 2016, 6-8pm at the Green Building Resource Center. Cost of Entry: Just bring an item, and a piece(s) of clean Styrofoam to be densified to be recycled, as the Densifier will be running again on the Deck!  There will also be light bites and beverages, and check out the Story of Stuff Display! Register online or call 832-394-9050 prior to the event. www.greenhoustontx.gov
  
• Support CEC & EarthShare at HEB! Throughout the month of April and into the first week of May, look for the EarthShare of Texas display and tear-off coupons at the check-out stands in any Texas H-E-B and Central Market stores. As a member of EarthShare of Texas , CEC (and several of CEC member organizations, including Galveston Bay Foundation, HARC, Air Alliance Houston, Bayou Preservation Association, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Environmental Defense Fund, Katy Prairie Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy in Texas, Texas Sierra Club, SPARK School Park Program, and Texas Campaign for the Environment) will definitely benefit from these funds!
• New Subscribers Thank you to our new subscribers: Dina, Chelsea, Michelle, Georgia, Judith, Lisa, Teri, Gregory, Dawn Ella, and Mara. We hope you enjoy our emails. Please consider liking us on facebook. Maybe you’ll be our 100th like!

COALITION NOTES

1. Earth Month at OKRA Charity Saloon. Good grief! OKRA Charity Saloon sure has made it difficult to vote for a charity this month. All four featured charities are CEC member groups: Katy Prairie Conservancy, Houston Parks Board,  Keep Houston Beautiful, and Friends of Mandell Park. The good news? Any winner for Earth Month is a win for our environmental community, so eat, drink, and be merry.
2. 4th Annual Sustainable Landscape Conference: Utilizing Trees to Transform the Houston Landscape. Discover ways to bring tree-lined streets and leafy greenery back to our cities during this one-day conference featuring local experts. The conference will be held on April 8, 2016, 8am-3:45pm at the Big Stone Lodge at Dennis Johnston Park. While trees add natural beauty and shelter from the sun as well as reduce heat, buffer noise, and offset pollution, many cities weren’t built with trees in mind. Urban environments pose numerous challenges that plague trees including intense heat, soil compaction, restrictive root runs, wind tunnels, air pollution, and chemical contamination. Trees also compete for space with overhead and underground utilities, pedestrians, and vehicles. Despite these obstacles, it’s possible to transform our cities into leafy oases by choosing the proper planting site and following careful planting and maintenance techniques. Anyone interested in learning how to help trees thrive in Houston’s extreme municipal climate is invited to attend. Professional attendees qualify for a total of six CEU credits, approved by LA CESTM. http://themercersociety.org
3. Rain Barrel Workshop. The next GBF Rain Barrel Workshop will be held on April 9, 2016, 9:30-11:30am at the McGuire Dent Recreation Center in Galveston. Rain barrels are an efficient, low-cost, low-maintenance method for collecting rainwater. They are placed at downspouts (or downpours from your roof) in order to reduce runoff into storm drains, and can be used for watering a garden or houseplants, along with many others. The cost of the workshop is $35 (1 barrel + 1 kit, includes admission to the workshop). Register at http://galvbay.org.
4. Second Saturday and Solarize Houston. Join Rooftop Solar Workshop with Solarize Houston on April 9, 2016, from 10:30am-noon at the Green Building Resource Center, to learn about owning a solar system at your home or business. The workshop will cover much of what you need to know to decide if you are ready to go solar, including costs, system sizing, energy usage, roof condition, net metering, etc. It will also cover how you can participate at no cost in Solarize Houston’s group purchase of individual systems. Steve Krebs will describe Solarize Houston’s plan to drive down the cost of solar ownership for Houstonians this summer. http://solarize-houston.org
5. Nourish: An Architecture Tour of Houses and Edible Gardens. From April 9-10, 2016, 1-6pm, the Rice Design Alliance (RDA) will present NOURISH: An Architecture Tour of Houses and Edible Gardens, showcasing six houses in Houston that demonstrate a commitment to design and a renewed passion for a habit of dwelling that feeds the spirit and the body. RSVP and ticket purchase is required to attend these events. Visit the RDA website for more information. This year, tickets start at $35, which includes an eMembership; it provides a year of free digital communications from RDA about other programs and publications. Current RDA members can purchase up to two tickets at the discounted rate of $25. Students with ID can purchase tickets for $15. If you’re on Facebook, join the Nourish tour event and share it with friends!
6. CWI: Stormwater Management Approaches from the Region’s MS4 Programs. The next CWI workshop will be held on April 13, 2016, 1:30-3:30pm at the H-GAC offices. Houston-Galveston Area Council offices. The topic will be Stormwater Management Approaches from the Region’s MS4 Programs. Speakers from around the region will discuss challenges and what’s working, as well as answer audience questions. Register at http://events.r20.constantcontact.com.
7. Earth Day 2016: A Different Type of Celebration. The Story of Stuff Exchange and Social: You’ve thought about how much stuff we use and dispose of in our daily lives – how about trading something you have but don’t want, for something someone else has that you might like? This Earth Month, bring something gently used, or maybe even still in the gift box that you knew you didn’t want, to trade with someone else. All leftovers will go to a charity. (Please, no broken or offensive stuff, or old electronics that ought to be recycled). There will be an interview booth going to make a video. This exchange will be held on April 13, 2016, 6-8pm at the Green Building Resource Center. Cost of Entry: Just bring an item, and a piece(s) of clean Styrofoam to be densified to be recycled, as the Densifier will be running again on the Deck!  There will also be light bites and beverages, and check out the Story of Stuff Display! Register online or call 832-394-9050 prior to the event. www.greenhoustontx.gov
8. GBF’s 2016 Annual Meeting. GBF’s annual meeting will be held on April 13, 2016, 6:30-8:30pm at the Children’s Museum of Houston. Come hear a panel of experts talk about how BP Oil Spill funds are being used to create a better Bay! RSVP at galvbay.org.
9. 14th Anniversary Galveston FeatherFest & Nature PhotoFest. The 14th Anniversary Galveston FeatherFest & Nature PhotoFest will be held April 14-17, 2016, in Galveston. If you’re a serious or casual bird-watcher or nature photographer…..an experienced or new outdoor enthusiast…..or someone who wants some exercise, fresh air and sunshine and something different to do…..you’ll want to come out to FeatherFest. There’s no need to be shy – the majority of our guests are not birding or nature photography experts! Thousands of birds take wing to our island each spring during an arduous northward migration across the Gulf from Central and South America. And hundreds of tourists and neighbors follow suit to see more than 200 species of brightly-colored birds strut their stuff around our hometown – a prime location along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail. If you’ve attended FeatherFest before, you know it’s a fun four days of excellent birding and nature photography workshops and adventurous field trips, topped off with delightful evening social events. There’s also an opportunity to meet and mingle with some of the top naturalists in the country. The festival headquarters is on one of Galveston’s major thoroughfares on the campus of UTMB’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) in the Island Community Center at 4700 Broadway. www.galvestonfeatherfest.com
10. Talbots & Urban Harvest Give and Get Event. Give back to Urban Harvest – Get Talbots latest Spring styles! Talbots and Urban Harvest invite you to an evening of shopping for modern classic Spring styles. On April 14, shop from 4-6pm at Talbots (2028 W Gray St, Houston). 10% of pre-tax sales will be donated to Urban Harvest. Refreshments will be served. Learn more at www.facebook.com.
11. Earth Day Houston 2016. Earth Day Houston, developed by Air Alliance Houston, is the Houston area’s premier celebration of our planet. The FREE one-day celebration focuses on the merits of mindful, sustainable living while educating and encouraging Houstonians to do their part to preserve, conserve, and enhance our city and the Earth. Earth Day Houston showcases more than 100 green exhibitors, each educating visitors on how they can make Houston greener. Planned activities include eco-focused zones featuring interactive environmental awareness activities highlighting land, air, water, sustainability, healthy living, and wildlife. The event also includes a Local Fare Market and Eco Artist Village in support of local products. A kid’s stage provides family entertainment, in addition to children’s activities scattered throughout the festival. The live music stage showcases some of Houston’s best local talent. Come out to Sam Houston Park on April 16, 2016, 11am-5pm for this great event! Proceeds benefit Air Alliance Houston, a local non-profit dedicated to reducing air pollution and improving public health in the Houston region.
12. HANC Earth Day Celebration. Come enjoy the outdoors at HANC’s annual Earth Day Celebration! Enjoy Earth-conscious activities like guided nature hikes, crafts made from recycled materials, face painting, and Citizen Science projects that let you be a biologist for a day. Remember to bring all of you plastic flower pots and plant trays to the Arboretum for recycling. This celebration will be held on April 23, 2016, 10am-2pm. Free to attend! All ages welcome. http://houstonarboretum.org
13. Pearland Earth Day. Keep Pearland Beautiful and the City of Pearland Parks and Recreation Department are partnering to host Keep Pearland Beautiful’s Twentieth Annual Earth Day Celebration. The fair is scheduled for April 23, 2016, from 10am-2pm behind the Pearland Recreation Center (4141 Bailey Rd., Pearland, Texas 77584). There is no admission charge to attend this event and all of the family friendly activities at this event are free to the attendees. This year’s event will include educational booths, games, food trucks, a petting zoo, and entertainment. Businesses and organizations are encouraged to target their environmental messaging towards children and their families. Each booth or activity must have an environmental theme that fits into KPB’s mission to empower Pearland Citizens to take responsibility for their environment or our vision to make Pearland the cleanest most beautiful city in Texas. (This is an outdoor event) If you are interested in hosting a BOOTH, or an ACTIVITY contact Lenora Tollefson at ltollefson@mykpb. http://pearlandconnection.net
14. Earth Bash Day at the Children’s Museum. For 45 years, Earth Day has inspired awareness and appreciation for the environment. Spring into action and celebrate the wonders of the world during the Children’s Museum of Houston’s Earth Day Bash. Explore nature’s creations, discover ways to make a difference, and practice protecting the planet we call home! This celebration will be held on April 23, 2016, at 10am.
15. Save the Date! Willow Waterhole 2016 Music Fest. Come out to Willow Waterhole Park from April 23-24, 2016, for the 2016 Music Fest! Enjoy two days of free live music in a relaxing setting. Learn more at www.facebook.com.
16. Walk for The Woods Project 2016. Come out and walk on April 23, 2016, at Neighborhood Centers Inc.’s Ripley House. This scenic walking tour features Houston’s East End neighborhood and the beautiful Buffalo Bayou. This year features a new route with exciting new History Stops! The fun starts at 8 AM with breakfast tacos from El Tiempo Cantina and Zumba to get you warmed up. When you register to Walk, you are supporting TWP program and the students. With your help TWP can continue to offer transformative experiences to Houston high school students. This year, more than 175 students will participate in the intensive, two-week summer experience and over 600 students will participate in year-round programming. Learn more and register at https://secure.qgiv.com.
17. Saving Wildlife Expo at the Houston Zoo. The Houston Zoo is partnering with the Wildlife Conservation Network to host an all-day conservation event at the Zoo on April 23, 2016, 9am-4pm. Five conservation leaders will speak about how they are working to save cotton-top tamarin monkeys, okapi, zebra, pygmy elephants and lemurs at this full-day event. The cost is $35 for members and $45 for non-members. www.houstonzoo.org
18. Houston Solar Tour 2016. Are you curious about how solar systems work? Learn about solar system designs, the costs and how a solar energy system will reduce your electricity bill. Come to the ASES Houston Solar Tour for a first-hand experience showing a variety of solar solutions. From commercial installations and residential projects to solar thermal hot water, don’t miss out on this opportunity to see renewable energy solutions. Meet homeowners with solar systems, plus learn why solar energy systems are becoming more and more popular. This free, self-guided solar tour is open to the public and will showcase 5 residential and 1 commercial properties of their solar panel systems installed in the Bellaire area. The tour will be held on April 23, 2016, 9am-1pm. Learn more at www.houstonsolartour.com
19. Gulf Coast Green 2016. Gulf Coast Green 2016 Symposium and Green Product Showcase continues to bring like-minded green building professionals together to experience next-generation sustainable building solutions. Held this year at the new MATCH Center in midtown Houston, this one-day forum is designed to share cutting edge ideas in a creative context to inspire your inner muse. This year’s conference will explore how art and the principles of sustainable design can enrich the classic architectural qualities as described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius: firmitas, utilitas, and venustas, which roughly translate to durability, utility, and beauty. The symposium will take place April 28, 2016, at the Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH). https://aiahouston.org
20. Woodland Park Volunteer Day. Friends of Woodland Park and Bridgestone Americas (parent company of Firestone Complete Auto Care) are teaming up for a major park clean up event on April 24, 2016, 7am-noon at Woodland Park. During the last cleanup event with Bridgestone in 2012 volunteers pulled 484 tires out of Little White Oak Bayou and filled over 150 bags with other trash and debris! Refreshments, snacks, lunch, equipment and gloves will be provided. This is a great opportunity to meet neighbors and improve this treasure of a park. Sign up at www.friendsofwoodlandpark.org.
21. Volunteer Stewardship Workdays at the Coastal Heritage Preserve. Artist Boat has many volunteer opportunities in the upcoming months. In each volunteer workday, Artist Boat staff train volunteers in a specific land management task, like identifying and removing invasive fire ants from the Preserve, cutting and spraying invasive McCartney rose bushes, growing native prairie grasses in our outdoor nursery, or just how to identify native plants and animals at the Preserve. Each day is about four hours long, which includes a private, hour-long guided tour of the Preserve and free breakfast or lunch. Also, the first 50 volunteers who attend these workdays will receive a free four hour guided kayak adventure at the Preserve in April! Learn more and sign up at www.artistboat.org.
22. Public Comment Period for 2015-2018 TIP and the 2040 RTP. H-GAC is announcing the opening of a public comment period for Major Amendments to the 2015-2018 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), as well as a new transportation conformity determination for the 2015-2018 TIP and the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Proposed Major Amendments to the 2015-2018 TIP include the advancement of improvements to IH 45 South, IH 10 West, IH 610/IH 69 interchange, FM 1774 and Hempstead Road by the Texas Department of Transportation. The public comment period will run from March 16, 2016, through April 15, 2016, at 5pm. There will also be two public meetings on March 31, 2016 at the H-GAC offices. The first meeting will be held from noon-1pm, and the second meeting will be from 5:30-6:30pm. The public is encouraged to attend and provide comments to H‑GAC. Written comments may be submitted to Transportation Public Information, Houston-Galveston Area Council, P.O. Box 22777, Houston, TX 77227-2777, emailed to publiccomments@h-gac.com, or faxed to (713) 993-4508. Visit: www.h-gac.com for more information.
23. FotoFest’s Earth Day Celebration. FotoFest International’s in-school and community education program, Literacy Through Photography, will host FotoFun Family Day to engage youth and families in the community during the FotoFest 2016 Biennial of Photography and New Media Art. This free day of creative fun will take place April 17, 2016, from noon-4pm, in FotoFest’s Silver Street Studios exhibition space, located at 2000 Edwards Street, Houston, TX, 77007. Taking place just a few days before Earth Day, this festive event of art and learning will feature a full, diverse menu of activities enabling visitors of all ages to create original works of art while exploring their relationship to the natural world: visitors will make art from recyclables with FotoFest and The Texan French Alliance for the Arts; Writespace will host children’s book readings from authors inspired by the Earth; Edible Earth Resourceswill showcase edible gardening techniques, including how visitors can plant seeds of their own; the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition will have friendly Texas animals for visitors to meet; other activity partners include Artist Boat, The Buffalo Bayou Partnership, The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, The Houston Museum of Natural Science, The Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees (PAIR Houston), and Young Audiences of Houston. Along with these exciting activities, visitors may enjoy free refreshments, dance to the tunes of a live DJ, meet amazing giant puppets created by Puppet Pizzazz, and explore the photographic art of the FotoFest 2016 Biennial. www.literacythroughphotography.org
24. World Oceans Day Festival – Art Contest. Get ready for World Oceans Day by preparing your own creative masterpiece utilizing marine debris to be displayed at Galveston’s first World Oceans Day! This contest is open to ocean-lovers of all ages! The art pieces must be  submitted between May 30 and June 3, 2016, from 8am-5pm at the Artist Boat Office. Then save the date for the World Oceans Day Festival on Stewart Beach on June 8, 2016, 4-7pm. The World Oceans Day Festival features something for ocean-lovers of all ages! Local, regional, and national organizations will host interactive activities to highlight how we are all connected to the ocean. Spend an evening on the beach and celebrate the Ocean with the rest of the world! Learn more at www.artistboat.org.
25. Family Adventure to Yellowstone with the Houston Zoo. Join the Houston Zoo on the next adventure through Yellowstone to enjoy hiking, wildlife, and the opportunity to contribute to citizen science projects dedicated to saving animals. Don’t miss your chance to experience an adventure of a lifetime with your family. The trip will be from July 6-11, 2016. The cost is $1,995 for 1st family member, $1,349 for each subsequent family member (cost does not include airfare into Jackson Hole, Wyoming). Reserve your spot now at www.houstonzoo.org.
26. The Ecosystem Services Primer: A Primer for Problem-solving Using Ecosystem Services. Based on a Policy Paper by Houston Wilderness Entitled: Looking Beyond Ecosystem Functions to the Value of Ecosystem Services, this Primer extends research on ecosystem services and details various structured valuation methods for the Greater Houston Region. It is useful to policymakers and stakeholders engaged in designing large-scale infrastructure, conservation, or land-use solutions. The Primer also offers a means of accounting by which business leaders and other private stakeholders may value their natural capital and its potential for improvement. This Primer assesses the importance of integrating the value and benefits of ecosystem services into mainstream policy decision-making, providing policy makers with more tools to make mutually beneficial decisions regarding the region’s most pressing economic and environmental issues and recommend ways to accomplish these goals. Learn more at http://houstonwilderness.org.
27. Bucket Brigade Interpretive Beach Tours. The Bucket Brigade is out on Galveston beaches providing FREE interpretive tours of the coastal and marine ecosystems! Tours last approximately 45 minutes and include hands-on exploration of questions such as “what is in out water”, “how is seaweed a good thing” and “how do I connect to the ocean” that is fun and educational for ocean-lovers of all ages! Tours are available at multiple Galveston beach locations, including Stewart and East Beaches, during the weekends in April and May and daily in the summer. Sign up for tours is on location. For more information on tour times and locations, please visit www.artistboat.org or call 409-770-0722. The Bucket Brigade is a program of Artist Boat and the Galveston Island Park Board of Trustees.

COMMUNITY NOTES

1. Public Lands Announcement with Mayor Sylvester Turner and Assistant Secretary Janice Schneider. Please join Assistant Secretary Janice Schneider, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and President and CEO of the YMCA of the Greater Houston Area Paul McEntire for an exciting announcement to further the Department of the Interior’s vision to increase connections to public lands and more than triple the number of volunteers who help care for America’s treasured landscapes. Following the announcement there will be a service project for those interested in participating. The announcement will be made on April 7, 2016, at 2pm at the Centennial Gardens, Hermann Park. RSVP at https://docs.google.com.
2. Environmental Education Local Grants. The purpose of the
   Environmental Education Local Grants Program is to support locally-focused environmental education projects that increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and provide the skills that participants in its funded projects need to make informed environmental decisions and take responsible actions toward the environment. Proposals are due by April 8, 2016. More at www.epa.gov.
3. Center for Health, Environment, & Justice – Small Grants. CHEJ has a Small Grants Program for local grassroots groups working on environmental health and justice issues. Grassroots communities of color, low-wealth, faith-based, rural and urban groups are encouraged to apply. This grant program will support projects that help groups move towards their goals by building leadership and/or the group’s capacity. These projects could include meetings to develop an organizing strategy plan, training events, educational activities or membership outreach. The grant awards will be up to $2,000 per group with annual budgets of no more than $50,000. The deadline for submitting the application is Friday April 8, 2016. Applications should be submitted to CHEJ at info@chej.org. If you have questions, call 703-237-2249 or email info@chej.org. http://org.salsalabs.com
4. Houston Bike Plan.The Houston Bike Plan team has released the Draft Houston Bike Plan to receive community feedback. The Plan is a big part of the City’s efforts to help make Houston a safer, healthier, and more accessible bicycle-friendly city. The Plan sets out a Vision that by 2026, Houston will be a safer, more accessible, Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Community. To help accomplish this vision, the Plan recommends short-term opportunities to double City’s safe, comfortable bikeway network. The Bike Plan integrates with the ongoing Bayou Greenways project and identifies additional bike facilities to safely access these attractive bikeway corridors from more neighborhoods. With the Draft Houston Bike Plan complete, the City is seeking your feedback. Visit the website at HoustonBikePlan.org for more information about the draft Plan and to let the City know what you think. The public comment period closes April 11, 2016. The City will then modify the draft Plan based on the feedback received from the community.
5. The Colorado – Film Premiere. On April 12, 2016, Da Camera is presenting the world premiere of The Colorado. The Colorado is a feature documentary that is both narrated and sung, a live performance, and a comprehensive educational resource. It explores the Colorado River Basin from a holistic perspective and places the ecological predicaments of the region in a rich social and historical context. Learn more at www.projectcolorado.com.
6. Catching the Sun. Come out to Studio Movie Grill City Centre on April 20, 2016, at 7pm for a screening of Catching the Sun. Through the stories of workers and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and China, Catching the Sun is a feature length documentary that explores the global race to a clean energy future. Catching the Sun follows the hope and heartbreak of unemployed American workers seeking jobs in the solar industry and sheds light on the path to an economically and environmentally sustainable future. Through personal stories that illuminate the universal theme of hope for a better life, and set against the struggle to build a ‘green economy’, Catching the Sun will engage new audiences in solutions to climate change and income inequality. Purchase tickets at https://tugg.com.
7. Geology Lessons on the Bayou. Want to learn about the geology and natural history of Buffalo Bayou? Save Buffalo Bayou is partnering with professional geologist Tom Helm, who also happens to be an outstanding naturalist and river guide, to offer floating classes on the geology of our 18,000-year-old mother bayou. Paddle with Tom on a two-hour canoe trip down Buffalo Bayou and see some of our Pleistocene natural history right here in the middle of Houston. Learn all about the formation of the bluffs and sandstone rocks during the last ice age. See examples of depositional environments and fluvial processes. Find out why the banks are sandy and how sand moves downstream, why the river looks the way it does, and much more. The classes start at the Woodway boat launch in Memorial Park and float past the park and the Hogg Bird Sanctuary, through the historic natural area targeted for destruction by the Harris County Flood Control District. Multiple stops will be made along the way to examine features of interest. The schedule depends on class size. One to four persons can be scheduled any day of the week, usually with no more than 48 hours’ notice. Groups larger than four persons (up to 30 persons maximum) are accepted only on weekends. These larger weekend groups need to schedule at least one month in advance. Cost is $50 per person, which includes canoe and equipment, and light refreshments at the end. Discounts are available for academic faculty and students. Read more at www.savebuffalobayou.org.
8. Marsh Volunteers. Volunteers are needed in order to better understand the ecology of the salt marsh. There are two ways to get involved. The first way is to assist in the “Image Matching Game” where people are needed to help align thousands of overlapping photographs of a salt marsh. The website is http://129.7.249.177:85/index/signin. The second way to get involved is to help identify the plant and animal species present in the photographs. This helps provide detailed information that is needed to understand the distribution of each species. Help out at http://marshexplorer.cs.uh.edu.
9. SSPEED Center Conference. Save the date for the upcoming SSPEED Center Conference which will be held April 26-27, 2016, at Rice University. The topic is Avoiding Disaster Conference: How to Reduce Impacts from the Next Big Storm. The first day will be devoted to hurricane modeling, damage assessment and various proposed protection structures, and the second day will be about buying and selling ecological services and primarily about carbon transactions, something we have not talked about very much here in Houston. Registration for both days is $125, whereas registration for a single day is $75. Find out more at http://sspeed.rice.edu.
10. 11th National Prescription Drug Take Back Event. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will host its 11th National Prescription Drug Take Back event in communities across the country this month. As part of this nationwide program, from 10am-2pm on April 30, 2016, residents are invited to bring their expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs to various sites around the region. Find a site near you: www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov.
11. Mining The HMNS: An Investigation by The Natural History Museum. Is the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences a museum, or a PR front for the fossil fuel industry? This is the central question of “Mining the HMNS”, an exhibition by The Natural History Museum that interrogates the symbiotic relationship between the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences and its corporate sponsors. The exhibition excavates key narratives and displays in the Houston museum, and highlights the voices and stories that are excluded–those of the low-income predominantly Latino and African-American fence-line communities along the Houston Ship Channel. In partnership with T.E.J.A.S. (Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services), The Natural History Museum will co-host monthly “Toxic Tours” of East Houston’s petrochemical plants and refineries, and conduct extensive air quality monitoring tests in collaboration with scientists from Texas State University. Situated at the confluence of scientific research, environmental justice, and critical museum practice, the exhibition aims to model the museum of the future–one that works to mobilize a collective response to the challenges of the Anthropocene. This exhibit at the Project Row Houses (2521 Holman Street) will be on display from March 26, 2016 until June 19, 2016. There will also be Toxic Tours that will be held on the first Saturday of the month (May 7 and June 4) from 10am-12:30pm. Learn more at www.facebook.com.
12. Additional Dates of Note.
    • 4/15/16 (deadline): Restore the Texas Coast Grant Applications
13. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on municipal access cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, Seabrook, Sugar Land, and on HCC TV. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). For a preview, visit TPWD’s YouTube Page.
    • Texas Water Safari, A Race to Remember
    • Settled In at Old Settlers