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June 15, 2016

Houston Environmental News Update June 15, 2016

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Happy Sea Turtle Week! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Program protects and conserves six species of sea turtles found in U.S. waters, ranging from the smallest (Kemp’s ridley) to the largest (leatherback). This photo above is of a loggerhead turtle that was visiting Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, which is a coral reef system off the Texas Coast. We chose this turtle to help celebrate Sea Turtle Week, but also to highlight the proposed expansion of the Sanctuary. The public comment period ends August 19, 2016, and local meetings will be held July 12 and 13, 2016, in Galveston and Houston, respectively.  (Image courtesy: NOAA Fisheries (Tom Moore) at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.)

CEC NOTES

  • Environmental Mid-Year-In-Review Survey

    Halfway through each year (and again at the end of the year), we like asking our readers to tell us what they might put on a top-ten list of the most important things impacting the environment in the Houston region this year.  Help us compile the list by making a suggestion (or more) on this online form. We’ll be sharing the results! Won’t it be fun to look back in 5 or 10 years? Here’s what we have so far:

    • The Tax Day Floods–and all of the subsequent floods along the Brazos River, San Jacinto River, and Cypress, Spring, Brays, and Greens Bayous, among others. (Multiple responses)
    • Texas Supreme Court Ruling regarding the City of Houston’s ability to enforce air quality laws.
    • City of Houston continued curbside recycling in spite of budget problems. At the same time they cut what they take eliminating glass from the bins.
    • Building out of the Bayou Greenways 2020 project, which is an initiative to create linear parkland and 80 miles of trails along nine major waterways in Houston.
    • Concerns regarding climate change, leaf blowers, illegal dumping.
  • CEC Open House & Anniversary.  Please plan to help CEC celebrate 45 years since its incorporation at an open house on Thursday, July 14, 2016.
  • Save the Date: Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour. Please mark you calendars for January 25 & 26, 2017, for two nights of inspiring short environmental films.

COALITION NOTES

  1. The Edible Academy: Cultivating the Outdoor Classroom Workshop. This six-hour workshop, held June 16, 2016, from 8am-3pm, will provide classroom teachers, parents and garden coordinators with hands-on experience that will help you use your Outdoor Classroom as an exciting educational tool. Explore lessons in gardening and culinary arts that support TEKS objectives in the core subjects, plus make learning memorable and tasty too! $50, lunch included. Six (6) CPEs. Limited to 25 participants maximum. NOTE: This workshop is for those with an existing school garden. Garden design and construction will be covered in the Starting a Community or School Garden workshop to be held on August 13. Underwritten in part by the Garden Club of Houston. For more information, view the Workshop Flyer (PDF).
  2. H-GAC Releases Low Impact Development Guide. The Houston-Galveston Area Council is pleased to announce the release of Designing for Impact: A Regional Guide to Low Impact Development. In conjunction with the release, H-GAC is hosting a DESIGNING FOR IMPACT: LID Mobile Workshop on June 16, 2016, 9am-3:30pm. Participants will tour 3 LID projects in the region: Birnamwood Drive, Queenston Manor Apartments, and City of Houston: Fire Station 90. Register here.
  3. Daylight Hour 2016. The Energy Capital of the World will continue its sustained commitment to becoming the Energy Conservation Capital by turning off non-essential lights Friday, June 17, 11am-noon. Daylight is an incredibly valuable but incredibly underused resource. If utilized to its full potential, it can help to cut energy use, electricity costs, and environmental footprint for people everywhere from municipal facilities to schools to high-powered businesses. To raise awareness about the benefits of harnessing daylight, the City of Houston encourages you to turn the lights out in honor of #DaylightHour. Learn more and sign up at www.greenhoustontx.gov.
  4. Land Stewardship Day. Exploration Green! will be hosting a Land Stewardship Workday on June 18, 2016, 9am-noon. Help out with a wetland planting. All ages are welcome, so bring the whole family! Learn more at http://galvbay.org.
  5. “Green Faith” Vegan Lunch. Many religious congregations in Houston have “green groups” of environmentally-minded members who are trying to walk the talk of earth stewardship and creation care. But how often do members of these groups get to meet and share their thoughts with similar groups from other congregations in Houston? Do you agree that it’s time for faith-based green groups in Houston to get to know each other better and begin to form a more cohesive community of concern around issues related to climate change and sustainability? Ministry for Earth at Emerson UU Church would like to help get the ball rolling with a free vegan lunch on June 18, 2016, at 12:30pm in the Westwood Hall activity building adjacent to the sanctuary at 1900 Bering Drive, about a mile west of the Galleria.
  6. Honey Moon. Everyone’s buzzing about the Arboretum’s Honey Moon which will be held on June 18, 2016. The June full moon is called the “Honey Moon,” named for the honey-based mead given to newlywed couples in ancient times. In honor of this tradition and the start of National Pollinator Week, HANC is holding a celebration of bees and honey. Come sample a variety of delicious Texas honeys (along with alcoholic beverages, snacks, and coffee) while you learn all about bees. After learning about these powerhouse pollinators, head out on a night hike under the nearly full Honey Moon. The cost is $30 for members and $45 nonmembers.  Learn more at http://houstonarboretum.org.
  7. The Power of Transit 2016 – Advancing Regional Coordination. Join Brazoria County Judge, Matt Sebesta, along with other community leaders and experts for a livestreamed panel discussion on the Regionally Coordinated Transportation Plan (RCTP). The theme of the discussion is “Focusing on Solutions.” The discussion will cover key regional transit issues and potential solutions. The event will be held on June 22, 2016, 10am-noon at the H-GAC offices. Learn more at www.h-gac.com.
  8. Food from the Context of Green Buildings. Food is processed and consumed in buildings – can they positively influence this vital activity? This panel discussion features five different viewpoints of the food chain and how to improve the status quo. Federico Marquez of Ruggles Green believes in the implementation of green restaurant behavior. Three of his restaurants are certified with the Green Restaurant Association. Pat Greer believes in zero waste in her catering business, and she composts her food that cannot be eaten.  Danny Wilson composts food waste inside Loop 610, and closes the loop for a few institutions here. And Barbara Bronstein and Jay Hamburger believe that leftover food needs to be directed to folks that need it, which is what they have been doing for quite a while. The discussion will be held on June 22, 2016, 6-8pm at the Green Building Resource Center. Register online: http://usgbctexasgulfcoast.org.
  9. Invasive Species Workshop. The Texas Coastal Watershed Program will be hosting Hans Landel, PhD, of the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center for a workshop on invasive plant species impacting regional prairie and wetlands. Dr. Landel will instruct invasive identification, management, and the use of the online tool Texasinvasives.org. The workshop will be held at TPWD’s regional office (14320 Garrett Rd) on June 25, 2016, from 9am-3pm. There will be both a classroom and field component to the workshop and lunch will not be provided. If you have any questions or would like to attend, contact Daniel Walton at dwalton2@tamu.edu. Seating will be limited so please RSVP.
  10. Full Circle 25: Celebrating 25 Years of Fighting Toward Zero Waste! Texas Campaign for the Environment is commemorating its 25th anniversary at a fun event in Houston called “Full Circle 25: Celebrating 25 Years of Fighting Toward Zero Waste.” The event will be held on June 25, 2016, at 2pm. Attendees will enjoy tasty food and locally-brewed beverages, a guided back-yard solar tour, and the opportunity to test drive and learn about hydrogen powered vehicles. Proceeds from this event will help Texas Campaign for the Environment purchase new campaign vehicles so the canvassing staff can continue to knock on doors all over the Houston region, and statewide! Tickets are $25. Learn more at www.texasenvironment.org
  11. Rain Barrel Workshop. Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) invites you to attend a Rain Barrel Workshop at the Seabrook Community House on June 25, 2016, from 9:30-11:30am. Rain barrels are an efficient, low-cost method for collecting rainwater. They are placed at downspouts in order to catch rain and reduce runoff from reaching storm drains. Accumulated rainwater can be used for watering a garden or houseplants, washing your car, your dog and more! Attendees at this workshop will learn the benefits of rain barrels and how to use them, as well as proper location and installation for the barrels. This workshop is part of GBF’s efforts to reduce stormwater pollution, conserve water, and keep Galveston Bay fishable and swimmable. Pre–registration is required. The cost is $35, which includes one rain barrel and kit, and admission to the workshop for two people. To register, visit www.galvbay.org/rainbarrel.  Contact Sarah Cunningham at scunningham@galvbay.org or 281-332-3381, extension 220 for more details. Space is limited, so register soon! Learn more and register at http://galvbay.org.
  12. Why Planting Native Matters: Six Reasons Why Native Butterfly/Bird Gardens Are Best. Jaime González (Community Conservation Director at Katy Prairie Conservancy) recently recorded a lecture to discuss six reasons why planting native plants, instead of exotic plants, is better for saving monarch butterflies, native bees, and birds and for creating a sense of place. Learn the benefits of native plants by watching Why Planting Native Matters.
  13. Summer Salons: Water, Water Everywhere. Center for Houston’s Future will be hosting a series of breakfast discussions throughout the summer, bringing big-picture thinkers and regional leaders together for a deep-dive into our community indicators and next steps. The discussions are part of the Summer Salons. The theme is “Water, Water Everywhere: Drinking, Rising, Surging.” The dates are listed below. Tickets are $25. Learn more and RSVP at www.futurehouston.com.
    • July 13 – Rising Water: Dealing with Floods
    • August 10 – Surging Water–Storm Surge Protection and Response
  14. Gulf-Houston RCP Meetings Summer 2016. The first ever Gulf-Houston Regional Conservation Plan (Gulf-Houston RCP) is a long-term collaborative of environmental, business and governmental entities working together to create a first-ever ecosystem continuity and connectivity plan for the Gulf-Houston Region. There will be multiple Gulf-Houston RCP meetings, held at the Houston Wilderness Conference Room (550 Westcott St) in July. RSVP to lindsey@houstonwilderness.org. Learn more at www.gulfhoustonrcp.org.
    • July 15th (9:30-10:45am) – Prairie Conservation Initiative
    • July 15th (1-2pm) – Bayou Greenways Initiative
    • July 15th (2:30-4pm) – Galveston Bay Oyster Reef & Migratory Bird Initiative
    • July 19th (1-2:30pm) – Galveston Bay Habitat Acquisition & Easements Initiative
    • July 20th (2-3:30pm) – Headwaters to Baywaters Initiative
  15. Community Outdoor Outreach Program. Artist Boat is pleased to announce that they received funding from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Community Outdoor Outreach Program (TPWD CO-OP) for the project titled: “Galveston County and State Park Community Prairie Restoration Outreach Program”. TPWD CO-OP grants help fund community-based youth and family outdoors-oriented programs and activities like camping, backpacking, kayaking and service projects. In the Galveston County and State Park Community Prairie Restoration Outreach Program, service-learning opportunities will be provided to 900 3rd-5th grade students from Galveston Island schools who are from predominately underserved (low income and minority) backgrounds at the Galveston Island State Park (GISP). Through this year-long project, students will become engaged in topics such as habitat loss, wildlife conservation, and ecosystem disruption on barrier islands such as Galveston through an in class Habitat Restoration Workshop, construction and maintenance of school nurseries where a total of 6,000 native prairie plants will be grown, and a Habitat Restoration Adventure, where students will plant the native prairie plants they grew at GISP.
 Read more: TPWD COOP Press Release May 2016.
  16. 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. Summer Solar PV Session. Stay cool this summer by learning more about the technical and policy aspects of solar energy systems. All sessions are FREE and will be conducted by a contractor who can translate the complex aspects of solar energy into plain English, understandable by all – no prior solar PV knowledge required! Training topics include: Solar for Local Governments, Financing Solar Energy Systems, Fire Inspector Training & Fire Code Compliance for Solar Energy Systems, and Solar PV for Real Estate Professionals. The Houston session will be held June 20-21, 2016. Find out more and register at http://gosolartexas.org.
  2. Solarize Houston. Solarize Houston is a grass roots, volunteer, non-profit group organizing Houstonians in a group purchase of solar panels and installation for residents and businesses in Houston. If you want a solar system before Halloween, enroll now! Enrollment ends June 21, 2016! For more information, visit https://solarize-houston.org.
  3. Dow Skimmer Day. This year Dow Texas Operations will hold their annual Skimmer Day on June 25, 2016, from 9am-noon. This free public event provides a rare opportunity to view one of the largest nesting colonies of Black Skimmers on the Texas Gulf Coast. Black Skimmers are considered colonial waterbirds because they nest in large colonies, usually on bay islands. These unique birds have a lower mandible longer than the upper which enables them to employ a unique feeding style. They feed by flying low over the water, opening their bills and skimming the water with their lower mandible to catch small fish. According to the colonial waterbird data, Black Skimmers pairs have declined on the Texas coast by 70% in the last 40 years so this colony at Dow is of increasing importance. Meet at the Dow A-41 gate located on FM 523 which is 1 mile south of the Hwy 332 and FM 523 intersections for shuttles to the site.
  4. Sunday Evening Conversations on Creation: Water Conservation. Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church invites you to a series of web meetings to talk about creation. The June meeting, the second in a series on practical creation care, will take place on June 26, 2016, at 6pm. Whitney Milberger-Laird, a water resource and horticulture consultant, will speak on Water Conservation. Whitney spent 10 years working in government as a natural resource specialist and conservationist and then moved to private sector consulting in 2013. After her presentation, there will be time for questions/discussion. If you would like to join this conversation, contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com to receive an invitation to the talk.
  5. Houston Area Solar Energy Program. Harvest Moon is building community solar farms in the Houston area for Houstonians looking to play an active role in transitioning away from big-utility fossil fuels toward a more local and sustainable energy infrastructure. For less than 12 cents per kWh (including CenterPoint delivery charges), customers get solar energy produced from Harvest Moon’s inaugural solar farm in Sealy, TX, via a comprehensive, transparent, and 100% renewable electricity plan with no term obligations or cancellation fees. Participation directly supports additional clean energy projects in the region that contribute to the  local economy and community.  Learn more and sign up at hmrenewable.com.
  6. Certified Arborist Test Prep Course. This course is designed to teach you arboriculture knowledge (the practice & study of the care of trees) and prepare you to take the ISA Certified Arborist Exam. All 16 chapters from the ISA Certification Study Guide will be covered in detail by professionals working in the field of arboriculture and urban forestry. The class will be held July 29 & 30 and August 5 & 6. Registration is $250. Learn more about the Certified Arborist Test Prep Course.
  7. 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.
    • Animal Tracking: Eye in the Sky
    • Lone Star Land Steward: Gore Family Farm
    • Producer’s Favorites: From Another Time