Houston Environmental News Update June 22, 2016

This week is Pollinator Week! I’m sure that I don’t have to tell you that pollinating animals, including bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, and others, are vital to our delicate ecosystem, supporting terrestrial wildlife, providing healthy watershed, and more. Monarch butterflies are among the pollinators of special concern in Texas.

After several years of declining populations (from about one billion overwintering monarchs to only tens of millions), the monarch population in Mexico appeared to be rebounding somewhat earlier this year, until a late ice storm in Mexico decimated the population. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Texas “will play a critical role in conservation efforts” aimed at monarchs–and 30 additional native pollinators designated as “Species of Greatest Conservation Need.” As such, TPWD is one of many partners supporting the pollinator health strategy released by the White House to protect Bees, Monarchs, and other pollinators. The following CEC member organizations are among many other groups supporting the strategy:

• Native Plant Society of Texas, Houston Chapter
• Coastal Prairie Partnership
• Houston Arboretum & Nature Center
• Katy Prairie Conservancy
• Native Prairies Association of Texas
• Bayou Land Conservancy
• The Nature Conservancy
• Houston Parks & Recreation Department
• Houston Zoo & its Pollinator Palooza

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 Houston Bike Plan. The final bike plan draft was released in a City Council Committee! This is the start of the formal Bike Plan adoption process. The Bike Plan final draft incorporates thousands of public comments and identifies how to make bicycling in Houston easy and fun! Want to get involved? Email your Council Members. Learn more here: https://bikehouston.org.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Unplugged Adventure: Sunset Bike Ride. Bring out your bike for an evening range ride on the historic Warren Ranch on July 9, 2016, 6:30-8:30pm. This leisurely ride along ranch roads will be fun for all ages. As the sun goes down, watch the prairie come alive – you might even hear an owl or two! The cost is $5 per person. Register at www.katyprairie.org.
7. 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
8. 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 15, 2016 (9:30-10:45am) – Prairie Conservation Initiative
   • July 15, 2016 (1-2pm) – Bayou Greenways Initiative
   • July 15t, 2016 (2:30-4pm) – Galveston Bay Oyster Reef & Migratory Bird Initiative
   • July 19, 2016 (1-2:30pm) – Galveston Bay Habitat Acquisition & Easements Initiative
   • July 20, 2016 (2-3:30pm) – Headwaters to Baywaters Initiative
9. Book Release: The Texas Landscape Project. The Texas Landscape Project explores conservation and ecology in Texas by presenting a highly visual and deeply researched view of the widespread changes that have affected the state as its population and economy have boomed and as Texans have worked ever harder to safeguard its bountiful but limited natural resources. Covering the entire state, from Pineywoods bottomlands and Panhandle playas to Hill Country springs and Big Bend canyons, the project examines a host of familiar and not so familiar environmental issues. Learn more about the book: TexasLandscapeProject. There will be a reading at the Brazos Bookstore (2421 Bissonnet St) on July 18, 2016, at 7pm. Learn more at www.brazosbookstore.com.
10. 32nd Annual Mayor’s Proud Partner Awards – Call For Entries. It’s that time again! Keep Houston Beautiful is now accepting award applications for the 2016 Mayor’s Proud Partner Awards. Gather your organization’s leaders together and select that special project you would like to submit demonstrating your commitment to keeping Houston beautiful! ALL applications must be submitted online and are due no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, August 15, 2016. Apply at https://form.jotform.com.
11. Nominations Open–Terry Hershey Texas Women in Conservation Award. Audubon and the Texas Women in Conservation Award Program Steering Committee are now seeking nominations of women conservationists who, like Terry Hershey, have shown leadership, innovation, and passion for the landscapes and wildlife of the Lone Star State. Nominations can be submitted by email or mail by the addresses below and will be accepted now through August 19, 2016. To learn more, visit http://tx.audubon.org/conservation/terry-hershey-award.
12. 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.
13. Save the Date:
    • Educators Night Out (August 9th and 11th at the Houston Zoo): www.houstonzoo.org

COMMUNITY NOTES

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Halliburton Hometown Heroes. Through the Halliburton Hometown Hero Program, members of the greater Houston community are invited to nominate a local charity that is going above and beyond to make our community a better place to live and work. The deadline to submit a nomination is Monday, June 27, 2016. The three local charities receiving the most nominations will each receive a $5,000 donation from Halliburton. Each of the 10 local charities receiving the most nominations will receive tickets to one home game during the 2016 season, as well as air time on the Houston Texans Radio program on SportsRadio 610 to promote the charity on the week leading up to and on the day of the game. To nominate a charity, visit www.houstontexans.com.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
   • Surfing the Sands of Monahans
   • The Volunteer Family
   • Fishing Hall of Fame 2015: Mark Stevenson
   • Producer’s Favorites: Forgotten Borderland