Environmental News Updates August 2, 2016

Last year, the City of Houston finished a multi-year initiative to provide curbside recycling to all households serviced by the Solid Waste Management Department. Earlier this year, the City of Houston renewed its recycling contract, but removed glass from the list of recyclables. It has now provided glass recycling centers, such as the one shown in the photo. However, Houston and the region have myriad opportunities to improve recycling and solid waste management.

Texas Campaign for the Environment contends that Houston, as the fourth largest city in the country and a global leader in energy and business, has enormous potential to set a positive example for other cities in environmental policy. Major cities around the world have “Zero Waste Plans” that establish detailed goals and strategies for expanding recycling to apartments and businesses, implementing composting programs for food and organic discards, reducing waste, education and community partnerships. Zero Waste conserves resources while creating jobs in sustainable industries like recycling, re-use and composting. If Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas can do it, we can do it in Houston too!

CEC NOTES

• Bike Thru Smoothie Opening. The CEC & coalition members Bike Houston, The Parks Board, and H-GAC invite you to join us Saturday, August 6,  for the grand opening festivities for Raspados Xperts, Houston’s first bike-thru smoothie shop. The event starts at 10 a.m. with games, giveaways, food trucks, music and of course, raspas.  Help design the center by painting on temporary bike lanes, bike racks, and other amenities you’d like to see.  White Oak Bayou Village is located on a northern stretch of the White Oak Bayou Greenway Trail system at 5647 W. Little York. There’s plenty of parking, but we hope you’ll take the trails! Other attendees include Mayor Sylvester Turner‘s Office, Councilwoman Brenda Stardig, TxDOT, Near Northwest Management District, Acres Homes Chamber of Commerce,   and shopping center tenant Nature & Eclectic Outdoors (NEO) Project. White Oak Bayou Village is the first shopping center courting hikers & bikers.  Plans are in the works to transform the center into a destination spot along the trails. It is part of a Near Northwest Management District Livable Centers Plan to  transform the region into a walkable, bikeable mixed-use corridor  linked to the heart of Houston by the trails and transit.  Learn more on the event’s facebook page.
• 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.
• Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour–Film Selection Viewings
  
  Please help CEC select films for inclusion in the January 2017 showing of the WSFF. We’ll have popcorn and other snacks and great company. Please RSVP to rachel@cechouston.org or on facebook. All viewings will be at the CEC office. Dates & Times:
  • Sunday, July 31, 2016, 6 pm
  • Tuesday, August 2, 2016, 6:30 pm
  • Friday, August 12, 2016, 4:30 pm
• Reliant Ecoshare. CEC is pleased to be a beneficiary in the  Reliant EcoShareProgram, a way that Texans can support the CEC and offset their own carbon production at the same time. Reliant and EarthShare of Texas have launched a program that allows Reliant customers to help reduce their carbon footprints through the purchase of carbon offsets. And for each customer-purchased offset, Reliant will make a contribution to EarthShare of Texas and its participating organizations, including CEC! For more information, visit the EcoShare webpage.
• Kroger Community Rewards Annual Renewal. Do you shop at Kroger? If so, did you know that your can link your Community Rewards card to the CEC? If you do, CEC will receive a portion of your purchase, with no direct cost to you! At  www.KrogerCommunityRewards.com,  you can link or re-link your card to the CEC using organization # 91091. You must re-enroll annually (starting August 1) to continue giving back to the community starting September 1. Do you use your phone number at the register? Call 800-576-4377 and select option 4 to get your Plus Card number. If you do not have a Kroger plus Card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger. Register online at www.KrogerCommunityRewards.com. Take a look at the bottom of your receipt; if you see CEC listed, then THANK YOU for supporting CEC.

COALITION NOTES

1. Katy Prairie Conservancy City Council Meeting Training. On July 14, 2016, more than a dozen supporters of the Katy Prairie Conservancy came to the City of Houston’s Planning Commission meeting to encourage the Commission to delete much of the one-mile grid of proposed roads through KPC’s Preserve System. Many of these routes were developed in the 1960s and are only changed as the land is developed. While this is good news, there’s more work to be done. The City Planning Commission will vote on whether or not to delete these proposed roads on August 11 and their recommendation will go to the Mayor and City Council sometime in September. KPC is asking concerned residents to RSVP for a meeting on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, at 6:00 pm at Katy Prairie Conservancy’s offices.At the meeting, you will learn how you can help advocate to the City in support of the prairie  Email mmaples@katyprairie.org for inquiries and to RSVP, or visit www.katyprairieconservancy.org for more information on the Save Our Prairies Campaign.
2. Mercer Botanic Gardens’ Student Research and Education Symposium. Mercer Botanic Gardens partners with colleges, universities, and high schools to find motivated students who wish to conduct botanic and mosquito abatement research at our facilities. This year, Mercer is proud to showcase the work of student partners acquired through Harris County Precinct 4’s Intern Program, the Lone Star College – Kingwood Biology Honors Program, Shell Nonprofit Internship Grant Program, and ExxonMobil Community Summer Jobs Program. Students and interns will present projects featuring education and interpretation of Mercer’s globally diverse botanical collections; propagation research for native milkweeds; propagation work for Mercer’s rare native plant conservation program; restoration of the Harris County Precinct 4 Prairie Dawn Preserve; and mosquito abatement research. Wednesday, August 3, 2016, from 5:30 p.m. (networking and refreshments ’til 6:00 pm; presentations until 8:00 pm) No RSVP is necessary to attend. All are welcome. For more information, call 713-274-4160.
3. Stormwater Wetland Program Volunteer Opportunity. The Texas Coastal Watershed Program holds weekly volunteer days for their stormwater wetland program, 9am-12pm. This Thursday, August 4, 2016, volunteers will help propagate plants in the wetland plant nursery at Exploration Green in Clear Lake City or at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory in Lake Jackson.  The stormwater wetland program is developing demonstration projects to show  how wetlands can be designed into flood control basins to clean contaminants from surface runoff,  protect our bayous and bays, and provide a refuge for wildlife. A schedule and more information is available by contacting Mcedwards@tamu.edu.
4. Road Warriors for Smarter Communities Festival. Enjoy music, food, and prizes on Thursday, August 4, 2016, at Hermann Square in downtown Houston from 11:30 am -1:30 pm. Learn commuting options, and how to try an alternative commute once a week. Learn more about H-GAC’s Commute Solution Program and the festival at findasmarterwaytowork org.
5. H-GAC Natural Resources Advisory Council. At this quarterly meeting on Thursday, August 4, 2016, from 1:30-3:30 at H-GAC, the NRAC will discuss a variety of topics, including an aquaponics presentation. This meeting will also serve as a public feedback opportunity for this year’s Water Quality Management Plan Update project. Staff will provide a presentation and take feedback. Comments will be accepted through 8/15/16. Learn more at www.h-gac.com.
6. Kingwood Recycling Collection The City of Houston Solid Waste Department and CompuCycle are providing monthly one day E-Recyclable collection events on August 6, 2016, from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, at the Kingwood Metro Park & Ride lot.  This is primarily for City of Houston residents, but CompuCycle says no one will be turned away. For a full list of items that can be recycled and more information, visit www.compucycle.net.
7. George Hermann’s 173rd Birthday Celebration. Join the Hermann Park Conservancy on Saturday, August 6, 2016, as they celebrate the 173rd birthday of the Park’s namesake. In honor of his 173rd birthday, children 12 and under can ride the Hermann Park Railroad for $1.73. Kids’ activities include arts and crafts, coloring, and complimentary face painting. Stop by Pinewood Cafe from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. to enjoy a free slice of birthday cake, while supplies last. Vanilla soft serve cups will also be discounted to $1.73. Visit www.hermannpark.org for more details of family activities for this celebration.
8. American Institute of Architects: Sustainable Merit Badge workshop.  American Institute Alliance is hosting a merit badge workshop on August 6, 2016 from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm,  at the Architecture Center for Houston,  315 Capitol Street, Houston TX 77002. This workshop is for boys and girls to learn about sustainable building and architecture in the city of Houston. The workshop is free of charge! Boy Scouts can use this workshop to earn their Architecture Merit Badge. For a full list of activities and to sign up, visit www.aiahouston.org. Email mat@aiahouston.org for more details on how to register.
9. Nurture Nature Series: Kayaking Paddling Orientation. On Saturday, August 6, 2016, James Graham of Southwest Paddle Sports presents a SmartState Kayak Paddling Orientation for 10:00 to noon. The course focuses on kayak and paddle selection, basic equiment, safety and etiquette, and beginning kayaking strokes. Depending on wind and water considtions, there may be an opportunity to learn how to get in and out of a kayak on the water! Information will be shared about local paddling trails and other classes available for safe and responsible kayaking. Different types of kayaks and gear will be displayed. All kayaking gear is provided, so attendees only need to wear close-toed shoes that can get wet and quick-dry clothing. Learn more at http://baytown.org.
10. Zero Waste Houston Meeting. If you want to start a recycling or composting business, change local policies and educate the masses about “Zero Waste,” come out to a coalition meeting and connect with likeminded individuals! Texas Campaign for the Environment will be hosting a meeting for folks interested in becoming involved in community efforts to help Houston follow the lead of other major cities around the country that have gotten serious about reducing waste and conserving resources while creating jobs in sustainable industries like recycling and commercial composting. The meeting will last from 4pm-5:30pm onMonday, August 8 at the First Unitarian Universalist Church located at 5200 Fannin St. For more information, contact Melanie Scruggs at melanie@texasenvironment.org and RSVP on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/events/226827757716834/
11. Educators Night Out: Plastics in the Environment. Come enjoy a night out at the Houston Zoo just for educators! This one of a kind evening will feature ambassador animals, new STEAM activities, a special keeper chat and much more. Each of the activities during this event will provide you with ways that you and your students can help save animals in the wild. Earn 3 CPE hours while enjoying a night out just for you. Light appetizers and drinks will be provided. There are two opportunities to attend: August 9 and 11, 2016, from 6-9pm. For more information visit www.houstonzoo.org.
12. 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 final Salon, on August 10, is “Surging Water–Storm Surge Protection and Response.” Tickets are $25. Learn more and RSVP at www.futurehouston.com.
13. Managing our Stormwater, From Gutter to Gator. Texas Coastal Watershed Program is putting on a workshop called “Managing our Stormwater, From Gutter to Gator” on August 12, 2016, 9am-12pm. Learn about natural techniques for cleansing and conserving stormwater for humans and wildlife, at any scale–backyard to urban/suburban/industrial to regional. Our bayous and bays are greatly impacted by the quality of the stormwater flowing into them, and now is a great time to start improving it with practices we can implement at home, work, or beyond. The workshop will be held in a beautiful setting–the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory’s new LEED-certified building in Lake Jackson, TX. There is no cost, but RSVPs are required. to register, go to http://tcwp.tamu.edu.
14. 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.
15. Improving Macrobenthic Invertebrate Communities through Stream Restoration. Houston Wilderness is holding a meeting and field demonstration on August 16, 2016, on Improving Macrobenthic Invertebrate Communities through Stream Restoration. This meeting will be a great opportunity to see a technique for creating macrobenthic invertebrate habitat in restored streams through the use of HabiTubes. The field demonstration will take place at 8:30am, with speaker Patrick Barber from Acer Environmental, assessing the performance of HabiTubes placed in a Buffalo Bayou tributary. Following the field demonstration, a round table meeting will be held in the Houston Wilderness conference room at 9:30am. Please RSVP to sarah@houstonwilderness.org if you plan on attending.
16. BLC hosts Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour. Bayou Land Conservancy is thrilled to be hosting the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour on Thursday, August 18, 2016, from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm at the Alamo Drafthouse in Vintage Park. Enjoy an evening of inspiring, entertaining, and thought-provoking short films from the largest environmental film festival in the U.S. For more information, email info@bayouland.org or visit www.bayoulandconservancy.org/wsff.
17. 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.
18. Swifts over Houston. Help the Audubon Society count local Chimney Swifts as part of their Swifts Over Houston program. You can join other birders at Pershing Middle School every Tuesday evening at dusk or check the website to find other count locations throughout Houston. Swift Night Out events will be hosted on August 26, September 9, and September 16, 2016. For more information on how to participate, visit www.houstonaudubon.org.
19. 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.
20. Texas A&M National Association of Environmental Professionals Career and Internship Expo. The annual NAEP Expo will be held at Texas A&M October 7, 2016. Environmental organizations are invited to host a table to network with environmental majors students.  Deadline for registration is September 1.

COMMUNITY NOTES

1. 28th Annual Environmental Superconference  Texas’s award-winning environmental conference, will be held on Thursday and Friday — August 4 and 5, 2016 — in Austin at the Four Seasons Hotel. There will be no walk-in registration.  Registration is online only – no on-site registration. Register at www.texanrls.org
2. From the EPA July 2016 Newsletter: Trash Free Trinity River Basin. The Trash Free Trinity River Basin will implement a new tool called “Adopt A Spot,” an interactive geographic information systems tool that maps out the Trinity Basin through the state of Texas, and pinpoint litter/aquiatic trash points in Texas counties. This will help environmental organizations and citizens to find points to adopt and foster for clean-up efforts. Check out the Texas State University’s Meadow’s Center Map for more information and to check out the interactive map.
3. 2016 Texas Environmental Leadership Awards. The Texas Environmental Leadership Awards recognize true stewards of environmental change in Texas – individuals, communities, organizations, and businesses developing and maintaining programs involving recycling, composting, sustainable materials management, public education and outreach, special event recycling – and so much more. Awards are a great way to get recognized for the hard work that you and your staff do every day to make Texas better! Applications are due August 5, 2016 by 5pm. Award winners will be honored at a special ceremony and dinner in San Antonio as part of the Texas Recycling Summit on the evening of Tuesday, October 18, 2016. Learn more at https://recyclingstar.formstack.com.
4. Texas Environmental Excellence Awards. The Texas Environmental Excellence Awards (TEEA) honor achievements in environmental preservation and protection. As the state's highest environmental honor, the Office of the Governor and commissioners from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recognize outstanding projects from nine diverse categories: agriculture, civic/community, education, individual, innovative operations/management, pollution prevention technical/technology, water conservation, and youth. You can apply online at teea.org/apply; this page also contains helpful information on how to write an effective application. If you would like an example of a winning application, send your request to awards@tceq.texas.gov and include one (or more) or the award categories. The last day you can submit is September 30, 2016. Apply at www.teea.org. Read more: TEEA.
5. Restoration Project Proposals. The Deepwater Horizon Texas Trustee Implementation Group (TIG) has announced the beginning of the next phase of Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) related restoration planning (see full announcement below). The Texas TIG is prioritizing current restoration planning efforts on restoration types that were not addressed previously by Early Restoration: 1) restore and conserve wetland, coastal, and nearshore habitats; 2) restore water quality through nutrient reduction (nonpoint source); and 3) replenish and protect oysters. The Texas TIG will also consider projects for engineering and design that focus on the three restoration types mentioned above. Despite the focus on these restoration categories, the Texas TIG will continue to consider any important opportunities for additional restoration and protection of avian resources and sea turtles. Project submittals for this round of restoration planning must be entered into the NOAA Natural Resource Damage Assessment website or the WWW.RESTORETHETEXASCOAST.ORG webpage project portals by August 31, 2016. All proposals received by that date will undergo review and consideration during the selection process.
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.
   • El Paso’s Owls
   • Three Kingfishers
   • Richland Creek Water