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January 4, 2017

Houston Environmental News Update January 4, 2017

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter.

Welcome to 2017!

As we look ahead to the rest of the year, we’d like to know what you are thinking about. Use this form to tell us!

CEC NOTES

CEC on Great Day Houston. CEC will be on Great Day Houston tomorrow. Watch it online, on TV, or LIVE! If you have some free time Thursday morning from 8-10, please stop by and be part of the audience. If you can join us, text or call Rachel (she gets up early) at 713-524-4232 for instructions.

2016wsfflogoFilm Festival January 25 & 26, 2017
Buy tickets at cecfilmfest2017.eventbrite.com! Tickets are now on sale for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour, on January 25 & 26, 2017! We’ll show 24 short films over two nights, including local films.

Help select local films
We will show two local films–one each night–but haven’t decided which films. Watch the choices on YouTube and tell us what you think using this survey. We’ll be choosing the films on Monday, so this weekend is the time to curl up on the couch with some popcorn and a warm blanket and watch 1 1/2 hours of short films about the environment–and tell us what you think.

Sponsor the Film Festival
We are still seeking sponsors for the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Download sponsorship information or contact rachel@cechouston.org.

Learn more about the event at cechouston.org, and check out our facebook page for the latest updates.

COALITION NOTES.

  1. Christmas Bird Counts. The 117th annual Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for December 14, 2016 to January 5, 2017. Organized by the National Audubon Society, this all-volunteer effort takes a snapshot of bird populations to monitor their status and distribution across the Western Hemisphere. The results are compiled into a database that is shared with federal, state, and private authorities. Past data can be viewed at the Audubon’s website. Counts are open to birders of all skill levels. Learn more about the plethora of locations and dates at houstonaudubon.com.
  2. Trees and Tees. Join Galveston Bay Foundation on Jan. 7, 2017, 9 am – 1 pm, at Turtle Bayou Nature Preserve. Help the Galveston community by planting a tree, and get a free T-shirt. Learn more at galvbay.org.
  3. Nurture Nature Series. Join Baytown Nature Centre on Jan. 7, 2017, 10 – 12 pm, for their first Nature Nurture Series for the year. This month’s topic will be on how to make your yard and land property winter friendly for any visiting wildlife. The Nature Nurture series is hosted on the first Saturday of every month. Visit baytown.org to learn more.
  4. HUG Talk – What to Plant Now w/Tommy Garcia of Finca Tres Robles.  Jan. 9, 2017, 6:30 pm. West Gray Community Center. In summer 2015, Tommy talked to us about getting started at Finca Tres Robles urban organic/permaculture farm & farmstand. It’s been another year & the farm is amazing! If you haven’t seen it lately, you need to!  Facebook.com/events
  5. Native & Prairie Plants for the Home (Post-Wild) Gardener. The next #TXplants Twitter Tuesday event of the Native Plant Society of Texas, Houston chapter, will be Jan. 10, 2017, 7-8 pm. Speakers will discuss how fully native landscapes can be created or where natives and non-natives may coexist. This one hour long online discussion and Q&A session will have two featured guests to lead the one hour discussion. They are:
    • Thomas Rainer – Horticultural futurist. Land architect. Urbanist. Gardener. Author. He writes, speaks and tweets about the role of plants in urban situations. Mr. Rainer is author of the book, Planting in a Post-Wild World
    • Jaime González – Houston-based Wildlife Conservationist and Educator. Serves as the Community Conservation Director for Katy Prairie Conservancy.

    Learn more at npsot.org.

  6. Take Action Now to Protect Galveston Bay. Send the Environmental Protection Agency your support of their proposed plan to remove contaminated waste from the San Jacinto River Waste Pits. The EPA will base their final decision based on the comments received. Please submit your final comments by midnight Jan. 11, 2017. Visit galvbay.org for instructions on how to submit your comments.
  7. Superbowl Tree Planting. Willow Waterhole and Trees for Houston have received donated tree saplings and supplies from the NFL. All are invited to help plant on Jan. 14, 2017, 9 am – 12 pm. Wear outdoor clothing and close-toed shoes. RSVP to facebook.com/events. Email willowwaterhole@gmail.com with questions.
  8. 17th Annual Fruit Tree. Sale Urban Harvest will host their annual fruit tree sale on Jan. 14, 2017, 9 am – 1 pm at Rice University’s Greenbriar lot. Hundreds of varieties of fruit trees that are acclimated to Texas climate and soil will be available. Visit urbanharvest.org to learn more.
  9. Exploration Green Tree Planting. Exploration Green Conservancy has set the goal of planting more than 120 mature trees in their multi-purpose park. Volunteers needed! Tree plantings will be 8 am – noon, Jan. 12, 14, and 21, and Feb. 10, 11, and 18, 2017. Email jhamby@comcast.net with any questions. Volunteers must register at interland.3.net .
  10. Flooding and Storm Surge Symposium. Jan. 18, 2017, 5:30 – 7:30 pm. Houston-Galveston Council, American Institution of Architecture, and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Houston will partner with Houston City Council members David Robinson and Dave Martin. They will have a panel discuss the human and economic costs of flooding in the city of Houston. The event is free and open to the public. Online registration is open until Jan. 11, 2017. To register, visit aiahouston.org.
  11. Building This City. Join Blue Print Houston on Jan. 24, 2017, 6 pm – 8 pm, at The Silos at Sawyer Yards. Celebrate with Plan Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner, and former mayors Lee Brown and Annise Parker, at this exhibition event that will honor James E. Furr. Food provided by Houston restaurant Underbelly. Visit blueprinthouston.org to register or to see about sponsorship opportunities.
  12. Seed Cleaning Party. Join Houston Native Prairies Association on Jan. 25, 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavillion at Herman Park. Volunteers will clean and packet seeds, and learn about the plants native to Texas. Pizza provided. Please RSVP to shen.gcmn@gmail.com
  13. Additional Upcoming Events

COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Clear Creek Clean-ups. The 18th Annual Clear Creek Clean-Up, hosted by the Clear Creek Environmental Foundation, will be on Feb. 11, 2017. Between now and then, CCFC will be hosting weekly pre-cleanups starting Jan. 7 & 8, 2017. http://clearcreekcleanup.org/
  2. Earth2Trump Roadshow. Hosted by the Center for Biological Diversity, the roadshow is rallying and empowering defenders of civil rights and the environment to resist Trump’s dangerous agenda. Stopping in 16 cities on its way to Washington, D.C., it will bring thousands of people to protest at the presidential inauguration. The shows will feature national and local speakers, great musicians, and an opportunity to join a growing movement of resistance to all forms of oppression and all attacks on our environment. Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017, 7-9:30 p.m. Learn more and RSVP at biologicaldiversity.org.
  3. Electronics Recycling at Clear Lake. The City of Houston, together with CompuCycle, will be taking electronics for recycling on Jan. 14, 2017, 9 am – 3 pm. PCs, servers, keyboards, TV’s, routers, hair dryers are just a few of the items that can be accepted. Visit compucycle.net for location details and a list of all items accepted.
  4. Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council Approves 2016 Comprehensive Plan Update. The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (Council) held a public meeting on Friday, Dec.16, 2016. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, in his role as chair of the Council announced the approval of the Comprehensive Plan Update. This plan was unanimously adopted by the Council, which includes the five Gulf States (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas) and six federal agencies (U.S. Departments of the Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, and Homeland Security, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army). A recording of the meeting and additional information about both The Comprehensive Plan Update 2016 and the Response to Public Comments can be found on the Council’s website,  www.RestoreTheGulf.gov.
  5. 2017 NFWF GEBF Project Solicitation. The Texas Trustee agencies (GLO, TPWD and TCEQ) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are in the process of soliciting projects for the 2017 funding cycle from the Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund. During the next funding cycle (2017), there is approximately $37 million available for new projects in Texas. Learn more at www.restorethetexascoast.org. Deadlines begin on January 3, 2017.
  6. Sunday Evening Conversations on Creation. Christ the King Lutheran Church invites you to a web meeting Jan. 29, 2017 6 pm. Professor Melissa Anne Sutter from Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, will discuss the vital connections that exist between humans and micro-organisms. Please email gcs.lrc@gmail.com to join the web meeting.
  7. Texas Sea Grant Seeking Proposals. The proposals can come from investigators from ALL Texas universities and colleges. Non-profits, non-academic institutions,for profit organizations; state, local and Native American tribal governments are also eligible. Grant rewards will support outcome-oriented researchs that spans broad areas of natural, physical, social, behavioral, and economic sciences and engineering, will improve the understanding, wise use and stewardship of Texas’ coastal and marine resources. Proposals will aim to generate substantial social, economic, and environmental impacts in Texas. Funding priorities are now in development. Please complete the survey here. For more information on how to apply for the grant, visit texasgrant.org. Pre-proposal due date is Jan. 20, 2017. Full proposal due date is April 3, 2017. Award period is February 1, 2018 – January 31, 2020.
  8. EPA Water Progress Storymap. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched an interactive, multimedia storymap to highlight the progress made to protect America’s waters since 2009. The storymap is a snapshot of EPA’s ongoing efforts toward clean and reliable water.
  9. 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.
    • Bat noses
    • Involved Angler
    • Wildlife Watchdogs
  10. Additional Upcoming Events

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