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August 30, 2017

Houston Environmental News Update August 30, 2017

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter, which includes a green job listing.

Greetings!

Our thoughts go out to everyone who has suffered as a result of hurricane Harvey. We are grateful to everyone who has been offering aid to those in need.
While the CEC office is essentially unscathed, the CEC is currently working reduced hours so that our volunteers and staff can either recover, or help others recover. If there is anything we can do, please don’t hesitate to reach out. VolunteerHouston.org and volunteermatch.org will be adding many opportunities to help in the wake of Harvey.
For now, we are sending a bare-bones newsletter. While some of the events listed in the newsletter may be held as scheduled, please be sure to confirm with hosts.
Please stay safe.

CEC NOTES

CEC soliciting film submissions

Please consider submitting a short film (under 7 minutes) for possible inclusion in CEC’s Greater Houston Environmental Film Contest on November 15, 2017. Winning entries will be shown at CEC’s showing of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour on January 24 & 25, 2018.

Interested in Joining CEC’s Board of Directors?
CEC is soliciting applications for its 2018 Board of Directors. We are looking for people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and help with our newsletter and website, events like the Film Festival and the Greater Houston Environmental Summit, fundraising, administration, and connecting our environmental community. It is arguably one of the best ways to learn about the amazing environmental work happening in the Houston region. To apply and learn more, please fill out our Volunteer Application online or send an email to rachel@cechouston.org, and we will follow up with you soon.

COALITION & COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Play Everywhere Challenge Grant
    Do you have a great idea for how to turn everyday places – like sidewalks, bus stops, plazas, and laundromats – into play spaces for kids across Houston? The Play Everywhere Challenge, powered by Target and KaBOOM!, will award a total of $720,000 in grants across Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Miami to turn these ideas into reality. Learn more about the Challenge here and be sure to submit your application.While the original deadline was Friday, September 1, 2017, the deadline is being extended until a date to be determined. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jonathan Grajeda (jgrajeda@kaboom.org), your Houston area outreach specialist.
  2. 2017 Gulf Star RFP
    The 2017 Gulf Star RFP and Application Form are now posted on the GOMA website here:  www. gulfofmexicoalliance.org.Deadline for submissions has been extended to September 15, 2017.
  3. EarthEd World Watch InstituteRethinking Education on a Changing Planet: Webinar
    The next webinar in Security and Sustainability Forum’s Closing the Environmental Literacy Gap series is hosted by the World Watch Institute and Island Press on Saturday, September 2, 2017. The webinar features contributors to WWI’s latest State of the World publication, “EarthEd – Rethinking Education on a Changing Planet“. Register and tune in at 12:15 PM for this informative webinar on environmental learning at all levels of development, from preschool to professional.
  4. Katy Prairie Tuesday Workdays @ Indiangrass Preserve's Native Seed Nursery | Waller | Texas | United StatesKaty Prairie Tuesday Workdays 
    Every Tuesday (upcoming September 5, 2017) from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, KPC Volunteers meet at the Indiangrass Preserve’s Native Seed Nursery to water, weed, and pot seedlings. These plants are used to help restore native prairies on KPC properties and in other locations. Occasionally Field Days are held at a different location – email info@katyprairie.org for more details.
  5. Central City Co-Op Farmer's Market @ Central City Co-Op (Inside Kindred Church) | Houston | Texas | United StatesCentral City Co-Op Farmer’s Market
    In September 2001, Jennifer Georgantas and Pat Greer dreamed of a community of people joining together each week around healthy, earth-friendly food. This dream became a reality 15 years ago with the founding of Central City Co-Op, Houston’s very first organic co-op. Shop with Central City in their open market weekly on Wednesdays (upcoming on September 6, 2017, from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM), or pre-order a share on their online store by 6:00 PM Sundays for Wednesday pickup.Their market is located inside Kindred Church at 2515 Waugh Drive, so come stop by, learn about their mission, or even volunteer.
  6. Image result for houston galveston area council logoOrganics Recovery Roundtable 
    The Houston-Galveston Area Council hosts quarterly Organics Recovery Roundtables to promote the recovery of food waste and other organic materials and provide a forum for discussion of challenges, possible solutions, successes, and new ideas within the H-GAC region. This quarter is being held Thursday, September 7, 2017, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons Lane Second floor, Conference Room A, so be sure to register and attend.
  7. Related imageUnderstanding your City’s Heat Island: Webinar
    How can you tell if your city is an urban heat island? Where are the “hot spots” and cooler areas within the city? Do vulnerable populations, such as older adults or low-income individuals, tend to live in warmer neighborhoods? More and more communities across the United States are asking these questions, and wondering how to answer them. This 90-minute webcast, hosted by EPA’s Heat Island Reduction Program on Thursday, September 7, 2017, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM, will explore approaches for conducting a heat island assessment, starting with overarching considerations to guide the study design and finishing with case studies of two cities that have used different methods to characterize their heat islands. Register to view this webinar or learn more on their registration page.
  8. Image result for EPA logoEPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics: Webinar 
    The EPA is also hosting another webinar to explain the process for gathering use and exposure information on five persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This webinar will take place on Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 1:00 PM. It will provide background on new requirements for regulating certain PBT chemicals and explain how interested parties can provide useful information to EPA on these chemicals. Be sure to register for this webinar to save your seat and participate in the follow up comments.
  9. NPSOT: Wildscapes Workshop and Native Plant Sale
    The Native Plant Society of Texas-Houston Chapter’s 2017 Wildscapes Workshop is a one-day, not-to-be-missed educational event and local native plant sale. This year’s 19th annual event on Saturday, September 9, 2017, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM will involve four featured speakers in an effort to provide up-to-date information on the relationship between native plants and our local wildlife and environment, and Houston’s prairie history, culture, and its future. There will be lots to do and learn, including exploring a historical and personal perspective of Houston’s native landscape and what can be done to save it, and even buying your own local native plants from the Wildscapes Workshop plant sale. This event is expected to sell out, so register now and save your spot for this incredibly informative and interactive workshop.
  10. urban harvest logoStarting a Community or School Garden Workshop 
    There are many reasons for starting a community garden: creating a strong sense of community and stewardship; developing a community’s identity and spirit; providing a space for communities to grow safe, nutritious food, and so much more. In this 4 hour comprehensive workshop, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM on Saturday, September 9, 2017, the presenters will take you through the process of building community, setting goals and exploring funding options, to the nuts and bolts of creating the garden and helping to ensure its sustainability. Morning snacks and drinks will be provided, but remember to bring your own sack lunch. Registration is from 8:30 to 8:45 AM with the workshop following soon after. The last portion of the class will include a tour of Plant It Forward Farm located near the campus. This workshop will take place at the University of St. Thomas; email info@urbanharvest.org for more information or help on registering.
  11. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife
    Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 p.m. 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.

    • Bobcat City: Our pets aren’t the only cats prowling around urban areas at night.  A study is shedding new light on how bobcats live among us, in the suburbs and edges of our cities, without conflict and almost completely without notice.
    • Parks & Wildlife People, Steve Schroeter: While not always glamorous, the supporting services behind the scenes at Texas Parks and Wildlife rely on the leadership skills of Steve Schroeter. Policy and procedures to support conservation are Steve’s passion.
    • Postcard from Texas: Coastal birds of Bolivar Flats, and a raucous rookery at Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary.
  12. Additional Upcoming Events

http://cechouston.org/category/green-jobs/Â