Houston Environmental News Update December 6, 2017

The Citizens’ Environmental Coalition is the vital link connecting the environmental community of Houston. And our concerted efforts to improve the quality of life in this vast region get their inspiration from one very important source: Houston Environmental News Update.

Read each week by friends like you, our indispensable newsletter shares the latest stories on the environment; job opportunities; event listings; and much more. In fact, for over 45 years, CEC’s newsletter has been the leading source of information for local environmentalists.

It’s also the best-kept secret in the Bayou City.

Houston Environmental News Update is currently read by almost 5,000 subscribers. We’d like to increase that number to 6,000 by New Year’s Day. But we can’t meet this ambitious goal without your help.

That’s why we’re asking you to send us the email addresses of five of your friends who might be interested in reading Houston Environmental News Update. We will only use these addresses to contact your friends about subscribing to the newsletter. Their emails will not be distributed to anyone else. That’s a CEC promise!We also hope you’ll renew your subscription to Houston Environmental News Update for 2018 by making an annual donation to the CEC of only $40.

With your donation, you will become an Individual Member of the CEC for 2018 and will receive these. great additional benefits:

• Our printed Environmental Resource Guide
• Discounts to the CEC’s major events–including the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour, Stump the Treehugger environmental trivia contest, and the Greater Houston Environmental Summit

Making your donation to the CEC is easy. You can donate securely through PayPal Giving Fund, at Network for Good (which makes it easy to set up recurring donations), on Facebook, or with a credit card at cechouston.org. As always, you may send a check (payable to Citizens’ Environmental Coalition) to PO Box 702, Houston, TX 77001. 

Thank you for subscribing, and for helping us grow our readership of Houston Environmental News Update. Dedicated members like you are the driving force behind the success of the CEC!

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CEC NOTES

Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour: Tickets now on sale!

Following our wildly successful 2017 showing, the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition is proud to bring the Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour, one of the largest environmental film festivals in North America, back to Houston for the fourth year for two nights: January 24 & 25, 2018!

COALITION & COMMUNITY NOTES

We have tried to confirm the events listed below, but not all organizations have updated their websites. Please consider confirming directly with the hosts.

1. Houston Zoo’s Educator Workshop: Making Science Meaningful with Project-Based Learning
   Wondering how to teach engaging scientific content and increase your students’ college and career readiness skills? In this workshop on Dec. 7, 2017, you will experience inspirational strategies for students to learn science content while building their 21st Century skills through a project-based learning lesson focused on wildlife found at the Houston Zoo. For more information and to register, visit houstonzoo.org.
2. Is Climate Change Making Us Sick?
   The University of Houston Law Center is presenting a joint symposium this Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017, at Andrews Kurth Kenyon LLP in downtown Houston. Admission is free; please consider attending. For more information and to RSVP, visit www.tmc.edu.
3. Texas City Prairie Preserve Volunteer Workdays
   Looking for a way to get your hands dirty and get back to nature? Become a Nature Conservancy volunteer! We’ve established a robust volunteer program at our Texas City Prairie Preserve, a 2,300-acre expanse of coastal prairie and marshland just south of Houston. Established in 1995, the preserve provides vital habitat for more than 280 different bird species. Its coastal grasslands also act as natural buffers during storms and hurricanes, absorbing and dispersing water from storm surges and floods, making Texas City Prairie a critical component of the Conservancy’s ongoing effort to restore and protect the Gulf Coast. Texas City Prairie Preserve hosts volunteers the second Friday of every month, and the next workday is Dec. 8, 2017. Volunteers of every background and ability level are welcome. Work days will include a variety of opportunities, from removing invasive species and harvesting native seeds to planting marsh grasses and tending the butterfly garden. For more information, visit www.nature.org.
4. The Early Bird Special at Sheldon Lake
   On Dec. 9, 2017, join the crew at Sheldon Lake State Park & Environmental Learning Center as they hit the prairie bright and early in search of some beautiful feathered friends. You will take a route normally closed to the public–an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the restored native prairie that is usually inaccessible. Registration is required and the spots are limited. Deadline for registration is Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, 12:00 pm. For more information or to register, contact (281) 456-2800 x230 or Jacob.Poinsett@tpwd.texas. gov. Find more info on Facebook.
5. Holiday with the Cranes–Almost sold out!
   For a unique holiday experience, spend a wonderful, winter weekend in Galveston celebrating the return of the island’s wintering Sandhill Cranes at Holiday with the Cranes, Dec. 9 – 10, 2017. The weekend is chock-full of indoor and outdoor nature activities combined with the ambience of historic Galveston Island. Learn more at Galvestonnaturetourism.org.
6. Canoe and Fishing with Trails as Parks (TAP)
   On Saturday, Dec. 9, 2017, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., join Precinct 4’s traveling naturalists and recreation team for a fun-filled day of canoeing and
   fishing in Marshall Lake at the Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve in northwest Harris County. All gear is provided and no experience is necessary. Family fun for all ages. For more information, visit www.hcp4.net/kmp.
7. White Oak Bayou Cleanup
   On Dec. 9, 2017, join White Oak Bayou Association for a clean up at Half Moon Bay. Have some breakfast, check out this special urban greenspace and its inhabitants, and help clean up their home for a few hours. For more information and to RSVP, Contact Tom Gall tomjgall2@gmail.com or call 765-426-174. more information at WhiteOakBayou.org., where you can view the flyer.
8. AIA Gingerbread Build-off
   Architecture Center Houston will host the 9th Annual Gingerbread Build-Off at City Hall’s Hermann Square Saturday Dec. 9, 2017. Competing teams will create their masterpieces using 100% edible materials. More than 4,500 spectators are expected to attend and cheer on the teams, play in the kids’ construction zone, and see Santa! All of that entertainment is free and open to the public. ollowing the Build-Off, winners and select competitors will be featured in a one week exhibition December 11-15, free and open to the public at the Central Branch of the Houston Public Library (500 McKinney St.)  Learn more at aiahouston.org.
9. Keep Pearland Beautiful’s Tour De Lites
   Keep Pearland Beautiful will be hosting its 24th Annual Tour de Lites Family Bicycle Ride on Saturday, December 9. The one and a half hour evening recreational ride begins at 7 p.m. at Shadycrest Elementary and goes through the Green Tee Subdivision to view the Christmas lights. Registration and check in for the ride ends at 6:30 p.m. There will be a hayride available for those who cannot ride a bicycle (limit 60) preregistration for the hayride is required. All proceeds from the ride go toward Hike & Bike Trails in Pearland. Learn more at keeppearlandbeautiful.org.
10. NOAA Planet Stewards Webinar: Not Just Talking Trash  
    The NOAA Planet Stewards Education Project is pleased to welcome Krista Stegemann, Communications and Education Specialist for NOAA’s Marine Debris Program as its featured speaker. Marine debris–trash in the ocean or Great Lakes–harms wildlife and their habitats, is a hazard to navigation, and impacts the economy and human health. This global issue comes from one source: people. Thankfully, that means that people have the power to solve this problem! Marine debris can be a difficult to talk about without starting to feel overwhelmed and hopeless. The secret to empowering people to become marine debris stewards is focusing on the hopeful side of the issue. On Dec. 11, 2017, learn more about the science of marine debris, how to talk about and connect to the problem of this issue, what resources are out there to help you, what we’re still learning about it, and how to get involved in the solution. Everyone can be part of addressing this problem, figuring out where to start is the first step. Register on gotowebinar.com.
11. Audubon Christmas Bird Counts
    The 118th annual Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for December 14, 2017, to January 5, 2018. 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. Counts are open to birders of all skill levels. Discover new areas to bird which may not be normally accessible and take advantage of this great opportunity to bird with some of our foremost birding experts. There is NO FEE to participate in Christmas Bird Counts. I encourage you to learn more about the counts–including a few dozen within a two hour drive of downtown Houston–at HoustonAudubon.org. (Rachel will be helping kick off the Central Houston count at Woodland Park near I-45 and I-10, and will be bringing hot donuts for those early birds not in search of worms.)
12. Urban Harvest seeks Volunteers for 1/13/18 Fruit Tree Sale
    Urban Harvest’s 18th Annual Fruit Tree Sale will be on Saturday Jan 13, 2018, at the Houston Community College West Loop Parking Lot, 5601 West Loop S, Houston, TX 77081, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm (or until sold out). Details are being added at urbanharvest.org/fruit-tree-sale. If you are interested in volunteering, fill out the volunteer form at urbanharvest.org/fts/volunteer. Volunteer manager Scott Howard will contact you about volunteer positions, responsibilities, date and time period(s) you want to work and who you will report to. Volunteers will also be given access to the pre-order website to select and order your personal fruit trees in advance of the sale.

Additional Upcoming Events

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