CEC NOTES

CEC Seeks Board & Committee Members

The CEC is currently recruiting volunteers to serve on our 2019 Board of Directors and on board committees (programs, publications, membership, governance, finance, and development). Our Governance Committee will be hosting informational open houses for potential board members July 31, September 24, and October 22, 2018. If you are interested, please send an email with your résumé to rachel@cechouston.org.

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.

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. Harris County Flood Control District Bond Program meetings
   Harris County will hold a bond election on August 25, 2018, for the Harris County Flood Control District. Registered voters will be asked to vote on August 25, 2018 (or early starting August 8) on up to $2.5 billion in bonds for flood risk reduction projects throughout the county. HCFCD is hosting a series of community engagement meetings, geared toward the county’s various watersheds, to gather input in order prepare an effective flood damage reduction program for the region at hcfcd.org. The remaining community engagement meetings are:
   • July 25, Pasadena Convention Center (Vince Bayou)
   • July 30, Memorial Drive United Methodist Church (Buffalo Bayou)
   • July 31, Weekley Community Center (Little Cypress Creek)
   • August 1, Memorial Parkway Junior High (Barker Reservoir) - This is the last meeting!
2. Bayou City Waterkeeper threatens to sue City of Houston over wastewater discharges
   On Monday, July 23, 2018, the nonprofit advocacy group Bayou City Waterkeeper served the City of Houston with a 60-day Notice of Intent to Sue for approximately 9,300 instances of untreated sewage being discharged from its wastewater facilities into the public waterways throughout the Houston area. According to the group’s press release, the high number of self-reported violations since 2013 shows that the City long has been aware of these pollution releases and has failed to correct the problem. The group stated that many of the waterways that were affected by these sewage overflows are already listed as impaired by the TCEQ.
3. Houston Urban Food Production Conference
   On July 27, 2018, from 8 a.m.-3 p.m., the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and its partner organizations will present a Houston Urban Food Production Conference, covering commercial and backyard food growing, as well as selling produce, at the University of Houston-Downtown. For more information, including a link to the conference schedule and ticket purchases, visit agrilife.org .
4. HREG Solar Energy Workshop
   On July 27, 2018, from 2-4 p.m., the Houston Renewable Energy Group will host a solar energy workshop at TX/RX Labs, 205 Roberts Street. The workshop addresses the basics on how to install and operate a solar system.  It covers topics such as solar array types, costs of equipment and labor, permitting, energy savings, and reliability. For more information and to RSVP, visit houstonrenewableenergy.org.
5. North Jetty Beach Clean-Up 
   On July 28, 2018, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Texas Sierra Club Houston Group will host a clean-up of debris on the North Jetty beach, a popular fishing, crabbing, and birding spot on the Bolivar Peninsula just south of the Audubon Society’s Bolivar Flats Sanctuary. The ferry crossing to Bolivar is usually a great opportunity to observe dolphins and brown pelicans. For more information, visit meetup.com.
6. NPAT presents “Moth Night on the Prairie”
   On July 28, 2018, from 8-10 p.m., the Houston chapter of the Native Prairies Association of Texas will host “Moth Night on the Prairie” at the Lawther-Deer Park Prairie, 1222 E. Purdue Lane, Deer Park. Learn more about the event and RSVP at houstonprairie.org.
7. “Harvey, Climate, and Urban Justice” meeting
   On July 29, 2018, from 2-4 p.m., Indivisible Houston will hold a general meeting with a discussion of the status of the city nearly a year after Hurricane Harvey, what has taken place over the last ten months, and where gaps still remain. The event will include an overview of the HTX Youth Summit, a presentation from the Houston Climate Movement, and a presentation and overview of the Harris County bond election on August 25. The meeting will be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1805 W. Alabama. For more information, see the Facebook event.
8. Sunday Evening Conversations on Creation
   On July 29, 2018, from 6-7 p.m., Christ the King Lutheran Church will host a free webinar featuring Steve Stelzer, program director for the City of Houston’s Green Building Resource Center, who will discuss the center’s work to educate the public on healthy building and energy, water, and material-conserving design and construction. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.
9. Deadline: AIA Houston SandCastle Competition team registration
   This year’s edition of the annual AIA Houston SandCastle Competition will be on Saturday, August 25, 2018, at Galveston’s East Beach. This year, more than 60 teams are expected to vie for the prestigious Golden Bucket Award. The deadline for team registration is July 30. For more information and to register, visit aiahouston.org.
10. Deadline: EPA Gulf of Mexico Program proposals
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Gulf of Mexico Program is soliciting proposals from eligible entities that address water quality improvement; coastal habitat and ecosystems enhancement, restoration and/or protection; environmental education and outreach; and community resilience in the Gulf of Mexico region and its watersheds. The closing date for proposals is July 31, 2018. For more information, visit epa.gov.
11. Project WET Educator Workshop
    On July 31, 2018, from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., the City of Houston’s WaterWorks Education Center, 12550 Water Works Way in Humble, will host an Educator Workshop for all grade levels, formal and non-formal, on diverse water topics that educators can use to reach children with objective, experiential, science-based water education. The workshop meets CEU requirements for educators, who will receive seven hours of continuing education credits. The workshop number is 12149. For more information, visit hcde-texas.org.
12. Texas EHSAC Roundtable in Austin
    On August 1, 2018, from 8:30 a.m-1 p.m., the Austin chapter of The Institute of Internal Auditors will host the Texas Environmental, Health & Safety Audit Center Roundtable at the offices of Bracewell, LLP, 111 Congress Ave. The meeting will bring together persons from industry, consulting, legal, government, public interest groups and more to promote the sharing of good practices and learning about auditing and its role in EHS compliance, management systems, risk management and sustainability. For more information and to register, visit eiseverywhere.com.
13.  Mercer Botanic Gardens’ Student Research and Education Symposium
    On August 1, 2018, from 5:30-8 p.m., Harris County Precinct 4’s Mercer Botanic Gardens will present a “Student Research and Education Symposium” at Big Stone Lodge at Dennis Johnston Park, 709 Riley Fuzzell Park, Spring. The event showcases the work of students from area high schools. colleges and universities. For more details, see cechouston.org.
14. ReThink Houston Sustainability Happy Hour
    On August 2, 2018, from 6-8 p.m., RePurpose Depot and Magpies & Peacocks will co-host a ReThink Houston Sustainability Happy Hour where attendees can meet the leaders behind Houston’s environmental repurposing movement and discuss collaboration as a network of like-minded businesses. For more information, visit eventbrite.com.
15. Arboretum at Night: City Critters
    On August 4, 2018, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center will present a family-oriented program called “City Critters,” which takes a look at the many species of wild animals that inhabit our parks, backyards, and even our downtown streets. Attendees will get meet some amazing urban animals from the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and learn about how they survive in our city. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit houstonarboretum.org.
16. National Academies’ Gulf Research Program Announces $10 Million Grant Opportunity
    On July 25, 2018, the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced a new grant opportunity focused on enhancing coastal community resilience and well-being in the Gulf of Mexico region. The GRP intends to award up to $10 million to projects bringing together researchers and practitioners to collaborate on efforts that increase understanding of how community attributes and systems affect resilience and provide actionable information that can be used to implement policies and practices to enhance resilience. A required letter of intent is due Sept. 19, 2018, and a full proposal is by Nov. 28, 2018. For more information and to apply, visit national-academies.org.
17. Houston Cities H2O Challenge continues through September 28
    The Houston Cities H20 Challenge, sponsored by the Galveston Bay Foundation, in partnership with the Texas Living Waters Project, The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency and the City of Pearland, continues through September 28. The Challenge is a friendly competition designed to engage area residents and businesses in water conservation.The Houston Cities H2O Challenge invites all to take the pledge to conserve water for the Bay through various actions, such as tracking water usage or learning how to efficiently water outdoor landscapes. For more information, visit gbwb.org.
18. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife
    Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3 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.
    • Creating wetlands in Texas’s driest regions to attract birds and birders
    • Salado’s Solana Ranch, a place for raising cattle, hunting and conversing
    • Spelunking the caves of Colorado Bend State Park

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