• 713-524-4CEC (4232)
  • info@cechouston.org
Houston Environmental News Update October 3, 2018
October 3, 2018

Houston Environmental News Update October 3, 2018

CEC relies on interns and volunteers to help run our organization, and we are excited about the team we are assembling for this school year. You might recall Hannah Jacob, Bill Nguyen, and Stacy Giang, all UH seniors who have again returned to help with events, bookkeeping, and communications technology, respectively. And a few weeks ago, we introduced you to Taylor Surratt, who joins us part of the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs Civic Houston Internship Program. Taylor has been busy reporting on environmental activities of the Houston City Council as well as the upcoming Texas Legislature, which officially kicks off in January. Below, you can read about preparations for the General Appropriations Bill which will be proposed in January. Let us know if you will be watching for anything in particular at the State Legislature, City Council, or any of our other local governments.

As people with a particular interest in the environment and making our region healthier, more sustainable and beautiful, we know we have to remain engaged in the political process.

On November 6, elections will be held at the local, state and national levels, including high-profile elections for Texas Governor, U.S. Senator, and Congressional representatives in the crucial midterm election. Counties and municipalities in our region are holding a plethora of important races.

Here in Texas, the deadline to register to vote is October 9, 2018. Not sure whether you are registered or how to register? You can visit votetexas.gov or contact the voter registrar for your county.

When researching how candidates address environmental issues, we recommend long-time CEC member organization, the League of Women Voters of the Houston Area. The website includes important resources including important election dates, videos of conversations with the candidates, and much more.
Like the CEC, the League is supporting Tales of Houston Women, the Houston History Alliance’s two-month retrospective and celebration displaying the many ways Houston’s women have, are, and will put their mark on local, national and global history. The main conference is this Saturday. Twenty-one organizations are planning additional events, including four events of events themed “Houston Women in the Environment,” a collective effort of Bayou Preservation Association, Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, Houston Audubon, Memorial Park Conservancy, Katy Prairie Conservancy, and UH Libraries., and starting October 27. Learn more at https://houston-women-in-the-environment.eventbrite.com.
We have tried to confirm the events listed below. Please consider confirming directly with the hosts.

CEC NOTES

Wild About Houston: A Green Film Festival
Please join CEC, the Houston Green Film Series, Rice Media Center, and additional partners on Oct. 17, 2018, for “Wild About Houston: A Green Film Festival,” to showcase local short films telling environmental stories. Email rachel@cechouston.org if you have a film to submit.

6:30 p.m. conversation, networking, and a light meal, followed by the screening at 7:00 pm. Free to the public, though donations are kindly appreciated. For more information, see the Facebook event.
And be sure to mark your calendar for January 30 & 31, 2019, when we’ll be hosting the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour.

Workplace Giving & EarthShare of Texas
EarthShare Texas logoPlease consider us in your workplace giving program! The Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, along with many other organizations doing environmental work in the Houston/Gulf Coast region, is represented in federal, state, and local campaigns by EarthShare of Texas. To make a donation, you can use the following codes in the following campaigns to contribute to EarthShare of Texas and CEC, respectively:

  • State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC): 35500 and 35569
  • Combined Federal Campaign (CFC): 51966 and 26482
  • Houston Independent School District (HISD): 100 and 185
  • City of Houston Combined Municipal Campaign (HCMC): 1400 and 1413

We are represented in many more campaigns; please contact us if you need more information or would like a representative to exhibit or speak at an open enrollment or workplace giving event. And, if your employer or business does not yet have a workplace giving campaign, EarthShare of Texas would be happy to help you set up such a campaign. EarthShare of Texas is a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation committed to making environmental support as easy as possible by giving working people the ability to donate through workplace payroll contribution campaigns.

If you already support CEC, EarthShare of Texas, and and its member charities, please know we are grateful for your support.

Repair Café Houston
Please consider joining CEC and our partners Transition Houston, the City of Houston Green Building Resource Center, the Houston Peace & Justice Center, Texas Campaign for the Environment, Houston Complete Communities, and TX/RX Labs for the fall Repair Café Houston on October 27, 2018! A Repair Café celebrates fixing through a fun, collaborative, hands-on community event. People bring their broken items for assessment, disassembly and repair. Bring your toolkit and join us to have fun and learn while helping others troubleshoot and fix their broken stuff! Volunteers assess, take apart, and hopefully – REPAIR. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

Save the Date: EEE on Nov. 7

The next meeting of the Environmental Educators Exchange will be on Wednesday, November 7, 2018, at 4:30 PM at Houston Arboretum. More details coming soon.

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. HIGHLIGHTING HARVEY
    With so many local organizations holding events and discussions relating to the effects and lessons learned from Hurricane Harvey, we are consolidating them into this special section. Please click on the links for detailed information.

  2. 2018 Prairies & Pollinators: A Regional Celebration
    From late September through early November, the Coastal Prairie Partnership is sponsoring “2018 Prairies & Pollinators: A Regional Celebration,” a set of events allowing attendees to learn about and help plant pollinating plants in prairies across the region. For a full listing of the planned events, visit prairiepartner.org. Events in the coming week include:

    • 10/5/18: Seed-collecting at Katy Prairie Conservancy’s Warren Ranch
    • 10/5 and 10/6/18: Houston Arboretum & Nature Center’s Native Plant Sale
    • 10/6/18: Volunteer workday at Marysee Prairie
    • 10/6/18: Monarch Madness at Meadows Place
  3. Mayor’s Proud Partners Awards applications due Oct. 5
    On November 13, 2018, Keep Houston Beautiful will present the 34th Annual Mayor’s Proud Partners Awards, recognizing individuals, civic groups and businesses who demonstrate exceptional civic pride in a variety of measures, including environmental stewardship, beautification, and sustainability. Applications are due Oct. 5 by 5 p.m. For more information, visit houstonbeautiful.org.
  4. Texas Association for Environmental Educators Conference
    From Oct. 5-7, 2018, the Texas Association for Environmental Educators will hold its 2018 Conference with the theme “Communicating and Connecting Our Diverse Natures,” at the Lakeview Methodist Conference Center in Palestine, Texas. The conference is for all those who consider themselves environmental educators; whether in a classroom, at a nature center or as a passion you share with others. For more information and to register, visit taee.org.
  5. 5th Annual Park-to-Port Bike Ride
    On Oct. 6, 2018, beginning at 7:30 a.m., Hermann Park Conservancy will host the 5th Annual Park-to-Port Bike Ride. The 20-mile round-trip takes riders from Hermann Park’s Bayou Parkland east along the Brays Bayou Greenway trail to the Port of Houston for a turn-around party at Hidalgo Park with snacks, drinks and music. Participants then ride back along the trail to Hermann Park for a celebratory Post-Ride Party under the Bill Coats Bridge. The ride is open to riders of all levels and is not a race. For more information and to register, visit hermannpark.org.
  6. Mercer Botanic Gardens Pollinator Festival and Plant Sale
    On Oct. 6, 2018, from 10 a.m-4 p.m., the Mercer Botanic Gardens, 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble, will host its inaugural Pollinator Festival and Plant Sale. Visitors are invited to dress in bee, butterfly, bat, hummingbird, or flower attire. Bring the kids for face-painting and lawn games while welcoming the autumn season at Mercer. For more information, visit the Facebook event.
  7. Texas Adopt-a-Beach cleanups
    On Oct. 6, 2018, the Texas General Land Office is hosting a set of seasonal beach cleanups along the Gulf Coast, including several in our region: Quintana Beach, Surfside Beach, Bolivar Peninsula/Crystal Beach, Galveston Island, Morgan’s Point, McFaddin Beach/Sabine Pass, Sea Rim State Park, Matagorda Beach, Port Aransas, and Texas City Prairie Preserve. Find more information and register at eventbrite.com.
  8. Back the Bayous Family Fun Nature 5K Walk
    On Oct. 6, 2018, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., the Armand Bayou Nature Center will host the Waterkeeper Alliance SPLASH Back the Bayous, including an interactive nature 5K walk, live music, wildlife exhibitions, and nonprofit information booths. All proceeds benefit Bayou City Waterkeeper‘s conservation, advocacy, and education programs. For more information and to register, visit bayoucitywaterkeeper.salsalabs.org.
  9. Renewable Energy Markets (REM) 2018
    From Oct. 9-11, 2018, the annual Renewable Energy Markets conference will be held at the Marriott Marquis Houston. The conference will explore emerging trends in policy, best practices in renewable energy procurement and marketing, and the latest technology and market innovations. For more information and to register, visit renewableenergymarkets.com.
  10. UH Sustainability Meetup: Air Alliance Houston
    On Oct. 9, 2018, from 3-4 p.m., the UH Office of Sustainability will hold its monthly meetup (open to the public), featuring Paige Powell, director of operations for Air Alliance Houston, who will discuss air pollution, public health, and environmental justice. For more information, visit the Facebook event.
  11. AIA Houston Annual Meeting
    AIA Houston logoOn Oct. 10, 2018, beginning at 6 p.m., the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Houston will hold its Annual Meeting and Affiliate Appreciation Party at Wortham Insurance Terrace located above the Cistern on Sabine Street in Buffalo Bayou Park. There will be a tour of the cistern at  6 p.m. for the first 40 attendees to arrive. The business portion of the meeting will begin at 6:30, following the tour. For more information, visit aiahouston.org.
  12. Texas Energy Summit
    On Oct. 11, 2018, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., the U.S. Green Building Conference will host the Texas Energy Summit at the Norris Conference Center at City Centre. The summit is focused on energy reduction and smarter technology solutions for buildings. For more information and to register, visit usgbctexas.org.
  13. 11th Annual Wildlife Conservation Gala
    On Oct. 11, 2018, from 6-11 p.m., Houston Zoo will hold the 11th Annual Wildlife Conservation Gala, shining a spotlight on the species and habitats of the Lone Star State. Guest speaker Carter Smith, executive director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, will share stories from his years as a leader in Texas conservation, followed by a special performance by country artist Dan Green. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit houstonzoo.org.
  14. Greens Bayou Regatta
    On Oct. 13, 2018, beginning at 9 a.m., the Greens Bayou Coalition will host the 3rd Annual Greens Bayou Regatta, a 7.5-mile kayak race, supporting the development of the proposed 27.5-mile Greens Bayou Paddle Trail. Volunteers for the event are still being sought. For more information, visit greensbayouregatta.com.
  15. 2018 KBR Kids Day
    On Oct. 13, 2018, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership will host the 2018 KBR Kids Day at Guadalupe Park Plaza, 2311 Runnels Street. Activity stations will include numerous hands-on activities from over 20 Houston partners, local entertainment and performers, Dia de los Muertos face painters, balloon artists, a rock climbing wall, a birds of prey show and a Halloween Costume Parade. For more information, visit buffalobayou.org.
  16. 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.

    • Hunting dogs in action at the Master National Retriever competition
    • Researchers wonder if time is running out for the Swift fox in Texas
    • South Llano State Park has the cure for what ails you
  17. Additional Upcoming Events

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

Skip to content