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Houston Environmental News Update July 31, 2019
July 31, 2019

Houston Environmental News Update July 31, 2019

Greater Houston Environmental Summit, Environmental Educators Exchange, Bird of Houston contest, Community Swift Night Out, Green Jobs, Green Film: Ay Mariposa, and more

This Friday, August 2, the Houston region’s environmental community will gather at the United Way of Houston’s Community Resource Center for our annual Greater Houston Environmental Summit. The theme this year is the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Those goals, or SDGs, set forth in 2015, are meant to be “the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all,” with a target date of 2030. The SDGs address numerous global challenges, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. In addition to several excellent presentations, we will again offer over a dozen small-format table talks. Pat Greer’s Kitchen is again providing lunch. A speaker list and menu are available at cechouston.org.

Eventbrite - 2019 Greater Houston Environmental Summit: Sustainable Development Goals

We are pleased to announce that State Senator Carol Alvarado will be providing the welcome address for the Summit. A native Houstonian, Senator Alvarado has extensive experience in public office, including terms in the Texas House of Representatives and as a member of the Houston City Council. While Carol’s primary legislative focus has been on economic development, public health and public education, she also has a history of championing environmental issues such as addressing the shipment of hazardous chemicals through neighborhoods and having air quality monitors installed in neighborhoods near chemical plants. And, she is a former board member of the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition!

CEC NOTES

Houston Green Films: Ay Mariposa

The Houston Green Film for August 21 will be “Ay! Mariposa!“, a documentary about two women and a rare community of butterflies standing on the front lines in a battle against the proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall. We will be joined by the director of the National Butterfly Center. Upcoming films: September 18–“Hot Grease“, October 16– Wild About Houston Green Film Festival.

Environmental Educators Exchange: Pearland’s New Delores Fenwick Nature Center

The next quarterly meeting of the Environmental Educators’ Exchange will be on Wednesday, August 7, 2019, at 4 p.m. (note different time). Join us at the brand new Delores Fenwick Nature Center, 5750 Magnolia Street, Pearland. Bring binoculars and walking shoes to search for cormorants and spoonbills in the spectacular birding ponds from 4-5 p.m. If you have children, there’s a special program for them starting at 4 p.m. At 5 p.m., Cullen Ondracek (Natural Resources Manager) and Katie Boughal (Park Naturalist and Educator) will introduce us to the center and their new programs. They are conveniently located right next to the Stella Roberts Recycling Center and a wastewater treatment facility, which are available for later tours. Free registration on Eventbrite.

Earth Day Houston

Earth Day Houston, part of the 50th worldwide observance, will be held at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 19, 2020.

Candidate Forums and Questionnaires

7 days of being engaged in the community

Are you organizing a candidate forum or questionnaire for the November 2019 election? CEC is gathering information about election-related activities within our environmental communities. Let us know what you are planning, and we’ll keep you in the loop. CEC is interested in either hosting, coordinating, and/or supporting the efforts of local environmental nonprofits leading up to the election. Send your comments to rachel@cechouston.org. Note: the filing deadline for the November City of Houston elections is August 26, 2019. CEER Houston will be hosting a mayoral candidate forum on Saturday, September 21, 2019.

Interested in serving on the CEC Board or a Committee?

CEC is seeking individuals who might be interested in joining our board of directors in January 2020, or volunteering to serve on one of our committees starting this year. Over the next few months, we are hosting information sessions for prospective board and committee members to learn more about the commitment and opportunities. Upcoming sessions include the evenings of July 29, September 23, and October 15. For more information (including directions to our top secret world headquarters), please email 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.

COALITION & COMMUNITY NOTES

We have endeavored to confirm the opportunities listed below. Please consider confirming directly with the hosts.

Scenic Houston names Claudia Williamson as Interim President and CEO

Scenic Houston recently announced the appointment of Claudia Williamson as Interim President and CEO. Williamson, a long-time Scenic Houston board member and former Board Chair from 2010 – 2014, will lead day-to-day operations, working closely with the board of directors to move the nonprofit forward with all current programs and initiatives. Williamson comes to Scenic Houston following the departure of former President and CEO Anne Culver, who led the organization since 2008. Also joining the staff is Kristi Gollwitzer, P.E., who will serve as Director of Special Projects. To see the full press release, visit scenichouston.org.

Rice SSPEED Center 2019 Conference preliminary agenda released

The SSPEED Center’s annual conference will be held on October 8-9, 2019 at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University. At this year’s event, â€œPost-Harvey Era: Resilient Engineering, Infrastructure & Policy”, top academic, consulting and governmental experts will present. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, City of Houston, Harris County will provide governmental updates. The conference’s preliminary agenda has been released. For more information and to register, visit sspeed.rice.edu.

Lone Star Legal Aid Environmental Justice July newsletter

The Environmental Justice Team at Lone Star Legal Aid publishes Environmental Justice News, which keeps communities updated on the team’s ongoing environmental law efforts throughout its 72-county service area in Texas. The monthly newsletter provides an overview of the types of legal cases they are handling for eligible individuals and organizations who are living in fenceline communities and other areas where environmental justice is a concern. Read the July edition here. Find previous editions at lonestarlegal.blog. To sign up for the free newsletter, click here.

UH and Executive Service Corps Houston helps nonprofits take advantage of current technology

A joint program between the UH Bauer School of Business and the Executive Service Corps of Houston is designed to provide ESCH clients with business solutions by providing access to the knowledge and technical skills of the Bauer faculty and students of their Management Information Systems Department and ESCH’s business and nonprofit experience.Student teams, under the direct supervision of Decision and Information Science Center faculty members and with the mentorship of ESCH Consultants, work on business projects which could include IT consulting, web, database, and network management and more. Submit a request form through the ESCH website (www.eschouston.org) no later than Aug. 16, 2019. Indicate you are applying for the UH-MIS Program in the Consultation needed section of the Request for Assistance Form. This program has a nominal fee of $250 per nonprofit to cover management of the program plus mentoring by an ESCH consultant. If you have any questions, please call at 713-780-2208 or send an email to esch@eschouston.org. 

Bird of Houston voting underway

Houston Audubon’s “Bird of Houston” contest has completed its nomination stage, and voting is now underway. Voting will be done in a brackets-style format. Houston Audubon took the top eight birds with the most nominations and paired them up. Each pair will face off in a head-to-head competition until just the winner remains. Round Two runs through Aug. 7, and Round Three runs Aug. 8-15. The winning Bird of Houston will be announced at the start of Bird Week festivities, from Sept. 21-28, in honor of Houston Audubon’s 50th anniversary. All voting will be done online at houstonaudubon.org/birdofhouston.

Galveston Bay Foundation Meet and Greet

On Aug. 1, 2019, from 5:30-7 p.m., the Galveston Bay Foundation will host a “Meet and Greet” at Java Lava Brew in the Houston Museum District. GBF staff will discuss water quality, the health of Galveston Bay, and the connection between the City of Houston and Galveston Bay. Java Lava Brew is offering half off beer and fish and chips during the event, and donating 25% of its earnings during the event to GBF. For more information, visit the Facebook event or the website.

Sierra Club Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Workshop

On Aug. 3, 2019, from noon-5 p.m., the Sierra Club Houston Group will hold a free “Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Workshop” workshop for members (become a member here), at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. This workshop discuss the “Jemez Principles” and how equity, inclusion, and justice can be a part of all local Sierra Club activities. A “potluck” Sierra Social, open to everyone (members and non-members), will be held after the workshop from 5 to 6:30 pm. For more information about the workshop and “Sierra Social” contact Brandt Mannchen at 281-570-7212 or brandtshnfbt@juno.com.

Sunrise Movement Houston Meeting: Houston Climate Action Plan
On Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, from 6:00-7:00 p.m., join Sunrise Movement Houston for their monthly meeting, which will be held at The Transart Foundation for Art and Anthropology. Hear updates from the recently released draft of the Houston Climate Action Plan, discuss the I-45 expansion project, and spend time in our working groups. You do not need to already be in a working group to come to this meeting. Learn more on the Facebook event page. Sunrise Movement Houston is also participating in the national effort to advocate for a presidential debate about climate, including a demonstration on August 13.

Artist Boat Teacher Development Workshop

From Aug. 5-9, 2019, Artist Boat will host a Teacher Development Workshop for middle and high school teachers on how to effectively teach climate change through hands-on activities, lesson plans, NOAA tools and resources and more. The workshop will be held at Beverly Hills Intermediate School and include daily field trips to Moody Gardens, National Weather Service, Coastal Heritage Preserve, and the Port of Houston. Contact Amanda Reinhart at arinehart@artistboat.org or call 409-770-0722 to register.
For more information, visit artistboat.org.

Transition Houston meeting: The Green New Deal

On Aug. 6, 2019, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., Transition Houston will hold its monthly meeting featuring a presentation titled “The Green New Deal: What Does it Mean for Me and What Does it Mean for the Future?” with speakers Jaime Lawson, outreach director for the Houston Climate Movement, and Jen Schmerling, head of Environment Texas’s clean energy program. The meeting will be held at the Haven’s Center. For more information, visit the Facebook event.

Community Swift Night Out

On Aug. 6, 2019, Houston Audubon will host its annual Community Swift Night Out, a community effort to help figure out where Chimney Swifts are in Houston. Participants will spread out across the city at various sites where we think Chimney Swifts may be roosting—at large silo-style chimneys and in specially-designed Chimney Swift towers. For more information and to register, visit houstonaudubon.org.

Citizens Climate Lobby meetings

The Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a nonpartisan organization focused on national policies to address climate change, particularly through its Carbon Fee and Dividend proposal. There are several local chapters in the greater Houston-Galveston region. On Aug. 6, 2019, the Katy chapter will be meeting at the Cinco Ranch Library (2620 Commercial Center Blvd.) from 6:30-8:30 p.m. On Aug. 7 the Sugar Land chapter will be meeting at University Library (14010 University Library) from 6:30- 8:30 p.m.

Mercer Botanic Gardens Student Research and Education Symposium

On Aug. 7, 2019, from 5:30-8 p.m., Mercer Botanic Gardens will host the Student Research and Education Symposium, a partnership with colleges, universities, and high schools to find motivated students who wish to experience different facets of a botanic garden, including botanic research, horticulture, natural mosquito abatement, educational programming, and volunteerism. Networking and light refreshments begin at 5:30 p.m. Presentations start at 6 p.m. No reservations are necessary to attend this evening event. All are welcome. The Symposium will be held at Big Stone Lodge, 709 Riley Fuzzel Road, Spring.

Clean Waters Initiative Workshop Field Trip

On Aug. 8, 2019, from 10 a.m.-noon, the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Save Water Texas Coalition will host a Clean Waters Initiative Field Trip to learn more about the coalition’s programs and tour its brand new Water Quality Mobile Teaching Lab. The meeting and tour will be at the North Harris County Regional Water Authority, 3648 Cypress Creek Parkway, Houston. For more information and to register, visit h-gac.com or contact Brian.Sims@h-gac.com or 713-993-2438.

Galveston Historical Association Marine Biology Tours

This summer, the Galveston Historical Association is offering Marine Biology Tours, where participants can observe dolphins and other species in their natural habitat, trawl for and handle marine organisms, study plankton through a microscopic lens, and explore Galveston Bay’s rich history. This unique experience takes place on board the SEAGULL II, a 50-foot catamaran which docks at the Texas Seaport Museum, and is led by a marine biologist. The remaining tours, which cost $20, are available August 10 and 24. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

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.

  • The once-endangered black-capped vireo makes a comeback
  • Helping those with disabilities catch their first fish is all in a day’s work
  • After a severe drought, the Dundee Fish Hatchery is back in business

Additional Upcoming Events