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Houston Environmental News Update December 24, 2019
December 24, 2019

Houston Environmental News Update December 24, 2019

Christmas Bird Counts, First Day Hikes, Wildscapes, Holiday Break Eco-Art Camps, NOAA News, Green Jobs, and more

While irreverent, the holiday-themed yard signs caught our fancy, and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

The environmental community slows down just a little bit at this time of year, but Christmas Bird Counts, First Day Hikes, and a variety of opportunities are ongoing or coming up. Read on for more info.

Please consider making a gift to the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition. Your gift helps us carry out our mission of fostering education, dialogue, and collaboration on environmental issues in the Houston/Gulf Coast region. CEC can’t do it without support from readers like you.

Wishing you peace, from all of us at the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition.

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.

CEC NOTES

Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour

Audience at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival at River Oaks Theatre.
VOTE

Join CEC for two nights of inspiration at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival at the River Oaks Theatre on January 28 and 29, 2020. Each night will feature a different selection of films. The event will also feature local films from Houston Parks Board, Buffalo Bayou Partnership and Environmental Defense Fund, all winners of the Wild About Houston Film Festival in October. Consider sponsoring the festival or ordering a block of tickets for your coworkers, neighbors or extended family. Visit the CEC website or Facebook page to purchase your tickets today.

Earth Day Houston: Exhibitor Registration now available

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

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.

Christmas Bird Counts continue through Jan. 5

The 120th Annual Christmas Bird Count, sponsored by the Audubon Society, continues at locations throughout the greater Houston-Galveston region through Jan. 5, 2020. Click on the links below to find details about a bird count near you.

First Day Hikes

Brazos Bend State Park, located near Needville, Texas, southwest of Houston, is home to numerous huge and stately live oak trees, some of them more than 100 years old. © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

This photo (© Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) was taken at Brazos Bend State Park, located near Needville, Texas, southwest of Houston. Home to numerous huge and stately live oak trees, some of them more than 100 years old, Brazos Bend State Park is one of several local state parks that are hosting First Day Hikes, part of the national First Day Hikes initiative. The First Day Hikes events range from brisk strolls on scenic trails, bike rides, short treks with four-legged family members, bird walks, beachcombing, campfires, paddles, and full moon walks to more strenuous hikes for experienced visitors. Local hikes are are being held at:

A complete list of First Day Hike events can be found on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s calendar page.

OLE! Texas seeks volunteers for Goose Creek CISD campus

OLE (Outdoor Learning Environments)! Texas is a statewide initiative that improves outdoor spaces at child care centers. Peter Hyland Center is an alternative high school campus for Goose Creek CISD students, and the Child Care Center provides a space for on‐site child care. OLE! Texas is working to add to the existing natural play area, and they are looking for volunteers to assist with the necessary components to turn the area into a rain garden. Please contact Justin Rahman at Justin.Rahman@phs.hctx.net if you are interested in volunteering for this project.

Rice’s Baker Institute forms carbon storage working group

A working group has been formed through Rice University’s Baker Institute to develop a domestic protocol for storing carbon in the grasslands and rangelands of the United States. This system seeks to solve the problems of existing voluntary carbon standards, which often impose significant impediments to U.S. landowners. This novel approach will lead to increased cash flow for landowners through carbon farming, as well as the restoration of native ecological systems. For the full story, visit rice.edu.

NOAA Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group meeting materials available

NOAA’s Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group held its annual public meeting via an interactive webinar on Dec. 12, 2019. During the meeting, the Group presented updates on the Open Ocean Restoration Area’s early restoration projects, first and second restoration plans, and monitoring and adaptive management activities. The presentation was followed by a question and answer period where attendees’ questions were answered by Trustee staff. The webinar presentation and script, and a summary of questions asked and staff answers are available at gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.

NOAA Explorer in Training program accepting applications

The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Explorer in Training program is a rare opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience in seafloor mapping in the offshore environment on a NOAA ship. Applications are now being accepted for the 2020 field season (March-October 2020). Undergraduate and graduate students, and recent graduates are encouraged to apply. 2020 exploration will focus on the Atlantic Ocean, including the US Exclusive Economic Zone near Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and New England; the Mid Atlantic Ridge, and Atlantic Maritime Canada. The deadline for applications in Jan. 31, 2020. For the full program description and to apply, visit oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.

Wildscape Your Yard

On Jan. 2, 2020, from 6-8:30 p.m., the Texas Master Naturalist Coastal Prairie Chapter will present Lauren Simpson, founder of St. Julian’s Crossing, a Facebook community which documents the pollinator and urban wildlife-friendly space she has made at her just-outside-the-Loop home, in a presentation titled “Wildscape Your Yard” . The event will be held at the Rosenberg Community Center. For more information, see the Facebook event.

Holiday Break Eco-Art Camps for Kids continue through Jan. 3

Artist Boat has won national recognition for its educational programs and is a leader in outdoor educational experiences for small groups led by scientists and artists. Its Holiday Break Eco-Art Camps continue through Jan. 3, 2020. Campers will learning all about ocean creatures and their habitats and behaviors through critical thinking and hands-on exploration. Each camp culminates in the creation of cool artworks that illustrate the knowledge that campers have acquired about our ocean. For more information and to register, visit artistboat.org.

First Saturday Bird Walk at Jesse Jones Park

On Jan. 3, 2010, from 7:45-9:45 a.m., Jesse Jones Park in Humble will host its monthly bird walk for birders age 10 and up. Bring your binoculars and (optionally) a field guide. For more information, see the Facebook event.

Bird Friendly New Year’s

On Jan. 4, 2019, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m, the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary will host activities including a walk in the woods and a scavenger hunt, as well as hot beverages, cookies, craft and more in the cabin. This is a drop in event and is open to all ages. For more information, see the Facebook event.

EPA 2020 Environmental Education Grants Program applications due Jan. 6

The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced the availability of up to $3 million in funding for locally-focused environmental education projects under the 2020 Environmental Education Grant Program. EPA will award three to four grants in each of the agency’s 10 regions. In addition to other environmental topics, the 2020 Environmental Education Grants Program will fund education-based projects pertaining to marine debris mitigation, food waste and loss reduction, and recycling. Groups interested must submit their application by Jan. 6, 2020, to be considered. The Requests for Application (RFA) is posted at www.grants.gov.

RESTORE Council funding priorities public comment period ends Jan. 10

The RESTORE Council staff is in the midst of a public review and comment period on draft Funded Priorities List 3a, that will conclude at 11:59 pm MDT on Jan. 10, 2020. In early December, the RESTORE Council hosted and recorded two public webinars in which staff presented an overview of the Planning Framework draft, and responded to selected questions from webinar participants. For more information on the Priorities List and to make comments, visit restorethegulf.gov.

Brews for Big Bend

On January 21, 2020, from 6-8 p.m, the Big Bend Conservancy will host a “Brews for Big Bend” event at the Saint Arnold Brewing Company. For the $35 admission, attendees will enjoy Saint Arnold’s beer on tap, sample tasty eats, and visit with some great folks while supporting the Conservancy. Tickets are limited. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit big-bend-conservancy.snwbll.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.

  • Palo Duro Canyon State Park is a park of immense beauty, but it also was the site of a historic battle in 1874. Archeologists are working with Native American tribe elders to unearth 100-year-old artifacts to more accurately depict the area’s history
  • Nicolette Ledbury’s passion is recruiting and providing opportunities for minorities, veterans, and women at Texas Parks & Wildlife
  • Check out the Gus Engeling Wildlife Management Area, where the bottomland hardwood swamps make it the perfect place for wintering waterfowl

Additional Upcoming Events