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Houston Environmental News Update August 12, 2020
August 12, 2020

Houston Environmental News Update August 12, 2020

Heat, Harvey, Hurricanes, Environmental Justice, CEC seeks fall interns, Virtual Film Nights, Exploration Green meeting, Rain Barrel Workshop, Health & Highways, Green Jobs, and more

Three years ago, as many of us were contemplating the solar eclipse crossing the US, a westward-moving, seemingly harmless tropical wave–not yet even a disturbance–began passage east from Africa. The system passed through the Caribbean Sea and into the Gulf of Mexico, devastating Rockport before arriving in the Houston region with record-setting rainfall. Hurricane Harvey was a game changer in this region, 17 years after Hurricane Katrina caused a wake-up call further east.

It may be hard to say how much these traumatic storms storms are connected to climate change, but warmer water temperatures tend to mean more-powerful hurricanes. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has cited warmer waters as one of the reasons this year’s hurricane season is forecast to be “extremely active.” Climate change is making hurricanes worse. Learn more and take the “Hurricanes and the Climate Crisis” quiz at climatereality.org. And storms like these will be exacerbated by rising sea levels along the Texas Coast; check out this sea level rise visualizer from NOAA.

In addition to making storms more dangerous, heat is the number one weather-related killer globally, causing more deaths each year than floods, tornadoes, or hurricanes (Yale 360). By late in the 21st century, if no reductions in emissions take place, our region is projected to experience an additional 30–60 days per year above 100°F than it does now, as reported in the Fourth National Climate Assessment.

https://www.noaa.gov/news/july-2020-was-record-hot-for-many-us-states

Hurricanes, rising sea levels, and increasing temperatures–all related to the climate crisis–are also examples of situations in which inequity and systemic racism are becoming increasingly scrutinized. While rainfall, storms, and heat don’t discriminate, the least able to recover are low-income people, communities of color, and other vulnerable populations.

It isn’t all bad news. Many people, agencies, businesses, and organizations are working to reduce climate change, social vulnerability, and its impacts. Here are just a few initiatives in the Houston region, with more details below:

Please scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community.

CEC NOTES

CEC seeking fall interns

CEC is currently recruiting interns for the fall semester to help with projects, gain experience, and develop professional competencies. Interns will work in Communications & Marketing, Policy & Government Relations, Journalism, Digital Media, Event Coordination, Business, Education or design a custom program to fit their needs. If interested, please email a resume and cover letter to alicia@cechouston.org and visit CEC Houston for detailed job descriptions.

Houston Environment in Review: Midyear Survey

What you think have been the most significant environmental accomplishments, controversies, issues, news, and events in the greater Houston region so far this year? Take two minutes to take our survey, and you can see what other people have submitted. We’ll check back in at the end of the year.

Virtual Film Night: A Look Back at Fan Favorites

With the Wild About Houston Film Festival coming up this October (see below), the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition is taking a look back at some of our favorite films from festivals past. Join the environmental community for a fun evening of inspiring films on August 19, 2020. Find ways to get involved with our member organizations right here in the Gulf Coast region. Registration information and tickets available on eventbrite.

Call for submissions: Wild About Houston Green Film Festival

The CEC is proud to host the third annual Wild About Houston Green Film Festival on Wednesday, October 21, 2020. CEC hopes to use this festival to tell local environmental stories, highlight the work of CEC’s member organizations, and to inspire our residents and visitors to make a difference in the environment and our quality of life. The festival will be held virtually to protect the health and safety of our community in these times. We invite you to submit a film for consideration. Films should be specific to the environment in the Houston/Gulf Coast Region, should be no more than seven minutes long, and must be of suitable quality to be shown publicly. Find the Submission Guidelines here, and make submissions here.

Buffalo Bayou Cistern Tours

CEC Event Marketing Interns Riane Harris and Jennifer Truong recently participated in a Sound Healing Meditation at the Cisterns at Buffalo Bayou Park. They loved the quiet, dark, cool space in the heart of Houston. They enjoyed being immersed in a sound bath from the singing bowls and wind chimes, and said it was truly a mindful experience. Join BBP any Saturday at 9 a.m. in August for a similar experience; reservations required. For more information and to register, visit buffalobayou.org.

Environmental Educators Exchange

The next virtual meeting of the Environmental Educators Exchange (EEVENGERS) will be held August 14, 2020, from 9:45-10:15 a.m. All are welcome to join us and take a few minutes to share best practices for environmental education in the Houston region this fall. Based on lessons learned during summer programs, come prepared to discuss what is and what’s not working and questions for the EE community. Sing up on this Google form.

Environmental Issues Virtual Forum with Candidates for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 3

On August 20, 2020, the Houston environmental community will host a virtual candidate forum with Tom Ramsey and Michael Moore, the two candidates for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 3. We invite you to join as Houston environmental leaders ask questions. This informational forum is not affiliated with any party or candidate. Advance registration is required. After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with information on joining the ZOOM meeting. Tendremos un intérprete disponible para cualquier persona que desea escuchar en Español. Se proveera instrucciones cuando comience la reunión de Zoom. Advance registration is required at https://tinyurl.com/environmentalforum2020. After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with information on joining the meeting. Event co-hosts include:

Air Alliance Houston * Bayou City Waterkeeper * Bayou Land Conservancy *
Bayou Preservation Association * CEER  (Coalition for Environment, Equity and Resilience) * Citizens Climate Lobby * Citizens’ Environmental Coalition * Galveston Bay Foundation *
Houston Audubon Society * Houston Sierra Club * Houston Tomorrow * Katy Prairie Conservancy * National Wildlife Federation * Save Buffalo Bayou * THEA (Texas Health and Environment Alliance)

COALITION & COMMUNITY NOTES

We have endeavored to confirm the opportunities listed below. Please consider confirming directly with the hosts, particularly in light of concerns about the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Chocolate Bay Public Meeting

On August 13, 2020, from 2-4 p.m., the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will hold a virtual public meeting for area stakeholders to provide input and feedback to help create a plan to reduce high concentrations of bacteria found in the Chocolate Bay Watershed, including Chocolate, Halls and Mustang bayous. Registration is required. For more information, visit the project website or contact Steven Johnston at 832-681-2579. 

Exploration Green Conservancy Status and Volunteer Recruitment Meeting

On August 13, 2020, beginning at 7 p.m., Exploration Green, the new 200-acre recreation, conservation and flood control green space in Clear Lake, will hold a virtual public meeting to provide a status update and seek new volunteers for key administrative functions to bring the project to completion. Volunteer opportunities are in communications, fundraising, amenities, financial management, outreach, environmental education, in addition to now-limited outdoor work. For more information and to receive instructions for participating in the meeting, send an email to ExplorationGreen@gmail.com.

Sierra Club General Meeting: The Proposed I-45 Expansion Project

On August 13, 2020, from 7:30-9 p.m., the Sierra Club’s Houston group will host a virtual meeting featuring Molly Cook of the Stop I-45 Coalition, who will discuss why the group believes TxDOT’s current proposed North Houston Highway Improvement Project design, timeline, and process are inadequate to meet the needs of Houston’s present and future populations. For more information and to register for the meeting, visit sierraclub.org.

Beautify the Bucket Registration Extended to August 15

Artist Boat’s Beautify the Bucket Competition is designed to allow citizens to take an active role in beautifying Galveston’s beaches in a way that also encourages better stewardship behaviors in others. Anyone can participate: individuals or groups, children and adults alike. All barrels in the Fall 2020 competition will be displayed and judged on Saturday, September 12, from 8 a.m.-noon at Menard Park in Galveston, with winners will be announced at noon. Registration has been extended to August 15. See all terms & conditions on the website and register at artistboat.org.

Online Education: Climate Change Emergency

On August 15, 2020, Urban Harvest will present the second in its free, two-part online course titled Climate Change Emergency, In the second part, called “Plants and Food in a Changing Climate”, Bob Randall, Ph.D., will focus on the looming threats to the food supply created by climate change and reasonable avenues for changing the trajectory. For more information and to register, visit urbanharvest.org.

Virtual Rain Barrel Workshop

On August 15, 2020, from 2:30-3:15 p.m., the Galveston Bay Foundation will host a virtual rain barrel workshop with rain barrel pickup from 9 a.m.-noon before the pickup at the Galveston Bay Foundation Office (1725 Highway 146, Kemah). The workshop will consist of a presentation via Zoom on the benefits of collecting rainwater, as well as proper rain barrel preparation and installation instructions and tips. For more information and to register, visit galvbay.org.

Houston/Harris County Holds Largest Single-Day, Community-Led Heat Mapping Effort in U.S. History

On August 7, 2020, roughly 80 community scientists in Houston and Harris County took to the streets with specially-designed thermal sensors attached to their cars or bicycles. They embarked on a 300-square-mile effort to measure and map urban heat in the region. This community science endeavor is led by the Houston Harris Heat Action Team (H3AT), a collaboration between Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), the City of Houston, and Harris County Public Health (HCPH), and The Nature Conservancy in Texas. The data collected as part of the Heat Watch mapping project will inform future climate mitigation strategies and interventions, ensuring they are located in the urban “hot spots” that need them most. Read the press release from the Houston Mayor’s Office, “Making Urban Heat “Cool” Again” article by Jaime Gonzalez of The Nature Conservancy, on the front page of Saturday’s Houston Chronicle (including insight from CEC’s executive director, Rachel Powers), and on the Houston Harris Heat Action Team website, H3AT.com.

A Seat at the Table: How to Engage in Houston-Area Flood Mitigation

The National Wildlife Foundation, the Texas Living Water Project, the Sierra Club Lone Star Chapter, Bayou City Waterkeeper, and Galveston Bay Foundation recently co-hosted an online seminar called “A Seat at the Table: How to Engage in Houston-Area Flood Mitigation,” a primer on how citizens can get involved in key Houston-area flood-mitigation efforts. It provided an overview of the funding involved, methods of public commenting, and an introduction to current concerns in area communities most vulnerable to flooding. A recording of the webinar and presentation materials can be found at texaslivingwaters.org.

Water Rising: Equitable Approaches to Urban Flooding

A new report by the US Water Alliance, titled “Water Rising,” details five priority actions that water professionals and communities can take together to advance equitable flood resilience. It discusses urban flooding challenges, strategies to address disproportionate impacts of flooding on vulnerable communities, and case examples from around the United States. Along with the work of other cities across the U.S., the report features work done by the Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience (CEER); Texas Southern University; and the City of Houston; among others. You can see the full report at uswateralliance.org, and will soon be able to watch the August 11, 2019, webinar.

Health & Highways: Impacts of Transportation Infrastructure on Communities

On August 19, 2020, from 1-2:30 p.m., Air Alliance Houston, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and LINK Houston will hold a discussion on how transportation infrastructure projects impact the health and quality of life of surrounding communities. Local and national experts will focus on factors such as air pollution, traffic congestion, safety, resilience and displacement, and explore what strategies can be put in place to mitigate these effects. For more information and to register, visit kinder.rice.edu.

Harris County Approves Bylaws for New Community Flood Resilience Task Force

At its meeting on August 11, 2020, Harris County Commissioners Court approved bylaws for a new Community Flood Resilience Task Force. The purpose of the CFRTF is to serve in an advisory capacity to the County’s Infrastructure Resilience Team and, in turn and as applicable, the Harris County Commissioners Court (“Commissioners Court”) to promote collaboration among stakeholders and encourage equitable resilience planning efforts and flood resilience projects. Learn more and sign up for updates at cjo.harriscountytx.gov. Save Buffalo Bayou provides commentary.

Bay Area Sierra Club Meeting: Misconceptions about Climate Change

On August 19, 2020, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the Bay Area Sierra Club will hold its monthly meeting via Zoom. The program will feature Dr. Sharir Masri, an air pollution scientist at the University of California at Irvine and author of Beyond Debate: Answers to 50 Misconceptions on Climate Change. He will discuss misconceptions which have arisen since he wrote that book over two years ago, and previews his next book. He will also discuss the intersections of climate change and Covid-19, and aspects of environmental racism. For more information on how to join the meeting, visit sierraclub.org.

Climate Solutions Symposium

On August 20, 2020, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., The Climate Solutions Community and the  Engineering, Science & Technology Council of Houston will co-host a virtual Climate Solutions Symposium which will present solutions to global warming and its climate change effects. Topics will include transportation electrification, nuclear energy, carbon pricing. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

Cotton Bayou Project Virtual Public Meeting

The Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality have been working on a long-term project to address the high levels of bacteria in Cotton Bayou. The first step is to analyze bacteria level trends and possible causes. On August 20, 2020, from 2-4 p.m., they will host a public meeting to discuss water quality in the watershed. H-GAC will provide an update on its latest findings and hear from people who live, work, and enjoy the outdoors in the watershed. To register, visit gotowebinar.com. For more information, contact Rachel Windham at 713-993-2497. 

Ask an Ecologist

On August 13, 2020 (and every Thursday through September 24), beginning at 3 p.m., Bayou Land Conservancy will present a Facebook Live event called “Ask an Ecologist.” Attendees can submit nature-related questions or topics and receive answers live. For more information, visit the Facebook event.

A Landscape Makeover, with Natives!

On August 20, 2020, beginning at 7 p.m., the Houston chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will host a virtual meeting featuring Suzy Shapiro (client) and Joe Blanton (landscape design and implementation). They will share the journey from the early development of ideas, completely scraping and regrading a residential lot in Montrose, installing drainage, hardscape, bed elevations and excavations for a rain garden and ponds, and planting the gardens. For more information and to register, visit npsot.org.

How to Stay Alive in Heat Waves

While Houston has had 10 days a year of dangerous heat, in 2100, 113 are expected every year unless we limit warming to 2 degrees. That’s nearly four months of dangerous heat. Learn more about this virtual event on August 20, 2020, at 12:30 pm hosted by First Unitarian Universalist Church Climate Action Team and register on Eventbrite.

Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Virtual Summer Camps extended

The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is offering virtual Summer Camps for children ages four through 12, with campers grouped in classes by age. Navigating around Covid 19, this virtual Summer Camp allows families to connect with nature from their own homes, while supporting the Arboretum’s crucial conservation and education efforts. With school starting later in so many local school districts, the Arboretum has decided to offer four additional weeks of the virtual camps, through Sept. 4, 2020. For more information and to register, visit houstonarboretum.org.

Community Outdoor Outreach Program grants available

Texas Parks & Wildlife’s Community Outdoor Outreach Program is now accepting applications for outdoor education programming.  CO-OP grants provide funding to tax-exempt organizations for programming that engages under-represented populations in TPWD mission-oriented outdoor recreation, conservation and environmental education activities.  Grant awards range between $5,000 – $30,000 for eligible activities that take place between March 1, 2021 – September 1, 2022.  Recreation Grants staff will host a CO-OP Grant Writing Webinar on Tuesday, September 15 at 9 a.m.  This webinar will discuss grant program requirements, provide an overview of the application process, review the newly modified scoring criteria and answer questions from applicants. Register for the webinar at gotowebinar.com. Applications are available now via the RGO 2020 system and the deadline is November 6, 2020 at 5 p.m CST. For more information and to apply, please visit tpwd.texas.gov.

2021 Texas Environmental Excellence Awards nominations

Each year, the Governor’s Office and commissioners from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality honor the state’s most outstanding environmental projects through the Texas Environmental Excellence Awards. Winners from across the state exemplify how Texans set the standard for ensuring clean air, clean water, and the safe management of waste. The application period for the 2021 awards is now open. See the winner videos for 2020. Applications will be accepted through Friday, September 25, 2020. 

Texas Children in Nature Stories Project

The Texas Children in Nature network is leading the statewide effort is to ensure equitable access and connection to nature for children. Part of these efforts is the launch of the TCiN Stories Project. This effort uses StoryCorps Connect to collect personal stories from families across the state about their experiences with nature during the pandemic. Through telling their stories, people are able to connect with each other in a profound way. Please join this effort to collect stories! Interview friends and neighbors or be interviewed yourself. TCiN can help you get set up for interviews, including helping craft questions and find people to interview. Learn more and listen to stories (including stories from CEC interns) at texaschildreninnature.org.

EcoExplorers Daily Outdoor EcoPrograms

The Armand Bayou Nature Center is offering a new EcoProgram called EcoExplorers for children 4-10 years old, which provides several flexible Outdoor EcoClasses to fit your schedule during this unprecedented time of transition. Class sizes are limited to 10 children per counselor. All activities will be held outdoors, and masks are required. ABNC EcoExplorers will be adhering to the Health Protocols set forth by the CDC, Gov. Abbot’s Open Texas Plan and the American Camp Association concerning the COVID-19. For more information regarding the efforts we are taking please see the Parent Information Guide. For more information and to register, visit abnc.org.

“Nature as Nature” blog

The Armand Bayou Nature Center offers its “Nature as Normal” blog as a means to “remember that things are still happening as normal in the bigger picture, and that we’ll all be back to normal soon too.” Each entry features photographs by award-winning kayaking photographer Gary Seloff and ABNC Volunteer Photo Walk Leader Lyman Brown, with commentary by ABNC’s Conservation Director and Chief Naturalist, Mark Kramer. The latest entry is titled “The Spider Experience.” Find all of the blog entries at abnc.org.

COVID-19 Registry seeks public’s input

The COVID-19 Registry, spearheaded by Rice University with partnering organizations, is a research study that provides real-time information to health departments on the spread of COVID-19, who is being affected, and how. The registry will help to: track virus spread over time and across geography; measure economic and health impacts; understand behavior in response to policy changes; and identify popular and effective sources of information. Data from the registry will be stored in a highly secure system built by Rice University. Things learned from the registry will be published, but will not include any information that would identify participants. For more information and to take the survey, visit rice.edu. Read the most up-to-date findings here.

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.

  • Grassland birds are declining rapidly across North America. Habitat loss has made it especially tough on several species of sparrows. Research is underway from Canada to Mexico to find out how to save the disappearing grasslands and the tiny songbirds that call them home
  • At the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area, you can find a surprising wealth of wildlife such as deer, bear, quail, mountain lion and desert bighorn sheep. But without water, none of these animals could exist here. So biologists build and maintain water catchment devises called guzzlers to help the wildlife
  • Postcard from Texas: It’s breakfast time on the water, as Black Skimmers and other wading birds feast at a farm pond

Additional Upcoming Events

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