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Houston Environmental News Update December 23, 2020
December 24, 2020

Houston Environmental News Update December 23, 2020

Season’s Greetings! Wildlife by Design Classroom Presentations, Coastal Update, Wild Texas Film Tour, Virtual Winter Camp, Harris County Master Gardeners Plant Sales, Green Jobs, and more

Flock of Ibis, Airborn
Ibis at the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge

Season’s Greetings!

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.

If you appreciate this newsletter, 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.

As you know, the CEC is dedicated to connecting our environmental community–to make it stronger. CEC carries out a variety of crucial initiatives, such as producing our weekly e-newsletter, Houston Environmental News Update; publishing our Environmental Resource Guide; providing our friends with a continuous listing of green jobs in the Houston/Gulf Coast region; hosting unique events like Houston Green Films & Festivals (including January’s Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour) and–with our partners–Earth Day Houston; mentoring future leaders; and providing environmental education training for educators.

But to continue our vital work, we need the assistance of generous people like you. To make a donation in any amount, please click here.

We understand that many people are not able to make a financial contribution at this time. You can still give generously: 

  • Send us an email telling us what you value the most about CEC 
  • Leave a review on Guidestar, Great Nonprofits, or Facebook 
  • Follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, or Twitter)
  • Consider volunteering
  • Tell a friend about us

Wishing you peace,

From all of us at the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition.

Please scroll down to read about public engagement opportunities and notes from our member organizations and the community.

CEC NOTES

Wild and Scenic Film Festival on Tour

Tickets are on sale now for the Wild and Scenic Film Festival On Tour, hosted by CEC, on Jan. 29, 2021. Purchase your tickets today; they make a great holiday gift. Special thanks to our program sponsors: McMac CX and Veritex Bank. The Silent Auction is also back by popular demand. Purchase tickets at eventbrite.com.

Year in Review: Let us know what you think!

Now that are approaching the end of 2020, what do you, our readers, believe have been the most significant environmental accomplishments, controversies, issues, news, and events in the greater Houston region so far this year?

Virtually Wild! Field Trips

Need a virtual lesson, activity or field trip for your students? Send an email to SCA Americorps Intern Emma Wilson (emma.wilson@cechouston.org) to book and create a free, custom program that aligns to any of the Science TEKS. She is available any date and time from now until March. Or, join us for Virtually WILD Communities every Tuesday at 4:00 on Facebook Live (houstonwild) or 4:30 via Zoom (email emma.wilson@cechouston.org for the links). This program is great for all audiences, and gives Houstonians a chance to interact with various environmental professionals every week. Details at hereinhouston.org.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION OPPORTUNITIES

Learn more about public participation opportunities at cechouston.org/public-participation-opportunities/.

Comment Period Extended to Jan. 13, 2020: Coastal Texas Study

The United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Texas General Land Office recently released plans for the Coastal Texas Study. Learn more and submit comments at swg.usace.army.mil. NOTE: Several area environmental groups have raised concerns about the draft reports. Watch a recent discussion on the study by those organizations here.

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).

Wildlife by Design Classroom Presentations

During Spring 2001, Texas Wildlife Association will offer its free, TEKS-aligned Wildlife by Design classroom presentations for grades K-8 in a virtual format. Each school can have up to two program dates per school year. Each presentation is designed for a classroom length period of time, up to 60 minutes, and for a group of 20-50 students. There are options for both synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. All presentations will be interactive and provide opportunities for student action/participation. For full information and to register, visit texas-wildlife.org.

Jim Blackburn’s Holiday Coastal Update 2020

This newsletter started in the mid-1990s after several contested case hearings and lawsuits against Formosa Plastics Corporation, U.S.A. (Formosa Plastics) led to a settlement that Jim helped negotiate and implement – a settlement that made great progress in reducing the
threat of toxics to the bay and to the residents…. Since that time, Jim has provided this newsletter as an update on happenings along the coast during the past year. Read the full letter (and find his Virus Vigil poetry and a recent press release about a carbon sequestration partnership) at jimblackburninfo.com.

Final Environmental Impact Statement on Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary expansion published

On Dec. 11, 2020 NOAA’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the expansion of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary was published. This action follows the release of a proposed rule in May 2020 and a subsequent public comment period. Publication of the FEIS is not the final step in the expansion process. Following a 30-day review period, NOAA may decide to publish a final rule in the Federal Register, expanding Sanctuary. Once the final rule is published, the expansion would become effective after 45 days of continuous session of Congress. During that time, Congress will have the opportunity to review the final proposal. Find the full FEIS at noaa.gov.

Lone Star Coastal Alliance and Stakeholders Unveil “Explore Lone Star Coastal”

The Lone Star Coastal Alliance – representing a decade old coalition of local citizens, businesses, governments and non-governmental organizations – welcomes you to visit the Lone Star Coastal region. This on-line interactive travel guide is available at ExploreLoneStarCoastal.com. The website features over 300 points of interest recommended by local residents, businesses, organizations, public and private land managers, educators, and community establishments. Representing the diverse ecosystems of the region, the website includes 60 parks and natural areas, including eight National Fish and Wildlife Service Refuges and nine dedicated bird sanctuaries. This diversity in habitat also makes for a diversity of recreation – fishing, hunting, biking, kayaking, boating and, yes, exceptional birding! The region is in the heart of the central flyway for neotropical migration, is home to a large colonial water bird population and hawk migration, and has the second most abundant estuary in the nation with Galveston Bay.

Virtual Nature Events

Texas Parks & Wildlife is offering a host of online nature events from around the state through the end of the year and into 2021. You can find the listing at tpwd.texas.gov. The Smithsonian Institution also offers several online nature-themed events, which you can find at si.edu.

THEA Petition: San Jacinto River Waste Pits

The Texas Health and Environment Alliance (THEA) invites you to learn about their concerns regarding the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site. While progress has been made, THEA is urging the EPA to ensure that the toxic material is handled safely at every phase of the process. This includes safety measures for the workers handling the waste, best management practices to protect the environment, a careful plan for transporting the waste on our roadways, and proper disposal of the waste such that it will not negatively affect public health at its new location. THEA has organized a petition to demonstrate community support.

Celebrate the Holidays along Buffalo Bayou

Buffalo Bayou Partnership offer several ways to celebrate the season while staying safe:

Social Change Scientists Video Competition

Enter the McMac Cx, Air Champions – Social Change Scientists Video Competition. Simply create a 30 to 90 second video about air quality using provided prompts, and enter using this Google form. A winner will be announced at the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition’s Green Film Series event on Jan. 29, 2021. The winner will receive a state-of-the-art Flow Personal Pollution Monitor (PPM) valued at $150.00 from McMac Cx. Questions? Want to be on the selection committee? Want to learn more about Air Champions? Contact David McLean at david.maclean@mcmaccx.net or read the details on the Google form.

Wild Texas Film Tour available virtually in December

The Wild Texas Film Tour, which normally hosts screening events in cities throughout the state, has gone virtual this year for the entire month of December. Hosted by filmmaker and conservationist Ben Masters, the films showcase “wildlife, adventure, and conservation stories from across the state.” All of this year’s films will be available free of charge with a suggested donation to help cover the festival’s streaming costs and fund the next Wild Texas Short Film Grant. Among this year’s selections is Bayou City, a short film produced by Olivia Haun (Schmidt), the 2018 Wild Texas Film Tour Grant recipient and outreach specialist for the TPWD Wildlife Diversity Program. Bayou City was made to “shed light on the issues the bayou ecosystem have faced over the past century, and to share the successes that provide an alternative vision and relationship between Houston and its bayous.” The film features Mark Kramer of Armand Bayou Nature Center, Susan Chadwick and Tom Helm of Save Buffalo Bayou, Suzanne Simpson of Bayou Land Conservancy, Kelli Ondracek of Houston Parks & Recreation Department, and Diana Foss of TPWD Urban Wildlife Program.

Christmas Bird Counts

The 121st annual Christmas Bird Count is scheduled for December 14, 2020, through January 5, 2021. Organized by the National Audubon Society, this all-volunteer effort takes a snapshot of bird populations to monitor their status and distribution across the Western Hemisphere. Counts are open to birders of all skill levels. There is NO FEE to participate in Christmas Bird Counts. We encourage you to learn more about the counts–including a few dozen within a two-hour drive of downtown Houston–at HoustonAudubon.org. Unsurprisingly, adjustments are being made to the count to try reduce the risk of transferring the coronavirus. You can also participate from your yard or neighborhood as a feeder watcher. Regardless, be sure to coordinate with the compiler to find out how to participate.

Virtual Winter Camp

From Dec. 28-31, the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center will hold a Virtual Winter Camp for students ages 4-12. Participants will Investigate the adaptations and strategies animals use to survive till spring. They will learn about the challenges animals face during migration and learn how the Center’s year-round residents survive Houston’s wintry weather, meet some of our Animal Ambassadors, go for scavenger hunts, and perform winter experiments. For more information and to register, visit houstonarboretum.org. 

CELF Civic Science Scholarship applications open through Dec. 31

The Children’s Environmental Literacy Foundation is leading a multi-state cohort of middle and high school teachers through student projects focusing on air quality. Teachers will receive an air quality monitor, a chance to connect with other teachers from other states through a virtual professional learning community, and the opportunity to have students present their air data findings – along with student-driven solutions – at the virtual CELF Student Symposium in Spring 2021. Applications are being accepted through Dec. 31, 2020. For more information and to apply, visit celfeducation.org.

How to Have a Holiday Without Harming the Bay

The Galveston Bay Foundation reminds us that litter and trash impact Galveston Bay throughout the year and we tend to create even more trash during the holiday season. According to the EPA, “Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, American household waste increases by more than 25 percent. Trash cans full of holiday food waste, shopping bags, bows and ribbons, packaging, and wrapping paper contribute an additional 1 million tons a week to our landfills.” The GBF offers its Sustainable Gift Guide to help you reduce your household’s impact on the Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. You can learn more from the NOAA Marine Debris Program at noaa.gov.

Reminders About Ongoing Opportunities

  • Gulf Research Program Fellowships applications open.
    Deadline Jan. 13, 2021. For more information, visit nationalacademies.org.
  • Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training Program applications
    Webinar on Jan. 11, 2021. Deadline: Feb. 26, 2021. Learn more at noaa.gov.
  • Harris County Master Gardeners plant sales
    Contactless plant sales through the rest of this year and in 2021. Learn more at hcmga-online.company.site.
  • Citizen Science Program for Bird Observation
    The Audubon Society’s Texas Estuarine Resource Network (TERN) and the Harris County Department of Education are collaborating to bring a community-based citizen science program to prepare teachers and students in grades 5-12 as field researchers for bird observations. If your school is within walking distance of a waterway (pond, bayou, creek, ditch) please contact Lisa Felske (lfelske@hcde-texas.org).
  • SFA Sustainability Degree Programs
    Stephen F. Austin State University offers an online bachelor’s degree in sustainability, designed to accommodate community college transfers or other students wanting to stay in their hometown location. Visit sfasu.edu or email Dr. Bill Forbes at forbesw@sfasu.edu. To learn more about the Masters program, visit sfasu.edu.

Recurring Events with Changing Content

Virtually WILD! field trips

Virtually WILD! offers the community a chance to interact with conservationists and wildlife live every week. Stay tuned for new programming in January. Corresponding activities and archived videos, as well as registration details, are available at hereinhouston.org.

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.

  • There’s a place in Houston that recreates a tropical rain forest, not for people, but for butterflies. At the Cockrell Butterfly Center, watch as crawling caterpillars turn into beautiful butterflies*
  • What’s the real story behind Old RIP, Texas’ most famous toad? Travel to Eastland, Texas where the memory of Old RIP is kept alive and well and encased in glass
  • The Bison that roam the prairies of Caprock Canyons State Park have some little friends. Check out the park’s prairie dog town and the furry animals that call it home
  • As the Rio Grande Valley becomes more urbanized, habitat for wildlife is dwindling. To find out how Green Jays are adapting to the changing environment, biologists are trapping, tagging and tracking these colorful birds

Additional Upcoming Events

Check out the latest Green Jobs at cechouston.org/green-jobs/.