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Houston Environmental News Update June 2, 2021
June 3, 2021

Houston Environmental News Update June 2, 2021

#generationrestoration, #WorldEnvironmentDay, RDA Architecture Tour, Green Building Tour, Sampling the City, National Trails Day: Creek Bash, Green Jobs and more

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2021 as the start of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which aims to massively scale up the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems as a proven measure to fight the climate crisis and enhance food security, water supply and biodiversity. Kickoff events have begun this week, with the official Virtual Launch Gala on June 4 and 5, 2021, in conjunction with World Environment Day.

There has never been a more urgent need to revive damaged ecosystems than now. Ecosystems support all life on Earth. The healthier our ecosystems are, the healthier the planet – and its people. The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration aims to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. It can help to end poverty, combat climate change and prevent a mass extinction. It will only succeed if everyone plays a part.

Prairie Pothole at Indiangrass - Jaime Gonzalez
Prairie Pothole at Indiangrass – Jaime Gonzalez

Here are some examples of local ecosystems and initiatives to restore them:

Rivers & Lakes: Bayou Land Conservancy, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Galveston Bay Foundation, Houston Audubon, and Katy Prairie Conservancy recently announced Headwaters to Baywaters: A Story of Urban Resilience, an interactive website at www.harcresearch.org/H2BRiparian. The Initiative works to connect regional bayous and Galveston Bay through planning to identify high quality, riparian habitats with the potential to contribute to water quality improvements; restoration and enhancement of riparian lands adjacent to targeted priority areas; and acquisition of land and designation of conservation easements on priority areas for riparian corridor protection. 

Forests & Trees: The fire-dependent longleaf pine ecosystem was historically the dominant forest type across the Southeast, but fire suppression and conversion to other land uses or forest types reduced longleaf acreage to less than five percent of its original extent. The Texas Longleaf Conservation Plan, which is aligned with America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative (ALRI) and is incorporated into the 2020 Texas Forest Action Plan, is intended to help guide efforts to re-establish the abundantly biodiverse and wildlife-sustaining habitat of the longleaf pine ecosystem in East Texas (including $92 billion/year in ecosystem services).

Oceans & Coasts: Houston Wilderness has been facilitating the Gulf-Houston Regional Conservation Plan (Gulf-Houston RCP), a long-term collaborative of environmental, business and governmental entities working together to create a first-ever ecosystem continuity and connectivity plan for the Gulf-Houston Region. Since Houston Wilderness began tracking these environmental-based projects in 2015,  $1,400,393,923 in Phase 1 (land acquisition/conservation easements) and $804,691,600 in Phase 2 (restoration/enhancements) of the Gulf-Houston RCP’s Working List of Projects have been received by various public and private entities. Many of the funded projects are coastal.

Towns & Cities: Memorial Park Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, and numerous partners have been collaborating to restore native prairie in in Memorial Park, one of the most visible restoration projects in the Houston / Gulf Coast region. These efforts will restore important habitats for pollinators and wildlife, help manage stormwater in communities that deeply understand the power of severe storms and support the region’s overall resiliency.

What is your favorite ecosystem restoration in the Houston / Gulf Coast region?

CEC NOTES

Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers

Engage your students with lessons outdoors. Over 30 workshops are in the regional summer professional development calendar to connect you with local resources. Sign up today at hereinhouston.org.

Engage with Environmental Interns

CEC invites members of the environmental community to speak with our summer interns about career paths, advice, policy, DEI, leadership, and environmental topics. If you are willing to share your story with our interns, please reach out to rachel@cechouston.org. If you have environmental interns this summer, we invite your interns to participate in these opportunities as well as socially-distanced, outdoor field trips; email rachel@cechouston.org for more info. CEC has a limited number of openings for summer interns. Learn more at cechouston.org.

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

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site Virtual Community Meeting

On June 10, 2021, from 6-7 p.m., the Environmental Protection Agency will hold  a virtual community meeting to provide an update for the San Jacinto River Waste Pits Superfund Site. Topics for discussion include: changes to remedial design schedule, upcoming design investigation sampling and overall remedial design update. Members of the public and attend the meeting online or via telephone. For more information, visit epa.gov.

National Environmental Justice Advisory Council Meeting

The National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, a federal advisory committee to EPA which provides advice and recommendations about broad, cross-cutting issues related to environmental justice will hold a virtual public meeting on June 17, 2021, beginning at 11:30 a.m. CST. Learn more and register at epa.gov.

Deepwater Horizon NRDA Annual Public Meeting

The Deepwater Horizon NRDA Trustee Council will hold its sixth annual public meeting and open house on June 17, 2021, with the open house from 5:30-6 p.m. CT and the public meeting from 6-7:30 p.m. During this meeting, the Trustees will present updates on the progress made by the Trustee Council and in each of the seven Restoration Areas. They will also provide an opportunity for public comments after the updates are presented. Learn more and register at gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.

TCEQ Public Hearing on Union Pacific’s Houston Wood Preserving Works

Union Pacific Railroad Company, owner of the Houston Wood Preserving Works located at 4910 Liberty Road, Houston has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for a renewal and major amendment of Hazardous Waste Permit/Compliance Plan No. 50343.  TCEQ will hold a public meeting on June 21, 2021 at 6 p.m. for this Permit/Compliance Plan. Members of the public who would like to ask questions or provide comments during the meeting may access the meeting via webcast by visiting gotomeeting.com and entering Webinar ID 671-777-035. Members of the public who wish to only listen to the meeting may call, toll free, (415) 930-5321 and enter access code 358-549-912.

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).

RDA 2021 Architecture Tour

For its 2021 Architecture Tour, RDA is looking UPWARDS and highlighting examples of urban density in Houston’s housing stock. This year’s residences are featured in a special virtual program that explores our city’s gradual transition towards urban densification and some of the different examples of housing types that exist in Houston. Important questions include: How can we live together in Houston? What lifestyles are possible in denser building layouts? Who lives in them? Why is density important as we face population growth and increasing climate challenges?Access to all videos of the virtual tour are accessible to watch through Saturday, June 19. Additionally, RDA will host a special live conversation with some of the homeowners, developers, and architects participating in the tour on Friday, June 11, for all tour attendees to join.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ricedesignalliance.org.

2021 Texas Children in Nature Network Summit request for session proposals

The 2021 Texas Children in Nature Summit, with the theme “Inspiring Leaders for Healthier, Happier, Smarter Kids,” will be held Dec. 2-3 in Fort Worth. The keynote speakers will be Lisa Carlson, president of the American Public Health Association, and Angela Hanscomb, author of “Balanced and Barefoot” and the Founder of Timbernook. The Request for Session Proposals is now open. Submissions can be made at this Google document.

Street Safety Summit 2.0

On June 3, 2020, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., LINK Houston will virtually host its Street Safety Summit 2.0, focusing on safety and accessibility for people walking, biking, or rolling on Houston’s streets. LINK Houston will present updated crash data analysis, moderate an expert panel discussion focusing on funding mechanisms for safety projects, and invite community members to share their experiences walking, rolling, and biking in Houston. For more information and to register, visit linkhouston.org.

Spring Creek Watershed Protection Plan Public Meeting

On June 3, 2021, beginning at 2 p.m., the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Spring Creek Watershed Partnership will hold a virtual public meeting to discuss the incorporation of community-driven strategies for water quality into the first draft of a Watershed Protection Plan. To register, visit zoom.us.

AWE-some – What Adults can Learn from Children in Nature

On June 3, 2020, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., Texas Children in Nature will present a webinar on how the curiosity and awe that is inspired by nature provides mental and physical well-being to both childsren and adults. This session will explain the science of awe and nature as well as provide practical tools that you can use to inspire children of all ages to be healthier and happier. For more information and to register, visit texaschildreninnature.org.

Texas Children in Nature Network Virtual Meet-Up

On June 3, 2021, from 5-6 p.m., Texas Children in Nature will host a Virtual Meet-Up for environmental educators to learn what its partners across the state have been up to. This is a great chance for everyone to share and ask questions of the partners. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

NOAA Planet Stewards Grants

Through federal funding opportunities of up to $5,000, NOAA Planet Stewards supports educators working in formal and informal educational settings to carry out hands-on action-based stewardship projects with elementary through college age students, as well as the general public. Stewardship projects must make a substantive, measurable impact on an environmental issue related to the educator’s community. Projects should focus on the conservation, restoration, and/or protection of human communities and/or natural resources from environmental issues. The deadline to apply is June 5, 2021. For more information and application instructions, visit oceanservice.noaa.gov.

Green Building Bike Ride – EaDo and Second Ward

On June 5, 2021, from 9-11 a.m., the Texas Gulf Coast chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council and CoHousing will host a Green Building Bike Ride in EaDo (East Downtown) and the Second Ward. Participants explore some existing and future sustainability projects in EaDo and Second Ward with a brief local coffee shop break in the middle. For more information and to register, visit usgbctexas.org.

Sampling the City: Sunnyside

On June 5, 2021, beginning at 9 a.m., join Air Alliance Houston and the Sunnyside Community to sample the air. AAH is providing 15 Flow 2 air monitors that will be used. These monitors can detect Volatile Organic Compounds, a variety of gaseous chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Once the data is gathered, AAH will provide graphs and maps of localized air quality snapshots. For more information and to register, visit secure.airalliancehouston.org.

National Trails Day: Creek Bash

On June 5, 2021, from 9 a.m.-noon, Jesse H. Jones & Nature Center will celebrate National Trails Day by hosting a volunteer event to remove litter along the park’s waterways to restore wildlife habitat and nature’s beauty. The event is open to all, but children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information and to register, see the Facebook event.

Flying WILD Training Program for Educators

On June 5, 2021, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., through a partnership with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Houston Audubon will offer a Flying WILD program training workshop for educators. Through activities involving language arts, social science and math experiences, coupled with community outreach and service learning applications, Flying WILD offers a whole-school approach to environmental education using birds as the focus. For more information and to register, visit houstonaudubon.org.

Faith & Resilience: Spiritual Hubs

On June 6, 2021, from 3-4;30 p.m., the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston will present a webinar featuring environmental attorney Jim Blackburn, who will discuss physical, economic and spiritual resilience in the context of our changing climate and the need to understand its implications and address its impacts. The role of the faith community will be discussed. He will also include some climate-based poetry from his recent 365-day virus vigil of poetry and paintings and writings about Earth Church and nature. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary seeks Advisory Council members

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is seeking applicants for four seats on its advisory council, a community-based group of individuals that provide advice for sanctuary management. The sanctuary is accepting applications for the following council seats:  Commercial Fishing (1 seat), Dive Operations (2 seats), and Recreational Diving (1 seat). Candidates are selected based on their expertise and experience in relation to the seat for which they are applying, community and professional affiliations, and views regarding the protection and management of marine resources. Applicants who are chosen as members should expect to serve 3-year terms. Applications are due by June 7, 2021. Learn more and find application materials at flowergarden.noaa.gov.

The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. Annual Meeting

On June 7, 2021, beginning at 7 p.m.. The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. will hold its annual meeting virtually. The event will feature a recap of the past year’s activities, scholarship awards, the Village Challenge Awards, and more. A Going Green Lecture on the climate simulation tool ENROADS by Roger Ingersoll will follow the meeting. Find the link to participate in the meeting at thewoodlandsgreen.org.

Race, Equity, Access, Diversity, and Inclusion in Everyday Practice

On June 8, 2021, from 9-10 a.m., the Nonprofit Leadership Collaborative will present a webinar featuring Vu Le, the former Executive Director of RVC, a nonprofit in Seattle that promotes social justice by developing leaders of color, strengthening organizations led by communities of color, and fostering collaboration between diverse communities. He will discuss how the nonprofit sector plays a critical role in protecting and advancing our communities. To do this effectively, we must embrace race, equity, access, diversity, and inclusion. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

Nonprofit Disaster Data Dive and Workshop: Response to and Recovery From Disasters

On June 8, 2021, from 9-10:30 a.m., Understanding Houston will present the third in a series of workshops focusing on data collected from the Harris-Montgomery-Fort Bend County region on how areas can respond to and recover from disasters. For more information and to register, visit understandinghouston.org.

Disaster Debris Cleanup and Management Workshop

On June 9, 2021, from 8:30-11:30 a.m., the Houston-Galveston Area Council will host the annual Disaster Debris Cleanup and Management Workshop. The workshop will focus on emerging trends in debris management; public information strategies after a disaster; the use of technology in disaster recovery; and best practices in preparedness initiatives. For more information and to register, visit h-gac.com.

Socially Responsible Product Positioning and the Electric Vehicle Industry

On June 9, 2021, from 1:30-2:30 p.m., UH Energy will present a presentation by Funda Sahin, Ph.D., associate professor of supply chain management, who will discuss socially responsible product positioning in the auto industry and the evolution of electric vehicles and their development in providing sustainable transportation. For more information and to register, visit uh.edu.

2019 TRI National Analysis: Highlights and Walkthrough

On June 10, 2021, from 1-2:30 p.m. CT, the Environmental Protection Agency will host a webinar highlighting findings from the most recent Toxic Release Inventory data about industrial management of toxic chemicals. This webinar will briefly cover the basics of the TRI Program, explain key findings from EPA’s analysis of the 2019 TRI data, and explore features of the interactive National Analysis report. Participants will also learn how to easily get summary data for any U.S. location. For more information and to register, visit abtassociates.webex.com.

Ocean Awards Gala 2021

On June 10, 2021, beginning at 6 p.m., CT, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation will host its annual Ocean Awards Gala virtually. For more information on how to watch the event, visit secure.givelively.org.

Sierra Club meeting: CoHousing Houston – Towards Community and Being Green

On June 10, 2021, from 7:30-9 p.m., the Sierra Club Houston Group will hold its monthly meeting virtually, featuring a presentation from Steve Stelzer, the program director at the City of Houston Green Building Resource Center and a member of CoHousing Houston. He will discuss the strategies for developing the first cohusing development in Texas, and what the green values of the community are. For more information, visit Meetup.com.

World Ocean Day Festival

On June 12, 2021, from 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Artist Boat will hold the World Ocean Day Festival at Galveston’s Stewart Beach, 201 Seawall Blvd. at Broadway. Every year, World Ocean Day provides a unique opportunity to honor, help protect, and conserve our world’s shared ocean. The event will include the awards for the Beatify the Bucket competition and Marine Debris Art Contest. The Festival is FREE. However, Stewart Beach parking fees will apply. ($15/Car All Day). For more information, visit artistboat.org.

Picnic for the Prairie

On June 12, 2021, Katy Prairie Conservancy will hold its annual fundraiser Picnic for the Prairie virtually. This event, benefiting the Katy Prairie Conservancy, brings together individuals of all ages to support KPC’s mission to preserve coastal prairie in the Gulf Coast Region for current and future generations. Picnic on a nearby prairie, at a park, or in your own backyard! Registration includes an exclusive event T-shirt and virtual programming leading up to the event. For more information and to register, visit katyprairie.org.

Virtual Public Meeting

On June 14, 2021, beginning at 6 p.m., Lone Star Legal Aid and IMPACT will co-host a virtual public meeting in advance of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s June 21 public meeting on Union Pacific’s application for a renewal and major amendment of Hazardous Waste Permit/Compliance Plan at its Houston Wood Preserving Works facility (see notice above in “Opportunities for Public Participation”). Participants will learn what deficiencies with the permit the organizations have identified, how you can submit public comments expressing your concerns with the permit, and what solutions there might be for some of these deficiencies. For more information on how to attend the meeting, see the Facebook event.

TWRC’s 2021 “Wild InSight” Photo Contest

TWRC Wildlife Center is holding its 2021 “Wild InSight” Photo Contest. All wildlife photo snappers, hobbyists, “phone-tographers”, amateurs and professionals welcome. Enter your best photos, giving visual insight about wildlife living in the wild and then invite friends and family to vote for their favorites. Top 16 photos (receiving the most votes online) will be featured on a full 8 1/2 x 11 glossy, color page in the 2021/2022 “Wild InSight” calendar. The deadline for entry is June 21, 2021. For more information on prizes and how to submit photos, visit twrcwildlifecenter.org.

SFA joins ISSP partnership for undergraduate and graduate online degrees

Stephen F. Austin State University recently enrolled in the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) partnership program. Students who enroll in a sustainability program automatically become members of ISSP and, through their SFA courses, interact with material that prepares them to test for Sustainability Excellence Associate status. SFA is currently the only school in Texas in this partnership. Online degree programs include an undergraduate major, minor, undergraduate and graduate four-course certificates, and a sustainability management concentration within the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies. SUST 3330 (undergraduate) and 5300 (graduate), both titled Fundamentals of Sustainability, are available online in Fall 2021. For more information, visit sfasu.edu or email Bill Forbes, associate professor, at forbesw@sfasu.edu.

Recurring Events with Changing Content

Virtually WILD! field trips

Virtually WILD! offers the community a chance to interact with conservationists and wildlife. Visit our virtual field trip videos on the CEC YouTube channel; new videos posted weekly. Corresponding educational activities are found 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.

  • Meet some Game Wardens of the past as we open the vaults to an old film that showcases the history of the agency. Sit around the campfire with some longtime Game Wardens, and hear some tall tales
  • Game Wardens do a lot of varied tasks with a wide variety of tools. One of their tools has a fuzzy face and four legs. Meet the Texas Game Warden K-9’s. Searching for hidden game, weapons, missing people, or playing with a tennis ball, it’s all in day’s work for these canine commissioned Texas Game Wardens
  • Enjoy the peace and quiet of an early morning at Goliad State Park & Historic Site

Additional Upcoming Events

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

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