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Houston Environmental News Update July 7, 2021
July 8, 2021

Houston Environmental News Update July 7, 2021

The Unquiet Earth World Listening Day, Armand Bayou Listening, Uneven Runoff, Houston Heat Island Study, Parks and Natural Spaces Runoff, Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Awards, Green Jobs and more

Resh Cicada, Photo 99468151, (c) aledoux, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

The earth conducts its own symphony, from the simple hum of the wind to the din of the calling and alarm songs of the western dusk singing cicada (to human ears, one of the loudest insects in the world, and a resident of the Houston region). The tufted titmouse creates a sharp beep-beep-beep sound at dawn; while the sound is defined, yet its lead-gray and rust colors blend into the trees. The male northern cardinal sings to let his mate know that he has secured the breeding grounds with food for her chicks; typically, the female will select the male who sings most vigorously. Hoping to attract a mate, male Southern Leopard Frogs emit a nervous laughter: “he-he-he-heh, he-he-he-he-heh….” The American Bullfrog, a large, greenish-brown species, creates a “BROOM, BROOM, BROOM…” not dissimilar to a light-saber noise. The whispering sound of wind rustling through trees can vary by type of tree: whistles through a pine and a shoosh through a cottonwood. Thanks to Jaime Gonzalez with The Nature Conservancy, you can listen to soundscapes from East Texas Pineywoods, an urban dawn chorus, the Nash Prairie, and the Clive Runnels Mad Island Marsh Preserve.

Often their sounds are lost in the hustle and bustle of city life: the roar of traffic, planes, trains, air conditioners, and leaf blowers, or the chatter amongst city goers–but we should still pay attention.

World Listening Day, officially observed on July 18, is our chance to appreciate the noises our world has to offer and what we can learn from acoustic ecology. This year’s theme, The Unquiet Earth, focuses on the pandemic, which “brought countless consequences to the environment, and to the sonic environment in particular. New acoustic horizons emerged, signaling times of unquietness and global change, and requiring our listening awareness to evolve.”

How did ecological noises change during the pandemic? 

It may seem as though the birds were singing louder, however, this is only because the noise pollution from things like traffic decreased (it’s called the Lombard Effect). In reality, the birds are singing quieter than usual because they do not have as much noise with which to compete. Ornithologist Sue Anne Zollinger found that one songbird, the chiffchaff, almost doubled in its decibel level with the sound of aircraft compared to no aircraft noise. With less global noise pollution during the pandemic, the birds did not have to sing as loudly; they could be heard on quieter levels. The SONYC project in New York City has been tracking ambient noise in the City for over three years; the beginning of the pandemic was clearly a time of quiet. Changes in ambient noise due to COVID shutdowns allowed researchers to study the seismology of smaller earthquakes (and hydraulic fracking in Texas), and the effects of sound on marine organisms.  

Sound sources:

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.

Breaking Through – How to Build A Strong, Sustainable Nonprofit

Presented by the Executive Service Corps of Houston and Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, Breaking Through – How to Build A Strong, Sustainable Nonprofit is a free, robust, six-month business training program for nonprofit organizations with a multifaceted approach including workshops, mentoring/coaching, and development of of a business plan. Topics covered include governance, financial management, marketing and branding, fundraising, volunteers, insurance, IT, HR, and disaster planning. Application now for a July program start date. Special consideration given to CEC’s member and partner organizations. Download the flyer and simple application.

Montopolis: The Living Coast – Save the Date

We are excited to announce that The Living Coast event, planned for last year but postponed, has been rescheduled for Sep. 18, 2021, at MATCH. The Living Coast performance combines original music, live narration, and cinematic images of the Texas gulf coast.  Surfers and sailors, shrimpers and oilmen, poets and scientists all share their stories about this complicated region of serene beauty, vast industry, and incredible contradictions. Save the date! More details soon.

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

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

Draft Metropolitan Houston Watershed Assessment released

The Galveston District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is completing a Watershed Assessment with specific focus on flood risk management efforts within the Metropolitan Houston Region. This draft assessment documents initial analyses conducted by the project delivery team and presents preliminary conclusions and recommendations to achieve greater risk reduction and resiliency through agency coordination and strategic actions. The final assessment will incorporate public, agency and technical comment to provide final recommendations. Find the draft assessment at usace.army.mil.

San Jacinto Flood Planning Region Group meeting

On July 8, 2021, beginning at 9 a.m., the Region 6 San Jacinto Flood Planning Group will hold a virtual meeting. Among the agenda items to be voted on are the appointment of CEC Executive Director Rachel Powers to the open Environmental Interests position and Neil Gaynor to the new Upper Watershed position. For the full agenda, including how to connect to the meeting, visit twdb.texas.gov.

Cotton Bayou Watershed Project meeting

On July 13, 2021, from 2-4 p.m., the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the Houston-Galveston Area Council will hold a public meeting to discuss water quality in the Cotton Bayou Watershed. Project staff will review updates since the submission of the Watershed Characterization Report and provide an outlook on the development of a Technical Support Document and Total Maximum Daily Load calculation for Cotton Bayou. The event will be online, and registration is required.

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).

Armand Bayou Illustrated: A Life on the Bayou, by Mark Kramer, now available

Armand Bayou Illustrated A Life on the Bayou is a beautifully written resource for anyone interested in the bayou city’s natural history, ecology and wildlife. Written by Mark Kramer, Conservation Director and Chief Naturalist Emeritus at Armand Bayou Nature Center. The book chronicles Mark’s knowledge gained over a lifetime of living, working and playing on the most beautifully preserved bayou in the bayou city. Particular emphasis discusses coastal prairie ecology, bayou ecology, wildlife and native people. Spectacular pictures from award winning wildlife photographer Gary Seloff complete the illustrated element. For more details and to look inside visit the Amazon website where paperback and ebook are available.

Information from Trustee Council Annual Meeting webinar now available

Outreach materials are now available from the June 17 Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Trustee Council’s annual meeting webinar. This virtual event, the Trustees’ sixth annual public meeting, provided an update on their work since our last meeting in July 2020. It also included a 30-minute Open House during which Trustee Implementation Group members were available to discuss projects and answer questions. The Trustees and representatives of the seven Trustee Implementation Groups, responsible for planning and implementing restoration projects for the natural resources injured by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, gave updates on their progress over the last year. Find the meeting materials at gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.

Plastic Free EcoChallenge

Throughout July, the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites you to join its team n the Plastic Free EcoChallenge. Plastic pollution now contaminates the deepest trenches in the ocean, high mountain peaks, and even the air we breathe. Plastic has entered the food chain, killing wildlife, and causing the average person to eat one credit card’s worth of plastic each week. During the Challenge, you select the challenges you’d like to accomplish during the month and when/how you do them. If you have any questions, contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com.

Tools for Getting Chemical Release Data for Your Community

On July 8, 2021, from 1-2:30 p.m. CDT, the Environmental Protection Agency will offer a webinar overview of the Toxic Release Inventory program and a demonstration of the TRI Search and TRI Search Plus tools. The webinar wills also describe how a community group in South Carolina used TRI to inform their city’s comprehensive plan and identify areas where people may face increased health risks due to chemical releases. For more information and to register, visit abtassociates.webex.com.

THEA | Rice University Present: Uneven Runoff

On July 8, 2021, beginning at 6 p.m., Texas Health and Environmental Alliance and the Rice University School of Architecture will host a meeting with community leaders to discuss the Uneven RunOff Mapping Project, which brings spatial inequalities of local industrial pollution and flooding in Harris County into focus. Rice has gathered some open-source mapping datasets, looking at industrial development in Harris County over time, EPA toxic facilities over time, proximity to flood-prone neighborhoods, open ditch versus curb and gutter drainage, in which areas stormwater is likely to pond in a neighborhood. To register, visit zoom.us.

Sierra Club meeting: Houston Heat Island Study and Mitigation Plans

On July 8, 2021, from 7:30-8:30 p.m., the Houston chapter of the Sierra Club will hold a virtual monthly meeting featuring Jaime González, Houston Healthy Cities Director for The Nature Conservancy in Texas, who will discuss urban heat, the community science heat mapping process, and the new H3AT coalition working to develop science, communications, policies, and interventions that fight heat in our city and county. For more information on how to attend, see the Meetup event.

CCL Houston Chapter Monthly Meeting

On July 10, 2021, from 10:30 a.m.-noon, the Houston chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby will hold its monthly meeting virtually. The agenda will include discussion on the Energy Innovation & Carbon Dividend Act (H.R. 2307), status reports on current projects, and next action steps that the CCL plans to take. To register, visit eventbrite.com.

Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable

On July 12, 2021, from 1:30-3:30 p.m., the Houston-Galveston Area Council will hold a Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable. Justin Bower will discuss H-GAC’s Regional Conservation Framework. Augustus “Auggie” Campbell, executive director of the Association of Water Board Directors, and Deborah January-Bevers, president and CEO of Houston Wilderness, will discuss HB1410, a new law that will raise the cap on the use of recreational bonds for nature-based infrastructure in MUDs and other water districts. For more information and to register, visit h-gac.com.

Native Plants on the Cheap

On July 12, 2021, from 6:30-8:30 p.m., the Clear Lake chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas and the UH Clear Lake Environmental Institute of Houston will host a virtual program on plant propagation will be presented by chapter members Martha Richeson, Nancy Saint, Wendy Reistle, and Rowena McDermid. They will cover methods and tips for starting and growing native plants from seeds and cuttings. For more information and to register, see the Facebook event.

Tour de BCycle 2021

Through July 14, 2021, Houston BCycle is bringing back its Tour de BCycle for people with active BCycle memberships. The challenge: visit as many of Houston BCycle’s 128 stations as possible to win prizes and earn the envy of all. All riders receive the prize(s) listed as they achieve each Tour Stage. Find tour rules and a list of stations at houstonbcycle.com.

11th Annual Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Awards

On July 14, 2021, the Bayou Preservation Association will hold its 11th Annual Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Awards luncheon, recognizing individuals in the community who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to aiding in the conservation, preservation, restoration and/or advocacy of Houston’s waterways. This year’s luncheon will honor award winners in both 2020 and 2021 — Bayou Land Conservancy Executive Director Jill Boullion, longtime environmental advocate Terri Thomas, Houston Parks Board, and Bag Free Bayou. Find full details and register for the luncheon at bayoupreservation.org.

Let’s Talk Trash: Plastic Pollution, Birds, and Our Oceans

On July 14, 2021, from 3-4 p.m., the American Bird Conservancy will host a webinar about the effect of plastic on birds and oceans, what we’re doing about it, and what you can do to help. Kelly Martin, Texas Coastal Outreach Coordinator, American Bird Conservancy, will be among the panelists. For more information and to register, visit abcbirds.org.

Lunch and Learn: Coastal Extreme Weather Threats to Water Quality

On July 15, 2021, from 11 a.m.-noon, the Texas General Land Office will present a webinar featuring  John Nielsen-Gammon, Ph.D., Texas state climatologist, who will discuss extreme weather trends for the Texas coast and threats to water quality. The coastal environment is particularly vulnerable to threats from extreme weather, as coastal storms tend to be more intense than storms inland and both freshwater and saltwater flooding are possible. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

The View from TCEQ: Mid-year Regulatory Update

On July 15, 2021, from 11:30-1 p.m., the Texas Association of Environmental Professionals will hold a virtual monthly luncheon meeting featuring a presentation by Ramiro Garcia, Jr., Deputy Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit taep.memberclicks.net.

OHBA: Nature’s Best Hope is Your, with Doug Tallamy

On July 15, 2021, beginning at 6:00 p.m., join OHBA (Organic Benefits Horticulture Alliance) for a Zoominar with Doug Tallamy, a globally famous environmental expert, awesome lecturer, and the author of Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope. This world-renowned entomologist and native plant promoter will discuss the simple steps that each of us can and must take to reverse declining biodiversity, and will explain why we–ourselves–are nature’s best hope. Register on ohba.org.

Several Steps Forward One Backward: Climate Change, Latin America, and Human Rights Resilience

On July 15, 2021, beginning at 6 p.m., Holocaust Museum Houston will present a webinar featuring Rosa Celorio, Ph.D., associate dean and professor of International and comparative legal studies at George Washington University Law School. The event will be bilingual in Spanish/English. Celorio serves in several international roles, including acting Senior Advisor for the United Nations CEDAW Committee in the elaboration of their new General Recommendation on Indigenous Women, and as the International Human Rights Dispute Resolution Authority between the Government of Belize and the Maya Indigenous Peoples. For more information and to register, see the Facebook event.

Texas Wildlife Association’s Wildlife 2021

From July 15-18, 2021, the Texas Wildlife Association will hold its annual convention at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa. Wildlife enthusiasts from across Texas will come together for three days of fun, education, and networking. The event will include an auction, private lands summit, and education seminars. For more information and to register, visit wildlife2021.com.

2021 STAR Texas Environmental Leadership Awards nominations open through July 16

The State of Texas Alliance for Recycling is accepting nominations for the 2021 Texas Environmental Leadership Award. These awards recognize individuals, communities, organizations, and businesses developing and maintaining programs involving recycling, composting, sustainable materials management, public outreach, special event recycling, and more. Award nominations are due Friday, July 16.

Bird Banding at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory

On July 17, 2021, from 8 a.m.-noon, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory will resume its in-person viewing of bird banding at its headquarters at 299 Hwy 332 West, Lake Jackson, where licensed banders Robert and Kay Lookingbill will demonstrate banding birds. Learn more at gcbo.org.

Invasives Beware

On July 17, 2021, from 9-11 a.m., Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center will hold an event in which park staff and volunteers to assist with habitat management and enhancement projects throughout Jones Park by removing invasive species, managing the forest understory, and planting trees. Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Children younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, see the Facebook event.

Moth Night at Exploration Green

On July 17, 2021, from 8-10 p.m., Exploration Green will host celebrating National Moth Week. Participants will discover what species of moths and other night-flying insects are out and about in Exploration Green with the help of Texas Master Naturalists. For more information, see the Facebook event.

Moth Night at Deer Park Prairie

On July 17, 2021, beginning at 8 p.m., the Houston chapter of the Native Prairies Association of Texas will host a Moth Night at the Lawther-Deer Park Prairie, 1222 E. Purdue Lane, with amateur moth enthusiasts Katy Emde and John Schneider. For more information and to register, visit houstonprairie.org.

Purple Martin Migration Watch Party

On July 18, 2021, Houston Audubon will host watch parties at The Fountains (in Stafford) and WIllowbrook Mall to watch the annual migration of the Purple Martin. From July to September, Houston’s Purple Martins spend most of the day feeding on flying insects to build energy for their long journey across the Gulf of Mexico. At dusk, they form large flocks and roost together in preparation for migration. For more information, visit houstonaudubon.org.

Hurricane and Flood Safety

On July 18, 2021, from 6-7 p.m., Christ the King Lutheran Church will host a webinar featuring Jeff Lindner of the Harris County Flood Control District, who will discuss how to stay safe in a natural disaster. Linder’s presentation will cover the various hazards that impact a region during a hurricane landfall, including wind, rainfall and storm surge flooding. He will also address how to prepare for these hazards so that you and yours can stay safe. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

Summer Institute for Climate Change Education

EcoRise is leading a cohort of Houston-area educators to the Summer Institute for Climate Change Education, hosted by Climate Generation in partnership with NOAA’s Climate Program, and The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program. From July 28–30, 2021, participating educators will gain the skills, tools, and resources to teach climate change concepts and empower students in all subject areas, and receive ongoing support throughout the year. BIPOC teachers are highly encouraged to register to help increase representation in conversations about climate change. Find the full course description here, and register to join the Houston cohort here.

Community Resilience to Climate Change: A Virtual Workshop for All Educators

Through July 29, 2021, NOAA Planet Stewards, Artist Boat and the NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary invite all educators to join in an interdisciplinary 70 percent independent learning/self-paced virtual workshop; The event will focus on climate change impacts to human and natural communities, and the actions people can take to build resilience in light of these impacts. Topics include: how to address climate change controversy; climate change impacts to human health; environmental justice; sustainability in Gulf fisheries; and how coastal Texas ecosystems mitigate climate change. The workshop will include live panel discussions with scientists from NOAA, Environmental Defense Fund, Green Building Resource Center, and more. For more information and to register, visit artistboat.org.

Houston Audubon announces Texas license plate benefiting bird conservation

Houston Audubon recently announced the launch its new conservation license plate which will raise money to protect birds and their habitat. The license plate, featuring an Eastern Meadowlark, is sponsored by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is available for purchase through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. $22 of each $30 plate fee collected will support Houston Audubon’s mission of bird conservation. Visit houstonaudubon.org/licenseplate for more information and to order.

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Photo Safari

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is holding a Photo Safari Scavenger Hunt through July 26, 2021. No, you don’t have to go knocking door to door to find odd objects. Instead, they invite you to explore the sanctuary website for photos that match the clue list we’ll provide. They will post two clues a week for five weeks. Your mission is to find photos from our website that best represent those clues. At the end of the five weeks, they’ll also offer a bonus clue. That’s a total of 11 opportunities to win a tour of R/V MANTA, the sanctuary research vessel, Clues will be posted on the website, as well as on the Facebook and Twitter pages each week and you’ll have until July 26 to submit your photos for any or all of the clues.

“Get Into Your Sanctuary” photo contest

In celebration of national Get Into Your Sanctuary activities from Aug. 2-8, 2021, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is hosting its annual photo contest. Through Labor Day, ONMS is accepting the public’s best photos of the National Marine Sanctuary System to help celebrate the beauty and importance of these special places, including Texas’s own Flower Garden Banks NMS. The categories are: Sanctuary Views, Sanctuary Life, Sanctuary Recreation, and Sanctuaries at Home. Winning photos will be featured in next year’s Earth Is Blue Magazine and on the Earth Is Blue social media campaign. For more information, including how to submit photos, visit sanctuaries.noaa.gov.

Houston Audubon seeks partners for Bird Week cleanups

Does your organization want to participate in Houston Bird Week 2021. Bird Week was started in 2019 by Houston Audubon’s Young Professionals Advisory Council to celebrate Houston’s important role in the journey of billions of migratory and resident birds. From September 18 – 25, Houston Audubon and local conservation partners will host a week of virtual and in-person events centered around our region’s birds and wildlife – from bird walks and watch parties to educational talks, trivia, and more. If your organization is interested in joining Houston Bird Week and engaging and educating the public about conservation, send an email to birdweek@houstonaudubon.org. Find all the latest on Bird Week at houstonaudubon.org/birdweek.

Reminders about Ongoing Opportunities

Stephen F. Austin State University recently enrolled in the International Society of Sustainability Professionals 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. For more information, visit sfasu.edu or email Bill Forbes, associate professor, at forbesw@sfasu.edu.

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.

  • Lake Fork is one of the top largemouth bass lakes in Texas. The first time a professional bass fishing tournament was held on the lake was in in April 2007. Follow along with the tournament favorite and a young newcomer just trying to make the cut
  • The official state fish, the Guadalupe Bass, has been restored to the South Llano River. Threatened by loss of habitat and hybridization with non-native, introduced smallmouth bass, the Guadalupe Bass was close to being wiped out. We’ll learn what happened and how biologists figured out how to restore the Texas native back to the South Llano River
  • Postcard from Texas: Slow down and take it easy along the Llano River

Additional Upcoming Events

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