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Houston Environmental News Update August 11, 2021
August 12, 2021

Houston Environmental News Update August 11, 2021

Back to School, Houston Environmental Resources for Educators, EEE, Your Body Your Air exhibit, Birding 101, Lights Out, Houston!, Mercer Plant Sale, Climate Change 360, Green Jobs and more

Educator taking photo of teachers taking pictures of prairie insects – with Galveston Bay Foundation. Lucky students!

Some kids and teachers are already back at school; others are still anticipating the start of school with excitement, fear, resignation, or a combination of these and many more feelings. Of course, if school incorporates environmental topics and being outside, it can be more engaging and lead to better outcomes for everyone.

Many local educators, both formal and informal, have expressed an interest in teaching about Greater Houston’s environment – both its challenges and its many resources. Yet they often teach about other places for lack of local materials. This leaves their students lacking in knowledge and skills about the local environment and also limits our collective need to grow the next generation of local environmental leadership. The CEC has been working with many partners to address this need and to grow support for our region’s environmental education community.

You can learn more about CEC’s efforts to support this community at the hereinhouston.org website, which provides a comprehensive, free, and regional clearinghouse for quality environmental education materials, which has long been recognized as a pressing need for the Greater Houston Region. On the site, you can find field trip venues, lesson plans, professional development opportunities for teachers and much more: a one-stop-shop for environmental education resources in and around the Houston area.

You can also connect on the Houston Environmental Resources for Educators facebook page, and sign up for our environmental education newsletter. While CEC’s environmental education activities slowed down a bit over the summer, we are gearing up to provide support to educators for the new school year, including the resumption of regular networking meetings of the Environmental Educators Exchange, which will be restarting regular networking meetings in September.

If you are a true EE junkie (or wannabe), register for these great opportunities:

  • NAAEE 2021: The Power of Connection Research Symposium, October 7–8 and Conference, October 12–15, 2021
  • Texas Association for Environmental Education: Rooted in Environmental Education Conference, Sept. 24-25, 2021. On September 24, Houston Arboretum & Nature Center will host a movie night, and Galveston Bay Foundation will host a seining field trip and movie night. On September 25, join educators on a pocket prairie and school garden tour around Houston; learn from the experts how to start your own. Find full details on the conference website. 

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.

Montopolis: The Living Coast

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 by Montopolis 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. All ticket sales will be donated to the Matagorda Bay Foundation and the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition.  Tickets now available.

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

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

TPC Group Expansion Public Meeting

On Aug. 12, 2021, beginning at 7 p.m., the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will hold a public meeting for residents near the TPC Group’s Houston Plant at 8600 Park Place Blvd. to ask questions about the company’s air permit applications to authorize a significant increase in cancer-causing butadiene emissions at the plant. Community members may submit written comments anytime before or during the Aug. 12 public meeting electronically at https://www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/ (Permit No. 19806) or by mail to the Office of the Chief Clerk, TCEQ, Mail Code MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Find the full meeting notice, including instructions on how to connect, at tceq.texas.gov.

Caney Creek Coordination Meeting

On Aug. 17, 2021, from 4-6 p.m., the Houston-Galveston Area Council will hold a virtual public meeting to discuss an implementation plan for improving water quality in the Caney Creek watershed. Registration is required at zoom.us. For more information, contact Steven Johnston.

Waters of the United States Listening Sessions

On June 9, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army announced their intent to revise the definition of “waters of the United States.” This process includes two rulemakings: A foundational rule to restore longstanding protections, and a second rulemaking process that builds on that regulatory foundation. The forthcoming foundational rule will propose to restore the regulations defining “waters of the United States” that were in place for decades until 2015, with updates to be consistent with relevant Supreme Court decisions. The agencies will also pursue a separate, second rulemaking process that further refines and builds upon that regulatory foundation.Written recommendations must be received on or before September 3, 2021. The agencies will hold public meetings on the following dates: August 18, August 23, August 25, August 26, and August 31, 2021. Learn more and submit comments at www.regulations.gov/document.

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).

Texas Climate News: ‘Code red for humanity’: The IPCC report’s meaning for the world and Texas

“For the sixth time since 1990, the United Nations-based Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is updating the world’s most authoritative guidance on what to expect as human-produced greenhouse gases push our planet into realms that society has never before faced,” writes Bob Henson of Texas Climate News. “The report heightens the scientific case for urgency in reducing fossil fuel use. Only one of the five new emission scenarios with varying levels of heat-trapping pollution keeps global temperature from surging well past the 1.5 C threshold for decades to come. In that scenario, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are cut in half by the early 2030s and the world becomes carbon neutral by the 2050s. This is roughly in line with ambitions announced over the past year by the United States, China, and the European Union, which together represent almost 30% of global population and more than half of the world’s CO2 emissions. The potential implications of such wholesale emissions cuts for Texas’ oil and gas industry – as well as the state’s growing renewables sector – are obvious and profound.” Read the full story at texasclimatenews.org.

Gulf of Mexico Harmful Algal Bloom Forecast data available to the public

NOAA’s newly enhanced harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecasts are now available to the public in real time. The forecasts are higher resolution and provide hourly observations at the individual beach level. Analysis of “red tide” algal bloom locations and reported impacts are now automated, and reports include forecasts of potential development, intensification, transport, and impacts of algal blooms. These forecasts are available via the interactive dashboard on the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Gulf of Mexico Forecast website, or users can subscribe to HAB Alerts. Emails will be sent to subscribers when a bloom forms, weekly during a bloom, and when bloom conditions change.

Your Body Your Air exhibit at The Health Museum and Houston Public Library

The Houston Public Library invites you to learn about types and sources of air pollution in Houston and the effect they have on our bodies and our communities in The Health Museum’s new exhibit Your Body Your Air. Created in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund, Your Body Your Air can be seen at various Houston Public Library locations through February 2022. For additional information about this topic, visit the bilingual Your Body Your Air website at thehealthmuseum.org. While on the site, you can check out the exhibit’s current location, look up the air quality in your area, learn more about community efforts to improve air quality, and share your thoughts. Learn more about the HPL’s showings of the exhibition at houstonlibrary.org.

Technology and Global Food Security: A Conversation With UPL CEO Jai Shroff

On Aug. 12, 2021, from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in partnership with Asia Society India and the Harvard Business School Club of Houston, Asia Society Texas Center will present Jai Shroff, global CEO of UPL Limited, for a conversation on food security and climate challenges, and the role of technology in addressing these concerns. UPL’s purpose — OpenAg — is to create an open network for agriculture, activating connections across the world’s agriculture system. For more information and to register, visit asiasociety.org.

Sierra Club meeting: The Houston Zoo, Biodiversity & Sustainability

On Aug. 12, 2021, from 7:30-9 p.m., the Houston chapter of the Sierra Club will hold a virtual monthly meeting featuring the Houston Zoo’s Mark Hoffman, Director of Design and Engineering, and Florence Tang, Project Manager in Design and Engineering. They will discuss the Houston Zoo’s efforts to incorporate biodiversity and sustainability goals into planning and operations. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

All About Invasives

On Aug. 14, 2021, from 8-10 a.m., the pubic is invited to join Precinct 4’s Legacy Trees Project to restore the banks and meadows along Spring Creek by volunteering to remove invasive species like Chinese tallow and privet. Please bring a refillable water bottle, gloves, and wear closed-toe shoes. Online registration closes 48 hours prior to the event. For more information and to register, visit apps.hcp4.net.

Birding 101

On Aug. 14, 2021, from 9 a.m.-noon, Mercer Botanic Gardens will present longtime birder and photographer Paul Gregg, who will share four key tips to quickly identify common and migratory birds seen in the Houston area. This informative and family-friendly class is for beginner to intermediate birders, and concludes with a bird watching field excursion. Bring binoculars and a bird identification guide. Binoculars will be available for use. The class will be held at the Timber Lane Community Center, 1904 Naplechase Crest Drive, Spring. For more information and to register, see the Facebook event.

Virtual Cacti and Succulents Plant Sale

On Aug. 14, 2021, from 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Mercer Botanic Gardens will host its Virtual Cacti and Succulents Plant Sale. This online plant sale will feature cacti, succulents, and plenty of tough plants that thrive in the Houston area. Early shopping is available for members of The Mercer Society on Friday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. Members will be emailed a discount code the week before the sale. For more information, including on how to place orders, see the Facebook event.

CCL Houston Monthly Meeting with special guest Matt Lanza, Space City Weather

On Aug. 14, 2021, from 10:30 a.m.-noon, the Houston chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby will hold a virtual monthly meeting featuring a presentation by Matt Lanza, managing editor of the Space City Weather website, titled “The Impact of Climate Change on Houston.” Newcomers are welcome to join the discussion. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

Lights Out, Houston!

From Aug. 15-Nov. 30, 2021, Houston Audubon invites the public to participate in Lights Out, Houston for the fall migration season. Houston Audubon’s Lights Out for Birds Program started in 2017 after a large collision event in Galveston. Thanks to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Colorado State University’s BirdCast bird migration forecast maps, Houston Audubon staff were able to track migration predictions for the region and issue alerts to the community when chances of high migration coincided with weather events. In 2020, Houston Audubon partnered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Texan By Nature, and organizations across the state to expand the program into Lights Out Texas! This program encourages individuals, organizations, companies, building managers, and cities to turn their non-essential, exterior lights off from 11 p.m.-6 a.m. throughout spring and fall migrations, with extra emphasis on these lights being out during peak migration, Sept. 5-Oct. 29. Learn more at houstonaudublog.org.

Climate Change 360 – A Virtual Lecture Series

In August, the Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church is presenting a virtual lecture series about climate change — its causes, direct and indirect effects, policies that can impact its course, and actions we can take as individuals, households, businesses, schools, and faith communities to make a difference. The series will kick off August 16 with Rice University professor Dan Cohan, who will discuss Science of Climate Change: Causes and Direct Effects. On August 18, University of North Texas professor Elyse Zavar will discuss Climate Change, Changing Disasters. On August 23, the Houston Advanced Research Center’s Gavin Dillingham will discuss The Federal Policy Landscape for Climate Mitigation & Adaptation. Finally, on August 25, University of Washington professor Phoebe Barnard will discuss Climate Change Solutions Across Scales – from Personal Action to Global Transformation on Six Fronts. Each talk will be from 6-7 p.m. Find full information and register for the series at eventbrite.com.

Interpreting Texas Prairies for the General Public

On August 18, from 10 am to noon, join the Katy Prairie Conservancy, Native Prairies Association of Texas, and the The Nature Conservancy in Texas on Zoom to learn tips, tools, and secrets of interpreting and teaching the general public about native Texas prairies.There is great interest and action in protecting, restoring, and reconstructing native Texas prairies, in both rural and urban environments. Storytelling is a critical piece of these efforts. Discover tried and true activities, prairie histories, storytelling devices, and how to lead a great prairie tour. Learn more on Facebook.

Mercer Botanic Gardens volunteer opportunity

On Aug. 18, 2021, beginning at 8 a.m., Mercer Botanic Gardens invites volunteers to care for nursery trees by giving them some tender love and care. The work is outdoors, so come prepared to get your hands dirty. Bring gloves and a refillable water bottle. Meet at The Mercer Society’s Horticultural Propagation Center, approximately one mile from Mercer at 3602 Hirschfield Road in Spring. Register online at hcp4.net/mercer/events. For more information, call 281-353-8100 or email legacytrees@hcp4.net.

Bay Area Sierra Club Meeting: H3AT, Houston’s Heat Island Study

On Aug. 18, 2021, from 7-8:30 p.m., the Bay Area chapter of the Sierra Club will hold a virtual monthly meeting featuring a presentation by Jaime González, Houston Healthy Cities Director for The Nature Conservancy in Texas, about 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 Houston and Harris County. For more information and to register, visit meetup.com.

San Luis Pass Cleanup

On Aug. 20, 2021, from 8-11 a.m., SPLASh (Stopping Plastics and Littering Along Shorelines) will host a volunteer trash cleanup at San Luis Pass, near the toll plaza on Bluewater Highway. All volunteers are required to sign waivers. For more information and to register, see this Google document.

34th Annual AIA Sandcastle Competition

The 34th Annual AIA Sandcastle Competition will take place Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, live and in person on East Beach in Galveston. The competition is a fundraising event for AIA Houston and ArCH Foundation. Competing teams have their eyes and shovels set on winning the prestigious Gold Bucket Award. Firms begin months in advance generating ideas, developing designs, and assigning duties. On the day of the event, the teams – stretched along the beach front – meticulously sculpt their piles of sand and work non-stop for five hours. Learn more at the Facebook event.

Invasives Beware

On Aug. 21, 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.

Funding Opportunity: Building the Next Generation of STEMM Leaders in the Field of Environmental Justice

The National Academies’ Gulf Research Program is developing new programming around health and community resilience that prioritizes the needs and challenges of at-risk communities that disproportionately live in unsafe and unhealthy environments. This funding opportunity seeks to build the future leaders needed to confront the complex challenges to human health and the environment in the 21st Century. The GRP expects to award up to six proposals under this funding opportunity. Applicants may request up to $250,000 per year for up to five years. The deadline for submissions of full proposals due by 4 p.m. Central Time, Aug. 23, 2021. Find full details at nationalacademies.org.

Houston Audubon’s Flock Together Photo Contest

Houston Audubon seeks photos in its Flock Together Photo Contest that best illustrate the following categories: Bird-Friendly Communities, Small-in-Frame, Bird of Houston, Bird Fails and Funnies, Birds in Flight, and Birds of All Feathers. The submission period runs through Aug. 29, 2021. Judging will be based on content, creativity, uniqueness, and overall impression within its submitted category. All entries are eligible for the People’s Choice Award and will automatically be entered.Winners will be announced during Houston Bird Week on Sept. 25. For more information, visit houstonaudubon.org.

Native Pollinator Habitat Grant Program

The Clear Lake chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas is accepting applications for the second year of the Native Pollinator Habitat Grant Program. This is an opportunity for nature centers, schools, educational groups, student groups, youth organizations and others in Brazoria, Galveston and Harris Counties needing funds for new or existing pollinator habitats in a public space. Priority is given to projects located in Brazoria County, Galveston County, and the southeast quadrant of Harris County. The deadline to apply is Sept. 1, 2021. Watch an overview of last year’s projects on the chapter’s YouTube channel here. Find full details at npsot.org.

Houston Parks Board’s Agents of Discovery missions

Through September 3, 2021, the Houston Parks Board offers the public the opportunity to tackle two different Agents of Discovery missions in the Houston area. The newest mission launches is in MacGregor Park. You’ll find more sports and play equipment than you could possibly fit into one day, but do you know the history behind this beautiful park? Unlock the history as you complete challenges and answer questions around the park. In addition to MacGregor Park, it’s not too late to play the Upper Greens Summer Challenge! Located in North Houston just off I-45, You’ll start at the Rockstar Energy Bike Park and follow the clues along the bayou greenway to uncover the truth about the plants and animals around you. Download the free Agents of Discovery app to get started.

“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. For more information, including how to submit photos, visit sanctuaries.noaa.gov.

Call for Abstracts: Houston Audubon’s AviChat

During Houston Audubon’s Bird Week 2021 celebration Sept. 18-25, the organization will launch a new program called AviChat — a series of brief, informal, science talks about bird conservation and research hosted by the Houston Audubon YPAC. Held at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, the presentations will be followed by a networking happy hour with the purpose of starting conversations among people who could collaborate productively to further the mission of bird and wildlife conservation in our region. This is not your normal conference – they are keeping the slots short, with no time for questions until you can chat with the presenter over a drink. Houston Audubon is looking for submissions to present individual or organizational projects related to bird and/or land conservation on the Upper Texas Coast, including planned and completed research. The deadline for abstracts is September 10. For more information and to submit abstracts, visit houstonaudubon.org.

TAEE Conference

Environmental educators may register now for the 44th annual Texas Association for Environmental Education conference, themed Rooted in Environmental Education, to be held Sept. 24-25, 2021. With a mixture of in-person and virtual events, you’re sure to find something to grow your knowledge and network. On September 24, there will be a movie night at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, and a seining field trip and movie night at Galveston Bay Foundation in Kemah. On September 25, join educators on a pocket prairie and school garden tour around Houston; learn from the experts how to start your own. Find full details on the conference website. 

You’ve Got Your Own Private Zoo – It’s Called Your Microbiota

In the latest “Houston and Nature” podcast, Nivien Saleh talks with molecular biologist Dr. Laura Bridgewater, who discusses how our microbiota – an ecosystem made up of trillions of bacteria that inhabit the surfaces and crevices of our bodies and especially the insides of our large intestine – influences our weight, our health, and even our personality. To hear the podcast, visit houstonnature.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.

  • A deadly fungal disease killing millions of hibernating bats is spreading through North America, with Texas in its path. Learn what biologists and conservationists are doing to prevent the deadly White Nose Syndrome from affecting Texas bats
  • Louis Stumberg was old-school; a hard worker, a no-nonsense businessman, and according to his sons, a great father. Mr. Stumberg was also a devoted environmentalist and rancher. How does a parent instill in their kids the commitment to protect and nurture their land? The Stumberg boys will show us with the examples set by their father
  • Postcard from Texas: Listen to the waves and feel the breeze in the trees at Goose Island State Park

Additional Upcoming Events

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