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Houston Environmental News Update March 2, 2022
March 4, 2022

Houston Environmental News Update March 2, 2022

Celebrating the natural world, 50th Anniversary Buffalo Bayou Regatta, 18th Annual Nature Fest, Tree Planting Competition, Rain Barrel Workshop, Green Jobs and more

Dear Friends,

This week marks features several ways in which we are urged to consider and celebrate our connection to the natural world — internationally, statewide, and here in the greater Houston area.

World Wildlife Day will be celebrated Thursday under the theme “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”. The celebrations will seek to draw attention to the conservation status of some of the most critically endangered species of wild fauna and flora, and to drive discussions towards imagining and implementing solutions to conserve them. All conversations will be inspired by and seek to inform efforts towards the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No Poverty), 2 (Zero hunger) 12 (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns), 13 (Climate Action) 14 (Life Below Water) and 15 (Life on Land). To learn more, visit wildlifeday.org.

North American Invasive Species Awareness Week, an international event to raise awareness about invasive species, the threat that they pose, and what can be done to prevent their spread, runs through Friday. You can find tools to learn about and work to manage invasive species at nisaw.org.

More locally, this week also marks the start of Lights Out, Texas!, a campaign of education, awareness, and action that focuses on turning out lights at night during the spring and fall migrations to help protect the billions of migratory birds that fly over Texan by Nature and Audubon Texas lead Lights Out, Texas! efforts across the state in collaboration with all of the organizations listed below. Texas A&M University (Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (Texas Nature Trackers) provide centralized leadership for volunteer research efforts. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology provides technical guidance and mapping/alerts through BirdCast. The full Spring Migration period runs through June 15, and the critical Spring Peak Migration period runs April 22 – May 12. For more information on how to participate, visit texanbynature.org.

On Saturday, March 5, the Nature Heritage Society, Houston Audubon, Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Houston Urban Wildlife Project will co-host an enlightening evening of birding and bat watching at the Waugh Street Bridge. Please meet and park at the Lost Lake Visitor Center located at 3422 Allen Parkway at 4:45 p.m. for registration. The walk will begin at 5 p.m.

Looking forward, Earth Day Houston at Discovery Green on April 10 will celebrate 20 years of Houston being named an Urban Bird Treaty city with extra, bird-themed exhibitors and activities. You will have the opportunity to learn about the diversity of birds in the region, the importance of riparian areas to both birds and people, health and vulnerability trends for for the bird population, what initiatives are underway to support both our bird and human populations, and what actions you can take to make our environment healthier for both our bird and human communities. You will also have the opportunity to learn about and meet some birds–large and small–in person.

The image above was produced by Tim Wallace to illustrate light pollution in Texas. It comes via BirdCast, one of the groups participating in Lights Out, Texas!

CEC NOTES

Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers

Join fellow environmental educators every other Friday morning for a quick check-in to collaborate. Bring your coffee (or tea) and ideas for things that are working in your programs (or questions about things that are not). The Zoom call is hosted by regional board members from the Texas Association for Environmental Education. Email Alicia at amein@hcp4.net for any questions.

Virtually Wild! Texas Student Learning Programs

Region 4 Education Service Center partners with the Virtually Wild! Texas team to provide students with engaging and interactive TEKS-aligned virtual environmental education field trips that highlight careers in conservation. These free 45-minute programs are live, and teachers and students are encouraged to engage with natural resources professionals by asking questions. Topics vary by program and have included endangered species, animal adaptations, habitat exploration, wildlife crime investigations, and more! Public, private, homeschool, hospitals, and education sites are welcome to view. See program listings and register at esc4.net.

Call for Artists: Houston Inspira public health storytelling campaign

Citizen’s Environmental Coalition is proud to be an Environmental Partner with the City of Houston in the just-launched the Houston Inspira project.  Houston Inspira, an EPA-funded project, seeks artists, musicians, playwrights, dancers, writers, and all creatives to engage with communities to educate, inform and activate via storytelling in all forms/disciplines. The project, headed by Houston Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, will occur in five Complete Communities – Acres Homes, Alief/Westwood, Kashmere Gardens, Near Northside, and Second Ward. This project will focus on risks communities face from elevated levels of environmental pollutants, primarily PM2.5 (strongly associated with concrete batch plants) and benzene both of which can increase and exacerbate the health risks associated with COVID-19. The selected storyteller will work with the City of Houston, environmental and community stakeholders over a six-month period in a selected community. The deadline for artists’ submissions is March 31, 2022. Houston artists/creatives can learn more about the project and apply at moca.submittable.com.

Earth Day Houston: April 10, 2022 from 12-5 p.m.

Presented in partnership with the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, Discovery Green’s citywide Earth Day celebration is designed to educate, inspire and encourage action. Learn more about attending, exhibiting, and volunteering at Earthdayhouston.org.

Exhibitor spaces are available starting at $150 for nonprofit organizations, government entities, and small, local businesses. Register here. Early bird fees end and fees increase after March 10! Exhibitor Deadline: 3/31/22

Call for Presenters: Are you an educator with a 20-minute presentation that you would like to share with the Earth Day Houston crowd? Sign up to join us on the “infotainment” stage at Green Mountain Energy Earth Day Houston Festival 2022. For more information, email earthday@cechouston.org.

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

OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

TCEQ Language Access and Public Participation Plans Hearing

On March 3, 2022, beginning at 2 p.m., the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality will hold a virtual meeting that will allow members of the pubic to to ask questions and give input on the Public Participation and Language Access Plan. These plans will affect the way that the TCEQ interacts with the public and supports communities who communicate in other languages. There will be simultaneous professional language interpretation in Spanish during the meeting. For more information and the link to attend, visit airalliancehouston.org.

Texas Trustee Implementation Group Releases Second Restoration Plan For Public Comment

The Texas Trustee Implementation Group has released its Draft Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment #2. This plan includes restoration projects to partially compensate for the injury to natural resources caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Public comments are being accepted on the plan through March 28, 2022, and the trustees are holding a public webinar March 9. Information translated into Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) and Spanish (Español) is also available. The total estimated cost for the 13 proposed projects is approximately $39 million. Read the plan and learn more about how to submit public comments or attend the March 9 webinar at gulfspillrestoration.noaa.gov.

Advancing Considerations of Traditional Knowledge into Federal Decision Making

The federal government is seeking ways to advance the consideration of Traditional Knowledge (TK) in federal decision-making processes, in coordination and collaboration with federally recognized tribes and indigenous peoples. On March 23, 2022, beginning at 1:30 p.m. CT, the U.S. EPA will hold a webinar will be held about the importance of considering TK, including ethics, values, etc., in decision-making, and recent developments and actions of the federal government to further consider TK, including plans to develop guidance for federal agencies, for which the government is seeking input. For more information and to register, visit zoom.us.

Learn about additional public comment opportunities at cechouston.org.

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).

How should museums teach us about climate? These Houston activists are looking for the answer

“The first time Aaron Ambroso met Tiffany Jin, at a Montrose coffee shop, they talked about what it might look like to create a museum about climate change. The idea immediately interested Jin, who grew up in Houston, studied biochemistry and architecture, and has a background in art and design.” Houston Chronicle environmental reporter Emily Foxhall writes. “Fast forward a year-and-a-half and Ambroso and Jin run the Houston Climate Justice Museum in a section of an east Houston warehouse, where people used to make fittings for pipelines.” Read the full story at houstonchronicle.com. (Photo: Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle)

Harris County Winter Storm Uri Resilience Assessment

In response to the 2021 winter storm in Texas, Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research, on behalf of Harris County and its community partners, conducted the Winter Storm Uri Resilience Assessment. The purpose of the study is to better inform the short- and long-term deployment of resources to ensure an effective and equitable recovery. This report provides a geographic analysis of damage caused by the winter storm and highlights the unmet needs it uncovered. Additionally, researchers analyzed the damage from three disaster events—Winter Storm Uri, COVID-19 and Hurricane Harvey—to better understand the impact of compounding crises. Find the full report at kinder.rice.edu. (Photo: Adam Baker/flickr)

Clear Creek Watershed Partnership public meetings

On March 3, 2022, the Clear Creek Watershed Partnership – a group of residents, governments, businesses, landowners and other organizations dedicated to improving water quality for the communities of the  Clear Creek Watershed of Harris, Fort Bend, Galveston, and Brazoria counties – will hold its first public meetings, from 1:30-3:30 p.m., and from 6-8 p.m. The meetings will cover the water quality challenges facing Clear Creek communities, and a voluntary effort to address sources of pollution impacting our communities’ health and natural environment. For more information and to register, visit clearcreekpartnership.weebly.com.

The Water Forum, “The Water/Energy Nexus“

On March 3, 2022, from 4-6 p.m., the South Texas Section of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Texas Industrial Energy Efficiency Program will hold he annual Water Forum, themed “The Water/Energy Nexus,” as part of its dinner meeting at The Bougainvilleas. Jason Isaac, director Life: Powered, a project of Texas Public Policy Foundation. will give the keynote, address, “Raising America’s Energy IQ.” There are hybrid options to attend available. For more information and to register, visit stsaiche.regfox.com.

The Face of God film discussion

From March 3 through April 7, 2022, Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church will hold a weekly online Lenten discussion on faith and climate change leveraging The Face of God, a film about God and nature, faith and climate change, and the experience of communities around the world facing and experiencing changes in their lives now. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

Port Houston’s Community Grants Program

Port Houston’s Community Grants Program is a community outreach initiative focused on investing resources into meaningful projects and programs that enhance local communities while advancing our mission and vision as a part of Port Houston’s 2020 Strategic Plan. The Community Grants Program offers the opportunity for qualifying organizations to apply for funding through an open, competitive application process. Port Houston is particularly interested in supporting programs or services that align with its current outreach priorities: Community Outreach, Economic and Workforce Development, Environmental Stewardship, and Maritime Commerce. Letters of Interest are due March 4, 2022. For complete information about the program and to register for the workshop, visit porthouston.com.

50th Anniversary Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta

On March 5, 2022, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Paddlers have the chance to make history as the largest canoe and kayak race in Texas observes this milestone year. Participants, ages 12 and up, are invited to race along a 15-mile-long stretch of Buffalo Bayou in support of the transformation and revitalization of this historic Houston waterway. Spectators are invited to cheer at the starting point and along the race route. At the finish line at Allen’s Landing, there will be hundreds of colorful canoes and kayaks, music, fun and activities from local businesses and sponsors. For more information, visit app.etapestry.com.

Bolivar Flats Beach Cleanup

On March 5, 2022, from 9 a.m.-noon, Houston Audubon will hold a volunteer cleanup of the shoreline at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. The event will help prepare the sanctuary for the thousands of migrants coming through during spring migration and help provide clean habitat for our beach nesting birds. Houston Audubon will provide gloves, grabbers, trash bags, and water to refill your reusable containers. For more information and to register, visit volunteersignup.org.

18th Annual NatureFest

On March 5, 2022, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center will host the 18th Annual NatureFest. Nature lovers of all ages are invited to celebrate a day of discovery. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about the diverse natural world around them through guided tours, kids fishing, presentations, live animals and over 30 educational exhibits. For more information, see the Facebook event.

Native Plant Landscaping Certification Program

On March 5, 2022, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., the Houston and Clear Lake chapters of the Native Plant Society of Houston will offer an online course on native landscaping. Participants will the value of including and preserving native plants in landscapes and become familiar with 45 native Texas plants recommended for your landscape and five plants to avoid. This class is 100% online and the content is specific to the greater Houston area. The cost of this class is $45.This class is 100% online and the content is specific to the greater-Houston area. On March 12, a similar program will be offered specifically for the Montgomery/Grimes/Liberty Counties area. Learn more and register at npsot.org.

Texas Envirothon Teacher Workshop

On March 5, 2022, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., the Environmental Institute of Houston will hold the Texas Envirothon Teacher Workshop for high school teachers. This free workshop is an opportunity for team advisers and teachers to participate in specialized training and get answers about the current issue. Participants will also have an opportunity to network with experienced team advisers. Participants do not have to bring a team to attend the workshop. For more information and to register, visit uhcl.edu.

2022 Tree Planting Competition

On March 5, 2022, from 10 a.m.-noon, the Harris County Flood Control District, Houston Urban Forestry Council and partnering organizations will hold the 2002 Tree Planting Competition at the Curtis M. Graves Detention Basin, 6400 Homestead Road. Teams consist of 11 members and will plant 100 small trees to help restore critical wetland habitat in Houston. This event is open to all experience levels and trophies will be awarded to the top three fastest times. Registration is open until Monday, Feb. 28. For more information or to register, visit haufc.org or by contacting Mickey Merritt, mmerritt@tfs.tamu.edu, 713-688-8932.

Houston’s Climate Action and Resilience Strategies

On March 6, 2022, from 2:30-4 p.m., the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston will host a webinar featuring Priya Zachariah, the City of Houston’s chief resilience and sustainability officer, who will discuss the city’s Climate Action Plan and the Resilient Houston plan. She will explain how the Climate Action Plan aims to address reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the Resilient Houston plan addresses community resilience, especially for our most vulnerable and under-resourced communities. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

Rain Barrel Workshop

On March 6, 2022, from 3-4:30 p.m., the Galveston Bay Foundation will hold a Rain Barrel Workshop at the 528 Campus of Clear Creek Community Church, 4201 FM 528 Rd, Friendswood. This workshop will consist of a supply pickup, presentation, and Q&A session with Galveston Bay Foundation staff. The presentation will discuss the environmental benefits of collecting rainwater, as well as proper rain barrel preparation, installation instructions and tips. Participants must pre-register to reserve a barrel. Social distancing will be encouraged and participants may choose to simply pick up supplies and view installation video at home if they prefer to opt out of in-person presentation. The cost is $35. To register, visit donate.galvbay.org.

Spring 2022 Collision Monitoring Training

Houston Audubon‘s Bird-Friendly Communities Program is coordinating this year’s regional collision monitoring program. Collision monitoring is a statewide community science effort supporting Lights Out Texas. Volunteers spend roughly 2-3 hours each morning before sunrise during spring migration locating birds that have been injured or killed due to striking a building. Volunteers will walk a 2-mile pre-defined route around 10 buildings downtown and collect data on any birds that they find. Volunteers do not need to have expert knowledge on birds – data is entered into iNaturalist where others can help identify or confirm the species. Kits with all the materials needed are provided. This data will be used to help scientists better understand the factors that contribute to nighttime collisions, the species most susceptible to collisions, and the best strategies to reduce collisions. Collision monitoring will run from March 15 – May 15, 2022. A mandatory training will be held March 7 at 6 p.m. Register at volunteersignup.org.

Plant-it-Forward: Gardening Series

On March 9, 2022, from 10-11 a.m., Houston Public Library’s Central Branch will host representatives from Plant-it-Forward for the first in a two-date presentation on city farming and plant growing times. Plant-it-Forward empowers refugees to develop sustainable urban farming businesses that produce fresh, healthy food for our community. This event is free and registration is required. Masks and social distancing are highly encouraged. The second presentation will be on April 27. For more information and to register, visit houstonlibrary.libcal.com.

EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool

The Environmental Protection Agency has released an updated version of EJScreen, an environmental justice screening and mapping tool. EJScreen considers environmental and sociodemographic indicators to help identify communities that are particularly vulnerable to risks associated with environmental pollution and climate change. EPA will hold an Overview and Training session over the tool on March 9, 2022, beginning at 2 p.m. For more information and the link to attend, visit airalliancehouston.org.

Volunteer Engagement Training Program

Through March 10, 2022, United Way of Greater Houston is offering a six-module course (developed by Points of Light, facilitated by Volunteer Houston) to empower volunteer managers and coordinators – both formal and informal – to return to their organization and to their team with ready-to-use tools, best practices, and innovative ideas that, when fully adopted, will boost volunteer engagement in a way that naturally fosters long-term volunteers. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.com.

The Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR and Update on Prairie Chicken Reintroduction

On March 9, 2022, from 7:30-9 p.m., the Houston chapter of the Sierra Club will hold a virtual meeting featuring a presentation by Meredith Stroud of the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge (NWR). She will provide an update on the current status of the critically endangered Attwater’s Prairie Chicken and the Wildlife Refuge itself. For more information and to register, visit meetup.com.

Texas Business Sustainability Challenge

The Texas Business Sustainability Challenge is directed towards organizations, and provides employee engagement during Earth Month. Any size organization can participate, and organizations (teams) will compete against other teams across the state. The challenge enables employees to track points for different sustainable actions, as well as help the company track metrics for carbon footprint, water conservation, and diverted waste. Join to play against companies like Reliant Energy, BAE Systems, Canva, Tokio Marine HCC and others. Registration is through March 11, 2022 and costs $500. Organizations can learn more and register at earthshare-texas.org.

Energy Transitions in Underserved Communities Request for Applications

Rapid large-scale transformations of energy and transportation systems to low-carbon, renewable, and energy efficient sources and technologies are essential to avoiding the most severe impacts of climate change. These energy transitions provide challenges and opportunities to improve environmental and public health in ways that also reduce the inequities prevalent in the current energy and transportation systems, such as the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on low-income communities and communities of color. U.S. EPA, as part of its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program, is seeking applications proposing community-engaged research that will address the drivers and environmental impacts of energy transitions in underserved communities. The application period closes April 28, 2022. Learn more at epa.gov.

CONTESTS

Take Care of Texas Art Contest

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality is hosting the Take Care of Texas Art Contest for kindergarten-fifth grade students to depict positive ways to help keep the air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste. Students submit their artwork of how they, along with their friends and family, help keep the air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste. The students that submit the best art can win a tablet or laptop computer. The deadline to enter is March 4, 2022. Find full information at takecareoftexas.org.

‘Ridge to Reef’ Student Art Contest

The Science Without Borders® Challenge is an international contest that engages students and teachers in ocean conservation through art. This annual competition inspires students to be creative while promoting public awareness of the need to preserve, protect, and restore the world’s oceans and aquatic resources, contributing to the overarching goals of the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation. The Challenge is open to primary and secondary school students 11-19 years old, with scholarships of up to $500 awarded to the winning entries. The theme for this year’s 10th annual Science without Borders® Challenge is “Ridge to Reef.” All entries must be received by March 7, 2022, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time (ET). Find full information at livingoceansfoundation.org.

Junior Duck Stamp Contest

The Junior Duck Stamp Art Contest is the culmination of the Junior Duck Stamp educational program, opens to students Grades K-12. After studying waterfowl anatomy and habitat, students may express their newfound knowledge by drawing, painting or sketching a picture of an eligible North American waterfowl species. Original works done in the following styles will be accepted: hyper-realism, impressions, cartoon, caricatures, comics, pop whimsical, fantasy, cubism, folk, ethnic and tribal. Only 2-dimensional entries will be accepted. The Texas Contest entry deadline is March 15, 2022. Entries should be sent to Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge. 601 FM 1011 (PO Box 10015) Liberty, TX 77575. If you have any questions/concerns, contact Felice Yarbough at felice_yarbough@fws.gov. (Image: Selina Yuan)

Environmental Justice Video Challenge for Students

EPA and partners have launched the Environmental Justice (EJ) Video Challenge for Students to enhance communities’ capacity to address environmental and public health inequities. The goals of the challenge are to 1) inspire students at accredited colleges and universities in the United States and its territories to work directly with communities in the identification and characterization of EJ challenges using data and publicly available tools, and 2) help communities (including residents and other stakeholders) address EJ challenges and/or vulnerabilities to environmental and public health hazards using data and publicly available tools. Submissions are due April 1, 2022. Learn more about the challenge and how to participate at epa.gov.

Ocean Awareness Contest

The 11th annual Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Students ages 11-18 from around the world are invited to participate. The 2022 Ocean Awareness Contest—THE FUNNY THING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE—challenges students to learn about climate change and its impact on the ocean, and to explore new ways to communicate the urgency of the climate crisis.The deadline for submissions is June 13, 2022. For more information, visit bowseat.org. (Image: Student artist Luyi Song)

Reminders About Ongoing Opportunities

  • Living the Change. On Tuesdays through May 17, 2022, the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston hosts an online course developed in response to the Walk on Earth Gently multifaith statement presented at the COP23 UN Climate Change Conference. This program focuses on making personal lifestyle changes in three areas: transportation, energy, and food. For more information and to register, visit eventbrite.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.

  • Meet a traveling photographer at home on the road, chasing her dream to the most awe-inspiring places a teardrop trailer camper can be towed
  • Meet a biologist that studies aquatic invertebrates. He’s Dr. Archis Grubh, and he loves bugs. Check out some of the two-thousand different types of aquatic invertebrates living in the rivers, streams, and creeks of Texas
  • Thirty minutes south of Austin, the Central Texas town of Lockhart may be best known as a destination for bar-b-que lovers. But Lockhart is also home to a small state park, popular with campers, picnickers, and even golfers

Additional Upcoming Events

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