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Houston Environmental News Update March 30, 2022
March 30, 2022

Houston Environmental News Update March 30, 2022

Earth Month, Birdathon, Feral Atlas opening, Spring Plant Sale, Confronting Climate Gridlock, Green Jobs and more

Dear Friends,

We’re coming up fast on April, which is celebrated as Earth Month all across the globe, the nation, and of course, here in the greater Houston area.

Here at CEC, we’re getting a jump on the festivities on Wednesday, March 30. Interim Executive Director Paige Powell and Earth Day Houston Coordinator Becky Smith will be appearing at noon on KPFT 90.1 FM’s “Open Journal” to talk about Earth Day Houston, which CEC is co-hosting at Discovery Green on April 10. In case you aren’t able to hear it live, you can find the recording on KPFT’s archive page. The deadline for organizations to sing up as exhibitors is Thursday, March 31. See details in “CEC Notes” below.

This year, Earth Day Houston will celebrate birds and Houston’s importance as a migration hotspot. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the diversity of birds in the region and what our community can do to make the city a better place for birds and humans to coexist.

Carlotta Robson, our stupendous intern, has been hard at work drawing up our Earth Month Calendar of Events, which will be published soon. But in the meantime, here is a listing of events to whet your appetite.

We’re very excited about Saturday’s opening of the exhibition “For the Love at Earth” at Archway Gallery, 2305 Dunlavy St. This group exhibition of Archway artists “challenges the viewer to consider the fragility of our planet and all living things on it and to take actions which will bring beneficial change.” Twenty-five percent of the proceeds from the exhibit will benefit CEC. In conjunction with the exhibition, we’ll also be holding special talks by CEC board members Charlotte Cisneros (April 7) and Steve Stelzer (April 21). See details below.

On April 23, CEC’s Houston Green Film Series returns to a live format as part of the Earth Day celebration at the Houston Public Library’s Central Branch. Learn more about the full event here.

And don’t forget that Friday, March 31 is the deadline for artists’ submissions for Houston Inspira, an EPA-funded project which seeks artists, musicians, playwrights, dancers, writers, and all creatives to engage with City of Houston Complete Communities to educate, inform and activate via storytelling in all forms/disciplines. The selected storyteller will work with the City of Houston, environmental and community stakeholders over a six-month period in a selected community. See details below.

Top image: “The Blue Marble” / NASA/Apollo 17 crew

CEC NOTES

Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers

Join fellow environmental educators every other Friday morning for a quick check-in to collaborate. The next meeting is March 25, beginning at 8:30 a.m. 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 Zoom link and 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.

#MyEarthMyTexas

From April 1-22, 2022, EarthShare of Texas invites the public to participate in #MyEarthMyTexas, a a social media challenge encouraging individuals to share their sustainability achievements, green tips and tricks, and showcase community organizations doing great environmental work across the state. Registrants will have the opportunity to win green prizes. Learn more and register at earthshare-texas.org.

“For the Love of Earth” exhibition at Archway Gallery

From April 2 through May 5, 2002, Archway Gallery, 2305 Dunlavy Street in the Montrose area will hold the exhibition “For the Love of Earth.” This group exhibition of Archway artists “challenges the viewer to consider the fragility of our planet and all living things on it and to take actions which will bring beneficial change.” Archway Gallery has chosen to partner with Citizens’ Environmental Coalition. Twenty-five percent of the sales of the works featured in “For the Love of Earth” will be donated to CEC.

An opening reception will be held April 2 from 5-8 p.m., with many of the artists present. An Artists’ Talk will be held at 6:30 p.m. Following the opening, there will be a speaker series, which features two of our board members:

April 7: â€œAt-Home Solutions for Marine Debris and Pollution”, Charlotte Cisneros, Community Programs Manager at Galveston Bay Foundation

April 21: â€œCircular Economy”, Steve Stelzer, Program Director at the City of Houston Green Building Resource Center

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

Green Mountain Energy Earth Day Houston 2022, hosted by Citizens’ Environmental Coalition and Discovery Green, will be a full-scale, outdoor festival with educational exhibits for both adults and kids. Just a small preview includes: live rescued animal demonstrations (think splashing wood duck and perched owls and hawks!), earth-friendly crafts, electric vehicles on display, a local foodie farmers’ market, live jazz and dance performances by Houston Aztec Dance and Drum Group among others. Register to exhibit your organization by March 31. Sign up to volunteer 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

Regional Goods Movement Plan public meeting

After an extensive study of the current infrastructure and processes in place to move freight and goods across the Gulf Coast region, the Houston-Galveston Area Council invites the public to attend a virtual public meeting at 6 p.m., Thursday, March 31. H-GAC staff will discuss findings and recommendations that aim to meet regional economic goals, address mobility challenges, mitigate impacts on the environment, and contribute to community livability and quality of life. For more information and to register for the public meeting, visit h-gac.com.

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).

Resilient Houston strategy and Climate Action Plan updated

To celebrate the two-year anniversaries of both the Resilient Houston strategy (released February 2020) and Climate Action Plan (released April 2020), the City of Houston has released a two-year, combined update and a new digital interface to track progress on ongoing initiatives. The two-year combined report outlines goals and targets, but also provided a web-interface to dive into the details of each target. This was accomplished through a partnership with the Kinder Institute at Rice University. Access the two-year report here. Access the web interface here. To learn more about the CAP or Resilient Houston, visit www.greenhoustontx.gov.    

Birdathon 2022

Registration is now open for Houston Audubon’s Birdathon 2022, the annual spring fundraiser where participants compete to count as many bird species as possible in a 24-hour period while fundraising for bird conservation. The birding period runs through May 5, 2022. Team reports are due on May 9. Houston Audubon and partners will offer guided birding opportunities around town in conjunction with Birdathon. These bird walks will give participants some hands-on birding experience so you can feel comfortable forming your own Birdathon team afterward and competing. The Awards Celebration will be held May 21 at the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. All contributions support Houston Audubon’s mission to advance the conservation of birds and positively impact their supporting environments. For more information and to register, visit houstonaudubon.org.

Houston 2022

From March 31-April 2, 2022, the Science Teachers Association of Texas and the National Science Teaching Association will host the annual National Conference on Science Education at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. With the adoption of new curriculum standards in Texas, NSTA and STAT have joined forces to provide high-quality professional learning to educators to help support the implementation of the standards—the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)—in the science classroom. For more information, including the full list of sessions, visit nsta.org.

Earth Month EcoChallenge

The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites you to celebrate Earth Day/Month in April by joining its team for the online Earth Month EcoChallenge. This EcoChallenge focuses on the sustainable development goals of the United Nations, with categories of: basic needs; security, health & equity, education; livelihood, economy; communities and climate; and ecosystems. Participants pick your challenges to complete during the month – to build a new sustainable habit, learn about an environmental issue, advocate for eco-justice, volunteer or spend more time in nature (among the many, many choices). Join the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston team; we’ll support each other along the journey. To sign up or to learn more, visit earthmonth.ecochallenge.org. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for any questions.

2022 Great Texas Birding Classic registration through Friday

Teams are invited to register for the 2022 Great Texas Birding Classic through Friday, April 1. The Great Texas Birding Classic will run from April 15 through May 15. All levels and ages of birders are welcome to join this Texas birdwatching event during the spring migration. There’s a tournament category for everyone – from the beginning backyard birder to the competitive lister, Registration fees raise money for Texas bird and birding conservation project grants. For more information and to register, visit tpwd.texas.gov.

Feral Atlas opening

On April 1, 2022, from 8-10 p.m., the Houston Climate Justice Museum and Cultural Center will hold an opening reception for Feral Atlas, an installation based on the digital humanities project, Feral Atlas: the More-than-human Anthropocene. Feral Atlas is about the unintended consequences that emerge from human projects, like the unequal build up of toxins in the environment and the spread of invasive species through international trade. Feral Atlas imagines how these effects are created through layered histories of conquest and industrial development. The event will take place at the Rice University Solar Studios. For more information, visit climatejusticemuseum.org.

Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Spring Plant Sale

From April 1-2, 2022, the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center will host its annual Spring Plant Sale. A variety of Texas natives will be featured, including perennial and annual wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees. Attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators to your yard or garden while helping to conserve water, reduce mowing, protect the soil, and save money on fertilizer and pesticides. For the plant list and other information, visit houstonarboretum.org.

TWRC Wildlife Center Volunteer Interest Meeting

On April 5, 2022, beginning at 6 p.m., the TWRC Wildlife Center, a wildlife emergency rehabilitative care and educational facility, will hold a meeting for people interested in serving as volunteers to learn more about the organization and how to get involved. For more information, visit twrcwildlifecenter.org.

Book event: Confronting Climate Gridlock

On April 5, 2022, beginning at 6 p.m., Rice University’s Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies and Graduate Liberal Studies present an event featuring Rice atmospheric scientist and environmental engineering professor Dr. Daniel Cohan, who will discuss his just-published book Confronting Climate Gridlock: How Diplomacy, Technology, and Policy Can Unlock a Clean Energy Future with Houston Chronicle business columnist Chris Tomlinson. The event will take place in the Hudspeth Auditorium at the Anderson-Clarke Center. For more information and to RSVP, visit gls.rice.edu.

Wings Over Surfside

On April 9, 2022, from noon-4 p.m., bird watchers of all experience levels are invited to celebrate Bird City Surfside with a family friendly event at the Surfside Bird and Butterfly Trail. Guest speaker Tiffany Kersten who holds a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from Northland College, and has spent over a decade as an environmental educator, will be the featured guest speaker. The event will include vendors, games, giveaways and more For more information, see the Facebook event.

Blackwood and Central City Co-Op Spring Farm Dinner

On April 9, 2022, from 3-7 p.m., Blackwood Educational Land Institute.and Central City Co-Op will host a special farm dinner. This culinary tapas/tasting menu will be prepared by Chef Cade of Long Spoon Catering and will feature local, sustainably sourced produce directly-sourced from the farm. The meal will also be paired with a special selection of wines chosen by Erick Navas of Central City Co-Op. Special transportation will be arranged. For more information, visit centralcityco-op.com.

Evening on the Canopy

On April 9, 2022, from 5-7 p.m., Houston Audubon will host “Evening on the Canopy,” a fundraiser dinner in the renovated historic pumphouse and along the Kathrine G. McGovern Canopy Walkway to celebrate the wonder of spring migration, get an up close and personal view of the nesting birds in the rookeries, and enjoy an array of locally prepared food, beer, wine, and birdy activities.For more information and to purchase tickets, visit houstonaudubon.org.

2022 Celebrate Architecture Gala

On April 9, 2022, beginning at 7 p.m, AIA Houston will hold its annual fundraising gala at the OMA/Rem Koolhaas-designed (in collaboration with Powers Brown) 713 Music Hall at Post HTX, the adaptive reuse of the former Barbara Jordan Post Office. The gala will benefit the public programs of Architecture Center Houston that promote public appreciation for architecture and its effect on the human experience through design-focused programming. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit aiahouston.org.

Spring Fling at Gulf Coast Bird Observatory

From April 9 through May 8, 2022, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory will host its annual Spring Fling at the Quintana Neotropic Bird Sanctuary on Lamar Street across from the Quintana town hall building. Spring Fling is an opportunity to see and celebrate the return of migratory songbirds as they arrive at stopover habitat along the coast. This is great time to enjoy the wide variety of species that migrate through Texas dressed in their spring finery and to see colorful birds like orioles, grosbeaks, tanagers, and numerous warbler species, to name just a few. Knowledgeable volunteers and staff will be on hand to answer your questions, keep a daily list, and sell water, snacks, and field guides. For more information, visit gcbo.org.

Lights Out, Texas!

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 Texas, is under way. The full Spring Migration period runs through June 15, and the critical Spring Peak Migration period runs April 22 – May 12. Texan by Nature and Audubon Texas lead Lights Out, Texas! efforts across the state. For more information on how to participate, visit texanbynature.org.

CONTESTS

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.

Houston Teens Care About Clean Air Video Contest

Environmental Defense Fund and Environmental Youth Council are hosting the 5th annual Houston Teens Care About Clean Air student video contest. High school students in Houston and the surrounding areas are challenged to create a 1-2 minute video about air pollution, climate change, or environmental justice. First prize is a $2,500 Visa gift card. Teachers also have the opportunity to earn their own Visa gift card. For more information, visit enviroyouthcouncil.org. Teachers can find information and sign up your school to participate by completing the form HERE on the contest website or email Shannon Thomas at sthomas@edf.org. Submissions are due April 22, 2022.

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

  • The Face of God film discussion. Through April 7, 2022, Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church is holding 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.
  • Energy Transitions in Underserved Communities Request for Applications. 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.
  • Rain Barrel and Compost Bin 2022 Sale. Through May 1, 2022, the City of Houston’s Green Building Resource Center is selling 50-gallon Ivy rain barrels and compost bins at a discounted price while supplies last. Pickup will be May 14 at the Green Building Resource Center. For more information, visit rainwatersolutions.com.
  • 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.
  • Destination: High Island. Through May 22, 2022, Houston Audubon invites the public to High Island and Bolivar Peninsula for the unrivaled spectacle of bird migration on the Upper Texas Coast. Among the vantage points, visitors can use the new Kathrine G. McGovern Canopy Walkway. High Island sanctuaries are open every day from dawn to dusk. For more information, visit houstonaudubon.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.

  • Alligator snapping turtles, protected in Texas, are saved from out-of-state poachers. After being rehabilitated and prepared for scientific study, these trafficked turtles are returned to their natural habitats in Texas waters
  • At the unique landscape of Monahans Sandhills State Park, a sea of sand awaits, offering camping and recreation, hosting some interesting plant and animal life, and hiding a human history in what was at times both a barrier and a refuge
  • Who knows what darkness lurks deep in the heart of Texas? Cavers know! There are thousands of known caves in Texas and more yet to be discovered. Join some modern-day cave explorers as they duck, climb, crawl, and squeeze their way through the dark and mysterious world that exists beneath our feet

Additional Upcoming Events

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