Coalition Notes 05-11-2011

1. Coastal Tourism Workshop. The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) will be hosting a workshop from May 18-19 that will benefit four coastal counties: Matagorda, Brazoria, Galveston, and Chambers. The workshop is designed to help revitalize the tourism industry which was impacted by Hurricane Ike. To register, visit www.h-gac.com.
2. Katy Prairie Bash 2011 “something wild.” Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 7:00 pm. Katy Prairie Conservancy is working to preserve a sustainable part of the prairie on Houston’s west side. The money from the bash will benefit the Katy Prairie by protecting the ecosystem and allowing for recreational activities including hiking, bird watching, and nature photography. More at www.katyprairie.org/ To become a sponsor, email info@katyprairie.org or call Paige Warner at 713-523-6135 for more information.
3. Galveston Bay Area Wetland Watch (GBAWW). Heather Biggs, GBK’s new program director, is working to save freshwater wetlands! This week she trained her fourth group of Galveston Bay Area Wetland Watchers, recieved four reports from volunteers, reported four sites to the USACE and one to the EPA. To learn more about GBAWW go to http://www.gbkpartnership.com/ contact them to schedule a training with your organization.
4. Dangerous Levels of Air Pollution. The American Lung Association State of the Air Report listed Harris County as 19th in the top 25 most polluted counties for ozone and tied for 21st in the top 25 most polluted counties for particle pollution. Houston’s air quality remains poor, and the best way to make progress is to cleanup the deadly pollution. To learn more, visit www.stateoftheair.org.
5. Bay Gazer Photo Contest deadline extended to May 17, 2011. Bay Views * Wildlife * Recreation. Students in grades 6 through 12 and adults are invited to enter the Bay Gazer Photo Contest. Finalists of the 3 entry levels will be displayed at Bay Day to be voted on by the public. See Rules and Guidelines here: galvbay.org
6. EarthShare. Over $49,890 were raised during the month of April for EarthShare. Participating customers purchased $1, $3 and $5 coupons at EarthShare of Texas boards at check stands at over 220 H-E-B Store locations. The money will be split among participating organizations that make up the EarthShare of Texas federation. Thanks to the thousands of customers! To read more, visit www.earthshare-texas.org.