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August 3, 2011

Coalition Notes 08-03-2011

  1. Smith Point Hawk Watch. This year, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory will be conducting the annual hawk watch at Smith Point with volunteers this year instead of paid hawk watchers. GCBO will focus on Swallow-tailed Kites, a priority species in Texas. In order to ensure GCBO captures the bulk of Swallow-tailed Kite migration, the count will begin on August 1st instead of the 15th and continue through September 30. Volunteers are welcome to continue the count through November 15th but the initial focus will be on the months of August and September. GCBO would greatly appreciate donations to help support this valuable effort. More at http://www.gcbo.org/default.aspx?MenuItemID=167.
  2. Regionally Coordinated Transportation Plan Meeting. H-GAC, with stakeholder groups and transit agencies, developed an Updated Regionally Coordinated Transportation Plan to coordinate public transportation services in the 13-county Gulf Coast Planning Region. To view the plan, visit http://www.ridethegulfcoast.com/. The public can make comments on the plan by sending an email to publiccomments@h-gac.com throughout the month of August. There will also be a public meeting on August 16th from 5:30-7pm at 3555 Timmons Lane, 2nd Floor Conference Room A.
  3. Commute Solutions Month. H-GAC declared August as “Commute Solutions Month.” Local commuters are encouraged to save time and money as well as help clean our region’s air by finding alternative transportation. Solutions include taking a bus or rail once a week, teleworking from home, riding a bike to work, or carpooling. To take the Commute Alternative Pledge and to learn more about Commute Solutions, visit http://www.mysolutionis.com/.
  4. Jones Park Open House. Jones Park is having a Volunteer Open House for new and seasoned volunteers on August 6th at 10am. Visitors can come out and learn about what they can do to volunteer at Jones. The park’s volunteer program supports family volunteering, which promotes spending quality time together, strengthens family ties, and makes a positive impact in the community. To learn more about the open house, visit http://fatcatwebproductions.com.
  5. IKEA Houston’s BRING IT! IKEA Houston is offering five non-profit organizations the chance to win $10,000 with a recycling challenge. The organization that collects the most catalogs in their respective bin at IKEA wins the money. The participating organizations include Discovery Green Conservancy, KPFT radio, MECA Houston, Trees for Houston, and Dynamo Charities. To learn more about the BRING IT! Challenge, visit http://www.ikeahouston.com/event/bring-it.
  6. 2011 Green Hero. The U.S. Green Building Council-Texas Gulf Coast Chapter and the Houston Business Journal will recognize outstanding community members who work to build a greener Houston. Nominations are open for the 2011 Green Hero. To nominate someone, send a 250 word narrative with the complete name, phone number and e-mail of the candidate to info@usgbchouston.org with the subject line: Green Hero. The deadline for nominations is August 15th. For more information, visit http://www.usgbc-houston.org/.
  7. Septic System Inspection Training. The Houston-Galveston Area Council is conducting an Onsite Sewage Facility (OSSF) Visual Inspection Workshop at the Spring Creek Nature Center on August 11th from 9am-4pm. The workshop will cover inspecting Conventional, Low-Pressure Dosing (LPD), and Aerobic Treatment Unit (ATU) Septic Facilities, Septic System Components, and the Structure of OSSF Permitting in Texas. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Will Merrell at 713-993-4594 or at Will.Merrell@h-gac.com.
  8. Notable Events This Week. (It’s just too hard to pick just 7!)