Coalition Notes 10-12-2011

1. Native Plant Society of Texas Annual Symposium. The Native Plant Society of Texas Annual Symposium will be held from October 13th-16th at the Omni Houston Hotel at Westside. The theme of the symposium is: Habitat CPR: Creating, Preserving, and Restoring Native Habitats in a Changing World, Featuring the Coastal Prairies and Marshes of Texas. The dual purpose theme will explore the various components of the Texas Coastal Prairies and Marshes and their significance as an important eco-habitat. For more on the symposium, visit http://npsot.org/.
2. Sustainable Landscape Pest Management. This event is targeted for landscape pest control and maintenance professionals seeking to learn about landscape maintenance and pest control practices that are effective and environmentally friendly. This pest management seminar has great speakers, interesting topics, good food and 5 hours of CEUs. It is being held on October 14th from 7:30am-4:15pm at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Harris County Office. To register, visit http://ohbaonline.org/.
   
3. 5th Annual Prairie Pandemonium. Armand Bayou Nature Center will host its fifth annual Prairie Pandemonium event on October 15, 2011 from 8 am to noon. This is a community based event where local citizens join together to transplant thousands of native grasses and wildflowers into ABNC’s restored prairies. Large scale volunteer plantings such as Prairie Pandemonium help give ABNC’s prairies a jump-start to a native state of abundant wildflowers and grasses. To register contact Kelli Haskett at Kelli@abnc.org. Visit http://www.abnc.org/ for more information.
4. Global Climate Change and Infectious Disease. Wednesday, October 19, 2011. Time 6:30 social, 7 – 8:30 p.m. Meeting Location Bay Area Community Center, 5002 NASA Parkway, Seabrook 77586. The Galveston Bay Area Sierra Club Houston presents Dr. Kim Schuenke, the Associate Director for the Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease at UTMB in Galveston, who will discuss diseases transmitted by insects which are on the rise. Dr. Schuenke will discuss factors that contribute to this phenomenon, and local efforts regarding disease surveillance and mosquito control. The One Health, One Medicine concept will also be discussed, in which we recognize that human, animal, and environmental health are closely related and intimately linked. Contact: Grace Martinez/281-732-1201 or Kim Schuenke/409-771-3060 gracemartinez7@earthlink.net kischuen@utmb.edu.
5. Licks for Likes. The Houston Piano Company has selected three animal charities to benefit from the LICKS FOR LIKES promotion and Wildlife Rehab & Education is one of them. Your vote for WR&E gets them a $1 and you get a LICK! For every LIKE the Houston Piano Company gets from Oct. 1st through Nov. 1st a $1 will be donated to the charities. The charity with the most 1st place votes will receive $1000, 2nd place $750, and 3rd place $500. To vote, just visit the Licks for Likes Facebook page.
6. GCBO & WHC sign MOU. The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) and the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory (GCBO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that establishes a strategic partnership between the two organizations. Through the MOU, WHC and GCBO will work to promote cooperation and increased habitat for wildlife. WHC and GCBO recognize the special and complementary capabilities and resources of their respective organizations, projects, and partners for addressing these concerns and recognize the importance of building a strong partnership in order to achieve the goals of this MOU. http://www.gcbo.org/
7. Bioblitz 2011: Where Everyone Counts! Katy Prairie Conservancy is hosting Bioblitz 2011 on October 22nd. Expert biologists and amateur naturalists will take to the field to observe and record as many living species of plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, fish, and fungi as they can during a one day period. This exciting day of citizen science will add to our understanding of the rich biodiversity of the Katy Prairie and will also highlight the need to conserve a sustainable part of this irreplaceable habitat. For more information, visit http://www.katyprairie.org/Katyprairiebioblitz.html, and to register, email Jaime Gonzalez at jgonzalez@katyprairie.org.
8. 5th Annual KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou. The 5th Annual KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou will be on October 29th from 11am-7pm. Buffalo Bayou Partnership and KBR are hosting a day filled with FREE family fun, hands-on educational activities, music, food, park performers, and boat rides on the bayou! Activity stations will include a showcase of bayou animals and insects, wildflower seed ball making, sun prints, crab marsh, numerous hands-on activities from over 25 Houston non-profit organization’s partners. There will also be wetland hikes, pontoon boat rides kayaking demonstrations, and much more! More at http://www.buffalobayou.org/kidsday.html.
9. Halloween Family Night Hikes. Bring the kids in costume to the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, 440 Wilchester Blvd., Houston, on Saturday, October 29, 5 – 9 p.m. for family fun: candy, Halloween crafts, and nighttime nature activities (guided night hikes every half hour starting at 5:30 p.m., black lighting for insects, listening for echo-locating bats). The cost is $5 per person. Park at the Memorial Drive UM church parking lot at 12955 Memorial Drive. Enter the sanctuary through the marked gate. More at www.houstonaudubon.org.
10. 8th Annual Water Symposium. The Bayou Preservation Association (BPA) proudly presents its 8th Annual Water Symposium, “Water Quality Stewardship: The Past, Present and Future State of our Water Quality”. Friday, November 4, 2011, 7:30 am to 3:30 pm at the United Way of Greater Houston. This much-anticipated educational forum focuses on the current state of water quality in our bayous with policy-makers, stakeholders and government officials discussing how projects in our area incorporate features to address water quality now and in the future. Other key topics to be covered include a pictorial history of the bayou system; regulations and upcoming issues in water quality, water sustainability, a long range plan to address bacteria in our bayous, an update on Rebuild Houston, and local guidelines for Low Impact Development. The keynote speaker for the event is COL Christopher W. Sallese, District Engineer and Commanding Officer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District. Register today at http://www.bayoupreservation.org/2011_Symposium.