Community Notes 04-30-2012

1. 2012 Gulf Coast Green Symposium and Expo. The Gulf Coast Green Symposium is the leading green building conference targeted to design and construction professionals within the Gulf Coast region. This fully integrated professional expo will feature certified green building products, materials, and service providers. The symposium is an all day event on May 1st at United Way of Greater Houston. Learn more at http://gulfcoastgreen.org/.
   
2. Lone Star Coastal National Recreation Area. At the annual fundraising luncheon in February, Houston Wilderness announced the efforts to create a National Recreation Area in the coastal region. John Nau and Secretary James Baker are chairing a committee to help make this effort a success – only Congress can designate a National Recreation Area. To read more about this initiative, please visit the Coastal Recreation Areapage of the Houston Wilderness website, where you’ll find press releases, newspaper articles, maps, photographs, and more. http://www.houstonwilderness.org/.
3. Bridgestone’s Spent Tire Program. In celebration of Earth Day, Bridgestone is kicking of its Spent Tire Program, where all spent tire material is recovered and sent to a valuable use. Bridgestone is partnering with organizations that reuse tires for playgrounds, athletic fields, and other commercial products that are using recycled rubber. In some cases, for tires that cannot be reused, Bridgestone will recycle their energy through combustion in facilities like Electric Utilities that can use rubber in place of coal and gain environmental benefits. Bridgestone is also working with River Network and other non-profit partners to support clean up movements and reclaim scrap tires, at no cost to them. Learn more at http://www.oneteamoneplanet.com/.
4. Bat Art Contest. The author of Tabitha’s Tale is calling children from around the world under the age of 12 to participate in an art contest. The winner’s artwork will appear on the back cover of this children’s book about bats, which is due out later this year. The submission should include the original artwork, an entry donation of $10 (which will be donated to Basically Bats Wildlife Conservation Society), and the child’s first name and age; parent’s name, mailing address, and e-mail address. The deadline for receipt of artwork is July 31st. Artwork should be submitted to Artwork should be submitted to: Linda Bowen, 131 Johnson Road, Falls Village, CT 06031.
   
5. The 2012 United Way Board Fair. The 2012 United Way Board Fair seeks to connect area nonprofits with a broad spectrum of interested candidates looking for ways to connect with nonprofit organizations in a meaningful way. The fair will take place on May 24th from 5-6:30pm at United Way (50 Waugh Drive). For an organization to participate, an application must be filled out and submitted by May 11th. Space is limited. For more, visit http://www.unitedwayhouston.org/.
   
6. Trinity River National Wildlife seeks Input. The Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) is seeking public comment on a draft Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) and Environmental Assessment (EA). The final plan will guide management decisions and set forth goals, objectives and strategies needed to accomplish refuge purposes and establish the Service’s best estimate of future needs for the next 15 years. The CCP/EA is available at:http://southwest.fws.gov/refuges/texas/trinityriver. Comments will be accepted up to 4:30pm (Mountain Standard Time), Friday, May 4, 2012.
7. Texas Bottle Bill Event. Texas Bottle Bill is partnering up with Westbrook Intermediate (Friendswood) to demonstrate the fund raising opportunities schools would have with a Nickel Back Refund on all beverage containers. Mike Garver will be donating to the school, a nickel for every alum, glass, and plastic beverage container, counted and separated by materials, that is brought to the school that evening. Mark Austin, of We Can Recycle will be picking up all of the materials. This event will take place on May 4th from 5:30-9pm.
8. Rachel Carson Sense of “Water” Contest. The Rachel Carson Sense of “Water” Contest is a poetry, essay, photo and dance contest in which participants share their love for water through a creative project that captures water around us. Entries must be from a team of two or more persons—a young person and an older person. The deadline for entries is June 1st. Learn more at http://www.epa.gov/.
   
9. EPA Releases List of Cities with the Most Energy Star Buildings in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the annual list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings for 2011. Houston was ranked number 7. By the end of 2011, the nearly 16,500 Energy Star certified buildings across America have helped save nearly $2.3 billion in annual utility bills and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to emissions from the annual energy use of more than 1.5 million homes. Learn more at http://www.energystar.gov/.
   
10. World Environment Day Contest. Students, teachers, classes, or schools across the globe participating in an environmental activity that involves students in grades K-12 are invited to enter their project into the Project Earth 2012 World Environment Day Contest. The deadline for entry is June 5, 2012. More at http://www.projectearth.net/.
11. 2012 Farmers Market Promotion Program Grants. The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has announced the availability of approximately $10 million in competitive grant funds in fiscal year (FY) 2012 to be awarded through the Famers Market Promotion Program (FMPP). The FMPP competitive program is designed to promote the domestic consumption of agricultural commodities by expanding direct producer-to-consumer marketing opportunities. Applications are due May 21, 2012. More at http://www.ams.usda.gov/.
    
12. PLT Greenschools! Action Project Grants. Project Learning Tree’s GreenSchools! Action Project Grants fund projects that make a difference in young people’s sense of responsibility toward their communities and in their understanding of their relationship to the environment. Examples of past grant projects include habitat restoration, watershed improvement, outdoor classrooms, and energy conservation. The deadline for application is May 15, 2012. More at http://www.greenworks.org/.
13. Acres for America Grants. Acres for America is a partnership between Walmart Stores, Inc., and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The Acres for America program was established to provide funding for projects that conserve important habitat for fish, wildlife, and plants through acquisition of interest in real property. The goal of the Acres for America program is to offset the footprint of Walmart’s domestic facilities on at least an acre by acre basis through these acquisitions. Preproposals are accepted annually on June 1. http://nfwf.org.
14. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Seabrook, and on HCC. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). This week’s broadcast will include:
    • Hurricanes: A Force of Nature
    • Lone Star Land Steward: Lodge Creek Ranch
    • Resaca de la Palma State Park
    • A Migrating Muse – Sandhill Cranes
15. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html
    • May 1: Green–Good–Moderate winds and lower incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • May 2: Green–Good–Moderate winds and lower incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • May 3: Green–Good–Moderate winds and lower incoming background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • On April 24, TCEQ issued an Air Pollution Warning – Level Orange for unhealthy levels of ozone in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria areas. During a Level Orange warning, active children and adults as well as people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exposure.