Coalition Notes 07-16-2012

1. Story of Change – New Web Short Examines Organizing for Social Change. Texas Campaign for the Environment is hosting watch parties to celebrate the release of “Story of Change,” a film that examines how changing environmental laws, behavior of large companies, and our own behavior can help to protect the planet. The showing in Houston will take place at the TCE offices, 3100 Richmond #290, at 6:30pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2012. If you cannot make it, you can watch the film online (Teleconference at 7:00pm: 866-551-1530, passcode 4426893#). For more details, visit http://www.facebook.com/.
2. Summer Salon: The Powerful Relationship between Education and Health. The Center for Houston’s Future summer salon series continues on July 18th, 7:30-9pm, at Canopy on Montrose (3939 Montrose Blvd). The presentation will explore the powerful, and sometimes surprising, relationship of education and health, as published in Center for Houston’s Future’s 2012 Human Capital and Education Indicator Report. There is a fee of $15 to attend. RSVP at https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/.
3. NPSOT Houston: Wildflowers of East Texas and Western Louisiana. On July 19, 2012, hear Dr. Charles Allen, naturalist and author, discuss wildflowers of east Texas and western Louisiana, the subject of his latest book. Bonus: Bring a t-shirt and have it printed with a “Save College Park Prairie” design by Jaime Gonzalez. Houston Arboretum starting at 7:00 pm.
4. Houston Green Film Series: In Transition. The Houston Green Film Series continues with In Transition 2.0. In Transition 2.0 is an inspirational immersion in the Transition movement, gathering stories from around the world of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. You’ll hear about communities printing their own money, growing food everywhere, localising their economies and setting up community power stations. The film will be shown on July 25th from 6:30-9pm at Rice Media Center (2080 University Blvd). More at http://www.transitionhouston.org/.
5. The Center for Recycled Art. The Center for Recycled Art’s Teacher Warehouse is not just for teachers. It’s also open to other nonprofits and offers a great mix of reusable materials for art projects and inventive creating, plus gently used office supplies like binders, paper trays and more. Open one day each month at its location at the old Dow Elementary School, the next shopping date is Thursday, July 26th, from 11am-3pm. Representatives of all CEC member groups are welcome! More at http://www.recycledarthouston.org/teachers.
6. Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens’ Summer Symposium. Mercer Arboretum is excited to announce the Summer Symposium on July 28th. The day-long workshop focuses on hardy and bold tropical-looking plants that flourish in the heat, and includes a specialty plant sale for participants. Plant sale is open to the public at 9 a.m. More at http://www.hcp4.net/mercer/.
7. RDA 2012 Design Charrette. Rice Design Alliance’s 2012 design charrette, “People, Places and Promenades,” will focus on creating a master plan for the Museum Park Super Neighborhood. The charrette will be held Saturday, August 4, 2012 from 8 am to 4 pm. (The pre-charette site visit will be on July 28. A reception where the winning entries will be announced will be held on August 6, 2012 from 6 pm to 8 pm). More information is available at http://ricedesignalliance.org/.
8. Surface Water Quality Public Comment. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is receiving written comments on the Bacteria Implementation Group’s (BIG) draft implementation plan to reduce bacteria in specified waterbodies across the H-GAC region. Written comments should be submitted to Chip Morris, Water Quality Planning Division, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, MC 203, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas, 78711-3087 or faxed to 512-239-1414. Comments may be submitted electronically to www5.tceq. texas.gov/rules/ecomments by midnight on Monday, July 30, and should reference the  Implementation Plan for Seventy-Two Total Maximum Daily Loads for Bacteria in the Houston-Galveston Region. After the public comment period, the BIG may revise the draft implementation plan, if appropriate. The TCEQ will then consider the final plan for approval. More information about the BIG project is available at www.h-gac.com/BIG.
9. TAEP Call for Papers. The Texas Association of Environmental Professionals Environmental Challenges and Innovations Conference: Gulf Coast 2012 (ECIC12) Committee is seeking innovative sessions, panels and workshops presenting new information or insight into environmental practice, policy, and management issues, with emphasis on practical hands-on tools and techniques. Abstracts may be submitted for conference sessions, panel sessions and/or workshops. All ideas are welcome, and persons able to coordinate and lead sessions or workshops will receive special conference admission pricing and publication of their bios in the conference proceedings. Abstracts for sessions and workshops should be submitted to conference@taep.org before July 31, 2012.
10. Environmental Educators’ Exchange: Willow Waterhole. Visit the Willow Waterhole Project , a multi-purpose flood retention project.  Kevin Shanley, a prominent landscape architect in Houston who was involved in the development of the Project, will provide a tour.  Learn about the Project’s purposes, how it functions as well as tour some of the ecosystem conservation and restoration projects taking place on site. As usual, after the tour, discuss some EEE business and enjoy round-table introductions where you may share information about your adventures, successes and challenges in environmental education. More at www.eeehouston.org.
11. Master Naturalist Program Seeks Applicants.Two local chapters of the Texas Master Naturalist program have scheduled summer and fall training classes for volunteers wanting to learn about natural resource and conservation management, and registration is coming soon. With 44 chapters state-wide, the Texas Master Naturalist program aims to develop a corps of well-informed citizen volunteers who educate their communities about the management of natural resources. The main qualification needed to become a Certified Texas Master Naturalist is an interest in learning and playing an active part in conservation.
    • Houston: Gulf Coast Chapter. Training begins Aug. 25 and ends Oct. 30. Class is limited to 25 students. Orientation is on a Saturday and classes are Tuesday evenings with five field trips on Saturdays. Schedule is pending. For more information and application, contact Pam Cook, pam.cook@txgcmn.org. Chapter website: http://www.txgcmn.org
    • Rosenberg: Coastal Prairie Chapter, Fort Bend and Waller counties. Training begins Sept. 8 and ends Oct. 25. Registration is due Sept. 5, with a limit of 25 students. Cost is $150. Classes will meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for eight weeks (three Saturdays and five Thursdays). For more information and application, contact Doug Simons 832-588-8431 or dougsimons@yahoo.com. Chapter website: http://www.coastalprairie.org
12. Bay Gazer Photo Contest Results. The Galveston Bay Foundation is pleased to announce the 2012 Bay Gazer photo contest winners. Over forty photos focusing on the beauty of Galveston Bay were entered into the fourth annual Bay Gazer Photo Contest in conjunction with the Bay Day Festival. Finalists from each entry level–ages 14-17 yrs and ages 18 plus–were carefully selected and voted on by the public at the Bay Day Festival at the Kemah Boardwalk on Saturday, June 9. Congratulations to Allison Buchtien, Vivian Griffey and Irene Quiroga for being this year’s winners! Each winner will enjoy cash prizes donated by CenterPoint Energy. You can view the winning photos on GBF’s Facebook page.
13. Hummingbirds – GCBO. Autumn is hummingbird season in Texas, as thousands of these tiny creatures move through the state on their southward migration to Mexico and Central America. Many Ruby-throats will travel 600 miles straight across the Gulf to the Yucatan Peninsula while others will fly around the edges of the Gulf to pointsin Mexico. Be sure to mark your calendars for September 8th and 15th when we will host our annual Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza. You can watch hummingbird banding, adopt a hummingbird, browse the Nature Store, walk the nature trails, or buy a plant to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. If you would like to volunteer to help with this event, please contact Reba at rtibbits@gcbo.org.