Coalition Notes 09-03-2012

1. Whole Foods Market 5% Community Giving Day – Buffalo Bayou Partnership. Visit a Whole Foods Market in the Houston and Sugar Land Area on September 5th! The stores will donate 5% of that day’s net sales to Buffalo Bayou Partnership, an organization dedicated to the revitalization and transformation of Buffalo Bayou. Shop for groceries and show your support! Visit www.buffalobayou.org for more information.
2. Chase Community Giving. You have the power to help decide which eligible local charities will share in $5 million grants! Many local charities you know and love were nominated, including Armand Bayou Nature Center, Artist Boat, Galveston Bay Foundation, Houston Audubon, Houston Parks Board, Coastal Conservation Association, Katy Prairie Conservancy, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Memorial Park Conservancy, Trees for Houston, Urban Harvest, Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition, Mercer Society, and Gulf Coast Bird Observatory. From September 6th to the 19th, visit the Facebook page to vote for the charities that you want to see receive grants from Chase. The 196 charities with the most votes will share in $5 million in grants! Visit https://www.facebook.com/ChaseCommunityGiving/ to learn more and to vote!
3. Bayou Land Conservancy – First Accredited Land Trust in Houston! On August 29th, Bayou Land Conservancy achieved land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the national Land Trust Alliance. The first land trust in the Houston region to achieve this status, Bayou Land Conservancy is now one of three land trusts in Texas to become accredited, and 181 nationwide. Read more at http://bayoulandconservancy.org.
4. Deconstruction Training: Moving YOU Into the New Economy. The USGBC Recycling Committee, Green Built Gulf Coast, and GreenHouse Integration bring you an informational event about Deconstruction on September 13th from 9am-5pm at the H-GAC offices (2nd floor). The ReUse People president Ted Reiff will be in Houston to teach how Deconstruction can help your company move into the new economy. Deconstruction is emerging as a critical skill, as the housing stock ages and homes are being left vacant due to foreclosure. Learn how your company can become a part of this movement in waste management. Cost $50, includes lunch. For more information, contact: CarolineKostak@TheReUsePeople.org.
5. Houston Urban Gardeners Seed Swap and Meeting. Come early at 5:50 PM to HUG’s regular meeting Sept. 10 at the Houston Garden Center, (713-284-1989), 1500 Hermann Park Dr. in Hermann Park, Houston, TX. The Seed Swap ‘n Sale will be from 5:50 to 6:45 PM–short and sweet–so don’t be late. Bring vegetable and herb seeds for cool weather plants, and envelopes to contain your acquired seeds. This is a free event! At the meeting, Kevin Topek will speak about Edible Landscapes and Permaculture. Questions? Send an email to laurel@houstonurbangardeners.org. More at http://www.houstonurbangardeners.org/.
6. Eco-Cool for Back to School. TicklePrint and Air Alliance Houston aim to create awareness of Houston’s air pollution problem and its effect on children’s health through the premium, eco-friendly products of TicklePrint. Their first collaboration features the award-winning student designs of the 2012 Earth Day Art Contest printed on high-gloss, backpack-tough notebooks and pocket folders from TicklePrint Back to School Collection. Shop for supplies at http://www.tickleprint.com/.
7. GCBO Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza. 8:00am to noon. 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. Join the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory September 8th and 15th to see hummingbirds being banded, adopt a hummingbird, browse the Nature Store, walk the nature trails, or buy a plant to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. More at www.gcbo.org.
8. 2012 Wildscapes Workshop and Native Plant Sale. Don’t miss the 2012 Wildscapes Workshop and Native Plant Sale at the Houston Zoo’s Brown Education Center on September 8th from 8:30am-3:30pm. There will be educational programs, breakfast, lunch & refreshments, a nature book sale, and doorprizes all day. The theme of the Wildscapes Workshop: Landscaping with Native Plants to Attract Wildlife. Topics include Saving the College Park Prairie, Invasive Plants, Gardening for Wildlife, and Reconnecting People With Nature. Flo Hannah, Kelly Conrad Bender, Gary Clark, Dee Howell and Jed Aplaca will be speakers. Kelly, Gary and Kathy Adams Clark will be available to sign their books. The Native Plant Sale is open to attendees at 11:30 am and to the public from 12:30-3:30pm. There is free entry to the plant sale for the public. This event will feature a wide variety of hard-to-find native plants that support butterflies and birds. Pre-registration is required. Lunch, refreshments, and entry to the zoo are included in registration ($35 per person; $30 for NPSOT members). Learn more at http://npsot.org/Houston/.
9. Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation. TWRC Wildlife Center is growing and we are in need of wildlife rehabilitators. With our recent expansion into The Woodlands, our admissions have increased. Rehabilitating wildlife and returning healthy animals to the wild is a very rewarding experience. TWRC Wildlife Center is offering a free 3-hour class, “Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation”, on September 15 beginning at 10:00am. The class is designed to provide more information to those interested in wildlife rehabilitation and will give you the opportunity to ask questions. The class is being held at the South Regional Library, 2101 Lake Robbins Drive in The Woodlands. Reservations are required and you can register at www.twrcwildlifecenter.org. The deadline for reservations is Wednesday, September 12th. You must be 21 years of age to rehabilitate wildlife. For more information, please contact Cheryl Conley at: vicepresident@twrcwildlifecenter.org. If you love wildlife, you’ll want to attend this class!
10. FY13 Solid Waste Grant. The FY13 Solid Waste Grant application is now posted to the H-GAC website at www.h-gac.com/go/swgrants. Just over $168 thousand will be available for solid waste implementation grants during this second round of FY13 funding. Eligible projects will be limited to the purchasing of recycling equipment, tire collection events, or BOPA events (batteries, oil, paint, and antifreeze). All projects must be able to be fully implemented between January 1, 2013, and June 30, 2013.