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October 15, 2012

Coalition Notes 10-15-2012

  1. New HUG Group for Urban Farmers. Houston Urban Gardeners (HUG) is pleased to announce a new subgroup for urban farmers and market growers. Formerly known as the Houston Urban Farm Belt Coalition, the as-yet-unnamed group will meet in the Rose Room at the Houston Garden Center third Wednesdays at 6:30pm. The next meeting will be October 17, 2012. Come to share seeds, plants, food and information–especially information on how to make a living. Share what you’re growing for market, and what you’re doing to help Houstonians eat more vegetables. Support each other by sharing resources and our collective wisdom. At the October 17th meeting, attendees will discuss a new name for the group, create a draft purpose/mission statement, decide how future meetings will be organized, how to have an online presence, and decide what the next meeting agenda will be. Snacks and fresh coffee or tea will be served. All HUG meetings are free and open to everyone. So if this interests you, come on down and meet some like-minded people! Learn more at http://www.houstonurbangardeners.org/.
  2. Wetland Field Day at Sheldon Lake State Park. If you have an interest in restoring or recreating freshwater wetlands, head out to Sheldon Lake State Park on October 18, 2012, 10am-3pm, for a Wetland Field Day. The event will be held at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s regional offices on 14200 Garrett Rd at Sheldon Lake State Park in northeast Harris County. The Field Day will showcase the project with presentations from local experts in the morning, followed by a visit to the wetlands in the afternoon. The Sheldon Lake prairie wetland represents a new and unique approach to restoration, combining modern mapping and geo-positioning with traditional methods for restoring freshwater wetland systems. The event is free and lunch will be provided, but reservations are required. To learn more, contact Marissa Sipocz at 281-450-9674 or m-sipocz@tamu.edu or visit http://agrilife.org/.
  3. Sue Heath Talk: Oystercatchers on the Gulf Coast. On Friday, October 19th, at 9:00am biologist Susan Heath will give a talk on GCBO’s American Oystercatcher Stewardship Program at Kleb Woods’ Free Friday Fall Feathered Features. Susan has been heading up a study of this species for two years and will present her findings as well as insights into how this species uses the Texas coast. Free Friday Fall Feathered Features is offered by Harris County Precinct Three Commissioner Steve Radack at the Kleb Woods Nature Center at 20303 Draper Road, Tomball, TX.
  4. Go With the Flow: Stormwater Management in a Challenging Environment. Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens first Sustainable Landscape Conference is scheduled for Friday, October 19, 2012. Learn cutting-edge solutions for building infrastructure to protect property from floods and severe drought. The Greater Houston region is experiencing wild swings in rainfall that is generating both raging floods and severe drought, leading to catastrophic loss of property and productivity. How can we build our infrastructure to protect ourselves from these disasters while conserving a precious resource? This conference, led by engineers, landscape architects, and public park and infrastructure managers, will offer first-hand insight into, and examples of, cutting-edge solutions being implemented in a diverse range of local projects. For more information, visit http://themercersociety.org.
  5. Volunteers/Mentors for Fall Trip. The Woods Project is looking for volunteers/mentors for their weekend trips. Being a volunteer means getting out of the city and into the woods for the weekend and hanging out with our kids (you don’t even have to do the cooking!). There is a backpacking trip and a canoe/kayak trip from October 26-28; Two camping trips from November 2-4; a canoe/kayak trip and a camping trip from November 9-11. To sign up for a trip, email Brittany White at brittany@thewoodsproject.org.
  6. Unplugged Adventure: Katy Prairie BioBlitz/PhotoBlitz. The Katy Prairie BioBlitz is an exciting, one-day effort to find and record as many living species of plants, animals, and fungi as possible. This year families and individuals can get out in the field with other naturalists to discover and record the wild wealth of the Katy Prairie. The event will occur on October 20th at three different KPC Preserves: Indiangrass Preserve (7:30-11:30am), Nelson Farms Preserve (1-5pm), Matt Cook Wildlife Viewing Platform on Warren Lake (5:30-8:30pm). The event is free, but registration is required! More at http://www.katyprairie.org/.
  7. Kayaking Courses. Artist Boat is offering advanced kayak courses this fall and spring break. The first course is ACA Quickstart for paddlers wanting more knowledge on paddling and safety skills. This 4-hour course will be held on October 20th, November 17th, and December 1st. The second course is for people wanting to become certified kayak instructors. All classes are limited in size. To learn more, contact Kelly Cloughly at 409-770-0722 or download the flyers at http://www.guidrynews.com/.
  8. Houston Arboretum & Nature Center Fall Native Plant Sale. For the first time ever, the Arboretum will be holding a Fall Native Plant sale. It will take place from October 20-21! For one weekend only, you’ll have access to some of the most hard-to-find native plant species, including a variety of trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers, grasses, and bog and rain garden lovers. Fall and winter are the best time to plant in Houston, allowing plant roots to get established before the warmer temperatures of spring and summer. Members receive discounts on all plant sale purchases and proceeds from the sale will support the conservation efforts of the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. More at http://www.houstonarboretum.org/.
  9. 6th Annual KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou. The 6th Annual KBR Kids Day on Buffalo Bayou will be held on October 20th from 11am-3pm on Buffalo Bayou at Downtown’s Sabine Promenade. This will be a ompletely free day of fun activities, give-aways, performances, and more! With face painting, kayak demonstrations, a photo booth, boat rides, and other activities, KBR Kids Day is one event you will not want to miss. Come out in your favorite Halloween Costume, and participate in the Costume Parade. Learn more at http://www.buffalobayou.org/kidsday.html.
  10. Artist Boat – Kayak Raffle. Would you like to own your own kayak but it’s too expensive? Here’s your chance! Artist Boat is raffling a $1700 kayak which could be yours for only $10 per raffle ticket! This year you can even buy raffle tickets right online! Entrance tickets for Float the Boat festival are also available online. Purchase tickets at: http://www.artistboat.org/float-the-boat.html. The Float the Boat Fundraiser on November 9th at Galveston Artist Residency (2521 Ships Mechanic Row).
  11. Presentation of the Houston Sustainability Indicators Project Report. A free public presentation of the Houston Sustainability Indicators (HSI) Project Report will take place November 28th from 2-4pm at Kelly International Conference Facility, Baker Hall, Rice University. The HSI Project was designed to generate facts and measure how well Houston is doing in terms of development, and to agree on the things that matter most as Houston pursues sustainable development. It is a comprehensive overview of sustainable development in Houston and we are inviting everyone to participate in this project. Participants will gain access to resources on sustainability and will directly contribute to the development of the project through interpretation and feedback on the indicators. Learn more at https://shellcenter.rice.edu/.
  12. Save the Date!