• 713-524-4CEC (4232)
  • info@cechouston.org
August 24, 2017

Houston Environmental News Update August 23, 2017

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter, which includes a green job listing.

To honor the students, teachers, and parents who are celebrating/bemoaning the start of school, we’d like to take this opportunity to share information about some local environmental resources that can make school more interesting, meaningful, and fun.

  1. Houston Environmental Resource Exchange (HERE in Houston): HERE in Houston is a one-stop shop for classroom and informal educators, Texas Master Naturalists, and Scout leaders, looking to teach about the environment of the Houston-Galveston Region. This resource is an initiative of Texas Children in Nature – Houston with special project support from the Katy Prairie Conservancy. CEC is proud to support this effort, which highlights educational resources relating to ecosystems, wildlife, sustainability, watersheds, gardening, field trips, service opportunities, and careers. (The banner photo is from the HERE in Houston facebook page.)
  2. Every Kid in a Park Program – Houston: The EKIP Houston program reimburses transportation funds for field trips taken by Title I, 4th-grade classes to our amazing Greater Houston Area outdoor spaces.  Houston EKIP collaborates with national, state, and local organizations who provide a variety of curriculum-based natural, cultural, and historical field trips correlated with Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).  These transportation funds are made available through a grant from the National Park Foundation for the 2017-2018 academic school year. (All fourth graders–and their families–get free access to most national parks and a plethora of other public lands the the national EKIP program.)
  3. USGBC High Performance School Summit: The goal of this summit is to bring together local school district leadership, design and engineering professionals, and community members to discuss:
    • What is a 21st Century School and how do they support 21st Century learning environments?
    • How can we fund, design, build and operate more of them in our region?
    On Thursday, September 28, 2017, explore the intersection of high performance schools and enhanced learning environments, and funding, design, construction and operations of all schools. Presentations will include best practices and case studies ranging from enhanced student performance to taxpayer savings that create investment value. The Summit will conclude with a guided discussion between all participants on how the Houston-Galveston region can make all schools 21st Century learning environments within the next 10 years. Learn more and register at usgbctexas.org.
  4. Texas Children in Nature (TCiN) Summit and Champion Awards Luncheon: On November 7 & 8, 2017, join the TCiN network in San Antonieo to explore the latest research and share ideas to strengthen the connection between children, communities and nature. During this two-day summit, TCiN will bring together over 250 leaders from the health, education, built environment, faith, and conservation community to shape an even brighter future for the children of Texas. A full schedule of events, speaker profiles, and registration information is available at texaschildreninnature.org.
CEC’s website includes a comprehensive calendar of events, which regularly includes teacher trainings offered by CEC’s member organizations, and our environmental directory, which includes profiles of CEC’s member organizations and which can be filtered by different resources for educators (curriculum, field trips, in-school presentations, etc.). A printed copy of the directory is available by request. As always, we enjoy talking with educators to help connect them with the amazing educational resources provided by our member organizations. Please be in touch if you have any questions!

CEC NOTES

CEC soliciting film submissions

Please consider submitting a short film (under 7 minutes) for possible inclusion in CEC’s Greater Houston Environmental Film Contest on November 15, 2017. Winning entries will be shown at CEC’s showing of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour on January 24 & 25, 2018.

Interested in Joining CEC’s Board of Directors?
CEC is soliciting applications for its 2018 Board of Directors. We are looking for people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and help with our newsletter and website, events like the Film Festival and the Greater Houston Environmental Summit, fundraising, administration, and connecting our environmental community. It is arguably one of the best ways to learn about the amazing environmental work happening in the Houston region. To apply and learn more, please fill out our Volunteer Application online or send an email to rachel@cechouston.org, and we will follow up with you soon.

Kroger Community Rewards Annual Renewal

Do you shop at Kroger? If so, did you know that your can link your Community Rewards card to the CEC? If you do, CEC will receive a portion of your purchase, with no direct cost to you! At KrogerCommunityRewards.com, you can link or re-link your card to the CEC using organization # 91091. You must re-enroll annually (starting August 1) to continue giving back to the community starting September 1. Do you use your phone number at the register? Call 800-576-4377 and select option 4 to get your Plus Card number. If you do not have a Kroger plus Card, they are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger. Register online at www.KrogerCommunityRewards.com. Take a look at the bottom of your receipt; if you see CEC listed, then THANK YOU for supporting CEC.

COALITION & COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Image result for h-gac logoH-GAC Regional Recycling Roundtable 
    The Houston-Galveston Area Council will  be hosting the Regional Recycling Roundtable on Thursday, August 24, 2017, from 10 AM to noon at the Houston-Galveston Area Council building. The discussion will focus on Recycling Construction & Demolition Debris and will feature a variety of perspectives on this recyclable commodity and continue our look at the role of recycling in the circular economy. Please register to save your spot here or if you can’t make it in person, you can register for the webinar (Webinar ID: 897-865-875) or call in by registering as “in person” and then call at 800-240-3895 (passcode is 1015754#).
  2. Brews & BarrelsBrews and Barrels and Registration Deadline 
    Save water with a rain barrel and a beer at the upcoming workshop at Saint Arnold Brewing Company on Sunday, August 27, 2017, from 11 AM to 2 PM. “Brews & Barrels” is the first Galveston Bay Foundation (GBF) rain barrel workshop where participants can enjoy local brews at Texas’s oldest craft brewery while learning the environmental benefits of rain barrels. Registration is $40, which includes one 35-gallon barrel + one connector kit, admission to the workshop for yourself and one guest, and two beer tokens. The deadline to register is 10:00 AM, Thursday, August 24, 2017, so hurry and save your seat before tomorrow morning.
  3. Texas Stream Team volunteer testing a water sample with a syringeTexas Stream Team Volunteer Training
    Volunteers are needed to collect water quality information from local waterways as part of the Texas Stream Team statewide network. A Texas Stream Team Certified Water Monitor Phase 1 and 2 Training will be from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Saturday, August 26, 2017, at the Houston Advanced Research Center, 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands. Registration is required, and class size is limited. This training is sponsored by The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department in cooperation with H-GAC. For more information, contact Teri MacArthur at 281-210-3928. Learn more about the H-GAC Texas Stream Team volunteer water quality monitoring program.
  4. Related imageHouston Arboretum Volunteer Open House 
    Join the Houston Arboretum for a bit of breakfast and find out what volunteering at the Arboretum is all about. Stay afterwards for the School Programs Open House and learn how you can help introduce the next generation of Houstonians to the natural world. Volunteer Open House is from 9:00 to 10:30 AM on Saturday, August 26, 2017. For more information, or to RSVP, please call 713-366-0375. RSVP’s are requested by Wednesday, August 23.
  5. TWRC Wildlife CenterTexas Wildlife Rehab Coalition Center Volunteer Orientation  
    This comprehensive one-hour orientation explains who TWRC is, what they do, what we expect from their volunteers, and what volunteers can expect from them. You will hear about all the various opportunities from assisting with center operations to directly working with the animals or getting involved with the Education Team. Additional training or registration fees may be required based on your interest, and TWRC Wildlife Center provides all necessary training. To learn more or register for the upcoming orientation on Saturday, August 26, 2017, from 10:00 to 11:30 AM, visit www.twrcwildlifecenter.org/volunteer.
  6. Purple Martin Watch
    Come out on Saturday, August 26, 2017, at 7:30 PM at 17535 Tomball Pkwy to witness Purple Martins. Peak numbers for Purple Martins occur in July and August when Purple Martins form large flocks and roost together in great numbers in preparation to migration. Some roosts may have thousands of birds. When the birds arrive to roost in the evening, it can be an amazing spectacle with the sky literally black with martins. They have prepared an informational flyer about communal roosts, suitable for display. Join in helping to protect Purple Martins and check out the Houston Audubon at houstonaudubon.org.
  7. Sunday Evening Conversations Web Meeting
    The CTK Creation Care Team invites you to attend Sunday Evening Conversations on Creation, an environmental education web meeting series, Sunday, August 27, 2017, at 6:00 PM. To see upcoming events, visit http://ctkelc.org/creation-care-opportunities/.
  8. Clean Waters Initiative LogoClean Waters Initiative 
    The tremendous ecological productivity of Galveston Bay relies on both good quality and plentiful freshwater inflow. But as our regional population grows and new challenges emerge, so does our need for greater understanding of freshwater inflow requirements and the development of strategies to meet those requirements in Galveston Bay. This workshop will be held on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the Houston-Galveston Area Council, Conference Rooms B and C (second floor). Following each presentation, attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and further delve into the topic area. You can register for this workshop here, or for additional information/assistance, e-mail Kathy.Janhsen@h-gac.com or call 713-993-2423.
  9. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Public Comment: Deadline 
    The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is holding public scoping meetings in preparation for developing a draft National Environmental Policy Act analysis regarding Lower Colorado River Authority Transmission Services Corporation’s proposal to draft a Habitat Conservation Plan. The request for public input on what the Service should consider in this plan ends Wednesday, August 30, 2017. For more information and list of dates for public meetings, visit lcra.org.
  10. Stormwater Wetland Program Volunteer OpportunityVolunteer with the Texas Coastal Watershed Program
    The TCWP holds weekly volunteer days for their stormwater wetland program, 9:00 AM to noon on Thursdays. Volunteers help propagate plants in the wetland plant nursery at Exploration Green in Clear Lake City, or at the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory in Lake Jackson. A schedule and more information is available by contacting Mcedwards@tamu.edu.
  11. Play Everywhere Challenge Grant
    Do you have a great idea for how to turn everyday places – like sidewalks, bus stops, plazas, and laundromats – into play spaces for kids across Houston? The Play Everywhere Challenge, powered by Target and KaBOOM!, will award a total of $720,000 in grants across Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Miami to turn these ideas into reality. Learn more about the Challenge here and be sure to submit your application your application by Friday, September 1, 2017.
  12. 2017 Gulf Star RFP
    The 2017 Gulf Star RFP and Application Form are now posted on the GOMA website here:  www. gulfofmexicoalliance.org. Deadline for submissions is September 1, 2017.
  13. Instant Impact: A Land Use Planning Workshop
    H-GAC will host Instant Impact: A Land Use Planning Workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Friday, September 29, at the White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive, Houston. The workshop will cover the uses and benefits of Instant Impact projects, a way to use inexpensive and quick techniques to build public interest and excitement for walkable, vibrant places in a community. Participants will hear from experts and practitioners who have used Instant Impact tools during and after the planning process to move projects forward, including some highlighted in H-GAC’s Instant Impact Guide: Temporary, Cost Effective Ideas for More Vibrant Streets. Workshop topics and speakers include Uses & Benefits of Instant Impact,  Layne Ferguson, Team Better Block; Instant Impact in Small Towns,  Christof Spieler, Huitt-Zollars; Instant Impact through Partnerships,  Alex Miller and Luis Guajardo, Asakura Robinson. Learn more and register at h-gac.com.
  14. Electronics Recycling at Clear Lake Recycling Center @ Ellington Field/Clear Lake Neighborhood Recycling Center | Webster | Texas | United StatesElectronics Recycling in Kingwood
    The City of Houston Solid Waste Department and CompuCycle are providing monthly one day E-Recyclable collection events on the first Saturday of the month at different recycling centers around Houston. This month, they will accept electronic recyclables at Kingwood Metro Transit on 3210 W. Lake Houston Pkwy Saturday, September 2, 2017, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This is primarily for City of Houston residents, but CompuCycle says no one will be turned away. Since the program began last year, collections have averaged about 15,000 pounds per month. CompuCycle also has a mobile hard drive shredder to shred hard drives on-site for residents. You can also recycle these items at the CompuCycle warehouse. Check their web site for details at www.compucycle.net.
  15. New book by Jim Blackburn: A Texan Plan for the Texas Coast
    Jim Blackburn, environmental attorney and former CEC board member, is pleased to announce that his new book, A Texas Plan for the Texas Coast, has been published by Texas A&M University Press. The e-book is currently available and a print version will be available in time for the holidays. Jim write, “This book sets out what I believe to be a workable pathway to protecting the Texas coast. Given our Texas mindset, this plan does not depend upon regulation but rather on economics and understanding and force of will.” E-books are available on smile.amazon.com, and a portion of the purchase price will be donated to CEC or the charity of your choice.
  16. Houston Renewable Energy Group’s New Website
    The new HREG website has been launched!  Check out the events calendar for upcoming events and programs. With the new look of HREG we want to reflect that message to our subscribers.  If it has been a while since you signed up to receive the eNewsletter, please visit the Volunteer/Members page to resubmit your information.
  17. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife
    Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 p.m. each Saturday and on municipal access cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, Seabrook, Sugar Land, and on HCC TV. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area). For a preview, visit TPWD’s YouTube Page.

    • Hop for the Future, Keeping the Texas Kangaroo Rat on the Map: The range of a unique hopping rodent has dwindled to just a few areas near the Red River. Researchers are in a race to learn more about it before it disappears into the night.
    • Postcard from Texas: A busy holiday weekend packs Galveston Island State Park, but there’s still space to enjoy the waves or a scenic sunset.
  18. Additional Upcoming Events

http://cechouston.org/category/green-jobs/ 

Skip to content