Community Notes 03-18-2013

1. Garden Dialogues: Houston. On March 23, 2013, the public can get exclusive access to private gardens in Houston and hear directly from the designers and their clients about their collaborative process. How do clients and designers work together? What makes for a great, enduring collaboration? Garden Dialogues provides unique opportunities for small groups to visit some of today’s most beautiful gardens created by some of the most accomplished designers currently in practice. There will be two presentations on March 23. Keiji Asakura of Asakura Robinson Company will show the gardens of The Weber Estate in Magnolia, TX from 10:30am-12pm. Cedar Baldridge of Baldridge Landscape, Stephen Fox of Architectural Historian, and Dillon Kyle AIA will show the Meredith Long Gallery in Houston from 1:30-3pm. Learn more and register at http://tclf.org/. Tickets are $35 for presentation.
2. Texas Wildlife & Woodland Expo 2013. Learn eco-friendly tips that can help bring balance to your backyard and your life! Texas Wildlife and Woodland Expo & Spring Fling is designed to help families learn a little about the land on which they live — and how to best take care of it — through hands-on clinics, live demonstrations and children’s activities. It doesn’t matter if you’re a nature lover or outdoor enthusiast. It doesn’t matter if you’re an urban homeowner or a rural landowner. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got just one tree in your yard or thousands of them. Texas Wildlife and Woodland Expo & Spring Fling has got you covered. The expo will take place on March 23, 2013, from 10am-4pm, at the Lone Star College-Montgomery (3200 College Park Drive). Best of all, it’s free! Learn more at http://expo.tamu.edu/.
3. BOPA Collection Event. The next BOPA Collection Event will be on Saturday March 23, 2013, 9 am to 1 pm, at the Kingwood Metro Park and Ride (2894 West Lake Houston). This is a once a year event to collect Batteries, Oil, Latex Paint, and Antifreeze. Visit http://cechouston.org/ for a list of accepted items.
4. Ray C. Anderson Foundation Environmental Grants Program. The Ray C. Anderson Foundation is accepting Letters of Inquiry from nonprofit environmental organizations for initiatives that support environmental, economic, and social sustainability in the United States. Through its Gray Notes Grants program, the foundation awards grants of between $2,000 and $25,000 for environmental conservation, preservation, education, and restoration initiatives; urban agriculture programs; clean water and clean air projects; environmental and economic think tanks; and grassroots initiatives that inform and inspire people to collaborate and take positive action to protect the planet. More at http://foundationcenter.org/.
5. Conservation Innovation Grants. The Conservation Innovation Grant program (CIG) is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. Under CIG, Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds are used to award competitive grants to non-Federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, Tribes, or individuals. NRCS is offering a funding opportunity to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies, while leveraging the Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection in conjunction with agricultural production.The application period is open until March 22, 2013. More at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/.
6. Marsha Hill Classic Golf Tournament. The third annual Marsha Hill Classic Golf Tournament will be held on Friday, April 19, 2013 at the Clear Creek Golf Course in Tom Bass Park. Proceeds will go to the Marsha Hill Memorial Scholarship Program to help fund the education of deserving students in the area studying environmental science or a related topic. Marsha was a Rice University grad, longtime employee of the TCEQ and its predecessor agencies, and a dedicated environmental advocate. Golfers, sponsors and volunteers are needed. Please see www.marshahillclassic.org for information and registration.
7. 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:
   • Restoring the Pines
   • Lonnie Stanley, Fishing Hall of Famer
   • Stephen F. Austin State Park
   • 50th Film History
   • Found Flycatcher
8. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html. Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.
   • March 19: Yellow–Moderate–Ozone. Incoming background levels may be high enough for ozone to reach “Moderate” levels on the north and northwest side of the Houston area, with highest concentrations in the afternoon and early evening.
   • March 20: Green–Good. Moderate winds and decreasing background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.
   • March 21: Green–Good. Moderate winds and/or low background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range statewide.