Coalition Notes 03-25-2013

1. Buffalo Bayou Partnership at the OKRA Charity Saloon. BBP been chosen as 1 of 4 charities that you can support in March by voting at the OKRA Charity Saloon. All of the proceeds for March will be donated to the charity that receives the most votes this month. Learn more at http://www.friedokra.org/charity-bar.html.
2. Cypress Creek Greenway Initiative. Working with the Bayou Greenway Initiative, the Cypress Creek Flood Control Coalition, and the Houston-Galveston Area Council, two consultation firms conducting a study concerning the implementation of the Cypress Creek Greenway are requesting  feedback from residents and local officials. CDS Spillette Alliance—an urban consulting and market research group—and Marsh Darcy Partners—a real estate and planning firm—have produced a survey to gather feedback, and they will host three open houses in March for further input from the community. The last open house will be from 6:30-8:30pm on March 26, 2013, at Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens (22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble). More at http://impactnews.com/.
3. Chimney Swift Counts. Help the Audubon Society count local Chimney Swifts as part of their Swifts Over Houston program. You can join other birders at Pershing Middle School every Tuesday evening at dusk or check the website to find other count locations throughout Houston. The next count at Pershing will happen on March 26, 2013, 6-7pm. More at http://cechouston.org/.
4. Is Houston Solar-Ready? Join USGBC for the community release of their LEED AP’s research white paper on the state of solar in Houston. Hear the results of the collaborative findings from the U.S. Green Building Council. Up-to-date information from governmental, private research and educational institutions will present the status of achievements and barriers to deploy solar energy across homes, schools and commercial sectors. The release presentation and press conference will be on March 27, 2013, 10am-noon, at Second Floor City of Houston Permitting Center (1002 Washington Avenue). The exhibition will remain open until 3pm. Register at http://usgbctexasgulfcoast.org/.
5. The Dog Walk – Hermann Park Conservancy. Join Hermann Park Conservancy for this new event featuring a scenic 1-mile walk around the Park and a post-walk party in Lake Plaza with Clutch “The Rocket’s Bear,” SNAP, Houston SPCA, and Phoenicia Specialty Foods. Stick around for fun contests and games for the whole family. Advance registration is $25. All participants receive one ticket to the April 1 Rockets game vs. Orlando, a commemorative t-shirt, and a goodie for your 4-legged friend. A portion of the proceeds will go to the creation of a dog park within Hermann Park. The Dog Walk will happen on March 30, 2013, at 8am. More at http://cechouston.org/.
6. Children’s Museum of Houston: April Showers Bring May Flowers! April showers bring May flowers! April is a time of change and transition. During this time, kids can explore the phenomena of rain. Come to the Children’s Museum of Houston and learn a bit about how rain is created and what colorful things can happen when Mother Nature lets it all out. This exhibit will be at the Children’s Museum of Houston from April 4, 2013 to April 10, 2013. More at http://www.cmhouston.org/. Don’t forget to explore the great outdoors, indoors at the Museum’s EcoStation exhibit.
7. Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Award. Bayou Preservation Association would like to receive your nominations for this year’s Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Award which “recognizes an individual or organization who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to, and stewardship of, a Houston-area bayou or bayous through conservation, preservation, restoration, advocacy or other proactive means”. The nomination form can be found here: http://www.bayoupreservation.org/. The deadline for nominations is April 5, 2013. The award recipient will be announced at the Annual Board Meeting in May, 2013.
8. Public Comment – Transportation Improvement Program Projects. The region’s Transportation Policy Council (TPC) is soliciting public comment on candidate 2013-2016 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) projects. Approximately $600 million of funding requests remain eligible for consideration. A list of candidate projects is available on the H-GAC website at http://www.h-gac.com/taq/tip. Projects range from pedestrian and bicycle projects in Houston’s uptown area and over a dozen other locations, road striping, highway improvements, land acquisition, bus service, park and ride facilities, and planning projects. Comments are due by April 6, 2013, and may be to publiccomments@h-gac.com. Following the public comment period, a program of projects will be submitted to the TPC for its consideration at its April 26 meeting.
9. Arboretum at Night – Hawk Walk. Join the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center to be amazed by hawks, owls, falcons and even a vulture or two! The Hawk Walk will be on April 6, 2013, 4-5pm, at the arboretum (4501 Woodway Drive). Kevin Gaines, of Sky Kings Falconry, will lead everyone on a tour along the trails of the Houston Arboretum for what is sure to be a memorable hawk walk. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience these magnificent creatures in their native habitats. There will also be photo opportunities and a question and answer time available. Wine & Cheese will be served! Tickets: $30 members; $40 non-members. Children under 16: $15. Register at http://www.houstonarboretum.org/.
10. Coastal Heritage Preserve on Galveston Island. Artist Boat is establishing a Coastal Heritage Preserve on Galveston Island and is looking for people who want to explore by kayak! Artist Boat’s grant to acquire the land (Coastal Heritage Preserve) is providing the financial resources to launch three years of educational programming from this special place. Public trips are available for $10 per person. For a schedule of events and to register for a trip, check out the website at www.artistboat.org. For more information about Artist Boat’s Eco-Art Adventures at the Coastal Heritage Preserve on Settegast Road, contact LuAnne Ashley at lashley@artistboat.org or (409) 770-0722.
11. Natural Resources Legislation of the 83rd Texas Legislature. H-GAC produced a Natural Resources Legislation Briefing Document for your review and use. This briefing document is provided as an information resource for governments, organizations, and other entities in the 13-County H-GAC Region. The information contained within involves informal analysis, and is only intended to reflect a general summary of the legislation and its potential impacts. View the Briefing Document at http://r20.rs6.net/.