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April 30, 2013

Community Notes 04-29-2013

  1. Gulf Coast Green Symposium and Expo. This year the symposium will again be a jam-packed single day focused on sustainable strategies for building reuse and renovations. GCG 2013 offers an intimate, fully integrated professional expo featuring certified green building products, materials and service providers. This collaborative effort will raise the bar for professional interaction leading to improving performance across all the metrics that matter in the region’s built environment. The conference will be held on May 2, 2013 at the Julia Ideson Building of the Houston Public Library. More at https://aiahouston.org/.
  2. Earth Church:  A Vision of Full World Spirituality. On Thursday, May 2, 2013, Jim Blackburn will be making a presentation at the Rothko Chapel at 7:00 p.m. titled “Earth Church:  A Vision of Full World Spirituality”.   You and your friends are invited and welcome. If you wish to come, it is recommended that you sign up and reserve a spot so that they get some idea of how many people may come, although you are welcome to drop in at the last minute.  To find out about the presentation and to RSVP, visit the Rothko Chapel: http://www.rothkochapel.org/.   There is an RSVP link to register for the program.
  3. Zumbathon, Green Expo & Health Fair. Lantrip Elementary, Jackson Middle School and Austin High School GreenSchools! in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, the Friends of the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas – Latino Legacy and many others, will host a Zumbathon to support area students in creating a more healthy Houston through campus and community greening projects. The “Let’s Zumba Outside for GreenSchools!” event will be held on Saturday, May 4, 2013, from 9 am -1 pm at Stephen F. Austin High School, located at 1700 Dumble, Houston TX. Primary components of the event will center upon getting children and their families outside, campus and community greening, site planning for outdoor spaces, and promoting the important connections between health and nature. Bring a bag of clothes to enter into a CASH prize drawing. Tickets are $10 Adult and $5 student. More at http://www.friendsnfgt.org/.
  4. Beautiful Birds! A Celebration of Bird Migration. Celebrate bird migration with Kleb Woods Nature Center on May 4, 2013 (10am-4pm). There will be many presentations by bird experts throughout the day as well as bird walks and kids activities. Admission is free. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own refreshments as drinks and snacks will not be sold. For more information, call 281-357-5324 and view the flyer.
  5. The City of Houston’s WaterWeek 2013. The City of Houston’s Department of Public Works & Engineering is once again sponsoring a week-long celebration of water at the WaterWorks Education Center. Discover the wonders of water during five exciting, interactive and inspiring days. The City of Houston’s WaterWeek 2013 encourages our citizens–and especially our school-aged students–to take an active role to use water wisely and protect our water resources. WaterWeek 2013 will be held from April 29 – May 3, 2013 (9:30am-1:00pm) at the WaterWorks Education Center. More at http://cechouston.org/.
  6. RFP for Galveston County Parks to improve McAllis Point. Galveston County Parks Department is accepting proposals to develop a conservation plan for McAllis Point. A non-mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. at the Galveston County Parks Administration Office, (Carbide Park), located at 4102Main Street (FM 519), LaMarque, Texas 77568. The property was conserved over the last decade in large part due to efforts of environmental groups such as the Trust for Public land and many other partners. More information about McAllis Point is availble at www.tpl.org. More information about the project is available at www.galvestondailynews.com. Conservation organizations are encouraged to apply.
  7. Mind on Water Symposium. St. Catherine’s Montessori is proud to present the 2013 Symposium “Mind On Water,” bringing our community a wealth of knowledge about water-related issues. Our Adolescent Community will be presenting topics that affect not just the local Houston area, but also locations all over the globe. This event has a lot to offer to families, students, and environmentalists of all ages, featuring a panel of experts discussing current issues, individual student presentations and interactive activities. More information about the May 15, 2013, event is available at http://www.stcathmonth2o.blogspot.com/.
  8. 16th Annual Texas Recycling and Sustainability Summit. 16th Annual Texas Recycling and Sustainability Summit will take place October 13-16, 2013 at the Houston Hyatt Regency. The theme is “Implementation Methods and Best Practices: Your People. Your Program. Your Story.” Registration for this year’s exhibit hall is now open – and is 25% full already, so get your registration form in quick! Contact the STAR office know if you have any questions by calling 512-828-6409 or emailing info@recyclingstar.org. More at http://www.recyclingstar.org/summit.
  9. Brownfields Area-Wide (BF AWP) Planning Program. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will award approximately $4 million in grants to 20 communities across the country to assist with planning for cleanup and reuse of Brownfields properties. This funding is part of the Brownfields Area-Wide (BF AWP) Planning program, which aims to promote community revitalization by using cleanups to stimulate local economies and protect people’s health and the environment. EPA’s Brownfields program encourages the redevelopment of abandoned and potentially contaminated waste sites across the country. Learn more at http://yosemite.epa.gov/.
  10. 2013 Líder of the Year Nominations. MillerCoors is calling for nominations of emerging Latino leaders, who are involved with 501c3 nonprofits, to become 2013 Líder of the Year. The nominee should be actively participating in initiatives that involve education, leadership development, environmental stewardship, economic development, alcohol responsibility or mentoring within their nonprofit. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Carmen Marsans at 703-807-0500. Please place your nomination by visiting www.MillerCoorsLideres.com and clicking on the “Nomination Form” link. The deadline for nominations is May 24, 2013.
  11. 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:
    • The Gulf Wardens
    • Parks & Wildlife People: Wildland Fire Team
    • Lone Star Land Steward: Gibson Ranches
    • I Love a Mystery – Kids at Texas A&M’s SeaCamp
  12. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html. Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.
    • April 30: Green–Good. Moderate winds and lower background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • May 1: Green–Good. Moderate winds and lower background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.
    • May 2: Green–Good. Moderate winds and decreasing background levels should help to keep air quality in the “Good” range.