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Houston Environmental News Update June 17, 2014
June 17, 2014

Houston Environmental News Update June 17, 2014

COALITION NOTES

  1. Project Wild / Aquatic Wild Training Workshop. Learn how to teach young people of all ages about ecology and wildlife using hands-on educations activities. Receive a TEKS aligned curriculum and activity guide at this workshop held on June 19, 2014, from 9am-4pm at Jesse Jones Park. This  training is for formal and non-formal educators, scout leaders, and home school parents. The cost is $30, or $15 for the first ten registrants. The fee covers all take home materials. Attendees should bring a lunch and wear comfortable shoes. This workshop is TEEAC and SBEC accredited. For more information, call 281-446-858 or email jjp@hcp4.net.
  2. Gulf Coast Green Symposium. The Gulf Coast Green Symposium is returning this year on June 19-20, 2014, at Houston Community College (1300 Holman St) and the Monarch School. The focus this year is “Teaching Buildings – Best in Class Green.” This symposium is the leading green building conference in the Gulf Coast region. The two day conference will feature compelling keynote speakers David Orr and Dr. Richard Jackson, ground-breaking education sessions, an invitation only Green Product Showcase of innovative local products, and a tour of the only Living Building Challenge project in Texas. CEUs available! Register at https://aiahouston.org.
  3. My Houston 2040: Christof Spieler on Metro System Reimagining. Come out to the next My Houston 2040 happy hour on June 19, 2014, 5:30-7pm at Rudyard’s British Pub to hear Metro Board Member, Christof Spieler, speak. Houston’s transit agency, Houston METRO is embarking on a groundbreaking reboot of the local bus system that promises to dramatically increase ridership and make your life better. Christopher Spieler led the agency through this process and talk about it on Thursday. Learn more at www.facebook.com.
  4. Bingo for Buffalo Bayou Partnership. Come play bingo on June 19, 2014, at Market Square Park to help support Buffalo Bayou Partnership. Come enjoy the DJ, who will start playing music at 6pm, and stay for the bingo games at 7pm! The theme of the June Event is “Margaritaville Summer Bash!” Bring your blanket, lawn chairs or snag one of the tables at the park for a night of music and great prizes. $10 admission includes one Bingo packet (approx. 9 games). Additional games and daubers can be purchased for $1 each. Cash only. Learn more at www.facebook.com.
  5. Trail Maintenance Hike in the Sam Houston National Forest. Enjoy a trail maintenance hike on the Lone Star Hiking Trail in Sam Houston National Forest with the Houston Sierra Club. This volunteer opportunity will be held on June 21, 2014, 8-11am in the Sam Houston National Forest (meet at the IHOP restaurant at 197 Greens Rd). Bring your daypack, three quarts of water, lunch, hiking shoes, hat, insect repellent, and clothes to fit the weather. And don’t forget to bring your sense of camaraderie, humor, and adventure! For more information, visit www.texas.sierraclub.org or contact Brandt Mannchen at 713-664-5962.
  6. HANC Arboretum at Night: BBQ, Telescopes & a Night in the Woods. Celebrate the Summer Solistice at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center’s annual membership drive. Visiting the Arboretum at night is a special experience and one you won’t soon forget. On June 21, 2014, 7:30-9:30pm, participants will enjoy BBQ, wine and beer at the nature center before heading to the meadow to enjoy the sounds of nature and observe the night sky with members of the Houston Astronomical Society. The price is $35 per person or $70 per family (2 adults and 2 children). Learn more at www.houstonarboretum.org.
  7. The Best of Buffalo Bayou – Canoe & Kayak Trip. Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership on June 28, 2014 at North Lake Conroe Paddling for a great paddling day trip! Come experience the heart of Houston, while gliding down its’ flowing bayou…in a kayak. These are fun, group trips for all skill levels of paddlers. Join other water-loers, from age 8 and up, who enjoy recreating and meeting new paddlers, on this 3 hour trip. These scheduled paddle excursions, include (on shore) instruction, trip orientation, long tandem kayaks (open-deck), supportive seats, symmetrical paddles, paddle guide(s), life vests (PFD’s), shuttle service, bottled water and dry bags. The cost is $60 per paddler. To make your Buffalo Bayou kayak trip reservation, contact trip outfitters, North Lake Conroe Paddling directly at nlcpc@comcast.net, OR call 936.203.2697. Learn more at www.buffalobayou.org.
  8. Basic Birdwatching with Gary Clark. Learn the basics of birdwatching on June 28, 2014, 8:30-11:30am, with Gary Clark at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. Gary Clark has been an active member of the birding community for over 35 years. He will provide a brief overview of the types of birds you might encounter in Texas as well as a brief introduction to bird sounds. Find out which characteristics are key to properly identifying birds! Gary Clark will also cover the proper equipment needed for birdwatching, including binoculars, field guides, and journals. The cost is $75 for Houston Arboretum & Nature Center members and $100 for non-members. Register at www.houstonarboretum.org.
  9. Cleanup-Up​ Along Buffalo Bayou. More than 70 employees and family members of Silver Eagle Distributors and the local Anheuser-Busch brewery spent the morning of Saturday, June 7th helping to clean up Tapley Tributary along Buffalo Bayou in support of World Environment Day. Working with Buffalo Bayou Partnership, the non-profit organization dedicated to transforming and revitalizing Buffalo Bayou Park – Shepherd to Sabine, the group helped remove invasive species along the Tapley Tributary, including ragweed and Japanese hedge parsley. This is the second year the group has volunteered as part of Budweiser’s ‘America Made Better’ campaign.
  10. Brushes By the Beach – Plein Air Contest. Artist Boat is partnering with G. Lee Gallery for this year’s Plein Air Contest. You can enter paintings created outdoors only and within the boundaries of the City of Galveston. Paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor, crayon or pastel are acceptable (no photography). There is an entry fee for each painting: $20 early bird fee (until November 8, 2014); or $30 regular entry fee. The contest will be held fro November 15-22, 2014. There will be cash prizes for first, second, and third place winners. Find out more at www.gleegallery.net.
  11. Artist Boat Programs. Artist Boat received two $150,000 grants from the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) Center and the Texas General Land Office through the U.S Department of the Interior, Coastal Impact Assistance Program to serve oil and gas corporations. Through these grants, Artist Boat is offering Watershed Education Training (WET) — a unique program that includes an on-site Eco-Art Workshop and an Eco-Art Kayak Adventure. The second grant offers Stewardship Training in the Coastal Zone for Petrochemical Industry workers. This program includes a training workshop, a training experience at the NRG Energy EcoCenter nursery, and a marsh restoration adventure Artist Boat is excited to be able to offer this program to a new audience in our area. These fun-filled, hands-on, teambuilding experiences will promote meaningful dialogue among oil and gas workers about their specific relationship to the environment through non-consumptive use of the ecosystem and provide a springboard for future partnerships or initiatives to engage corporations in improving environmental quality. If you would like more information about Artist Boat’s Eco-Art Adventures for petrochemical workers or to schedule a program for your company, contact Anna Deichmann at asdeichmann@artistboat.org or (409)770-0722. Read more at www.facebook.com.
  12. Additional Upcoming Events

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COMMUNITY NOTES

  1. Webinar: Is wilderness still relevant after fifty years? In an age of increasing technology dependence, ethnic diversity, youth estrangement from nature, and multiple land use designations and pressures, is big “W” wilderness still relevant today? Will it be fifty years from now? Join Orion for a free live discussion of these topics and more with advocates, educators, and agency representatives, including Doug Scott, board chair of the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance; Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro; author and educator David Sobel; and Jimmy Gaudry, wilderness program leader for the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Region. The webinar will be held at 6pm central time on June 19, 2014. Learn more and register at https://cc.readytalk.com.
  2. Dow Black Skimmer Day. This year Dow Texas Operations will hold their annual Skimmer Day on Saturday, June 28, 2014, from 9:00am-noon. This free public event provides a rare opportunity to view one of the largest nesting colonies of Black Skimmers on the Texas Gulf Coast. Black Skimmers are considered colonial waterbirds because they nest in large colonies, usually on bay islands. These unique birds have a lower mandible longer than the upper which enables them to employ a unique feeding style. They feed by flying low over the water, opening their bills and skimming the water with their lower mandible to catch small fish. According to colonial waterbird data, Black Skimmers have declined on the Texas coast by 70% in the last 40 years so this colony at Dow is of increasing importance. Attendees should meet at the Dow A-41 gate located on FM 523 which is 1 mile south of the Hwy 332 and FM 523 intersection for shuttles to the site. Learn more at www.houstonaudubon.org.
  3. TCEQ 2014 Annual Monitoring Network Plan – Public Comments. Learn about TCEQ’s 2014 Monitoring Network Plan, which provides the framework for maintaining an air quality surveillance system. This is your chance to tell the TCEQ your views on air monitoring in Texas! Comments must be submitted by June 19, 2014. You can email your comment to monops@tceq.texas.gov or mail it to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality / P.O. Box 13087 / Attention: Stephanie Ma, MC-165 / Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Learn more at www.tceq.state.tx.us
  4. The Reuse Warehouse – Building Materials. The City of Houston Reuse Warehouse is officially 5 years old. The Reuse Warehouse diverts building materials by partnering non-profit organizations who need materials with agencies that have materials. Each month, an average of 60 non-profits visit the Warehouse and reuse 45 tons of material. This year, the Reuse Warehouse is collaborating with KPRC Local2 and Free Press Houston at Free Press Summer Fest to increase sustainability. At the end of the festival, the outdoor carpet will be carefully rolled and stored for reuse over the next few years, keeping the carpet out of the landfill while saving money and energy. To learn more, visit the Reuse Warehouse Facebook Page or read their most recent newsletter.
  5. Additional Dates of Note
  6. TV: Texas Parks & Wildlife. Broadcast on KUHT Channel 8 at 3:00 PM each Saturday and on municipal access cable channels in Baytown, Deer Park, Houston, Nassau Bay, Pasadena, Seabrook, Sugar Land, and on HCC TV. More info on the TPWD website (* indicates a segment about the Houston area).
    • K9 Wardens
    • Fisheries for the Future
    • Wild Things: Nature’s Clean Up Crew
    • Buck Fever
  7. Air Quality Forecast. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/airquality/monops/forecast_today.html. Houston Clean Air Network and Realtime Ozone Mapping: http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com.
    • June 17, 2014: Yellow–Moderate–Particulate matter 2.5. African dust should continue over the eastern two-thirds of the state along and east of a line from Big Bend to the Guadalupe Mountains to Amarillo, and will likely raise the daily PM2.5 AQI to “Moderate” levels over most of this area. PM2.5 levels may decrease for part of the day in South Texas and along the coast as the dust cloud moves inland and a new approaching dust cloud remains over the Gulf, though the overall AQI should still reach the lower end of the “Moderate” range in this area.
    • June 18, 2014: Yellow–Moderate–Particulate matter 2.5. African dust should continue over much of the state along and east of a line from Big Bend to the Guadalupe Mountains, and will likely raise the daily PM2.5 AQI to “Moderate” levels over most of this area.
    • June 19, 2014: Yellow–Moderate–Particulate matter 2.5. African dust should continue over much of the state along and east of a line from Big Bend to the Guadalupe Mountains, and will likely raise the daily PM2.5 AQI to “Moderate” levels over most of this area.
    • June 20, 2014: Yellow–Moderate–Particulate matter 2.5. African dust should continue over much of the state and will likely raise the daily PM2.5 AQI to “Moderate” levels.

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