The Texas Coastal Watershed Program holds weekly volunteer days for their stormwater wetland program, 9am-12pm 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.  The stormwater wetland program is developing demonstration projects to show  how wetlands can be designed into flood control basins to clean contaminants from surface runoff,  protect our bayous and bays, and provide a refuge for wildlife. A schedule and more information is available by contacting Mcedwards@tamu.edu.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council hosts quarterly Organics Recovery Roundtables to promote the recovery of food waste and other organic materials and provide a forum for discussion of challenges, possible solutions, successes, and new ideas within the H-GAC region. This quarter is being held Thursday, September 7, 2017, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons Lane Second floor, Conference Room A.

EPA is hosting a webinar for interested parties to explain the process for gathering use and exposure information on five persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This webinar will take place on Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 1:00 PM. It will provide background on new requirements for regulating certain PBT chemicals and explain how interested parties can provide use information to EPA on these five chemicals:

– Decabromodiphenyl ethers (DecaBDE), used as a flame retardant in textiles, plastics, wiring insulation, and building and construction materials;
– Hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), used as a solvent in the manufacture of rubber compounds and as hydraulic, heat transfer or transformer fluid;
– Pentachlorothiophenol (PCTP), used as a mercaptan (sulfur) cross-linking agent to make rubber more pliable in industrial uses;
– Phenol, isopropylated, phosphate (3:1), used as a flame retardant in consumer products and as lubricant, hydraulic fluid, and other industrial uses; and
– 2,4,6-Tris(tert-butyl) phenol, an antioxidant that can be used as a fuel, oil, gasoline or lubricant additive.

Under TSCA section 6(h), EPA is required to take expedited regulatory action to address risks and exposures from certain PBT chemicals. By June 22, 2019, EPA must propose rules for the above five PBT chemicals that have been identified under TSCA section 6(h)(1). EPA is currently identifying where these chemicals are used and how people are exposed to them.

Following EPA’s presentation, participants will have an opportunity to provide their comments on uses of these five chemicals.

To register for this webinar, please click here.

How can you tell if your city is an urban heat island? Where are the “hot spots” and cooler areas within the city? Do vulnerable populations, such as older adults or low-income individuals, tend to live in warmer neighborhoods?

More and more communities across the United States are asking these questions, and wondering how to answer them. This 90-minute webcast, hosted by EPA’s Heat Island Reduction Program on Thursday, September 7, 2017, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM, will explore approaches for conducting a heat island assessment, starting with overarching considerations to guide the study design and finishing with case studies of two cities that have used different methods to characterize their heat islands. Register to view this webinar or learn more on their registration page.

The Parks and Natural Areas Subcommittee established the Parks Awards Program in 2006 to highlight best practices and innovative approaches to parks planning and implementation. H-GAC honors projects in the categories of Projects $500,000 or more; Projects under $500,000; Planning Process; and Policy Tools. They are seeking projects that expand parks and natural areas for improved quality of life, habitat, and water quality. Winning projects, which exhibit efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation, serve as models to be replicated throughout the region.

To learn more and apply by 5:00 PM, Thursday, September 7, 2017, visit www.h-gac.com/community/qualityplaces/parks/awards.aspx.

Join the Herb Society of America at their Herb Day Planning Meeting at the home of Donna Yanowski, (2319 Bartlett St. Houston, TX, 77098).  RSVP to Dena Yanowski, denayanowski@gmail.com

An opportunity to participate in stewardship work for registered volunteers–if you are not already a volunteer, please check out Armand Bayou Nature Centers’ website for more information.

Help restore the prairie by potting and planting native plants and forbs every Friday, rain or shine. You do not need to attend every Friday.

Looking for a place to get your children outdoors? ABNC’s EcoClasses will allow your child to explore, discover and observe (STEM). Join them for some great nature experiences! Check out their website at abnc.org for details or call 713-274-2668 to reserve your spot.

EcoTots are for children 18-36 months with an adult every Friday.
EcoKids are for children ages 3-6 every Wednesday and Friday.
EcoSchoolers are for homeschool children ages 7-10 every Wednesday and Friday.    EcoAdventurers are for children ages 11-14 every Wednesday.

Please bring a Snack, Refillable Water Bottle, mask, closed toe shoes and dress for the weather.