Calendar
Pledge to turn off your sprinkler system for the winter.
Turfgrass, particularly St. Augustine, naturally goes dormant during winter months and uses all available energy to grow and strengthen the root system. Allowing grass to brown during the cool months results in healthier lawns with less disease in the spring.
Once you pledge, your village earns a point in the contest! Villages with the most points will receive cash awards for their scholarship funds from program sponsors.
Pledge between August 15 and December 31 and earn Two Points.
Learn how to submit your pledge at thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.
Thank you for your interest in the “All aboard! There’s a place for you in the maritime community!â€Â Art Contest sponsored by the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Inter-American Committee on Ports of the Organization of the American States (CIP-OAS). We welcome submissions from students enrolled in grades K-12 living in the Americas (North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean). Students living outside the Americas are welcome to apply, provided they have one or more parents on active duty with the U. S. Coast Guard. Submissions will be accepted from January 2, 2019 – March 31, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. (En Español:  www.namepa.net/concurso-de-arte)
Students are asked to submit an original poster that creatively depicts ways to embrace diversity and inclusion in the maritime community and highlight the broad range of opportunities the industry has to offer. The theme reflects the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2019 World Maritime Day Theme. Students should submit an original artwork that based on the contest theme description below:
Seaborn transportation is one of the oldest industries—and the most exciting! More than 90% of the world’s goods and energy travel by ship! The diversity of opportunities in the maritime industry is as diverse as the ocean itself. Seafaring is an exciting career that allows you to travel the world and absorb different cultures. You can also become a successful member of the marine industry without ever getting your feet wet! An opportunity to be a maritime lawyer, accountant, engineer, medical professional, or scientist, could be in your future!
The marine industry is evolving. Now, more than ever, there are technical training and education programs available to people of all backgrounds to ensure a rewarding career in the maritime sector. Today, many people are finding more opportunities in leadership, administrative, and decision-making roles in addition to seafaring jobs.
Successful members of the marine industry can come from any educational, geographic, or cultural background. Can you think of a way to embrace diversity in the marine industry, either on a ship or in a shore-side role? Or, if you’ve ever thought about pursuing a career in the marine industry, can you artistically show us how? Students are asked to submit an original poster depicting creative and imaginative ideas about how to make shipping more inclusive, or how they can chart a future in the maritime industry.
THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE ISÂ MARCH 31, 2019, WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY MAY 15, 2019. Full rules are posted below.
To enter, click the button below or go to:Â Â https://maritimeartcontest.submittable.com/submit.
Birding is the birder’s equivalent to a walkathon, but better (because you get to look at birds all day). Teams of 2 or more (typically 4-5) compete to count as many bird species as possible in a consecutive 24-hour period. Birdathon is primarily a fundraiser, so teams also compete to raise the most money for the best cause: bird conservation. Birding can be done anywhere in Texas but the Houston Audubon encourages you to visit their sanctuaries for a great birding experience. Whether you can identify 2 species or 200, birders of all experience levels are welcome to participate in Birdathon! For more information, visit sweet_houstonaudubon.blueskysweet.com.
Naturalists use a variety of tools to explore the natural world, but most rely on the tools we are all born with: our senses! Children will explore their own senses and then discover which animals taste through their feet, which have natural radar, which can locate prey by sensing heat, and which have eyes that contain 30,000 lenses. Join the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center for a week of sensory exploration.
Let your imagination soar into this high flying week of exploration. Campers will build water rockets, kites, and more as they discover objects in flight. Are you ready to hop into the pilot’s seat? Each camp-day will be from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. BNC’s Spring Break Camp is dedicated for students grade 4-6. Registration begins Feb. 1, 2019.
Hosted by Discovery Green Conservancy in partnership with Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, and sponsored by Green Mountain Energy, this year’s Earth Day event will be on Apr. 14, from noon to 5 p.m. Featuring exhibits, bands, food, speakers, and more, the 2019 celebration supports Discovery Green’s mission of providing free events that promote a healthy environment and sustainable operations.
Exhibitor space is limited. Early registration ends on Feb. 14. Registration prices will increase on Feb. 15. Exhibitor registration closes on Mar. 14.
The Galveston Bay Foundation would like to invite you to participate in their upcoming Workshop Series on Native Plants Gardening. The purpose of these workshops is to gather your input on what is an acceptable list of plants based on different ecological regions in the Houston-area with the goal of developing a “Native Plants Gardening Toolkit for Non-Gardeners.â€
The toolkit will provide information about natural landscaping using the most ecologically significant, environmentally friendly, and widely available native-plants (and/or plants adapted to the climate) in the Houston-area area. This will be an opportunity for you to discuss the wide variety of information, programs, and services offered by private businesses and non-profit organizations to residents of our region.
There is no cost to attend this event, parking is available, and snacks and coffee will be provided. Please RSVP to tdriscoll@galvbay.org by March 7th.
Volunteers meet the second and fourth Thursday of every month to propagate plants from locally collected native seed. A typical workday may include seeding pots, bumping up trays into 1-gallon containers, separating seedlings, and weeding pots. They will also have special seed collecting trips, invasive species removal workdays, and planting events in restored prairies.
If you’re interested in volunteering for the Natural Resource Management Program, email kelli.ondracek@houstontx.gov or visit houstontx.gov/parks/naturalresources.html.
Anyone interested in native plants is invited to join Gulf Coast Master Naturalists on the propagation workdays on second and fourth Thursdays of the month from 9:00 am to noon.  Please note this is the new site in Memorial Park. RSVP to Lan Shen at Lan.Shen@TXgcmn.org 713-771-1415 or Celeste Mead at Celeste.Mead@txgcmn.org 832-680-7263 or just come on out!
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.