Calendar
The Texas Environmental Excellence Awards is an annual awards program that honors achievements in environmental preservation and protection. There are ten diverse award categories that provide citizens, communities, businesses, and organizations an opportunity to obtain the state’s highest environmental honor and be recognized for their environmental projects. The deadline for submission is September 27th.
Since 1993, they have honored more than 250 successful environmental projects and efforts. By honoring these winners, the TCEQ hopes to encourage others to initiate like-minded projects and reinforce a spirit of environmental stewardship. These are the categories:
- Agriculture
- Civic/Community
- Education
- Environmental Educator of the Year
- Individual
- Innovative Operations/Management
- Pollution Prevention
- Technical/Technology
- Water Conservation
- Youth
Shell Educators’ Preview: Start your evening at 4 p.m. and earn one hour of CPE credit while viewing our newly renovated George W. Strake Hall of Malacology.
HMNS’ Educator Members will have an opportunity to speak to Tina Petway, the
Museum’s Associate Curator of Malacology, during the Shell Educators’ Preview.
As a special treat, all guests will also be able to visit our newest special exhibition,
Art of the Brick until 6:00 p.m.!
The Educator Event @HMNS: Continue your evening with us starting at 5 p.m.
and earn up to three additional hours of CPE credit depending on which
programming you attend. HMNS is featuring several ways to earn CPE credit from
attending workshops to taking a guided tour to seeing a show in our Planetarium.
Educators are able to earn a total of up to 4 hours of CPE credit while attending
HMNS’, An Evening for Educators!
Registration Information
Educators: Free
Non-Educators: $10.00
(Pricing includes entry to the George W. Strake Hall of Malacology and Art of the Brick)
Registration begins Tuesday, July 30th and ends Wednesday, October 2nd.
Please complete the online form at hmns.org/eveningforeducators to reserve your spot. For questions, contact educatorevent@hmns.org.
Leave your troubles at the door, and join us for a chill craft event, second Thursdays from 6-8pm. Bring what you’re making, and hang out with us while we’re making what we’re making. Knit, crochet, embroider, slow stitch, paint, draw, collage, quill, whittle — whatever. BYOB — light snacks provided. Must be over 18.
Rain is as important as carbon dioxide in cooling our planet. People must restore trees and soil to restore the water cycle.
The image above shows how trees pump huge amounts of water back into the air and create more rain further inland. It is a river in the sky.
When folks started climate modeling, to simplify, they ignored water vapor and focused on carbon dioxide. But the water cycle is 95% of planetary cooling while carbon dioxide is only 5%, according to Dr. Walter Jehne. We need to keep on reducing emissions, but it’s time to also work on restoring ecosystems and their soils. Besides this may be an easier and faster way to make a difference.
To learn more and register to this event visit Coolingourplanet

Celebrate Texas Arbor Day with a tree planting demonstration and receive a complimentary tree sapling while supplies last. Visit the outdoor library corner to find books on trees and how to care for them at Mercer’s West Side Arboretum. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES, FACE PAINTING, HISTORICAL TREES, CHILDREN’S CRAFTS

.AND
Join us for the Parks and Natural Areas (PNA) Roundtable on Monday, July 8, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.
The PNA Roundtable serves as a forum for discussion of issues related to parks and natural areas, promotes the PNA Award Program, and maintains a regional inventory of parks. The PNA roundtable facilitates information exchange and planning efforts between various stakeholders and collaborators to protect and preserve parks and natural areas across the region. To register visit events.r20.constantcontact.com/register.
The combination of IoT and big data analytics allow cities to imagine ways to be more efficient, resilient, sustainable in many fields like energy, building, mobility, utilities, safety, waste management and so on.
But Smart city solutions are not only designed for cities. They are also highly attractive for universities, hospitals and large companies to improve the management of their assets and their consumption of energy and natural resources.
What is the reality of the smart city concept?
What is going on in Houston and elsewhere in the US?
What are the main solutions provided by the vendors to the MUSH market and to the companies?
Attend our event to get a glimpse of what the city, corporates and startups have to offer to build a smart city.
SPEAKERS
Introduction:
- Franck Avice, President, French-American Chamber Of Commerce Houston
- Christine Galib, Director, Ion Smart Cities Accelerator
Moderator:
- William Fulton, Director at Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University
Panelists:
- Jessie Bounds, Director of Innovation, City Of Houston
- Kimberly Jonhston, National Tax Partner Energy, Ernst & Young
- Roger Flud, Smart City Specialist & Sales Team Leader, Schneider Electric
- Bruce Rutherford, International Director, JLL
AGENDA
5:30pm: Check-in/Networking;Â 6:00pm: Panel Discussion;Â 7:30pm: Networking Cocktail
Parking available at Green Street Garage on Fannin Street or on street after 6pm for free.
Join us for the Parks and Natural Areas (PNA) Roundtable Field Trip on Thursday, November 14, with a presentation and short walk at Spring Creek Nature Trail. We will meet at the recreation center at Rob Fleming Park, 6464 Creekside Forest Drive, The Woodlands.
Following the presentation and walk, we can meet at The Craft Grill for lunch on our own.
Transportation to and from H-GAC can be provided for up to 20 registrants. We will leave H-GAC at 8:30 a.m. The field trip officially ends at noon. Anyone riding with H-GAC will return at approximately 3 p.m.
Before the tour, please download the TravelStorys app to experience some of the features of the interactive tour available along the trail.
And be sure to plan to wear closed-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty or even muddy. Spring Creek Nature Trail is a natural trail, so prepare for outdoor conditions.
The PNA Roundtable serves as a forum for discussion of issues related to parks and natural areas, promotes the PNA Award Program, and maintains a regional inventory of parks. The PNA roundtable facilitates information exchange and planning efforts between various stakeholders and collaborators to protect and preserve parks and natural areas across the region.
The PNA Roundtable meets the second Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November and is open to anyone interested in participating.
Get more information about the Parks and Natural Areas (PNA) Roundtable.Â
To join the mailing list to find out updates about meetings and activities, email Andrea Tantillo.