Time: 10:30 to 12:00 pm
Parking: City Lot H
Location: The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park (105 Sabine St.)

Enjoy a free walking tour in Buffalo Bayou Park highlighting the landscape and ecology of 19th century Texas that created Houston, as well as the importance of prairies in rebuilding this astonishing and all but vanished ecosystem.

Climathon 2021 Kick-Off!

They envision a more prosperous, inclusive, climate-resilient economy, where finance flows to green projects and activities, and where motivated people are empowered with the skills and capacity they need to take action.

This progress can only be achieved through systemic change – change that includes innovation across business, investment, regulation, governance structures, values and mindsets. They invite you to leverage Climathon Houston as a way to start ideating and innovating a solutions in these areas, or to continue working on and engaging people in solutions you may already be developing, especially those that relate to:

Urban Transitions

1. Promote retrofit and decentralized energy
2. Create green, resilient cities
3. Accelerate clean urban mobility

Sustainable Land Use

1. Make agriculture climate-smart
2. Transform food systems
3. Nurture forests in integrated landscapes

Sustainable Production Systems

1. Recast materials production
2. Reduce industry emissions
3. Reboot regional economies

Decision Metrics and Finance

1. Mainstream climate in financial markets
2. Democratize climate risk information
3. Foster bankable green assets in cities

Schedule:

• 12:00-12:10 PM Welcome + Climathon Introduction
• 12:10-12:40PM Challenge Lightning Round
• 12:40-13:00PM Next Steps & Breakout Rooms

Challenge Leaders: TBA

Learn More About the Climathon and Sign-up to Participate: https://climathonhouston.com

Time: 10:30 to 12:00 pm
Parking: City Lot H
Location: The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park (105 Sabine St.)

Enjoy a free walking tour in Buffalo Bayou Park highlighting the landscape and ecology of 19th century Texas that created Houston, as well as the importance of prairies in rebuilding this astonishing and all but vanished ecosystem

Time: 10:30 to 12:00 pm
Parking: City Lot H
Location: The Water Works at Buffalo Bayou Park (105 Sabine St.)

Enjoy a free walking tour in Buffalo Bayou Park highlighting the landscape and ecology of 19th century Texas that created Houston, as well as the importance of prairies in rebuilding this astonishing and all but vanished ecosystem.

Experience forest bathing, led by a certified guide, followed by practice of the Christian spiritual discipline of the Earth Examen.  Forest bathing, a practice that originated in Japan, involves taking in, in all of one’s senses, the forest atmosphere. Not simply a walk in the woods, it is the conscious and contemplative practice of being immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of the forest.  Forest bathing has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood and focus, enhance creativity, and lead to an increased sense of calm and altruistic behavior, in addition to other benefits such as boosting the immune system and lowering blood pressure.  As Christians, we understand that God is present in God’s creation, and after our guided forest bath, we’ll spend some time considering the Earth Examen as we reflect both on our time spent forest bathing and on our relationship with all creation.  This activity is for a small group and space is limited.  Please register at www.eventbrite.com at:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/forest-bathing-earth-examen-tickets-291848535827. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.

Calling people of all faiths or no faith at all in Houston to care for our shared environment in observance of Earth Day/Month!  We will engage in hands-on environmental stewardship at the Willow Waterhole Conservation Reserve. This event will offer activities for all ages and skill. Meet at the Swartz Gazebo in the park to sign in. Metro bus line 7 stops nearby, and line 49 is not far.  Tools/supplies will be provided. This event is organized by Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston, in partnership with the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy.  The conservancy requires signing of a waiver to participate. Please register for planning purposes on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-2022-interfaith-environmental-stewardship-event-tickets-273115956177.  Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.

The air quality in Harris County is influenced by multiple sources of pollution, including extensive road traffic, concrete batch plants, proximity to the largest petrochemical industrial complex in the United States, and port activities in the Houston Ship Channel. It is also important to note that environmental risks are not always uniformly distributed in urban areas like Houston, Harris County, and individuals classified with low socioeconomic status (SES) can become overburdened by environmental exposures. One pollutant of interest is particulate matter, specifically particulate matter of size 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). PM2.5 is of particular interest because these fine particles pose the greatest risk to human health due to their small size and ability to reach multiple organs. There are long-term and short-term impacts of PM2.5 pollution on the human respiratory and cardiovascular organ systems. These short and long-term impacts may have contributed to poor outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted us all. An important public health objective is to identify key modifiable environmental factors that may contribute to the severity of the health outcomes related to this disease. Join Rachel White, MPH, PhD (c), University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, as she takes a deep dive into this topic and discusses how pollution may impact our understanding of respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19.  Time for interactive discussion with the speaker will be provided.  Please register for this talk on www.eventbrite.com at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/is-there-an-association-between-air-pollution-and-covid-19-mortality-tickets-330848455637. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.

Experience forest bathing, led by a certified guide, followed by practice of the Christian spiritual discipline of the Earth Examen.  Forest bathing, a practice that originated in Japan, involves taking in, in all of one’s senses, the forest atmosphere. Not simply a walk in the woods, it is the conscious and contemplative practice of being immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of the forest.  Forest bathing has been shown to reduce stress, improve mood and focus, enhance creativity, and lead to an increased sense of calm and altruistic behavior, in addition to other benefits such as boosting the immune system and lowering blood pressure.  As Christians, we understand that God is present in God’s creation, and after our guided forest bath, we’ll spend some time considering the Earth Examen as we reflect both on our time spent forest bathing and on our relationship with all creation.  This activity is for a small group and space is limited.  Please register at www.eventbrite.com. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.