Calendar
You’re invited to join #RunBuffaloBayou, hosted by Buffalo Bayou Partnership! The group will be led by marathoners Monica Esqueda and Saurabh Chaugule every Thursday evening along the trails of Buffalo Bayou Park.
Take in the beauty of Houston’s award-winning green space while you learn helpful running tips from experts and meet other Buffalo Bayou runners. Two different routes will be offered, a 3-mile and 5-mile route, and everyone from beginner to experienced runners are welcome.
Meet in front of The Water Works Visitor Center (105 Sabine Street) at 6:45pm every Thursday. The group will take off at 7pm.
See you on the trails as we #RunBuffaloBayou!
Carrin Patman
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Ellen Cohen
The event will feature a discussion with Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, led by METRO Chair Carrin Patman. Kanter was named one of the “50 most influential business thinkers in the world,” according to Thinkers50, the global ranking of management thinkers. She will speak about her latest book, “Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change the World One Smart Innovation at a Time.”
Center for Houston’s Future will also present the Vaughan Award to Ellen Cohen, a community leader who served as a Houston City Council member and Texas state representative.
Enjoy a walk along the leafy, shaded trails at Burroughs Park. Please wear outdoor- appropriate clothing, closed-toe shoes, and bring a refillable water bottle. Face coverings recommended.
Participate in the City Nature Challenge on April 30 – May 2. Be part of an international project, support outdoor learning and exploration, and even integrate technology into the classroom.
Find an Educator Toolkit here: https://
Find a student-friendly explanation video here: https://youtu.be/
Visit the Houston project page on iNaturalist here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-houston-galveston.
Join in a fun challenge to observe and record wild species. It is easy to participate by making observations on your own using the iNaturalist app. Just take a picture of a plant or animal, and the community will help identify which species it is. Any observation in the greater metropolitan area of Houston will count during the four-day challenge. You can participate by exploring the life in your backyard (and use the hashtag #backyardchallenge on social media), in your neighborhood park, or from an apartment balcony or courtyard. You can also help with IDs for other people’s observations to increase our species count.
Because Breathing is Living!
Gather your friends, family and coworkers and join American Lung Association of Texas at this year’s LUNG FORCE Walk. American Lung Association of Texas are coming together to celebrate their power to make a difference in a people’s lives.
American Lung Association of Texas is getting ready for a morning of fresh air, healthy fun, and healthy lungs, and American Lung Association of Texas would love to see you there. It doesn’t matter whether you stroll, saunter or power-walk, everyone is welcome, regardless of age or athletic ability.
Register today and save your spot at the LUNG FORCE Walk – Texas on June 5, 2021 at 8:00 AM (CT). Help American Lung Association of Texas achieve their vision of a world free of lung cancer and lung disease.
Impact Hub houston envisions 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 join Climathon Houston to see the most promising ideas that emerge around Houston’s challenges, including:
Energy Transition: developing innovative ways to …
- Shift from extractive to regenerative energy production, capture and distribution technologies.
- Restore, protect, and enhance Houston’s natural ability to capture and store carbon.
Materials Management: developing innovative ways to …
- Reduce waste production and/or Optimize waste operations.
- Reuse or Upcycle materials into useful products, to lengthen their lifespan and keep materials out of streets and landfills.
- Recycle materials into efficient energy or new raw materials for manufacturing and production.
Building Optimization: developing innovative ways to …
- Reduce building energy use and maximize savings.
- Increase the healthfulness and utility of existing buildings for sustainable community use.
Regional Resilience: developing innovative ways to …
- Address clean water, access, retention and flooding issues
- Engage more people in building better habits that promote cleaner, greener communities
- Accelerate clean urban mobility
Parks and Natural Areas Awards
H-GAC established the Parks and Natural Areas 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 Over $500,000, Projects Under $500,000, Planning Process and Policy Tools, and Programming.
This program recognizes outstanding parks and natural areas around the region. No funding is associated with this award program.
26th Annual Birding Classic
The biggest, longest, wildest bird watching tournament in the U.S.!
Registration deadline: April 1, 2022
What is the Birding Classic? Who can join the fun?
- All levels and ages of birders are welcome to join this Texas bird watching event during the amazing spring migration.
- There’s a tournament category for everyone – from the beginning backyard birder to the competitive lister!
- Registration fees raise money for Texas bird and birding conservation project grants.
- Gather your team, register, and go birding – it’s truly that simple.
Conservation Grants
Conservation Grants can be awarded to projects anywhere in Texas. In its first 25 years the Birding Classic has donated $1,071,000 in conservation funding to nature tourism and avian habitat restoration, enhancement, and acquisition projects throughout the state!
Number of grants awarded (and their amounts) are determined based on team registration fees (independent and sponsored) and corporate sponsorship dollars collected each year. The Birding Classic is a cost-recovery event, so once minimal event costs are covered all remaining funds go to conservation grants in Texas. Organizations are not required to register a team in the Birding Classic to be eligible to submit a project proposal.
All approved projects submitted by the May 1st deadline will be provided to winning Birding Classic teams to select which projects are funded by Conservation Grants.