Calendar
H-GAC’s Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, February 14, 2020, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. The Summit will include presentations on trends and topics related to parks and natural areas.
The event will also include the annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony. These projects serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region. Projects will be honored in three categories: Planning Process, On-the-Ground Projects Over $500,000, and On-the-Ground Projects Under $500,000.
A light breakfast will be served. Registration and breakfast begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by topic speakers at 9:30 a.m. The awards program will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will be followed by networking until noon.
Agenda
9:00 a.m. Â Â Registration and Breakfast
9:30 a.m.   Presentation – Claire Hempel, Design Worskshop, Equity In Parks
10:00 a.m. Presentation – Katie Coyne, Asakura Robinson, TBA
10:30 a.m. Parks and Natrual Areas Annual Awards Ceremony
11:30 a.m. Networking
The Parks and Natural Areas roundtable serves as a forum for discussion of issues related to parks and natural areas and promotes the Parks and Natural Areas awards program. The roundtable facilitates information exchange and planning efforts between various stakeholders and collaborators to protect and preserve parks and natural areas across the region.
Landscape Photography WorkshopÂ
Saturday, February 22
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Co-presented by Houston Center for Photography
16 years and older (adults and teens)
Class fee: $20
Explore the landscape of Houston Botanic Garden through the lens of a camera. Learn about basic composition guidelines, such as framing, perspective, leading lines, Rule of Thirds, and more and how you can incorporate these into your own photographs of the environment.
Join the Parks and Natural Areas (PNA) Roundtable on Monday, March 9, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.
Attendees will learn about the Nature and Eclectic Outdoors’ Healthy Outdoor Communities initiative and Exploration Green, an award-winning parks and natural areas project in the region. They’ll also discuss the time and date for the spring field trip.
The PNA Roundtable meets the second Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November and is open to anyone interested in participating.
The annual two-day plant sale fundraiser benefits the gardens, and features nearly 1200 varieties of high-quality plants rarely found at local retail nurseries. Special shopping hours for members of the Mercer Society, too.
Landscape Photography WorkshopÂ
Saturday, February 22
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Co-presented by Houston Center for Photography
16 years and older (adults and teens)
Class fee: $20
Explore the landscape of Houston Botanic Garden through the lens of a camera. Learn about basic composition guidelines, such as framing, perspective, leading lines, Rule of Thirds, and more and how you can incorporate these into your own photographs of the environment.
Landscape Photography WorkshopÂ
Saturday, February 22
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Co-presented by Houston Center for Photography
16 years and older (adults and teens)
Class fee: $20
Explore the landscape of Houston Botanic Garden through the lens of a camera. Learn about basic composition guidelines, such as framing, perspective, leading lines, Rule of Thirds, and more and how you can incorporate these into your own photographs of the environment.
Landscape Photography WorkshopÂ
Saturday, February 22
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Co-presented by Houston Center for Photography
16 years and older (adults and teens)
Class fee: $20
Explore the landscape of Houston Botanic Garden through the lens of a camera. Learn about basic composition guidelines, such as framing, perspective, leading lines, Rule of Thirds, and more and how you can incorporate these into your own photographs of the environment.
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.
Chapter Meeting: Photographing Texas Prairies
Join the Native Plant Society of Texas for their chapter meeting on Zoom! Register
Monday, February 14 • 6:30 p.m.
Good photography can change hearts and minds. Join professional photographer Sean Fitzgerald for a presentation on how to photograph prairies for maximum impact, with a particular focus on often overlooked Texas prairie ecosystems. Learn valuable tips to take better photos using a variety of techniques to help you tell the stories you want to tell.
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.