What does coffee have to do with green building? Where do we make most of our coffee? Where do we drink most of our coffee? In buildings. Coffee is a $100 Billion industry. 64% of Americans had at least a cup yesterday.

Greenway Coffee’s David Buehrer will talk about coffee from the supply side. He’s been on the ground where it is grown. He’ll have some samples for you. He knows coffee. Public Citizen’s Stephanie Thomas will talk about the climate and its impact on coffee and chocolate. GBRC Program Director, Steve Stelzer, will hand out his coffee awareness flyer he developed, and talk about how coffee grounds need to get to the soil instead of the landfill.

This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to Steve, whose contact information can be found above.

Each year, the prestigious Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Award recognizes members in the community who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to aiding in the conservation, preservation, restoration and/or advocacy of Houston’s waterways. Nominees can be from the nonprofit, public or private sectors. Please submit nominations by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2019. Submit the nomination information in the body of an email, or as an attachment, or by fax. Email to info@bayoupreservation.org, or fax to 713-529-6481.

Hawks, falcons, owls and more await you at Houston Audubon’s Raptor Photo Shoots. You will have the opportunity to photograph Houston Audubon’s education raptors in an intimate setting at the Houston Audubon Raptor & Education Center. Whether you use a simple point and shoot or serious photography equipment, you will enjoy meeting and learning about these awesome birds. Light refreshments will be served on the deck for all to enjoy during the shoot. Space is limited to 15 participants.

Eligible applicants include:

• Local Governments
• Businesses & Industry
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Universities and Educational Institutions
• Utility Districts

The Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence (WISE) Awards recognize innovative strategies and projects in the Houston-Galveston region that serve as models for improving water quality. Joint applications for larger, collaborative projects are encouraged. Winning projects must exhibit efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation and serve as models to improve surface water quality. Applications must be completed online by Feb. 6, 2019, at noon. For more information, visit h-gac.com.

Houston Audubon Nature Photography Association (HANPA) is an informal photo club for Houston Audubon members. They hold meetings monthly, September through May, on the first Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary headquarters library.

Save the date for H-GAC’s first Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, February 8, 2019, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. The Summit will include presentations about various H-GAC programs that can provide goods, services, technical assistance, and funding for parks and natural areas projects.

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 will open in late December or early January. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the H-GAC program showcase at 9 a.m. The awards program will be followed by networking with H-GAC staff and other parks professionals.

The Summit will include presentations about various H-GAC programs that can provide goods, services, technical assistance, and funding for parks and natural areas projects. 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. The event will also include the annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony. The awards program will be followed by networking with H-GAC staff and other parks professionals.

This EarthxFilm sponsored event precedes the CCL Third Coast Conference “Uniting for Climate Solutions,” which will be held on Feb. 9, 2019. If you register for that conference, admission to this event is included (a promotional code will be given at checkout).

About the Screening: 

• Followed by Q&A with James Balog, renowned photographer of environmental change
• Produced by the Earth Vision Institute
• Event sponsored by EarthxFilm, which showcases films and emerging media that explore conservation, climate change, and the environment with the mission of turning awareness into action, through art and media.

Held on the “2nd Saturdays” of each month, they will enjoy a delicious vegan potluck and meeting, along with a discussion, film screening, food demo or speaker presentation on intersectional issues of veganism, animal rights, environmentalism, nonviolence, health and more. Each month will be something new! Their new venue is at the HCC Conference Center.

They are asking for a donation of $5 per person to help cover our facility rental expenses. All attendees must bring a vegan entree to share at the potluck (serving size to feed 10 people)!

Please remember to bring a vegan dish to share with the group! Their events are always vegan, so please only vegan or raw vegan foods (no animal-derived ingredients). Also bring reusable dinnerware and plates to keep the event earth-friendly. If you have questions on ingredients, feel free to contact them.

They will also feature a new discussion topic on inter sectional issues each month, such as: animal rights, ethical vegan living, vegan health & nutrition, cooking, world hunger solutions, eco-friendly living, nonviolence and more! Some months will also include film screenings and/or guest speakers and food demos.

Houston Community College Conference Center is located at 3100 Main St, 3rd Floor, Houston, TX 77002. See below for map. Free Parking is available on level 7 & 8 of the HCC Administration parking garage at Main & Elgin. Use elevator from parking garage to 3rd floor breezeway, which leads to the Conference suites. You must enter the building through the parking garage and not street-level.

All attendees must sign in at the Security Desk.

RSVP is appreciated for seating!

Fort Bend’s WA Parrish Plant may be one of the deadliest coal burning facilities in the country. Join researchers from Rice University, the Sierra Club and Public Citizen to explore the environmental and public health impacts of this facility.