The H-GAC Clean Waters Initiative Workshop Series returns on Feb. 26, 2019. The tentative topic will be funding sources for water and wastewater-related infrastructure.

Dates for the rest of the year are May 22, 2019; Wednesday, August 21, 2019; and Wednesday, November 20, 2019.

Clean Waters Initiative offers workshops that help local governments, landowners, and residents develop effective strategies to reduce pollution in our area waterways.

The films presented by the Houston Green Film Series are free to public and funded by volunteer efforts, in-kind contributions and donations from the public.

In general, the series is screened on the third Wednesday of each month.

For current films, visit the Houston Green Films website or Facebook page.

The films presented by the Houston Green Film Series are free to public and funded by volunteer efforts, in-kind contributions and donations from the public.

Will the border wall strike a fatal blow to one of richest natural and cultural regions in North America?

“Ay Mariposa” is a one-hour long documentary produced through a collaboration between three award-winning women filmmakers: Krista Schyler, Jenny Nichols, and Morgan Heim.

As U.S. border patrol attempts to seize the National Butterfly Center under eminent domain and Congress considers funding $5 billion more towards Trump’s wall, the Rio Grande Valley is at risk of being walled off and degrading one of the richest natural regions in the country.

This film follows the stories of Executive Director of the National Butterfly Center Marianna Trevino Wright, former migrant worker and long time human rights activist Zulema Hernandez, and la mariposa, as they combat against the destruction of the Monarch butterfly’s remaining habitat.

This month’s panelists includes:

• Marianna Trevino Wright, Executive Director of the National Butterfly Center
• TBD

Free to the public, though donations are kindly appreciated. Rice Cinema is located at 2030 University Blvd, near Stockton and University.

• 6:30 PM Reception, with complementary refreshments
• 7:00 PM Film screening
• 8:00 PM Panel Discussion
• 9:00 PM The conversation continues at Valhalla, Rice University’s Graduate Student Pub

For questions about transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event go to https://park-trans.rice.edu/

Workshop Topics:

• Why Food Donation is a Good Idea
• Rules and Regulations 
• Challenges to Donating Food
• Starting a Food Donation Program

Workshop Presenters:

• Stephen Sturdivant, Environmental Protection Agency
• Stephania Alvarez, Harris County 
• Neha Alex, University of Houston Food Recovery Network
• Bryan Green, Houston Food Bank
• Barbara Bronstein, Second Servings
• Lydia Oxley, Imperfect Produce

H-GAC has redesigned its solid waste workshops (Regional Recycling Roundtable, Local Environmental Enforcement Roundtable, Organics Recovery Roundtable) into one comprehensive Solid Waste Workshop Series to allow more in-depth studies of topics each quarter, while offering increased value for busy schedules. 

For more information about the Solid Waste Workshop Series, visit H-GAC’s website. The November 21, 2019 workshop will focus on special wastes.

For more information or assistance, e-mail Becki Begley or call 713-993-2410.

Volunteers meet the second and fourth Thursday of every month to propagate plants from locally collected native seed. A typical workday may include seeding pots, bumping up trays into 1-gallon containers, separating seedlings, and weeding pots. They will also have special seed collecting trips, invasive species removal workdays, and planting events in restored prairies.

If you’re interested in volunteering for the Natural Resource Management Program, email kelli.ondracek@houstontx.gov or visit houstontx.gov/parks/naturalresources.html.

You are invited to the 2019 Creation Care Fest – Environmental Extravaganza! This free event is actually three events in one:  lectures by expert speakers on The State of Our World, an exhibit by local environmental organizations, and a family-friendly festival with kids’ activities such as games, crafts, encounters with live education animals, seed planting (to take home & watch grow!) and much more. Please register for this event for planning purposes on www.eventbrite.com. Note that all children must be accompanied by an adult. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions. 

Lecture Details:

• 10 a.m. State of Biodiversity, Professor Kerri Crawford, University of Houston
• 10:45 a.m. State of the Air, Professor Dan Cohan, Rice University
• 11:30 a.m. State of Fresh Water, Professor Hanadi Rifai, University of Houston
• 2 p.m. State of the Oceans, Professor Hyun-Min Hwang, Texas Southern University
• 2:45 p.m. State of the Land, John Ferguson, owner of Nature’s Way Resources

Exhibits by local environmental organizations 12 – 2 p.m. including:

• Co-Housing Houston
• Houston Climate Protection Alliance
• Public Citizen
• All those listed below under kids’ activities

Kids’ Activities 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. provided by:

• Blackwood Educational Land Institute
• Galveston Bay Foundation
• Green Building Resource Center
• Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
• Gulf Coast Master Naturalists
• Harris County Parks Dept.
• Houston Botanic Garden
• Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Garden
• Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept.
• Vegan Society of Peace
• Westbury Community Garden
• Wildlife Center of Texas

This free, monthly workshop addresses the basics on how to install and operate a solar system.  It covers topics such as solar array types, costs of equipment and labor, permitting, energy savings, and reliability. The instructor, Bill Swann, is an expert in solar energy and has built many of his own solar systems. This workshop is ideal for all people; Bill can answer the simplest and most technical of questions. If you want to learn more about solar, this is the workshop for you. For more information, contact Bill Swann at william.swann2@gmail.com.

Street parking available. This workshop occurs on the last friday of every month, except December.