Calendar

May
2
Thu
KPC Bash: Our Roots Run Deep @ Houston Country Club
May 2 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

This year, Katy Prairie Conservancy will honor Mr. Forrest Wylie, an avid conservationist whose passion for preserving the outdoors led to his donation of a conservation easement on the 5,332-acre Spread Oaks Ranch. The opportunity to preserve coastal prairie on this scale is significant, and the Katy Prairie Conservancy is thrilled to recognize this important contribution which preserves the Spread Oaks Ranch for present and future generations.

Jun
2
Sun
Houston Central Solar Co-Op for Houses of Worship & Their Members @ St Philip Presbyterian Church
Jun 2 @ 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites houses of worship
& their members to learn how they can go solar for less as part of the
Houston Central Solar Co-Op. A co-op leverages bulk-purchasing power to
get discounted pricing. Each participant gets an individual solar quote, but a
single installer is selected for the group.

Neighbors in the Houston area have already formed a solar co-op to save money
and make going solar easier, with the help of nonprofit Solar United Neighbors.
Houston Renewable Energy Group (HREG), the South Union Community
Development Corporation, and the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston
are sponsoring the co-op. The group already has over 30 participants.

At this informational session, you’ll learn how solar works, how it can be financed,
how it is installed, and how you can join the Co-Op. For homeowners, this is the last year to get the full solar tax credit, so come learn how you can participate!

Our speaker, Dori Wolfe, is founder of two solar energy companies, and has worked to bring community solar projects to fruition since 2012.

Jul
17
Wed
Houston GREEN Film Series Screening “Thirst for Power” @ Rice Media Center
Jul 17 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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.

“Whiskey is for drinking, and water is for fighting over.”

– an American West proverb

“Thirst for Power” is a one-hour long documentary produced by Disco Productions and base on Dr. Michael E. Webber’s first book, Thirst for Power: the Story of Energy. The visualizations and accounts are adapted from Dr. Webber’s book, and based in France, California, and Texas.

Combining anecdotes and personal stories with insights into the latest science of energy and water, the film identifies a hopeful path toward wise long-range water-energy decisions and a more reliable future for humanity.

This month’s panelists TBD.

  • 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

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

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

Aug
21
Wed
Houston GREEN Film Series Screening “Ay Mariposa” @ Rice Media Center
Aug 21 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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/

Sep
4
Wed
Texas Environmental Excellence Awards nominations-Deadline
Sep 4 @ 9:37 pm – 10:37 pm

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

The Texas Environmental Excellence Awards honor achievements in environmental preservation and protection. As the state’s highest environmental honor, the Office of the Governor and commissioners from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recognize outstanding projects from ten diverse categories. To learn more about how winners are recognized and for a list of categories, visit the Texas Commision on environment  About TEEA page.

 

Sep
18
Wed
Houston GREEN Film Series Screening “Hot Grease” @ Rice Media Center
Sep 18 @ 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm

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. Free tickets on Eventbrite.

“There has to be a fuel revolution.”

-Donnie Tipton of Going Green Grease Recycling

Set in Houston, Texas in the shadow of the nation’s oil industry, Hot Grease tells the surprising story of how the biodiesel industry is turning an ostensibly worthless raw material, spent kitchen grease, into a renewable energy source capable of fueling cars, buses and fleets of trucks throughout the country.

The millions of gallons of cooking oil that our country’s restaurants use to fry up chicken, fries, and donuts used to end up as waste in landfills and pollutants in our waterways. But today, thanks to innovators, entrepreneurs, and politicians, it’s being turned into a functional fuel: biodiesel. Biodiesel reduces carbon emissions up to 85% compared to petroleum fuel, the equivalent of removing over 19 million cars from our highways. This film dives into the untapped market of biodiesel as it rapidly becomes a commodity and individuals dedicate their livelihood to making it an accessible fuel choice in Houston.

This month’s panelists & exhibitors:

Chris Powers, Houston Biodiesel

Jody Gibson, Energy Institute High School

Michael McClere, Dependable Cooking Oil

Alona Hernandez, Houston Public Works

Ted Driscoll, Galveston Bay Foundation

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 & 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/

Sep
28
Sat
VolunBeering at Memorial Park @ Memorial Park Conservancy
Sep 28 @ 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

First we volunteer, then we beer! Meet behind the Cullen Running Trails Center to help Memorial Park Conservancy in our volunteering efforts, then hang out and enjoy a complimentary Saint Arnold Brewing Company beer (or 2). Lawn Games and Food trucks will be onsite too!

When: National Public Lands Day

When is that: September 28 @ 4:00pm to 7:30pm

Where: Meet behind the Cullen Running Trails Center. 7575 N Picnic Ln, 77007 (it’s a building)

Why: Is there a better way to join the conservation efforts at Houston’s most awesome park?

What to wear: Pants and close-toed shoes.

Kid friendly: Yes! Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.

Food Trucks: Yes!

Oct
17
Thu
Golden Anniversary Gala @ The Astorian
Oct 17 @ 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

This year’s gala is the most important fundraising event of Houston Audubon’s landmark 50th Anniversary. Gala proceeds will benefit the organization in its work to ensure special natural places, critical habitat, and resilient bird populations will be a legacy for future generations to enjoy.

For the past 50 years, Houston Audubon has been the voice for birds, and they’ve served the Houston-Gulf Coast region through land conservation, habitat restoration, education and advocacy. At this year’s gala, they will celebrate Houston Audubon’s journey, its achievements, and the dedicated donors, volunteers, staff, and partners whose collective efforts have led us to being the regional avian conservation leader they are today.

Nov
7
Thu
Buffalo Bayou Partnership 2019 Gala @ The Water Works
Nov 7 @ 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Date: Thursday, November 7
Time: 6:30pm Cocktails / 8pm Seated Dinner
Location: The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park

Attire: Cocktail

Co-Chairs: Carolyn and Chris Dorros and Mary and David Wolff

Please consider supporting the 2019 Buffalo Bayou Partnership Gala, Moonscape. It will be a magical evening, dining under a luminous tent on the beautiful lawn at The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing, this year’s gala will highlight the signature Lunar Cycle Lighting along Buffalo Bayou.

This illuminating celebration will support the ongoing care of Houston’s most significant natural resource and Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s vital programs and projects that enhance the quality of life for all in our city. Tables for ten guests are: $25,000; $15,000; $10,000 and $6,000. Individual tickets are:  $1,500; $1,000 and $600.

Cocktail-only tickets are available for $100 and can be purchased here.

Click here for a response form.  For more information, contact Leigh McBurnett, BBP Director of Development, at lmcburnett@buffalobayou.org or 713.752.0314 ext. 105.

The Nature Conservancy’s 2019 Houston Conservation Gala @ Houston Zoo
Nov 7 @ 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm

The Nature Conservancy in Texas invites you to attend the 2019 Houston Conservation Gala! Join us on Thursday, November 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Houston Zoo for a gala of global proportions. Spend an “evening on the ark” as National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore presents National Geographic’s Photo Ark—a groundbreaking effort to document species before they disappear.

Sartore is a photographer, speaker, author, teacher, National Geographic fellow and regular contributor to National Geographic magazine. Most importantly, he is an avid conservationist who began the ambitious Photo Ark project 11 years ago in his hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska. Since then, he’s visited 40 countries in his quest to create a lasting photo archive of global biodiversity. To date, Sartore has captured portraits of more than 9,000 animal species in human care, inching him nearer to his original goal of documenting 12,000 unique species.

During the evening, Sartore will take us behind the scenes, describing how his vision for the Photo Ark not only began, but where it’s taking him next. He’ll share with us the stories of his travels and what goes into the creation of a photo archive of true biodiversity. And above all, he’ll impart on us the saliency of this work, helping us understand how intimate animal photography like this can play a critical role in inspiring people to take action around conservation.

Sartore’s commitment to saving species makes him a perfect keynote speaker for our Houston Gala. The Nature Conservancy is working throughout Texas to protect at-risk species—we’re restoring grasslands to preserve and improve monarch butterfly habitat, acquiring land to conserve one of the last remaining wintering grounds for endangered whooping cranes and protecting vital corridors for ocelots in South Texas. Like Sartore, the Conservancy is dedicated to connecting people and nature throughout the Lone Star State.

To purchase tickets or sponsor the event, contact Megan Brann at megan.brann@tnc.org or 832-260-4915. To ensure sponsor recognition in the invitation, please respond with your sponsorship commitment by September 4, 2019.