A Texas Sized Arbor Day Tree Planting Extravaganza!

Join the Texas Conservation Alliance in planting longleaf pine saplings.

Help care for nursery trees from the Historical Texas trees collection and other natives at the Mercer Botanic Gardens Horticultural Propagation Center. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring a refillable water bottle. Online registration begins at 9 a.m. 30 days prior to the event. Online registration closes 48 hours prior to the event.

Mercer Botanic Gardens offers a variety of volunteer opportunities at three facilities within one mile of the gardens, interested in volunteering? Then attend this event!

Online registration begins at 9 a.m. 30 days prior to the event. Online registration closes 48 hours prior to the event.

Join your community and several area partners on Houston’s Arbor Day, January 22nd. Bayou Land Conservancy and partners will be planting native trees that will help protect water quality and community health.

There are two shifts (either from 9:00 am to 10:30am or 11:00 am to 12:30pm). You can register for one or both, all are welcome to volunteer with Bayou Land Conservancy! Register here: bayouland.org/arborday22 or contact BLC for more information.

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.

Calling people of all faiths or no faith at all in Houston to care for our shared environment in observance of Earth Day/Month!  We will engage in hands-on environmental stewardship at the Willow Waterhole Conservation Reserve. This event will offer activities for all ages and skill. Meet at the Swartz Gazebo in the park to sign in. Metro bus line 7 stops nearby, and line 49 is not far.  Tools/supplies will be provided. This event is organized by Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston, in partnership with the Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy.  The conservancy requires signing of a waiver to participate. Please register for planning purposes on www.eventbrite.com at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-2022-interfaith-environmental-stewardship-event-tickets-273115956177.  Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com for more information.

The air quality in Harris County is influenced by multiple sources of pollution, including extensive road traffic, concrete batch plants, proximity to the largest petrochemical industrial complex in the United States, and port activities in the Houston Ship Channel. It is also important to note that environmental risks are not always uniformly distributed in urban areas like Houston, Harris County, and individuals classified with low socioeconomic status (SES) can become overburdened by environmental exposures. One pollutant of interest is particulate matter, specifically particulate matter of size 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). PM2.5 is of particular interest because these fine particles pose the greatest risk to human health due to their small size and ability to reach multiple organs. There are long-term and short-term impacts of PM2.5 pollution on the human respiratory and cardiovascular organ systems. These short and long-term impacts may have contributed to poor outcomes following SARS-CoV-2 infection (COVID-19). The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted us all. An important public health objective is to identify key modifiable environmental factors that may contribute to the severity of the health outcomes related to this disease. Join Rachel White, MPH, PhD (c), University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, as she takes a deep dive into this topic and discusses how pollution may impact our understanding of respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19.  Time for interactive discussion with the speaker will be provided.  Please register for this talk on www.eventbrite.com at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/is-there-an-association-between-air-pollution-and-covid-19-mortality-tickets-330848455637. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.

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. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.