The Houston-Galveston Area Council seeks to recognize projects that expand parks and natural areas for improved quality of life, habitat, and water quality. Winning projects, which exhibit efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation, serve as models to be replicated throughout the region. All applications must be received by 5 p.m. on September 28, 2018.

PNA awards honor projects in four categories:

1. Projects Over $500,000;
2. Projects Under $500,000;
3. Planning Process; and
4. Policy Tools.

Winning entries serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region. Winners will be notified in December, and the awards ceremony and half-day parks event will be in February 2019.

For more information, visit h-gac.com.

On September 30, 2018, at 6 p.m., Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church invites you to a monthly environmental education web meeting series whose theme in 2018 is Stewardship. In September, the Church welcomes Jordan Fengel, Executive Director of STAR (State of TX Alliance for Recycling).

The US has relied on China to process our mixed plastic and mixed paper recyclables for the last 20+ years. However, a recent policy change by the Chinese government in 2017, enacted in 2018, banning many recyclable materials from being imported, has created a conundrum in the recycling industry. With China set to eliminate all imports of recyclable materials by 2020, Jordan will discuss what STAR is doing to turn the tide.

Please register for this talk, and you will receive an invitation to the web meeting. For more information, visit eventbrite.com or contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com.

Join AIA Houston for their 2018 Annual Meeting and Affiliate Appreciation Party, where they will elect 2019 Board of Directors and hand out some honors and awards. Catering and beverages by City Kitchen.

There will be a tour of the cistern at 6 p.m. for the first 40 attendees to arrive. They recommend arriving by 5:45 for the tour. Allow time to find parking.

The business portion of the meeting will begin at 6:30, following the tour.

Environmental lawyer, teacher, and author, Jim Blackburn, will be presented with the 2018 Armand Yramategui Conservation Award for his exceptional commitment to conservation and preservation of Galveston Bay and the greater Gulf Coast region.

The Armand Award, presented by Armand Bayou Nature Center, recognizes those who make a significant impact communicating the environmental vision Armand Yramartegui inspired more than 40 years ago. Previous recipients include the City of Seabrook, master naturalist and environmentalist Emmeline Dodd, Galveston Bay Foundation, and Lady Bird Johnson.

Visit abnc.org or call 281-474-2551 to reserve your spot.

This 90-minute webinar, sponsored by ASU in partnership with NCSE and SSF, will explore resilience risk and financial mechanisms to advance climate resilience. Joyce Coffee, Senior Sustainability Fellow, Global Institute of Sustainability, ASU and President of Climate Resilience Consulting, will moderate. She’ll be joined by

• Kurt Forsgren, Managing Director of U.S. Public Finance, S&P Global Ratings;
• Samantha Medlock, Head of North American Capital, Science and Policy, Willis Towers Watson; and
• Jame McMahon, CEO of The Climate Service.

Panelists will discuss risk and opportunity in the resilience finance marketplace and financial mechanisms to identify, evaluate and transfer climate risk.

The Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group will hold its annual public meeting via an interactive webinar on November 14, 2018. During this meeting, NOAA’s Gulf Spill Restoration will present updates on the Open Ocean Restoration Area’s early restoration projects, first and second restoration plans, and monitoring and adaptive management activities. They will also provide an opportunity for questions and answers after the updates are presented.

This is the third webinar in ASWM and NRCS’s jointly-developed nine-part wetland training webinar series. The first half of the webinar will focus on explaining general wetland ecology concepts, including succession, thresholds, disturbance, sensitivity and resilience. The second half of the webinar will identify how source waters (surface and groundwater) and soils define the character of a wetland, including an introduction to the Hydrogeomorphic Wetland Classification System (HGM). Participants will come away from the webinar with an increased understanding of how to consider these key concepts as they plan conservation and management activities that include wetlands.

Presenters: Stacey Clark, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and
Kendra Moseley, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Keep Pearland Beautiful’s Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner, including the annual report, is a great chance for members of KPB and residents to join in a celebration of all that KPB has accomplished throughout the year. Guest speaker, Shanna Lopez, from Waste Management will speak on the State of Recycling during this uncertain time in the recycling industry and what you can do as residents to improve recycling at home and the workplace.

The Houston Zoo has extremely generously donated the use of the Brown Education Center for the annual HNPAT & CPP (Coastal Prairie Partnership) Prairie Stampede – the Awards Potluck. More information, including a signup sheet for the potluck, will be coming about this event. Some of the awards to be presented are:

Dick Benoit Upper Texas Coast Prairie Award – This award recognizes someone from the Upper Texas Coast area, oftentimes Greater Houston, who is contributing to coastal prairie conservation, education, etc. This award is for recent work not a career of achievement. This award is voted on by the general public. Send nominations to prairiepartner@gmail.com.

Prairie Excellence Award – This award recognizes career achievement in coastal prairie conservation. This award is selected by the CPP Board. The CPP board will gladly take suggestions for this award. Send suggestions to prairiepartner@gmail.com.

Please plan to arrive at 6 p.m. to avoid full parking.