Calendar
Senior adults are invited to a variety of natural history programs, leisurely walks and fun nature activities every 1st Friday of the month. Meet at the nature center.
Christ the King Lutheran Church hosts a webinar featuring Dr. Bruce Race, FAIA, FAICP, Professor of Architecture at the University of Houston, as he considers how Houston could transition to a low carbon future. Texas is the historic global epicenter for the carbon economy. Oil and gas represent over one third of the state economy. Texas’ $1.9 trillion GDP, if a country, would make us the 9th largest in the world. We have over 50 Fortune 500 companies, including ExxonMobil (2nd) and ConocoPhillips (4th). Is Houston the next Detroit, or can we diversify our way to continued prosperity in a low-carbon economy? Dr. Bruce Race, FAIA, FAICP from the University of Houston will share his research on how energy conservation and shift to renewables will reshape Houston’s economy, development patterns, and mobility systems. Time will be provided for discussion with the audience after his talk. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.
Join Jeff Lindner, Director of Hydrologic Operations, Harris County Flood Control District, as he discusses how to stay safe in a natural disaster. Jeff’s presentation will cover the various hazards that impact a region during a hurricane landfall, including wind, rainfall and storm surge flooding. Jeff will then go on to address how to prepare for these hazards so that you and yours can stay safe. Time will be provided for discussion with the audience after his talk. Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions.
In 1996, a cross-section of stakeholders came together in Pittsburgh for the very first federally co-sponsored National Brownfields Training Conference. Now join National Brownfields Conference as we celebrate the 19th event from September 27th–30th, 2021, in Oklahoma City, OK at the Oklahoma City Convention Center!
Cosponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), the National Brownfields Training Conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing formerly utilized commercial and industrial properties. Mark your calendars for three days of training, networking, and business development!
Pollinator migration season is nearly here! Show your love of these beneficial insects by attending the Fourth Annual Pollinator Festival and Plant Sale on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mercer Botanic Gardens, 22306 Aldine Westfield Road in Humble.
What to Buy
Shop plants that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to your garden. The Mercer Society’s (TMS) Pollinator Plant Sale features host and nectar plants, including blue mistflower, purple coneflower, cardinal flower, Texas lantana, and scarlet tropical sage. Create a stunning home habitat for monarch butterflies by planting a wide variety of Texas native milkweed, including zizotes milkweed, green milkweed, aquatic milkweed, swamp milkweed, and antelope horns. Bring other local and migrating species to your yard by adding Texas native host plants. False nettle attracts red admirals and queens, spicebush lures spicebush swallowtails, and maypop brings gulf fritillaries.
Activities
This free, outdoor community event also features a scarecrow contest, lawn games, educational displays, and a book sale hosted by the Baldwin Boettcher Branch Library and Friends of the Library. Visit local exhibitors and vendors and participate in pollinator-themed activities, including the Pollinator Partners Promenade, a self-guided garden tour. If you need advice on pollinator plant selection or garden maintenance, visit a Harris County master gardener at the Ask a Master Gardener tent or connect with knowledgeable TMS plant growers.
Live performances will occur throughout the day, including an eclectic mix of Appalachian fiddle tunes and Celtic music by the Dulcimer Doin’s, Native American flute music by the Spring Cypress Flute Circle, and popular songs from the 1920s to today by the Houkulele Strummers. To add to the fun, visitors are invited to dress in bee, butterfly, bat, hummingbird, or flower attire.
What to Bring
Plant sale attendees are encouraged to bring something to transport their purchases, as wagons are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Proceeds from the Pollinator Plant Sale benefit Mercer Botanic Gardens. The festival is held outdoors at Mercer’s East Side Main Garden. Event parking is at the West Side Arboretum. Parking for those with disabilities is at the East Side Main Garden. Shuttles are available to transport visitors between the garden and arboretum on the east and west sides. A parent or guardian must accompany children younger than 16. Volunteer opportunities are also available. Email jhartwell@hcp4.net for details.
5:30 PM -Â 7:00 PMÂ CTÂ on Zoom
After years of steady growth, Houston METRO’s bus and rail ridership has experienced a sharp drop since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic in Harris County in March of 2020.
They listened to transit-reliant Houston communities hit hard by Covid-19 to better understand the pandemic’s effect on Houstonians’ relationship with public transportation (access, utilization, future plans) in order to inform what local, state and federal policy proposals and/or investments should be prioritized moving forward.
Please join Air Alliance Houston on Wednesday, October 6th at 5:30 PM CT via Zoom as they release the findings of our new report “COVID and Public Transit in the Houston Region,†discuss how federal legislation may impact Texas transportation, and share recommendations for the transportation policy agenda.
Current speaker lineup:
- David Robinson, Chair of Houston City Council Transportation, Technology and Infrastructure (TTI) Committee and Vice Chair of H-GAC Transportation Policy Council
- Dr. Letitia Plummer, Houston City Council At-Large Position 4, Vocal equitable transportation advocate
- Community research team members
Moderator: Dr. Denae King, Interim Associate Director of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs, TSU
This event will be held in English. Spanish interpretation will be provided.
Join Center for Houston’s Future on October 6 at 5:30 p.m. CDT for a conversation with Katharine Hayhoe, a globally renowned climate scientist and professor of political science at Texas Tech University, where she is director of the Climate Science Center. She is also Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and author of Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World.
Read about Hayhoe in The New Yorker: “How to Talk about Climate Change Across the Political Divide“
Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist whose research focuses on understanding what climate change means for people and the places where we live. She is the Chief Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a Horn Distinguished Professor and Endowed Professor of Public Policy and Public Law in the Dept. of Political Science at Texas Tech University. Her book, Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World, will be released in September 2021 and she also hosts the PBS digital series Global Weirding, currently in its fifth season. Katharine has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, the United Nations Champion of the Environment, and the World Evangelical Alliance’s Climate Ambassador.
Texas Trustees Holding Annual Public Meeting December 1
The Texas Trustee Implementation Group will hold its annual public meeting via a webinar on December 1, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. CT. During the meeting, They will present an update on Texas Restoration Area plans, projects, and activities. They will provide opportunities for attendees to submit questions as part of the webinar registration process, and during the Webinar via chat. The webinar is open to everyone, and they encourage your attendance and participation.
Join the Architecture Center Houston for their Annual Gingerbread Build-Off.Â
EVENT DAY SCHEDULE:
9:00am–10:00am Team Check-in
10:00am–3:00pm Competition Building & Kids Construction Zone
10:00am–4:00pm Food Trucks
12:00–2:00pm      SANTA
4:00pm–4:30pm   Awards