Calendar
Texas Tech University will host a virtual 1.5 day seminar that will meet the requirement for becoming a part of the OLE! Texas Design Network. Those who complete this training will no longer need to complete the NLI course.
Dates & Times:Â November 12, 2020 from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM & November 13, 2020 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PMÂ
Fee: There is no fee associated with this workshop, however, we are asking all participants to support the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children with a $20 donation towards their 2021 Healthy Beginnings Conference. The conference theme is “Taking Learning Outdoors” and donations will support conference scholarships for local early care and education professionals. Donations can be made via their PayPal Account. Â
Participation Requirements:Â Participants must attend the full workshop in order to be added to the list of OLE! Texas certified designers. This evens is ONLY for Landscape Architects & Designers who are willing to support early care and education programs in the Harris County area.
Presenters:  Charles Klein, PhD, PLA, Research Associate, Landscape Architecture, Texas Tech University & Kristi Gaines, PhD, IIDA, IDEC, Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Professor in the Department of Design, Texas Tech University.
Registration Link:Â https://www.eventbrite.
Birding in the Barrio, a workshop by Texas Children in Nature
This workshop explores the importance of diversity for the next generation of birders and ways to help minority birders overcome the fear of birding through The Texas Blue Jay Project.
Join CEC and the City of Houston on December 11 to leverage community resources and create strategic opportunities for Houston-area youth to engage in civic conversations and actions around climate resilience. This virtual, collaborative planning workshop is for all Houston informal educators and community engagement coordinators. Details and free registration via this Eventbrite link.
Join staff from Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve for a look at how to use iNaturalist to participate in a BioBlitz.
Then participate in a Bird Count Feb. 12 – 15 and the BioBlitz March 13-21 in any of the parks.
Contact Jerrel Geisler with any questions: jgeisler@hcp4.net.
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.
The Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour is returning to Houston on January 29, 2022. Hosted by the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, this year’s film fest will be a hybrid event, taking place both online and in person at MATCH to accommodate everyone’s COVID safety preferences.
SPONSORS
Thank you to our 2022 Sponsors:
Civic Science: Inquiry to Action
This six-session synchronous course will delve into CELF’s Inquiry to Action Framework to enhance real-world learning in your school community and engage student learning through inquiry, place and action. You will join a multi-state cohort of 5th-12th grade educators, developing and building upon place-based projects and exploring environmental pathways, such as water, biodiversity and air. This program is designed to support educators at any point in their civic science journey providing the opportunity for students to become civic scientists, equipped to confront 21st-century challenges.
Civic Science: Inquiry to Action
This six-session synchronous course will delve into CELF’s Inquiry to Action Framework to enhance real-world learning in your school community and engage student learning through inquiry, place and action. You will join a multi-state cohort of 5th-12th grade educators, developing and building upon place-based projects and exploring environmental pathways, such as water, biodiversity and air. This program is designed to support educators at any point in their civic science journey providing the opportunity for students to become civic scientists, equipped to confront 21st-century challenges.
Civic Science: Inquiry to Action
This six-session synchronous course will delve into CELF’s Inquiry to Action Framework to enhance real-world learning in your school community and engage student learning through inquiry, place and action. You will join a multi-state cohort of 5th-12th grade educators, developing and building upon place-based projects and exploring environmental pathways, such as water, biodiversity and air. This program is designed to support educators at any point in their civic science journey providing the opportunity for students to become civic scientists, equipped to confront 21st-century challenges.