Calendar
Join EcoRise staff and seasoned EcoRise teachers for an interactive learning experience to explore EcoRise lessons that utilize outdoor spaces as well as options to adapt lessons for outdoor learning, using our Outdoor Learning Guide. We will explore classroom management considerations and modifications that can be used to meet the needs of students.
This workshop is for current K-12 teachers. All content areas are welcome. PD credit will be provided.
Open to PreK – 8th grade teachers. Learn about forest ecosystems & different activities to incorporate forestry into your classrooms. Sponsored by Project Learning Tree, Texas Forest Service and Texas Forestry Association.
Includes three sessions: October 26, November 2 and November 9.
FREE! Registration and details found here: http://www.plttexas.org/workshop.aspx?workshopID=355
We want everyone to learn, explore, and connect with nature. To do that we need the environmental field and nature-focused organizations to be more inclusive, diverse and representative of all communities.
Join youth leaders from the Austin Parks and Recreation Department Park Ranger Cadet Program to discuss the intersections of racial equity, connecting to the outdoors, and outdoor careers. For the first half of the session, they will share the work they’ve been doing in Austin to address racial equity by building a green careers pipeline for young leaders. In the second half youth leaders and attendees will dive into discussion topics such as: barriers to connecting with nature, why they focus on race, importance of knowing the history of an area, being a white ally, guidance for having tough conversations & curricular resources, eco-therapy in relation to this work, building partnerships, peer mentorship model, youth leadership development, the importance of elevating youth voices, and creating pathways to employment.
Come to the session ready to share stories, successes, challenges, and questions! We hope to have open and honest conversations, share strategies and resources, and strengthen our network of people doing this work. Together, we can work towards a Texas where nature and outdoor careers are more accessible for people who have been historically excluded.
Hosted by Texas Children in Nature.
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.
Carrin Patman
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Ellen Cohen
The event will feature a discussion with Harvard Business School Professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter, led by METRO Chair Carrin Patman. Kanter was named one of the “50 most influential business thinkers in the world,” according to Thinkers50, the global ranking of management thinkers. She will speak about her latest book, “Think Outside the Building: How Advanced Leaders Can Change the World One Smart Innovation at a Time.”
Center for Houston’s Future will also present the Vaughan Award to Ellen Cohen, a community leader who served as a Houston City Council member and Texas state representative.
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.
Participate in the City Nature Challenge on April 30 – May 2. Be part of an international project, support outdoor learning and exploration, and even integrate technology into the classroom.
Find an Educator Toolkit here: https://
Find a student-friendly explanation video here: https://youtu.be/
Visit the Houston project page on iNaturalist here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2021-houston-galveston.
Join in a fun challenge to observe and record wild species. It is easy to participate by making observations on your own using the iNaturalist app. Just take a picture of a plant or animal, and the community will help identify which species it is. Any observation in the greater metropolitan area of Houston will count during the four-day challenge. You can participate by exploring the life in your backyard (and use the hashtag #backyardchallenge on social media), in your neighborhood park, or from an apartment balcony or courtyard. You can also help with IDs for other people’s observations to increase our species count.
Impact Hub houston envisions a more prosperous, inclusive, climate-resilient economy, where finance flows to green projects and activities, and where motivated people are empowered with the skills and capacity they need to take action.
This progress can only be achieved through systemic change – change that includes innovation across business, investment, regulation, governance structures, values and mindsets. They invite you to join Climathon Houston to see the most promising ideas that emerge around Houston’s challenges, including:
Energy Transition: developing innovative ways to …
- Shift from extractive to regenerative energy production, capture and distribution technologies.
- Restore, protect, and enhance Houston’s natural ability to capture and store carbon.
Materials Management: developing innovative ways to …
- Reduce waste production and/or Optimize waste operations.
- Reuse or Upcycle materials into useful products, to lengthen their lifespan and keep materials out of streets and landfills.
- Recycle materials into efficient energy or new raw materials for manufacturing and production.
Building Optimization: developing innovative ways to …
- Reduce building energy use and maximize savings.
- Increase the healthfulness and utility of existing buildings for sustainable community use.
Regional Resilience: developing innovative ways to …
- Address clean water, access, retention and flooding issues
- Engage more people in building better habits that promote cleaner, greener communities
- Accelerate clean urban mobility