H-GAC’s Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, February 14, 2020, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. The Summit will include presentations on trends and topics related to parks and natural areas.

The event will also include the annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony. These projects serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region. Projects will be honored in three categories: Planning Process, On-the-Ground Projects Over $500,000, and On-the-Ground Projects Under $500,000.

A light breakfast will be served. Registration and breakfast begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by topic speakers at 9:30 a.m. The awards program will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will be followed by networking until noon.

Agenda
9:00 a.m.    Registration and Breakfast
9:30 a.m.    Presentation – Claire Hempel, Design Worskshop, Equity In Parks
10:00 a.m.  Presentation – Katie Coyne, Asakura Robinson, TBA
10:30 a.m.  Parks and Natrual Areas Annual Awards Ceremony
11:30 a.m.  Networking

The Parks and Natural Areas roundtable serves as a forum for discussion of issues related to parks and natural areas and promotes the Parks and Natural Areas awards program. The roundtable facilitates information exchange and planning efforts between various stakeholders and collaborators to protect and preserve parks and natural areas across the region.

Bring the entire family out for a friendly competition of Nature Bingo. Teams will race against each other to complete their nature card. This bingo adventure involves running!!!

Raise funds for the Lawther-Deer Park Prairie Education Program, honor Susan and Peter Conaty, participate in auctions, and test your prairie knowledge with this fun program.

Join the Parks and Natural Areas (PNA) Roundtable on Monday, March 9, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.

Attendees will learn about the Nature and Eclectic Outdoors’ Healthy Outdoor Communities initiative and Exploration Green, an award-winning parks and natural areas project in the region. They’ll also discuss the time and date for the spring field trip.

The PNA Roundtable meets the second Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November and is open to anyone interested in participating.

On May 18, Kinder will offer the same great program spotlighting Stephen Klineberg and his transformational Kinder Houston Area Survey, along with insights from Rice University and community leadership. Proudly, they will also honor Rev. William A. Lawson for his many years of service to Houston and its people. All will be offered online for our entire community to enjoy freely, safely and comfortably.

Registrants will receive instructions via email on how to access the program closer to the program date.

11:30 a.m. Digital Registration

2020 Kinder Houston Area Survey and other materials made available to access online and download

12:00 p.m. Lunch-Out Program

Grab your lunch, and from the comfort of your preferred location, explore findings from Stephen Klineberg’s 39th Kinder Houston Area Survey, with insights from Rice University President David Leebron, Houston Education Research Consortium Director Ruth N. López Turley, and Kinder Institute Director Bill Fulton. The Lunch-Out will also honor Rev. William A. Lawson for his 60+ years of service to Houston and its people.

Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) as they highlight their plans, programs, and partners along Buffalo Bayou through its second installment of the webinar series Deeper Dive.

This series will overview the fifth anniversary of Buffalo Bayou Park and the planning that went into the park, discuss the clean-up process along the waterway, and what we are doing as an organization to be inclusive of the surrounding neighborhoods. To receive the link to the online event, please be sure to register here. Attendees will be sent the link 10 minutes prior to the start of the event.

The average neighborhood yard may look pretty, but doesn’t support the wide range of wildlife that is crucial to a healthy environment and community. The good news is that yards can be both beautiful and beneficial by incorporating the native plants that support our local wildlife! In this presentation, Ms. Lauren Simpson will share handy tips on how to create a wildlife garden at your own home, for the enjoyment of your family and the benefit of your community. Come join Hermann Park Conservancy to learn how to transform your own yard into a beautiful, pollinator paradise!

The event will be hosted on Zoom and also streamed via Facebook Live.

Resources for use during the presentation:
https://www.hermannpark.org/media/uploads/resources–wildscaping.pdf
https://www.hermannpark.org/media/uploads/st._julian’s_crossing.pdf