Calendar
Celebrate the holiday season with music, food, crafts, shopping, and more during Holiday in the Gardens at Mercer Botanic Gardens. This family-oriented event offers a holiday market, winter plant sale, and a Children’s Corner. Attractions include face painting, a visit from Santa, and holiday-themed crafts. Entrance is free, and children’s activities are available while supplies last. Food, drinks, and holiday gifts are available for purchase.
Volunteers needed! Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Mercer’s Volunteer Coordinator Jamie Hartwell. New volunteers must complete a volunteer application, available at hcp4.net.
Applications are being accepted for the Ruder Bruner Award for Urban Excellence, a national design award celebrating transformative places that contribute to the economic, environmental, and social vitality of American cities. One Gold Medal ($50,000 cash award) and four Silver Medals ($10,000 cash award) are awarded each biennial. To be eligible, projects must be urban, built, and located within the contiguous United States. Applications may be submitted by anyone involved with the project. The deadline to submit applications is Dec. 12, 2018.
There will be a mandatory judging webinar that will take place on Feb. 20, 2019 at 12:30pm. If judges are unable to make this webinar, it will be recorded and judges will need to watch it before judging takes place. Governor’s Community Achievement Awards and Keep Texas Beautiful Awards judging will take place Thursday, Feb. 28 and Friday, Mar. 1, 2019 in Austin, TX. Lunch will be provided on both days of judging. The date for judging Youth Awards is still being determined. The deadline to submit your application for consideration is Jan. 18, 2019. Â
Each year, the prestigious Terry Hershey Bayou Stewardship Award recognizes members in the community who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to aiding in the conservation, preservation, restoration and/or advocacy of Houston’s waterways. Nominees can be from the nonprofit, public or private sectors. Please submit nominations by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2019. Submit the nomination information in the body of an email, or as an attachment, or by fax. Email to info@bayoupreservation.org, or fax to 713-529-6481.
Eligible applicants include:
- Local Governments
- Businesses & Industry
- Non-Profit Organizations
- Universities and Educational Institutions
- Utility Districts
The Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence (WISE) Awards recognize innovative strategies and projects in the Houston-Galveston region that serve as models for improving water quality. Joint applications for larger, collaborative projects are encouraged. Winning projects must exhibit efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation and serve as models to improve surface water quality. Applications must be completed online by Feb. 6, 2019, at noon. For more information, visit h-gac.com.
Save the date for H-GAC’s first Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, February 8, 2019, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. The Summit will include presentations about various H-GAC programs that can provide goods, services, technical assistance, and funding for parks and natural areas projects.
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 will open in late December or early January. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the H-GAC program showcase at 9 a.m. The awards program will be followed by networking with H-GAC staff and other parks professionals.
The Summit will include presentations about various H-GAC programs that can provide goods, services, technical assistance, and funding for parks and natural areas projects. 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. The event will also include the annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony. The awards program will be followed by networking with H-GAC staff and other parks professionals.
Join Urban Harvest for the largest one-day sale in the country. Over 4,000 trees in 100 varieties will be available for their annual Fruit Tree Sale event. All trees have been specifically chose for the Houston soil and climate. This family-friendly event also features the Green Thumbs Education Pavilion presented by Kroger, live music and food trucks for a festival-like experience. All proceeds will benefit Urban Harvest. Volunteering opportunities are also available.
The Spotlight Award considers architects from around the world within the first 15 years of their professional practice who have demonstrated design excellence and curiosity through their body of work. Rice Design Alliance has selected DUST as the recipient of the Spotlight Award 2019.
DUST Principals, Cade Hayes and Jesús E. Robles, Jr., will be delivering the Spotlight Lecture 2019 at The Museum of Fine Arts Brown Auditorium designed by Mies van der Rohe.
On Wednesday, February 20, 2019, Houston Wilderness will have the honor of presenting its annual Wild Life Award to Joe B. Allen at the Annual Luncheon at River Oaks Country Club. The award will honor his legacy of environmental-based laws that are providing new parks, trails, and open space in subdivisions all over the state.